Wilkie singer Bob Leslie was recently named Full-time Male Vocalist as well as Evangelist of the Year and Mentor of the Year at the Country Gospel Music Association national Canadian competition in Drayton Valley, Alta.
Bob's wife Joan was, not for the first time, presented with an Esteemed Servant award.
The pair are next off to Branson, Mo., headquarters of the CGMA, for the international level competition. While in Branson, Leslie says he will do a show at the Doug Gabriel Theatre, co-hosting as well.
This is the 10th year they've gone to the Branson event.
Leslie, who will soon turn 80, has collected some 30 awards as a gospel singers and big band crooner over the years.
"I don't know where to put them all, but it's nice to represent Canada," says Joan.
At last year’s CGMA Canadian competition in Cranbrook, B.C., he was named Full-time Male Vocalist as well as Entertainer of the Year.
At the previous 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. Joan was named Esteemed Servant of the Year.
Three years ago, Leslie made it to the national level of a musical competition called Senior Star. For performers 65 and over, the competition, hosted 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 as one of 10 national finalists.
The year prior, he had also competed in the Senior Star, winning in Regina.
Being a big band crooner, 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.
