http://www.timminstimes.com/story.php?id=250523
DAVE FLAHERTY
Timmins Times
Friday August 25, 2006
Gabe Benoit will be the first resident of Timmins to be inducted into the Great Northern Opry in Sault Ste. Marie this coming November.
Timmins Times — Timmins’ first country music star will be honoured in Sault Ste. Marie this fall.
And no, the name isn’t Shania, it’s Gabe Benoit.
Benoit, who has been performing in the area for 55 years, will be inducted into the Great Northern Opry at the Northern Ontario Country Music Awards, which take place November 3-5.
To Benoit it was overwhelming to hear.
“It feels good, but at first I almost didn’t want it,” he said.
Benoit is still very active in performing today at the age of 75 years.
“I started playing music when I was 15,” he said. “I played French country, but I had both English and French influences.”
Benoit listed his influences as Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams Sr., Marcel Martel and Paul Brunelle.
Benoit hosted his own half-an-hour Saturday night radio show on CFCL during the early 50s.
In 1970, Benoit wrote his first song, “The Porcupine Song”, which was in honour of the Porcupine Mine, which won first prize for a songwriter’s competition at Moose FM.
For the past 20 years, Benoit has been playing a lot more community events such as Ribfest and the Summer Street Festival.
He can also be seen performing at places such as the Golden Manor and Timmins and District Hospital on almost a weekly basis.
Benoit said his main inspiration for performing is the joy he can bring to people.
“To see the happiness in the people’s face it gives me more than I can give them,” he said.
Benoit listed his greatest achievement as being inducted onto the Wall of Fame at Tootsie’s Famous Orchid Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Every big star has played there,” he said. “From Charlie Pride to Willie Nelson.”
Anyone who is interested in sharing in Benoit’s induction can through a special package being offered by Youlten Travel Tours.
The Package includes deluxe motor coach transportation from Timmins, two nights’ accommodations at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel, tickets are reserved seating at the awards show, tickets to the Great Northern Opry social, a casino package, a 2007 Northern Ontario Country Music Association membership and Christmas shopping at the Station Mall and/or Casino visit in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.
Maureen Harvey, manager of Youlten Travel says she can fit up to 52 passengers and the bus is already half full.
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