Ambassadors for Drive
The Drive Foundation is honored to partner with legendary icons in the fields of music, television, sports and film.
By lending their background and sharing their own experiences in mental health awareness, together we will bring The Drive Foundation to the next level in our mission to work on a global level, supporting mental health through music, arts and holistic recovery.
Jeff Bova
Jeff is a Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger, and musician with hundreds of platinum and gold-selling records to his name. He won his Grammy for Album of the Year as a producer on Celine Dion’s, “Falling Into You”.
During a career spanning over 40 years, he toured as a member of Herbie Hancock’s Rockit Band and has contributed to hundreds of recordings by significant mainstream artists, including Katy Perry, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Robert Palmer, Billy Joel, Bee Gees, Backstreet Boys, Cher, Meat Loaf, Cyndi Lauper, Iron Maiden and many more.
Jeff continues to produce, arrange and collaborate with new and exciting young artists. Inspired by his role in the ever-changing music business, he looks forward to more opportunities for creativity and collaboration.
“The Drive Foundation brings valuable resources and support to artists and musicians who face the challenges of Mental Illness and Addiction in their professional and everyday lives. I want to share my experience, knowledge and resources to support our global creative community.”
Jeff Bova
Kelly Gruber
Toronto Blue Jay alumni, World Series Champion, 2 time American League All Star, Silver Slugger and Golden Glove winner, Kelly Gruber is proud to be an Ambassador for The Drive Foundation.
“As professional athletes we’re well trained and educated on maintaining our physical fitness to optimize our skills but little time is spent on our mental fitness. The mental ups and downs of our daily playing lives goes unseen to the public but it’s something all athletes deal with on a regular basis. The Drive Foundation gives me a chance to shed some light on the coping skills I’ve developed over the years.”
Kelly Gruber
Lisa Hartt
Lisa Hartt Spillane has been a singer and songwriter for as far back as she can remember and brings her own brand of enthusiasm, joy and inspiration to the stage and studio. Raised in Montreal, Lisa is a Juno award nominee for “Starwatcher,” The Lisa Hartt Band’s first album. She has worked, recorded, and toured with some of the world’s most legendary performers such as Anne Murray, Ken Tobias, Gino Vanelli, April Wine, Rayburn Blake of Mashmakhan, The Lisa Hartt Band, Phil Ramone, David Foster, Maurice White and Natalie Cole, to name a few.
Having just released a single “Don’t Tell me How I Feel,” about the death of her little brother Christopher, due to mental illness, Lisa has penned a series of songs dealing with addiction, and her own journey in recovery. Spring 2023, she is releasing a 4-song EP produced by Chris Birkett titled “Arrival.”
“I have dealt with the loneliness of being on the road for months and months, the endless touring and the rough timetable, terrible conditions, and no other women generally, to speak with. It gets to you, really gets to you. I became very ill over many years and eventually had to find my way to heal or die. Being an ambassador for Drive Foundation is paying it forward, being able to share my success story of 40 years in recovery is a dream for me and one that can hopefully help one person on their journey to mental health.”
Lisa Hartt
Gail Harvey
Gail Harvey is an award-winning film director and photographer who has studied under Norman Jewison, Wim Wenders and Arthur Penn. She was the third woman ever hired as a staff photographer at United Press International wire service. Gail Harvey is forever etched into history for taking the iconic photos of Canadian hero, Terry Fox.
Her most recent venture is a production company called “Straight Shooters” – in partnership with her daughter, award-winning actress Katie Boland. Their first project completed was a documentary film about Rickie Lee Jones, entitled Rickie Lee Jones: The Other Side of Desire (2015), recently short listed for a Grammy Award Nomination. Harvey is in post-production on her latest project a feature film Never Saw It Coming (2018), written by Linwood Barclay, based on his novel of the same name. The film stars Emily Hampshire and Eric Roberts. Her film Looking Is the Original Sin (2014), inspired by the life of Diane Arbus, starring Katie Boland, and Maria del Mar with a cameo role by Linda Hamilton premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival. It won best international feature at the New York International Film Festival, screened in London, England at the Raindance Film Festival and at the Female Eye Film Festival where Gail was awarded the Female Eye Honourary Director, Best in the Biz award for 2014. Gail has directed award-winning television shows Dark Matter (2015), Private Eyes (2016), Heartland (2007), Lost Girl (2010), Republic of Doyle (2010), Murdoch Mysteries (2008), as well as directing all the episodes of the HBO series The Line (2009), and two movies for Lifetime Network, Four Extraordinary Women (2006) starring Lindsay Wagner, and Home by Christmas (2006), starring Linda Hamilton.
“Even though we love our work, due to the high levels of stress and demands, the creative arts fields have always been affected by mental health issues. I am so glad we are bringing these issues to the forefront and talking about them openly and I am proud to be an Ambassador for the Drive Foundation as we move forward to find more solutions.”
Gail Harvey
Malin Östh
Malin started her first band in Stockholm when she was 18 years old, a rock band called Yield’s. At the same time, she toured with the jazz pianist Allan Johansson (Povel Ramel’s conductor).
Malin moved to Skåne in southern Sweden and the Rock group “The Four Roses” took Malin in as a singer in 1992. They played together for 4 years and released one 12 tracks album “The Four Roses”.
She started working as environment and quality manager at Kristianstads Boktryckeriet in 1994 and stayed there for 6 years. Her first business company was started in 2001 where the main occupation was a rehab center for horses. On the farm she also held seminars and courses.
In 2012 the band Bara Jonson and Free was formed together with the amazing Jonas Tancred. BjF has since released three full length albums, of which two are vinyl LPs.
Bara Jonson and Free is now an international touring duo with their own music genre, Crockpop, and was nominated as best emerging artist in Toronto during Indie Week 2019. They were selected as INES talent 2020 and 2021.
2017 Malin started her jazz band “Malin Östh Band” where they play a mix of jazz, swing, evergreens and Swedish folksongs
2021 Malin and Jonas from Bara Jonson and Free, started the music festival ‘Lilla By Festivalen’ in their home village of Rinkaby, Sweden. Already in 2022 it had grown into a hybrid festival; somewhere between festival and showcase. 2023 they are also adding ‘Music Days’ showcase to their list as well as their own augmented reality app for vinyl enhancement, developed by BjFGO!
“I am honored and excited to join the Drive Foundation as an Ambassador having had the experience of living in a threatening and abusive relationship as a result of serious drug problems, which most likely was the driving force behind his violent behavior. It’s hard to express in words just how much this opportunity to help and support others who are in that similar situation means to me.Sharing the Drive Foundation’s powerful message about the importance of discussing this subject about mental health will add another level of meaning for me as a person.”
Malin Östh
Jonas Tancred
Tancred started his music career in the early 80’s as singer/guitarist/songwriter in a hard rock band, ‘Power Rain’ (later ‘Ironside’).
He spent his off time (from music) working in sales for some advertising companies, as Account Manager for a CAD-consulting company (AEC), as a consultant at Volvo Cars and finally as CEO and Senior business recruiter for his own recruitment company P2B.
2007 he accidentally stumbled into the online virtual world of Second Life and live streaming music over the internet which led to him being signed to a New York record company.
This came to play a major part of the 2011 HBO documentary ‘When Strangers Click’ featuring him and his Second Life alter ego, Bara Jonson, being nominated for an Emmy-award. The same year he released his first album ‘Lost in America Somewhere’.
In 2012 the band Bara Jonson and Free was formed together with the amazing Malin Östh. BjF has since released three full length albums, of which two are vinyl LPs.
Bara Jonson and Free is now an international touring duo with their own music genre, Crockpop, and was nominated as best emerging artist in Toronto during Indie Week 2019. They were selected as INES talent 2020 and 2021.
2021 they started the music festival ‘Lilla By Festivalen’ in their home village of Rinkaby, Sweden. Already in 2022 it had grown into a hybrid festival; somewhere between festival and showcase. 2023 they are also adding ‘Music Days’ showcase to their list as well as their own augmented reality app for vinyl enhancement, developed by BjFGO!
“Being in a business that makes you feel like you are on top of the world, and then in the next second, bring you down to the lowest low… and then right back on top again. Where long tedious travels turn into quick paced moments with expectations to perform with excellence under very hard pressure; this creates the perfect growing ground for anxiety, substance and alcohol abuse and mental issues. I am honored to be an Ambassador of Drive Foundation working towards salvation and solutions in mental health.”
Jonas Tancred
Michael Williams
We are honoured to have Michael with us and lending his unforgettable voice and presence hosting our events. You will remember Michael from the days of his residency on MuchMusic as one of the first VJays in Canada to make a difference with music. He shares his own stories about his own mental health work while helping Drive. This is a new role we have initiated for the Foundation and as legendary icons in the field of music, television, sports and film.
“I have known Sandy Graham for decades and most recently worked with Michelle Titian at another event and now want to help in whatever way I can with The Drive Foundation and its mission. Having spent all my adult life working in the arts, I personally know the stress that can come about with the issues of mental health and the need for wellness moving forward. I want to lend my name and support to whatever initiatives The Drive Foundation has to not only address the mental health issues but to be part of the solutions.”
Michael Williams