(Photo : New Haven Records)
Gordon Mote was recently honored with his 11th nomination from the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. Mote is nominated in the Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year category, a category he has won twice, once in 2009 and again in 2011.
In a press release, Gordon talked about how blessed he feels to be nominated, saying, "It is an honor to once again be nominated for this prestigious award. There are incredibly talented country players in Nashville and it is gratifying to be in such great company."
What separates Mote from those other talented players is that he is also an incredibly talented singer/songwriter in the Gospel music industry. His latest album, All Things New, released last year to critical acclaim.That project garnered him three nominations from the 2014 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards for Album of the Year, Musician of the Year and Country Recording of the Year.
Another big thing that makes Gordon Mote different than the other nominees (Tony Harrell, John Jarvis, Charlie Judge and Tim Lauer) is vision. Not the "see where you want your career to be in five years" type of vision ... the ability to see kind of vision. Totally blind from birth, Mote and his brother, who was also born blind, were always encouraged to be all that they could be. The Mote family clung to the promises of God's Word, particularly Jeremiah 29:11. "Our parents always encouraged my brother and me," Mote remembers. "They believed we could excel in whatever we chose to do, as long as we placed Christ at the center of our goals and our lives, and that's what we did."
The boys were both drawn to sports, but Gordon also had a gift with music. At the age of three, he stunned his parents when they heard him playing "Jesus Loves Me" on the piano, with both hands. As he got older, his interest and talent grew. By the time he graduated high school, he had been named the band captain of his high school's award winning marching band. Mote was awarded a full scholarship to Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. After spending three years at JSU, he transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, where he graduated with Cum Laude honors and a music degree.
Grammy winning recording artist Lee Greenwood hired Gordon to be his keyboard player and background vocalist just two days after graduation. He went on to share the stage with popular performers like Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and famed Grand Ole Opry star, Porter Wagoner. In 2005, Mote released his debut solo recording, If You Could Hear What I See. The recording earned him a Dove Award nomination from the Gospel Music Association for Instrumental Album of the Year and was the first of many honors and accolades Mote would receive over the years.
