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Gabe Broussard, 15, waits backstage before performing on “The Voice.” The photo is from Broussard’s Twitter account, which has grown from four followers to 1,500.

At 15, Gabe Broussard making big moves on NBC’s ‘The Voice'

Gabe Broussard may not be old enough to drive a car, but make no mistake, he is driven in the pursuit of his musical passion.
Broussard, 15, has taken that quest to national TV as a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice.” He performed on the show Monday night. He won a Battle against Christian Fremin during the show.
Broussard is the youngest competitor on this season of “The Voice.” Before this journey began, Broussard thought his age would be against him.
“I didn’t know I was old enough,” Broussard said. “My mother informed me that I was old enough.
“I said, let’s do it.”
Broussard, a student at Vermilion Catholic, traveled to Houston to tryout for the show. He made it through the four or so rounds to reach the TV audition. Broussard performed on the Sept. 19 premiere episode, when he joined Blake Shelton’s team.
It has brought some attention to the young singer.
“It’s definitely weird,” Broussard said with a smile. “A lady stopped me the other day and asked if I am the kid on ‘The Voice.’ I told her, yes, ma’am. She was blown away. She asked me if I met Adam.”
Whether he has met Adam Levine, one of the show’s star judges, has been a popular question of Broussard.
“Especially with girls my age,” Broussard said.
When he performed Marc Broussard’s “Lonely Night in Georgia,” Broussard received compliments from Levine, Shelton and the other judges, Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus.
“I never thought I would be talking to them,” Broussard said, “much less receive compliments from them.”
The acclaim from the judges show that Broussard is on the right track. He has always had a confidence in his abilities as a singer, yet Broussard has remained grounded in regard to what it takes to make it all work.
“I have been singing all my life,” Broussard said. “I knew I was going to make something of myself because I wasn’t going to stop until it happened. I never thought I would get to this stage so early. I know it is because of hard work.”
That mentality comes from his parents, Shane and Julie Broussard, who along with Gabe, also have a daughter, Bailey, who is a pole vaulter at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
“My parents are fully supportive of me,” Broussard said. “My parents are wonderful, wonderful people.
“They, along with my sister, have been my biggest supporters.”
The list of supporters for Broussard is growing. He is up to 1,500 followers on Twitter and around 3,000 on Instagram. That number prior to going on national television?
“Four,’ Broussard said. “I now have people from India posting on my Twitter feed telling me that they loved my performance.
“I am reaching people and that is something that I have always wanted to do.”
The number of people with the opportunity to see Broussard on TV is rather large. The average audience for an episode of “The Voice” is in the neighborhood of 14 million.
“It’s still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Broussard said. “It’s surreal. When you are standing up on that stage, it’s like nothing else in the world is going on, expect for that moment.”
The reality for Broussard is that there is plenty going on in his life. He is a high school student, so there is everything that goes with that. He is also a member of the Vermilion Catholic football team. He also plays in a band, Strange Theories.
“It’s been very strategic,” Broussard said. “I have to plan out everything that I am going to do in my day. After seven hours of school, I have three hours of football practice. I then have to go home and do homework. With all the exposure, my band has gotten a lot more gigs. I have to work hard to keep it all going.
“It’s definitely worth it.”
Broussard cannot divulge anything about his future on “The Voice.” One thing is certain, he will continue to work hard to try to reach December’s finale. And for any young people out there who think age is a deterrent keeping them from the same path, Broussard has news for them.
“It doesn’t matter your age,” Broussard said. “If you have the talent and are willing to work hard, go for it.
“Don’t ever stop working and don’t ever stop doing what you love just because someone says you can’t do it.”

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