BC singer returns to music after life-changing motorcycle accident

It may be the biggest cliché in the book, but sometimes in life it's true that what doesn't kill you can make you stronger.

Singer-songwriter Richard Tichelman, originally from the Semiahmoo Peninsula, says he has found a new purpose in life after a motorcycle accident a month and a half ago, an accident he says he was lucky to survive with only a broken collarbone.

And even though an injury forced him to push back the release date of his latest album, In and out of loveUntil July 26 (he wanted to be well enough to play guitar at personal appearances supporting the release), he takes a philosophical approach to everything.

Ironically, the accident, which happened on Mother's Day (May 12), happened just a block or two from Tichelman's family home in South Surrey.

“It was one of the scariest things I've ever experienced,” he said during a recent visit to Peace Ark News.

“I had just finished shooting two videos for the album and we were doing the finale. I was near my house, around 167th Street and 20th Avenue, and a lady turned left in her SUV right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and flew 90 feet through the air and landed in a ditch.”

His speed was not a factor in the crash, he said, although he realizes in hindsight that if he had driven faster, “it would have been the end of me.”

As is often the case in such situations, Tichelman said he remembers getting out of the ditch and running to where the other driver had stopped and his motorcycle was parked. The woman was OK, though shaken, but her bike, his prized white 2006 Yamaha, was “dead,” he said.

“It was my pride and joy, identical to the bike my dad had when I was a kid,” he said. “I loved my bike, but in the end, she gave her life so I could keep mine.”

It was only while he and the other driver were waiting for police and an ambulance to arrive that he began to realise he was in severe pain, he added.

After that, things got a bit blurry when he was rushed to hospital, although he remembers his family, including his father and sister Elizabeth, rallying around him and especially the silent, loving support of his mother, Tracy.

“As much as I tried to be strong for her, she was strong for me,” he said.

Just two weeks after the accident, following an operation, he was back on his feet, although he must have realised that months of physiotherapy still awaited him.

And trying to pick up the guitar again, I told him in half an hour he would have to wait for that too.

On one level, it's a frustrating delay in a musical career that began as a young troubadour playing on the White Rock pier in his early teens and has since evolved from a paid country roots act into a mainstream pop phenomenon who has won fans and attention nationally and internationally.

Tichelman's rise has reached maximum speed, especially since the forced layoffs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

His 2022 single Hands Not only did he earn a coveted spot at the prestigious CMW Showcase, he also scored wins at top music competitions including Jim Beam Bourbon's Virtual National Talent Search.

His 2023 single Red lights, Born out of a stay in Nashville and benefiting from the production of Giordan Postorino (Alessia Cara) and the mixing talents of Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica) became a chart hit on airplay, and earned him a win at the 2024 USA Songwriting Competition.

A mentorship at Studio Bell in Calgary was the prelude to even more exciting developments, including a recording contract with XOXO Entertainment Corp/Believe and the production of In and out of love.

As the title suggests, life experience has added greater emotional depth to his musical output, especially on the new lead single. Will never be the same againwhich he co-wrote with Nashville heavyweights Jimmy Thow and Jamie Floyd, and which explores themes of heartbreak with newfound maturity.

When it drops later this month, the album, which will be available on all platforms for streaming and download, will be available on richardtichelman.com.

No matter how long it takes to get back to where he wants to be, Tichelman said he's willing to take as much time as it takes.

“(Since the accident) I like to slow down and take my time,” he said. “When I focus on the situation, I have to think about what it means to me and how I can be a part of it,” he said.

“This incident was not my responsibility,” he said. “But obviously I have unfinished business.

“I have to think about some of the things I have to do, including some of the things I don't like to do, and think about how I can do them with joy.”

What did not discourage him and continues to sustain him is his passion for music, he said.

“Music is a girlfriend that never leaves me,” he said. “No matter what happens in my life, music is a constant source of joy.”

“I'm going to try to go with the flow and try to stay in the eternal groove.”