ONE WOMAN SHOW
LESLIE MARIE
By Michael P. Jones
The one-woman show has returned! Leslie Marie, who performed professionally
beginning at 12 years of age at clubs in Sandy and on Mount Hood, is
back. The Tippy Canoe, where Marie performed recently, is also reopened,
under new ownership.
One wouldn't think that an individual armed with a keyboard and a great
voice could hold an audience, but Marie sure does. She has taken her
talent and her unique version of Karaoke to clubs in the Portland metropolitan
area and she's, once again, making a name for herself.
Marie's Karaoke mixes a live show with singers performing songs from
the '70s and '80s. While the tunes are performed, she plays along, making
this a really unique entertainment package.
People enjoy Marie's special blend of Karaoke because she adds a whole
lot more to it. Along with the keyboards, she makes the person from
the audience feel very comfortable at the microphone.
But Marie doesn't just feature Karaoke at her shows. The songs she
performs by herself without the Karaoke machine are outstanding. With
her 16-track capacity, she sequences the tunes in her own special way,
making the songs not just a rehashing of the old, but sound fresh and
new.
A natural, Marie was born into the music business, so to speak. For
many years, she performed with her father, Les, a rhythm guitarist and
Fred Anlicker on lead guitar.
Throughout her adult music career, she was a familiar face on stage
in clubs throughout East County. Her keyboard work and outstanding vocals
made her a favorite among audiences who loved both listening or dancing
to her particular brand of easy-listening songs. The blonde keyboardist
was in three popular bands. The first was Wo-La-La, and then came Nearly
Famous and Double Trouble.
Marie's talent as a keyboardist and vocalist eventually led her to
performances at the Shilo's piano bar. Later, she headed for Bend and
other Central Oregon haunts, where she performed her easy-listening
tunes before starting her own Karaoke business. Then, a couple of years
ago, she was the featured entertainment on a cruise ship in Mexico.
Recently, Marie performed at Tippy Canoe Bar & Grill, a former
1930s "honky tonk" that's situated alongside the Historic
Columbia River Highway and on the north bank of the beautiful Sandy
River, near Troutdale. After being closed for a year, the songs of this
"one woman band" were an ideal combination to get the music
back into the woodwork and "soul" of this unique part of our
heritage.
Under the careful management of new owners Vic and Roberta Jones, who
re-opened the former "honky tonk" on Sept. 14, this piece
of history is becoming the place you'll want to go if you want hospitality,
customer service, great food and entertainment. There is live music
on the weekends from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., a Wednesday evening jam session
from 8 to 11:30 p.m., and Karaoke on other occasions.
The Tippy Canoe is now open for lunch and dinner seven days a week
and features barbecued steaks and ribs. Breakfast is served on the weekend.
Each and every Saturday is "Shooters Saturday," featuring
their unique style of oyster shooters with cherry-jello brandy for only
$1. As one obviously pleased customer puts it, "This joint's got
enough good food to fill your belly, which makes it just right to listen
to some of the best music around!"
Today, not only is Leslie Marie featuring her own Karaoke in clubs,
but she is also back on stage with her father and Anlicker. The trio
calls themselves Leslie & Les & A Little More.
Now that Marie is back, she's doing more than just returning to the
stage. She is also working on a CD of her originals titled Playing
the Game of Life. She is recording it in a studio in Redmond and
it should be out sometime during the Spring of 2003.
Marie currently is performing her "One Woman Show" at a variety
of clubs in East County. She currently can be seen at Paola's Corner
in Boring every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
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