Gordie & Kim Lanoue
Gordie Lanoue - The Man With A Heart
Gordie was born in Winchester Ontario, and has lived in Kingston for over 20 years. His intense love for country music stems from his upbringing. He comes from a farming background, and spent many years travelling across Canada and living on some of our nation's largest Farms. Gordie's father worked at rehabilitating farms that had gone into receivership. While his parents both had a deep love of country music, we're not quite sure where Gordie's amazing talent came from, as neither of his folks are musical.
CCMA member, Gordie Lanoue, began singing at the young age of eight. He grew up
with the Family Brown,and attended choir with Tracey Brown. Over the years, he has
sang as a guest with numerous top bands from Alberta and British Columbia. The Hot
Damn Band and Donna Lee & Bullet to name just a couple. He has been lucky enough to brush shoulders with big names such as Carole Baker, Michelle Wright, Patricia Conroy, The Farmer's Daughters, Beverly Mahood, and Blair Franklin, just to name a few. Gordie met most of these people at the Silver Saddle in Kingston.
Gordie is an avid competitor, and has taken part in over 300 vocal competitions Canada wide. The most illustrious of these was the CJOH Homegrown Cafe
Talent Show. Much to his delight, he placed as a finalist in this show.
When asked about his lifetime dream, Gordie responds that "it's to be a force in Canadian Music". He believes Canada to be a country with unique and amazing talent. Gordie's goal is to stay true to his Canadian roots and to succeed as a recording artist in this country. He has great respect for Shania Twain "for what she has done for the Canadian Music Industry."
Some of the performers that have influenced Gordie and his musical style are Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and Martina MacBride. Many people have said that, due to the raw power of his voice, that he is a male version of Martina. Keith Urban's music has greatly influenced Gordie,and he says that he would give anything to one day appear on Stage with him.
So WHY is Gordie putting together a show for Habitat for Humanity?
In 2005, Gordie and his family were chosen to become a part of the Habitat Family and they received a home on Montreal Street in Kingston. Gordie believes that Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization that has helped over 2 million families worldwide.
Part of what made being a Habitat family so special was volunterring in the community. Gordie and his family were able to meet people from all over the world while taking part in the building of their home.
Being a musical family, Gordie believes that music is a wonderful way to give back to the community. His goal is to help other family's dreams of home ownership to come true.
Other projects that Gordie has on the go include working together with another local musician, Ted Lalonde, to form a band by the name of Country Bloodline. The name came to be because three members of the band have an intense love of country music and startlingly similar harmonies. Eventually, you can look forward to a full CD by Country Bloodline.
When approached about playing an instrument, Gordie will say that his voice is his instrument. He feels that he was blessed by God with a talent that touches people.
Gordie says that all of this is possible because he has the right lady in his life. His wife, Kim Lanoue, is very supportive of him. They have two boys, Lucas 10, and Jacob 8. Their boys are also very involved in music.
Kim Lanoue:The Heart in the Man
This lady is the right hand woman for her beloved Gord Lanoue. She has been standing beside him for the last 12 years. And to add to her responsibilities she is quite the entertainer. Kim has been a classical ballet, modern, jazz & tap dancer for 24 years. She also auditioned and made it to the Saturday matinee of the cast B in the successful CATS. When her chapter closed for dancing she opened it up with singing. Her influences have been, Michelle Wright, Martina McBride and the ever so talented Reba McEntire. She also enjoys Bon Jovi and Rascal Flatts. Kim loves to give the support for the show. She would love to keep this show going for years. HFH is a wonderful organization that gives you hope and makes you want to dream!!!!!
Together Gord and Kim are an unstoppable force of raw determination. Their love of music and of their children has seen them through the worst of times. They have put their hearts into organizing this event and look forward to doing so for many more years to come.