Laurette Langille | Bellingham Herald

I first met Laurette when she was singing at the Old Town Cafe. I was struck by the power in her voice. I couldn't help but think that power needed to be backed up by an equally powerful electric band. I spoke to her sometime later and invited her to play on stage with me during a concert I was producing at Western Washington University. She brought the house down with her slide guitar. It was the beginning of a friendship that would span twenty-some years. In the beginning she referred to me as her mentor. In truth it was she who constantly encouraged me to continue with my singing and producing. Even to the point where she tricked me into joining Stompkitchen. I was horribly bogged down with work and didn't think I was the best candidate for the job. She convinced me to fill in for a night or two. The night or two turned into two years. I had more fun playing with the women of Stompkitchen than I ever could have imagined. One night, after finishing a show, we all decided to stop into a local establishment for a drink. We were stunned when the waitress refused to serve us. I guess she wasn’t used to seeing a bunch of 40 year old women acting like Girl Scouts on a sugar high after eating their own cookies - in reality none of us had had a drop to drink as of yet. We laughed ‘til we cried. I loved the camaraderie and the laughter, and I loved Laurette. She was my inspiration and a driving force in my life. She can't possibly have passed on because she was never mortal. The Iron Winged Dove has taken flight. Isn't it just like her to have left the rest of us in the dust? My heart beats now to a different rhythm. I sing now for her and for her daughter, Tempeste. -Rebecca Valrejean

Laurette Langille, Rebecca Valrejean, and Lori Meltzer.Original Stompkitchen.