Kildare Today - "Superstar Damien ready .." 20/12
Dec 21, 2006 11:54:10 GMT 10
Post by dededom on Dec 21, 2006 11:54:10 GMT 10
www.kildaretoday.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=3804&ArticleID=1937874
Superstar Damien ready to celebrate on the home front
By Lesley Hunter-Nolan
Leinster Leader - Kildare Today
THE CONQUERING hero has returned – Damien Leith, winner of Australian Idol is home in Ireland after a whirlwind five months that will change his life forever.
Not only has Damien returned as a superstar, he has also announced that his wife Eileen is four and a half months pregnant with the couple's second child.
This great news broke on Monday as the 30 year old Milltown native flew into Dublin airport for the first time in two years. All going to plan, the arrival of the baby in five months' time will also herald the release of his album, which, in a departure from the Australian Idol norm, will feature original work penned by the man himself.
Damien's current single, 'The Night of My Life' will be released in Ireland in January and has burst onto the Irish airwaves this week as the highest climbing song.
Damien will be at home with his parents Paul and Angela until 8 January and will spend the rest of this week doing a hectic round of interviews. The intense promotion work will draw to a close on Friday evening after an appearance on the Late Late Show and Damien is looking forward to spending some quality time at home with his family for the following two weeks.
His parents and siblings, Paul, Áine and Darren, were able to fly over to Sydney for the closing stages of Idol but their time together was restricted by the media frenzy that erupted when he was announced as the winner.
"Not even at the end did I think I would win. All along I just hoped that I would get enough exposure to maybe get something out of it afterwards", said Damien as he took some time out to speak to the Leader on Tuesday
"When they called out my name I was totally shellshocked. I had braced myself to hear Jessica's name being called out. It was one of those moments when you say 'why didn't I prepare a speech!".
Damien explained that he had originally decided not to enter the competition but was persuaded by some friends on the day of the auditions.
"I am big into original music and playing instruments. I thought it was a bit too pop, that I was too old, and that there would be too much criticism."
Despite this, Damien went for the preliminaries back in July and was chosen to become one of 125 singers chosen out of the 25,000 who auditioned.
During the 'boot camp' that ensued, the group was whittled down to 80, then 50 and then the 24 who would go on to become part of the TV show.
For Damien, the best thing about choosing 2006 as the year to enter was the fact that the rules changed to allow older contestants, original music and instruments.
"They wanted to make it more credible", said Damien, "and as a result the majority of people involved took it seriously".
Since the big win was announced on 26 November Damien says his life has been "crazy, hectic, fantastic".
"Every hour is filled. I have been doing TV shows and did an open air concert with 80,000 people watching. I never thought I'd be doing stuff like that. It still feels surreal", he admits.
In its first week of release, his single sold the second highest amount in Australian history, but for Damien the ultimate would be to have the same success at home.
"I really hope the single takes off over here. That would just top it off. The ultimate would be to have the same success at home".
In the mean time, Damien is looking forward to an old fashioned Irish Christmas with his family, and part of that will of course be a visit to the local. Already, a get-together and seisiún has been organised for Wednesday night in the Milltown Inn, and with the guarantee of a couple of tunes, it looks set to be the homecoming of a lifetime.
20 December 2006
Superstar Damien ready to celebrate on the home front
By Lesley Hunter-Nolan
Leinster Leader - Kildare Today
THE CONQUERING hero has returned – Damien Leith, winner of Australian Idol is home in Ireland after a whirlwind five months that will change his life forever.
Not only has Damien returned as a superstar, he has also announced that his wife Eileen is four and a half months pregnant with the couple's second child.
This great news broke on Monday as the 30 year old Milltown native flew into Dublin airport for the first time in two years. All going to plan, the arrival of the baby in five months' time will also herald the release of his album, which, in a departure from the Australian Idol norm, will feature original work penned by the man himself.
Damien's current single, 'The Night of My Life' will be released in Ireland in January and has burst onto the Irish airwaves this week as the highest climbing song.
Damien will be at home with his parents Paul and Angela until 8 January and will spend the rest of this week doing a hectic round of interviews. The intense promotion work will draw to a close on Friday evening after an appearance on the Late Late Show and Damien is looking forward to spending some quality time at home with his family for the following two weeks.
His parents and siblings, Paul, Áine and Darren, were able to fly over to Sydney for the closing stages of Idol but their time together was restricted by the media frenzy that erupted when he was announced as the winner.
"Not even at the end did I think I would win. All along I just hoped that I would get enough exposure to maybe get something out of it afterwards", said Damien as he took some time out to speak to the Leader on Tuesday
"When they called out my name I was totally shellshocked. I had braced myself to hear Jessica's name being called out. It was one of those moments when you say 'why didn't I prepare a speech!".
Damien explained that he had originally decided not to enter the competition but was persuaded by some friends on the day of the auditions.
"I am big into original music and playing instruments. I thought it was a bit too pop, that I was too old, and that there would be too much criticism."
Despite this, Damien went for the preliminaries back in July and was chosen to become one of 125 singers chosen out of the 25,000 who auditioned.
During the 'boot camp' that ensued, the group was whittled down to 80, then 50 and then the 24 who would go on to become part of the TV show.
For Damien, the best thing about choosing 2006 as the year to enter was the fact that the rules changed to allow older contestants, original music and instruments.
"They wanted to make it more credible", said Damien, "and as a result the majority of people involved took it seriously".
Since the big win was announced on 26 November Damien says his life has been "crazy, hectic, fantastic".
"Every hour is filled. I have been doing TV shows and did an open air concert with 80,000 people watching. I never thought I'd be doing stuff like that. It still feels surreal", he admits.
In its first week of release, his single sold the second highest amount in Australian history, but for Damien the ultimate would be to have the same success at home.
"I really hope the single takes off over here. That would just top it off. The ultimate would be to have the same success at home".
In the mean time, Damien is looking forward to an old fashioned Irish Christmas with his family, and part of that will of course be a visit to the local. Already, a get-together and seisiún has been organised for Wednesday night in the Milltown Inn, and with the guarantee of a couple of tunes, it looks set to be the homecoming of a lifetime.
20 December 2006
