OTTAWA - Canadian singer Michael Buble said he is humbled to be able to represent his home country on musical stages around the world and feel supported during what has been a tough time for his young family.
“I stand here truly humbled that I have been allowed to be one of your musical representatives and that you would choose to bestow this honour upon me during what has been an emotionally difficult time for my family,” Buble said Wednesday during a rare public appearance in Ottawa.
At Rideau Hall to receive a medal from Gov. Gen. David Johnston as part of the 2017 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, it was the first public event for Buble, 41, since announcing last fall that his three-year-old son, Noah, is battling cancer.
“I thank you for the love and support that you've given me and for the pride I'm filled with every single time I'm able to stand on a stage and say, 'My name is Michael Steven Buble and I am Canadian,” Buble, who was born in Burnaby, B.C., said to resounding applause as he capped off his short speech.
The singer did not mention the illness, but appeared emotional as he spoke of the love he has for his wife, model Luisana Lopilato, and their two children, including their one-year-old son Elias, as well as his parents and sisters.
“There are no words to describe how I feel about you,” Buble said. “Sometimes, 'I love you' just isn't enough because what I feel is just so much more.”
In April, Lopilato held a news conference in her native Argentina to say Noah was progressing well from treatment.
His family was there to see him receive the National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes an achievement from the previous performance year.
Buble released his ninth studio album, called “Nobody But Me,” in October.
Other honorees at the ceremony, to be followed by a gala Thursday evening, included actors Michael J. Fox and Martin Short.
Short said that as a Canadian, he's never met an American who wasn't a tad jealous of his passport, especially since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Fox told the audience he sings both national anthems when he attends NHL games, but sings the Canadian one a little louder, because he learned it first and knows it best.
