The Irish Times - reports Damien's win
Nov 27, 2006 13:57:39 GMT 10
Post by dededom on Nov 27, 2006 13:57:39 GMT 10
Irishman left ‘speechless’ after winning ‘Australian Idol’ talent contest
Pádraig Collins in Sydney
Irishman Damien Leith won the fourth series of music-talent contest Australian Idol at the Opera House in Sydney last night. His prize includes a recording contract with Sony BMG and a car.
“Oh my God, this is unbelievable. This has been the greatest time of my life. I’m speechless, I should have thought of something to say,” said Leith (30) before paying generous tribute to 17-year-old runner-up Jessica Mauboy.
Originally from Milltown, Co Kildare, Leith has lived in Sydney since 2004 with his wife, Eileen, who is Australian, and their son, Jarvis.
Leith’s mother, Angela, father Paul and brother Darren were also in the audience at last night’s final, which had a television audience of about two million people.
There were many Irish flags among the 3,000 people in the opera house crowd and the 8,000 watching on big screens outside the venue. A Sydney Irish bar, the Gaelic Club, was also packed with 400 fans.
Monica Nerney of Tourism Ireland’s Sydney office was in the Gaelic Club. “We’re very proud of you, Damien,” she said. “We know you’re going to be a superstar.”
Leith quit his job as a pharmacist last week to concentrate on a music career.
On the eve of the final, he said: “I’ve been striving to get into the music industry for 15 years, so to get to this point it feels like the dream’s starting to happen.”
He almost did not audition to enter the competition until two friends convinced him to do so.
“I was 100 per cent sure I wasn’t going, because at my age I didn’t really want to be criticised [by the Australian Idol judges],” he said.
“On the day of auditions, Eileen and I were out with friends . . . and I brought up Idol in conversation. After about two or three hours they had convinced me that I’d got nothing to lose. Thank God they did.”
More than 25,000 aspiring performers auditioned for this year’s show, with just 12 of those getting to the televised stages.
Leith need not have feared how he would fare on the show; he impressed the judges from the start with his operatic-type vocals. His versions of Roy Orbison’s Crying and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah impressed the judges and the TV audience.
His debut single Night Of My Life, which closed the show at the opera house last night, was immediately available as a digital download in Australia and will be in record shops tomorrow.
His debut album is expected within weeks.
Of the three previous winners of Australian Idol only Guy Sebastian, who won in 2003, has managed to sustain a successful career. The 2004 winner, Casey Donovan, was dropped by her record company and recently made the cover of down-market New Woman magazine over her ballooning weight.
Last year’s winner, Kate DeAraugo, was a one-hit wonder and nowworks on the cabaret circuit.
Pádraig Collins in Sydney
Irishman Damien Leith won the fourth series of music-talent contest Australian Idol at the Opera House in Sydney last night. His prize includes a recording contract with Sony BMG and a car.
“Oh my God, this is unbelievable. This has been the greatest time of my life. I’m speechless, I should have thought of something to say,” said Leith (30) before paying generous tribute to 17-year-old runner-up Jessica Mauboy.
Originally from Milltown, Co Kildare, Leith has lived in Sydney since 2004 with his wife, Eileen, who is Australian, and their son, Jarvis.
Leith’s mother, Angela, father Paul and brother Darren were also in the audience at last night’s final, which had a television audience of about two million people.
There were many Irish flags among the 3,000 people in the opera house crowd and the 8,000 watching on big screens outside the venue. A Sydney Irish bar, the Gaelic Club, was also packed with 400 fans.
Monica Nerney of Tourism Ireland’s Sydney office was in the Gaelic Club. “We’re very proud of you, Damien,” she said. “We know you’re going to be a superstar.”
Leith quit his job as a pharmacist last week to concentrate on a music career.
On the eve of the final, he said: “I’ve been striving to get into the music industry for 15 years, so to get to this point it feels like the dream’s starting to happen.”
He almost did not audition to enter the competition until two friends convinced him to do so.
“I was 100 per cent sure I wasn’t going, because at my age I didn’t really want to be criticised [by the Australian Idol judges],” he said.
“On the day of auditions, Eileen and I were out with friends . . . and I brought up Idol in conversation. After about two or three hours they had convinced me that I’d got nothing to lose. Thank God they did.”
More than 25,000 aspiring performers auditioned for this year’s show, with just 12 of those getting to the televised stages.
Leith need not have feared how he would fare on the show; he impressed the judges from the start with his operatic-type vocals. His versions of Roy Orbison’s Crying and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah impressed the judges and the TV audience.
His debut single Night Of My Life, which closed the show at the opera house last night, was immediately available as a digital download in Australia and will be in record shops tomorrow.
His debut album is expected within weeks.
Of the three previous winners of Australian Idol only Guy Sebastian, who won in 2003, has managed to sustain a successful career. The 2004 winner, Casey Donovan, was dropped by her record company and recently made the cover of down-market New Woman magazine over her ballooning weight.
Last year’s winner, Kate DeAraugo, was a one-hit wonder and nowworks on the cabaret circuit.
