09/16/2026
Tansi (hello, how are you?).
(UPDATED!!) ARMOND DUCK CHIEF JOINS THE INCREDIBLE LINE UP!!
PLEASE SHARE!!
I’m asking my friends, family, musicians, community members, and everyone who sees this post to please take a moment to read, share, and, if you are able, come out and support a lifelong friend of mine, Russell Shott.
Many people know Russell through music. He has spent a lifetime behind an electric guitar, playing alongside musicians and bands across Alberta, Canada and beyond. But to me, Russell is much more than a musician. He is a lifelong friend. Around our family, we have always known him simply as Tuggy.
Russell also comes from a deeply musical family. His father, Charlie Shott, and his brother, Ricky Shott, were both very gifted musicians who played with many bands and at venues throughout the region and beyond.
Charlie taught his kids well, and it shows.
That love of music, that ability to pick up an instrument and connect with people through a song, became part of the Shott family story. Russell carries that forward every time he picks up a guitar.
Sadly, Russell has also had to bury both his dad Charlie and his brother Ricky not that long ago. So even before these serious health problems began, he had already been carrying a tremendous amount personally.
Their music, influence and memories are still very much part of who Russell is today.
Over the past several months, Russell has been dealing with some very serious health challenges.
On March 11, 2026, Russell suffered a mini-stroke. During follow-up testing, doctors discovered a small aneurysm at the back of his head.
Since then, Russell’s health has continued to decline. He has experienced significant hair loss, loss of teeth that has made eating difficult, and extreme weight loss, dropping from approximately 230–250 lbs down to 149 lbs.
Recent testing has also shown that his heart is not pumping as it should, while his oxygen levels have been dropping to around 40% at night and 60% during the day.
Doctors are currently working to rule out congestive heart failure and determine whether Russell will require long-term at-home oxygen.
He also lives with asthma, Ménière’s disease, and constant hypoxemia, all of which make even normal daily activities much more challenging.
Along with everything Russell is dealing with physically comes another reality: the cost of medical equipment, prescription medications, repeated travel to Edmonton for appointments, and being unable to work for an extended period of time.
Russell’s immediate needs include:
A CPAP machine costing approximately $2,800
Ongoing prescription medications
Travel expenses for medical appointments in Edmonton
Essential living expenses while he is unable to work for a minimum of three months
That is where community comes in.
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, family, friends, musicians and community members will come together at the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement Hall for a fundraiser in support of Russell.
Doors open at 12:00 PM.
Lunch will be served at 1:00 PM at $10 per plate.
Live music will follow.
We are very happy to have The Firestone Band joining us, along with special guest Armond Duck Chief, plus special guest bands and musicians.
Russell has spent many years playing music, sharing stages, supporting other musicians and entertaining people. Now some of that musical family, along with friends and community, are coming together for him.
Many people across Alberta also know Russell for his lifelong service to community and the many different roles he has held over the years.
His background includes Recording Arts & Music Production, work in Children’s Services and Corrections, and Communications, where he produced the Alberta Metis Messenger magazine.
Russell was also the youngest sports writer for the Lac La Biche Post in the 1970s.
His musical accomplishments speak for themselves.
Russell is a 3-time ACMA nominee for Guitar and Musician of the Year, and in 2008 he was named a Top 10 Blues Artist in Edmonton.
Over the years, he has been honoured to jam or share stages with an incredible list of musicians and bands, including Double Trouble, Jeff Healey, Kashtin, Prairie Oyster, Desert Rose Band, The Kentucky Headhunters, Charlie Major, The Freebird Band, C-Weed Band, Armond Duckchief, Nazareth, Clayton Bellamy, Neal McCoy, Bev Munro, Buddy Knox, Calvin Vollrath, Reg Bouvette, Al Cherney, and many others.
That is a lifetime of music, friendship, community and memories.
Now it is our turn to stand behind him.
There will also be door prizes, raffles, a 50/50 and more, with all funds going directly toward medical equipment, medications, travel for appointments and essential living costs during Russell’s recovery.
I also have to say how incredibly proud I am of my boy, Bryce Delorme, for stepping forward and helping organize this fundraiser with family on Russell’s behalf.
As a father, there is something pretty special about watching your son recognize that somebody he cares about needs help and then actually step up and do something about it.
Bryce has known Tuggy for years too, so this isn’t simply an event he is organizing.
This one is personal for both of us.
Our communities have always understood something important.
When somebody is going through a difficult time, we don’t leave them standing there alone.
Sometimes we help financially. Sometimes we cook a meal. Sometimes we donate a prize, play a few songs, say a prayer, share a post, or simply walk through those doors and show somebody that their community is standing beside them.
Every one of those things matters.
If you are able to donate financially, donations can be sent directly to:
E-transfer: [email protected]
Anyone wishing to donate door prizes or raffle items can connect with organizer Bryce Delorme and family.
And if donating financially isn’t possible right now, there is another incredibly important way you can help us:
PLEASE SHARE THIS POST.
A share costs nothing, but it may put this fundraiser in front of somebody who knows Russell, played music with him, worked alongside him, grew up with him, heard him play over the years, or simply believes in helping another person during a difficult chapter of life.
If you are able to help by donating, sharing this fundraiser, attending, or simply sending encouragement, it would mean the world to Russell and his family.
And most importantly, come spend the afternoon with us.
Have some lunch.
Listen to some great live music.
Visit with old friends and meet some new ones.
Buy a raffle ticket or a 50/50.
And help us surround Russell with the kind of support that goes far beyond dollars and cents.
Sometimes seeing a hall full of people who care about you can mean more than words could ever explain.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement Hall
Doors Open: 12:00 PM
Lunch: 1:00 PM – $10 per plate
Live Music to Follow
Featuring The Firestone Band
Special Guest Armond Duck Chief
Plus Special Guest Bands & Musicians
From my son Bryce, Russell’s family, Cora and I, and everyone helping bring this day together, thank you for every donation, every donated prize, every musician giving their time, every prayer, every person who attends and every single person who shares this post.
MÉTIS MAN MEDIA EVENT COVERAGE
Métis Man Media will be in attendance providing coverage of the fundraiser, including photography, videography, live footage and interviews.
Attendees should be aware that photographs and video will be captured throughout this public community event and may appear in Métis Man Media coverage shared on YouTube, Facebook and other social media or media platforms.
It is an honour for Métis Man Media to help document this gathering and tell the story of musicians, friends, families and communities coming together when one of our own needs a hand.
Let’s fill that hall for Tuggy.
Let’s have some lunch, make some music, shake some hands, tell a few stories and show a lifelong friend just how many people are standing beside him.
Kinanâskomitinâwâw (thank you all).
Ekosi Mâka (that’s it for now).
Shawn McDonald
The Métis Man
Métis Man Media Inc.
