Michael Vanhevel

I was born and raised in the small lakeside town of Grand Bend, Ontario, otherwise known to me as the most supportive group of friends and family one could ever know. I believe it will always remain my favorite place in the world. I began singing in elementary school plays, and then to high school plays, and then I eventually began singing alongside the Forest Excelsior Band singing swing tunes when I could. It was after a couple years of singing the occasional tune with the band, or in a bar on a Friday night that I decided to make an attempt at entertaining on my own. After a year at Sheridan I spent the next summer playing some local gigs to a surprisingly larger crowd every night. I talked to a friend of mine Glen Teeple who runs a recording studio in Arkona, and in a day or two, we turned out a promo CD. Eventually, my marquees were bringing in more people than the rooms I was playing could seat, and I was having more fun singing than I ever had before. As much as I loved doing the more intimate gigs, I was aching to try my luck with something bigger...it was time to get a band together. I talked with Lance Vaughn a cousin of mine and close friend, and he introduced me to a genius of a pianist and arranger named Tom Szczesniak. The first time we met, we ran through a couple of tunes and afterward decided to work together. Tom introduced me to Michael Stuart and Scott Alexander who both worked with Tom and I in the studio, playing Bass and Saxophone when we recorded the Christmas CD. That CD, being my first chance to play, and record with the new band had me extremely excited to play some band gigs. One February the Sarnia Imperial Theatre and I, along with Marty Raaymakers at MIG engineering cooked up a 2 hour concert called Come Fly with Me. It was a giant undertaking for all of us, but after a couple months of hard work, the curtain went up and it all paid off. We oversold the house at about 600 seats, and they had to open up some extra rows in the back. I could never have imagined the success of the show, which had 2 standing ovations and received an incredible review. I've since appeared in several Drayton Entertainment Productions, as well as Starbright Theatre Productions, and have a Symphony show in the works. Everyone has worked so hard to help me get to where I am right now, and I couldn't have made it this far without them. I hope that in 10 years I can thank all of you from a big stage in some teary eyed speech I make. It continues to be an adventure and I can honestly say that I will continue to sing as long as there are people who want to listen. Thanks, Michael "Vanhevel has an outstanding stage presence and an extraordinary talent for showmanship and style" - Lambton Shield