By ESTEVAN MEDRANO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
press@portisabelsouthpadre.com
January 1, 2015
Leslie Blasing, who boasts one of the more sensational voices in South Texas, has been a full time singer and entertainer since 1984, when her sister invited her to a concert in San Antonio in which she was brought up onstage and asked to sing. Born in Andrews Air force Base in Suitland, Maryland, she moved to Texas to her mother’s side of the family in San Antonio where her spur of the moment performance landed her a job which would blossom into a lifetime passion. She was transferred to the Laguna Madre area shortly after bring hired, where a three month contract extended into a 20 year run.
“You have to be very versatile here to be able to entertain in a resort area,” Blasing said. “You get very different, seasonal people, so you have to be able to change and bend. Everything I do is off the cuff. I look and the audience and give them all kinds of music. I like it all.”
Blasing has “thousands” of songs ready to perform at any given time, and an extensive set list is necessary given that folks from all over the world, of all different eras, with a variety of tastes visit the area. She enjoys facing some of the more vocally challenging pieces by artists such as Whitney Houston and Roy Orbitson as well as tunes of the 1950s. Over the years she has gained a faithful following performing year round in bars and at large venues, especially in front of seasoned winter Texans who have a special fondness for her shows.
She long sang as part of bands, including briefly as singer for popular local group Pelican West, then as a duet, but more recently has focused on being a solo act.
“My time as a performer has evolved,” she said. “I love being with a band and the feel of playing live. It reminds me how much I love being with a band that can really play together. Now that I’m on my own it’s a totally different thing. You have to make it happen. It’s all you. It’s different, but I also love just it being me with the audience.”
As much command as she has on stage, she considers herself to be relatively quiet by nature, but enjoys being recognized here by fans.
Vocalist typically don’t have the longevity of instrument players, but though Blasting can still hit those falsettos with ease, she has thought about eventually transitioning her focus to a full-time producer for local talent. Even after so many years of performing, she still admits to the occasional jitters before going on.
“For whatever reason I still get nervous sometimes,” she laughed. “I guess I kind of realize I’m up here by myself. But I really love it.”
She has a completely full schedule coming up for the next few months, but is excited to see the familiar faces that come down to South Texas during this time.
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