Season FOUR
The fourth season of Canadian Idol was a real pleasure for all the fans.
Charming and charismatic Ben Mulroney returned to host and as the Executive Producer of the show John Brunton called him “Mountain of Soul with a heart of gold”. Farley Flex returned to judge and the show rolled on.
There was a new format of preliminary rounds for Season 4 and the Top 22 was divided in two halves: 11 men and 11 women. In three weeks 6 competitors were eliminated from each group, leaving Top 10 performers for a final round.
These ten people were, in order of leaving the show:
- Kati Durst, an automotive detailer from Goderich, Ontario aged 26 at that time. She had a severe cold when she auditioned in Kitchener, but despite it she was able to pass to the next round. After Kati returned back home she formed a band called Quarter Mile Lane and studied at the Toronto Second City comedy school.
- Sarah Loverock, 25 years old grocery store supervisor from Gibsons, BC. Her previous music experience is a trip to Nashville with the Canadian Song Writers Association and singing at the Famous Blue Bird Cafe at the age of 15. Sarah says: “My overwhelming desire to succeed in the music industry is what has gotten me this far”. After finishing in 9th place on Canadian Idol she went back to her husband and two kids and started forming her own band. The band plays funk-rock pretty much like Red Hot Chili Peppers but with female vocals.
- Brendon Jones was 17 when he auditioned in the city of his birth, St. John’s, NL. During the show Brendon thought he was the only one who doesn’t record his own album and he was a bit jealous about it. But in the end he became one of the first of the Season 4 Idols who managed to secure a recording contract. Brendon’s solo album “All For You” emerged on 19th of June 2007.
- Rob James formed a band in 1997 and in 2000 they released an album featuring a hit single “Love Wins Everytime”. But the group’s success has faded and in 2006 Rob auditioned for Canadian Idol. This year age limit for the Canadian Idol was increased to 28 and Rob, who was 28, was able to go for an audition. After the show Rob returned to making music, but now he is working with Season 1 Idol Rayan Malcolm, Roger Hodgson, Rihanna and other big names of showbiz.
- Ashley Coulter, a cashier from Emeryville, ON aged 23. Ashley says the strongest experience in her life was hearing a live blues band for the first time. This impression defined the rest of her life and her becoming a musician. Ashley already sang in a local rock band before the audition for the Canadian Idol and after the show she decided to continue her music career and started working on her solo material with a band of session musicians.
- Steffi DiDomenicantonio aka Steffi D is a 17 years old student from Orleans, ON. She says life is her inspiration for creativity. “Everything inspires me whether it’s big or small, human or not.” Steffi already had a stage experience — she performed at several theatrical venues since the age of four. She also wrote a play herself. After the show Steffi attended Toronto’s George Brown Theatre School, worked on the TV project, a show for 9-12 year olds, co-hosted a radio show and founded a puppet troupe which even performed at the Senate for National Child Day.
- Chad Doucette, a high school student aged 18 from East Chezzetcook, NS. Chad already made Top 48 on previous Canadian Idol in 2005 and this year he was absolutely staggered of being selected to Top 22. Before the show he worked in a grocery store and planed on studying journalism in university but when he began working on his solo album after the show he had to put his university acceptance on hold. Chad also admitted publicly to his relationship with Canadian idol winner, Eva Avila.
- Tyler Lewis is a waiter from Rockglen, SK. He was 20 when he auditioned in Regina, SK. Tyler is a big fan of Bon Jovi and Guns ‘n’ Roses. He once said about Brian Adams: “If I could have a career as good as his someday, I’d be pretty happy.” Being a down-home prairie boy Lewis returned to Saskatchewan after the release of his debut CD “I’m Coming Home” on 20th of June 2007. “I really wanted to thank the people here… We did everything really independently so it just makes sense to start small here and kind of build momentum and go as far as I can.”
- Craig Sharpe, age 16, is a Canadian Idol Top 2 of the year 2006. When he auditioned in St. John’s, NL Craig was an 11th grade student at Ascension Collegiate. Sharpe was a second contestant from a small Newfoundland town of Upper Island Cove following Jason Greeley from Season 2. Right after the show Craig went to the studio to record his first album “I Am” which was released in February 2007.
- Eva Avila, a 2006 Canadian Idol, was a postal clerk from Hull, Quebec. She was 19 when she auditioned in Ottawa. Eva has had a warm welcoming from the judges and with an advantage of 3 per cent of viewers’ votes she won the Canadian Idol 2006. By now Eva released two albums and four singles and worked as a face of ad campaigns for Sony and Aldo shoes.