Music: {allcanada} BUBLE GETS STAGE FRIGHT AHEAD OF BIEKSA'S BUDDIES GAME

Thursday, October 18, 2012

{allcanada} BUBLE GETS STAGE FRIGHT AHEAD OF BIEKSA'S BUDDIES GAME

The Karaoke Channel Online Member Community

Michael Buble has performed before huge audiences on the world stage but on all those occasions, The Vancouver Province points out the super crooner was holding a microphone, not a hockey stick.

So it wasn't surprising that the pre-game buzz Wednesday was that the life-long Vancouver Canucks fan was a bundle of nerves before the Bieksa's Buddies charity game at UBC. And why not. When the Burnaby product practised with the NHL club last December, he called it "the greatest day of my life." But Rogers Arena was empty that day. The sold-out Doug Mitchell Sports Arena had 5,000 patrons ready to watch his every move against the UBC Thunderbirds. He got stage fright, didn't take one shift and opted to help coach rather than play.

However, Buble more than made his presence felt by donating $100,000 to the three charities that benefitted from the event — The Canucks Autism Network, Canucks Family Education Centre and Canuck Place hospice — and that alone was worth first-star status. It matched the $100,000 raised from the $20 tickets to the event that were snapped up in 20 minutes.

"I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in to do this and was just thrilled that Kevin would even think to involve me in all of this," said Buble. "I asked him how much he hoped to raise and he said 100 grand — I said let's make it 200."

Aside from the few strange scalpers outside the arena trying to profit from a charity event, the focus was on funding charities and just the right amount of fun, but the expected pace made Buble think twice about playing.

"I wanted to but I honestly think I whimped out a bit and the nerves got the best of me," added Buble. "You sit on the couch and say: 'I could bury that.' Then you see the speed and you see the athleticism and you say: 'I'm glad I'm a singer.'"