Wilkie crooner Bob Leslie was recently named Full-time Male Vocalist as well as Entertainer of the Year at the Country Gospel Music Association national Canadian competition in Cranbrook, B.C.
Next, he's off to Branson, Miss., headquarters of the CGMA, for the international level competition.
Leslie, who will soon turn 70, has collected some 30 awards as a big band crooner over the years.
At last year's Canadian finals of the CGMA in Virden, Man., he was named Male Entertainer of the Year, Mentor of the Year and Lyricist of the Year. His wife Joan was named Esteemed Servant of the Year, not for the first time.
Leslie has proudly announced she won Esteemed Servant of the Year again for 2015.
"When we walk into those places, they say, 'Hi, Bob,' to me and then say, 'Joan, can you help …"
And she always does, he says.
While in Branson, Leslie says he will do a show there in addition to taking part in the competition attended by musicians from around the world. He says he frequently does shows in Branson, and has even been asked to move there to take on regular shows. But he prefers to stay in Canada, despite he and his wife being experienced globetrotters.
Being a big band crooner, he explains, he doesn't have many opportunities to perform in this area. He does much of his performing in the United States in places like Missouri, Wyoming and Tennessee.
Two years ago, Leslie made it to the national level of a musical competition called Senior Star. For performers 65 and over, the competition, put on by Chartwell House Canada, held regional competitions across Canada with Leslie taking home the title of 2013 Senior Star – Edmonton for his rendition of I Love You So by Perry Como. He was subsequently chosen at one of 10 national finalists.
The year prior, he had also competed in the Senior Star, winning in Regina.
