Couple finds harmonyHusband-and-wife team Gabe Jordan and Fran Hart make up the country duo Jordan's Hart. They hope to be the first interracial couple to make it big in country music.
Husband-wife team Jordan's Hart thinks country music is ready for interracial duo
By ANGELA PATTERSON
Staff Writer Seeing Gabe Jordan and Fran Hart, one would never guess they were one of the many duos trying to make it in country music.
Suffice it to say they don't look the part. It seems Jordan, a tall, broad-shouldered guy who usually sports a ball cap, would be more likely to front a rock band than a country duo. And Hart, a petite woman who shares Jordan's hat affinity, looks as if she'd be more at home belting out Billie Holiday tunes than Carrie Underwood covers.
But the couple's heart is in country music. And as Jordan's Hart, they're not looking to just break in to the biz, they're looking to revolutionize it — if they made it big, they'd be the first interracial couple to become country superstars.
Hart and Jordan moved here from Florida and Maryland, respectively, to pursue their own musical dreams. Leaving behind her jazz and blues background, Hart jumped a plane to Nashville with the goal of becoming the first black female country megastar. Jordan played mostly in Christian rock and Christian punk bands, but wanted to make the move to country.
When Hart went looking for a guitar player, she met Jordan. He said he'd do it for free; she said he was hired.
Two weeks later, Jordan asked Hart to marry him. It took a little arm-twisting, she said, but Jordan thought it was fitting that God would bring together "the white girl in a black chick's body, and the brother in a white guy's body."
After the engagement, everything kicked into overdrive.
"We did the writers nights, and the Bluebird, and then we got married," said Jordan, who recently celebrated his one-year anniversary with Hart. "And then we decided we needed a new product. It took about five months to do the demo. We did a showcase at what used to be Lyrix. And we recently did Cadillac Ranch. We're hoping the next showcase will be an industry showcase, and really try to make a break for it."
Novelty could be an issueThe couple said if you had to put their sound in a box, it'd best fit in country pop. If you had to compare their sound, it'd be to that of Shania Twain or Faith Hill.
Jordan's been pleased with the diverse crowds they've been drawing, which he said have given them a "surprisingly warm" reception.
"After one showcase, a woman came up to me and said 'Your husband is so in love with you,' " Hart said. "We have so much fun together. He's my best friend and he's a great guy to be around. When we go onstage, people tell us they can feel the chemistry there."
The couple, however, are not naive. They know the fact they're an interracial couple makes them a novelty, and that it may take people a little while to look past that and hear their music. But aside from playing great music, bringing about harmony and tolerance is part of their mission. And they think country music's ready for an interracial couple.
"We're looking for an industry person who gets us," Hart said. "We want to bring about racial harmony. I'm used to being the only black person in the room, and that's OK with me. It's all about bridging the gap."
To check out Jordan's Hart, visit
www.myspace.com/jordanshart.
Tetris
