Canadian Idols: Where Are They Now?

A few years ago, I was at a formal charity event. Out of the corner of my eye, a guy in a tux and baseball cap (a fashion statement that I just accepted as contradictory and didn't bother challenging) walked past. There was something very familiar about him. I turn around to face Ryan Malcolm, the first Canadian Idol.

I later ran into Zack Warner, our favorite leather-clad judge, on a street corner in Toronto.

Months later, I watched Ben Mulroney walk past me and straight into a burrito joint.

And only last week, I was standing in line to pay for my lunch at a local eating establishment when I noticed that Kalan Porter was in the same line.

Clearly, I'm being stalked.

I have a fear of becoming one of those annoying confrontational fans with nothing of substance to say. So instead of interrupting them, I chose to check out CTV's Canadian Idol page. Because we all want to know where our idols are now....

Ryan Malcolm

Our first Canadian Idol has been semi-MIA since his first album popped up over three years ago. And beyond wearing ball caps to formal events, he's now fronting the band Low Level Flight, excited about the release of their debut album, Urgency.

Low Level Flight (made up of Malcolm, Shaun Noronha, James Rooke, David Carter and Brandon Merenick) sounds much more pop-punk influenced than his first record, "Home," and Malcolm's new spiky-haired, harder edged look reflects the shift in musical attitude.
"The traveling really changed me," he said. "I became much more comfortable with myself and how I want to be perceived as an artist."

Playing with the band has also given Malcolm a sense of being part of a team that he lacked as a solo performer.

"The Idol thing was an incredible foot in the door but I didn't have anyone to share my experiences with," he said. "We've all invested so much... we rehearse for eight hours, four days a week... It's a lot of fun."

When asked if he worries his new approach might not be embraced by his old fans, Malcolm says he's accepted that all he can do is be himself and put out a good product.
"I urge anyone who liked me on the show to check out our music," said Malcolm. "Artistically, I've grown a lot but personality-wise, I am the same goofy, bad-dancing, geeky guy that I was on the show... When people hear the music, I don't think being taken seriously is going to be an issue."

Kalan Porter

He's back in the music spotlight, thanks to a second album and upcoming tour (and the consumption of excellent salads on Richmond St. But I digress). He wisely took time off after his mother's 2006 cancer diagnosis. With her health back on track, Kalan's career hasn't missed a step. And with "Wake Up Living" popping up on radio and MuchMusic, a tour in the works, and a commitment to using his celebrity to raise cancer awareness, Kalan's back.

"I'm... working with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation," he said. "I'm getting involved with them specifically with the CIBC Run For The Cure, but I'm starting to work with them on an ongoing basis as well."
The Run for the Cure takes place in location across Canada on Sept. 30. As for Porter's mom, he says she's doing well and will have the chance to spend a lot of time with him in the very near future.

"She's really good," said a relieved Porter. "It's great to know with the album coming out and the tour that she's going to be there. There's nothing cooler than being on a rock tour with your mom."

Kalan's post-Idol accomplishments include:

* a double-platinum record with his debut, "219 Days"
* Juno nominations for album of the year, artist of the year and pop album of the year
* three Chart Attack Awards
* a MuchMusic Video Award

Melissa O'Neil

Well, she's having the time of her life. Pun intended. You can catch her as one of the principal vocalists in the Toronto production of "Dirty Dancing: The classic story on stage" at the Royal Alexandra Theatre (performances have been extended until August).

For the gossip-hungry, she's currently single, having split with Idol sweetheart Rex Goudie after two years together. As to what's next for her, she's open to whatever comes her way:

As for her own musical spotlight, O'Neil is still signed with Sony BMG but hasn't yet begun the process of looking at songs for her next album. "It's not the number one priority at the moment," she said. "If (performing in musicals) is what life has in my future, I would love to do that. If it's making more CDs then I'd love to do that. I'm just so open to what life has for me."

Eva Avila

Season four's winner is working on her second album (which includes songs in French. How very Celine of her), while juggling a surprising modeling career for Aldo and Sony, thanks to being signed with Ford Models.

Avila says if there's anything she's learned from a year entrenched in show biz, it's that fame doesn't last forever. She knows she'll have to keep working at her usual quick pace if she wanted to remain on the Canadian public's radar. "To quote (Season 3 Idol) Kalan Porter, it's not like everything is always going to be served on a platter," she said. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I'm going to keep working as hard as I can because you never know how long it's going to last."

Brian Melo

The current Canadian Idol is prepping for a second tour, keeping slightly mum about his romance with fellow Idol alum Tara Oram (I mean, he confirmed it to the press. So that's not really "mum"), and writing his own music.

Oram isn't even the only evidence of Melo's personal life on the album. The record, which includes five of his own writing credits, also features two harmonies with his older brother Larry, who encouraged him to try out for Canadian Idol in the first place.

"Larry and my other brother, Dave, have been great supports, and having some family on this album was a big thing for me," said Melo, whose Portuguese clan hails from the east side of Hamilton.
"Hopefully by the second album he'll be harmonies the whole way through and it will be a whole family affair... My brothers were my role models growing up. They're musicians themselves, so (I'm) just following their footsteps."

Here's to our Canadian Idols. I suppose only time will tell if their careers merit such titles.

And now we eagerly await the passing of the title....

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