Casey LeBlanc
Encyclopedia
Cassandra Beth "Casey" LeBlanc (born November 4, 1987 in Woodstock
, New Brunswick
) was a contestant on the 2005 edition of the popular reality television
show Canadian Idol
. The eldest daughter of Constance and Leo LeBlanc, she is from Nackawic, New Brunswick
. Her two younger siblings include Evan and Delaney LeBlanc.
's "Bring it on Home to Me" which earned her a place in the Top 10.
During her stay on the show, she was the center of some discussion over voting patterns, with some claiming that she benefited from regional voting, which is assumed to work to the advantage of candidates from Atlantic Canada. On the other hand, her supporters pointed to one episode of the show where there had been a glitch in the Aliant telephone system which kept much of New Brunswick from voting that night, yet she still placed in the top half. (It should also be noted that New Brunswick accounts for less than 3% of the Canadian population.)
Arguments over regional voting have been a staple of discussion since the inception of Canadian Idol and have continued into the 2006 season, with some believing that Brandon Jones
from New Brunswick and Craig Sharpe
from Newfoundland have benefited from regional voting. Candidates who have been assumed to benefit from regional voting have also been high on the list of those targeted by the web site, Vote for the Worst
.http://votefortheworst.com/ci4.html
Casey LeBlanc made it to the top 5 in the competition. On September 25, 2005, the Town of Nackawic celebrated her success by naming a street after her. A section of Route 105
running near the town is now known as Casey Way. On that day, Casey was honored at a celebration in the park. She arrived at the festival by helicopter and sang three songs, including her signature theme, Bring It On Home. In October 2006, persons unknown made off with one of the signs marking Casey Way. Two replacements were also stolen. Replacement costs were around $500 per sign.
On November 23, 2005, Casey appeared before a crowd of 1,653 fans in her first major concert. The University of New Brunswick
's Aitken Centre
was the venue for this concert in which Casey was backed up by the Halifax band, Shaydid. She sang many of the songs she had performed on Canadian Idol, including Stevie Wonder
's Heaven Help Us All, The Guess Who
's Timeless Love, The Pretenders
' I'll Stand By You, and Sam Cooke
's Bring It On Home.
LeBlanc has formed a group called Braided
with fellow former season 3 contestants Ashley Leitao
and Amber Fleury
. Their first album was released on Tuesday, August 1, 2006. Their first single entitled "A Little Bit Closer" was released to radio on June 15, 2006.
LeBlanc opened for Alan Jackson
at the Country Rocks the Hill concert at Magnetic Hill, Moncton on August 19, 2006.
In late 2006, Casey went to Afghanistan with a number of other musicians, entertaining troops stationed there. On November 28, she performed at Kandahar Airfield
in a three-hour concert.
She recorded a song called "Weather the Storm" with New Brunswick artist Dwane Drost, with proceeds to support cancer survivors.
She was married in Nackawic on August 22, 2009.
Woodstock, New Brunswick
Woodstock is a Canadian town in Carleton County, New Brunswick located on the west bank of the Saint John River at the mouth of the Meduxnekeag River, 92 km west of Fredericton and close to the Canada – United States border and Houlton, Maine.- History :Woodstock was settled by Loyalists...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
) was a contestant on the 2005 edition of the popular reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
. The eldest daughter of Constance and Leo LeBlanc, she is from Nackawic, New Brunswick
Nackawic, New Brunswick
Nackawic is a town located 65 km west of the city of Fredericton on the east bank of the Saint John River in New Brunswick, Canada. The town occupies an area of about 9 km² and is surrounded by the parishes of Southampton and Queensbury with the Village of Millville 10 km to the north.Latitude and...
. Her two younger siblings include Evan and Delaney LeBlanc.
Canadian Idol
In the Top 32 round, she sang Sam CookeSam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
's "Bring it on Home to Me" which earned her a place in the Top 10.
Performances
Songs that Casey performed include:- Top 32: "Bring It On Home to Me" (Sam Cooke)
- Top 10: "From This Moment" (Shania Twain) (Canadian Hits week)
- Top 9: "Heaven Help Us All" (Stevie Wonder week)
- Top 8: "Like A Prayer" (Madonna) (Eighties week)
- Top 7: "I Could Write a Book" (Big Band week)
- Top 6: "I'll Stand By You" (The Pretenders) (Classic Rock week)
- Top 5: "Timeless Love" (The Guess WhoThe Guess WhoThe Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
week)
Recap
On the August 10, 2005 results show, Casey was in the bottom three for the first time in the competition. The next week, however, Casey was back in the top three following a performance on "I'll Stand By You" which was lauded by the four judges. However, on the August 24 show, despite contentions by the judges that she had her best performance so far on the show, she received the fewest votes and was sent home.During her stay on the show, she was the center of some discussion over voting patterns, with some claiming that she benefited from regional voting, which is assumed to work to the advantage of candidates from Atlantic Canada. On the other hand, her supporters pointed to one episode of the show where there had been a glitch in the Aliant telephone system which kept much of New Brunswick from voting that night, yet she still placed in the top half. (It should also be noted that New Brunswick accounts for less than 3% of the Canadian population.)
Arguments over regional voting have been a staple of discussion since the inception of Canadian Idol and have continued into the 2006 season, with some believing that Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones (singer)
Brandon Jones is a Canadian singer/song writer from Quispamsis, New Brunswick. He was a competitor on season 4 of Canadian Idol, and was eliminated on August 1, 2006, placing him 8th.- Canadian Idol :...
from New Brunswick and Craig Sharpe
Craig Sharpe
Craig Sharpe was the runner-up on Canadian Idol 4 and finished a close second behind winner Eva Avila. He came through seven rounds of auditions judged by Canadian Idol's four-member panel...
from Newfoundland have benefited from regional voting. Candidates who have been assumed to benefit from regional voting have also been high on the list of those targeted by the web site, Vote for the Worst
Vote for the Worst
VoteForTheWorst.com is a website that is devoted to voting for the worst, most entertaining, most hated or quirkiest contestants on the Fox Network television series American Idol...
.http://votefortheworst.com/ci4.html
Casey LeBlanc made it to the top 5 in the competition. On September 25, 2005, the Town of Nackawic celebrated her success by naming a street after her. A section of Route 105
New Brunswick Route 105
Route 105 is a highway in New Brunswick, Canada; running from Route 10 in Youngs Cove to Route 108 in Grand Falls, mostly along the east and north banks of the Saint John River, for a distance of 307 kilometres.- Route description :...
running near the town is now known as Casey Way. On that day, Casey was honored at a celebration in the park. She arrived at the festival by helicopter and sang three songs, including her signature theme, Bring It On Home. In October 2006, persons unknown made off with one of the signs marking Casey Way. Two replacements were also stolen. Replacement costs were around $500 per sign.
Post Idol
In October 2005, Casey became a spokesperson for the New Brunswick Laubach Literacy Foundation, a group with promotes adult literacy acquisition. She also appeared at several other community and charity events throughout the province during the fall of 2005.On November 23, 2005, Casey appeared before a crowd of 1,653 fans in her first major concert. The University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
's Aitken Centre
Aitken Centre
The Aitken Centre is located on the campus of the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick.Constructed in 1976, it is the home of the UNB Varsity Reds hockey and has hosted UNB basketball games when a larger venue was required until the building of UNB's brand new Richard J Curry...
was the venue for this concert in which Casey was backed up by the Halifax band, Shaydid. She sang many of the songs she had performed on Canadian Idol, including Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's Heaven Help Us All, The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
's Timeless Love, The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
' I'll Stand By You, and Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
's Bring It On Home.
LeBlanc has formed a group called Braided
Braided
Braided is a musical group consisting of Casey LeBlanc, Ashley Leitao, and Amber Fleury, who all competed on the third season of Canadian Idol in 2005. They are the third music group to come from an Idol show in the world, second being Young Divas from Australia and first being Feminnem from Croatia...
with fellow former season 3 contestants Ashley Leitao
Ashley Leitao
Ashley Leitão was the ninth-place finisher on the third season of the reality show Canadian Idol. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ashley moved to Portugal at the age of six. Her main heritage is Portuguese. Presently, she resides in Toronto, Ontario and works at the Abercrombie & Fitch store in the...
and Amber Fleury
Amber Fleury
Amber Fleury was the eighth-place finisher in the third season of Canadian Idol, which aired during the summer of 2005. A native of Roblin, Manitoba, Amber now calls Calgary, Alberta home, where she is a paralegal.-Canadian Idol:...
. Their first album was released on Tuesday, August 1, 2006. Their first single entitled "A Little Bit Closer" was released to radio on June 15, 2006.
LeBlanc opened for Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
at the Country Rocks the Hill concert at Magnetic Hill, Moncton on August 19, 2006.
In late 2006, Casey went to Afghanistan with a number of other musicians, entertaining troops stationed there. On November 28, she performed at Kandahar Airfield
Kandahar Airfield
Kandahar International Airport is located 10 miles south-east of Kandahar City in Afghanistan. The airport was built by the United States in the 1960s, under the United States Agency for International Development program. It may have been intended to be used as a possible U.S...
in a three-hour concert.
She recorded a song called "Weather the Storm" with New Brunswick artist Dwane Drost, with proceeds to support cancer survivors.
She was married in Nackawic on August 22, 2009.