A country music superstar is making his way from the U.S. up to Canada on his year-long tour and is making a stop in our region. Mitchell Tenpenny will hit the Casino Rama stage on Friday night at 9 p.m. as he nears the end of his Speed of Light tour. His latest single, “Ain’t my Problem No More,” came out at the end of September, something with a little bit more levity. “You gotta have a little bit of everything,” Tenpenny tells CTV News from Nashville. He says he was looking to create a song that was more up-tempo and “fun to play with a full band.” Tenpenny is a big proponent of mental health. “For me, I think mental health is so important and when we go to concerts and shows, we have everybody there together,” Tenpenny says. “It’s about being part of something and worrying about being in the moment and not worrying about everything else going on, so it’s a fun song to play. It’s a song where everyone can sing and chant.” Tenpenny champions mental health not only in his music but also in his philanthropy work. He founded The Tenpenny Fund, a foundation that raises money for people with cancer who are struggling with their mental health. He says there isn’t a lot of resources available to prepare people to battle cancer, mentally. “We know how strong mental health is and how important it is when it comes to fighting anything, let alone that disease,” Tenpenny says. Cancer hits close to home for Tenpenny, who lost his father to the disease, his mother is in remission and several of his friends are going through it currently. The singer recently shared a life-changing milestone on social media. Tenpenny happens to be married to Canadian country musician Meghan Patrick and the couple welcomed their first child together on Sept.1, something he says he’s “always wanted.” “All cliché aside, it’s completely changed my life for the better,” Tenpenny says. “I’m loving being a father. And watching Meghan become a mother, she’s unbiasedly, the best mom in the world. She adores our child.” While they’re still trying to figure out parenting along the way together, Tenpenny says he’s soaking up every moment. He’s looking forward to heading up to our region. “We can’t wait to get back up there, we’re so excited,” Tenpenny says. “We’re gonna be giving everything we’ve got.”
