Canadian Idol Season 6 – Theo Tams has been crowned the new Canadian Idol, but long before he ever took the Idol stage he stood in a lineup at a mall to audition just like thousands of other hopefuls across the country.
The 23-year-old student from Lethbridge, Alta., made the trip to Calgary with his best friend Melissa Reimchen back in early February.
When idol.CTV.ca just happened to interview him at the mall, Tams said he had no idea how far he’d make it in the audition process but was just planning on being himself.
He was looking to get some exposure for his music and thought Idol might be a good thing to try.
“I think it’s a great opportunity. I think it’s a stepping stone,” said Tams, while waiting in line. “Even if you don’t make it to the Top 10 or to the finals, there are people who are going to see you. And I think just the experience of auditioning is a good thing.”
Fast forward eight months and Theo Tams is now known by millions of people around the country and is being hailed as the best male vocalist and most well-rounded performer to have ever been on Canadian Idol.
Tams will head out on a Top 3 tour in November, along with Mitch MacDonald and Drew Wright, and will soon be working on his debut album, which is set to be released this spring on Sony BMG Canada.
“I already have in my mind a very clear defining picture of who I want to be in the industry and the things I want to say and the things I want to represent and ever since I was younger I just have in my heart a passion for certain things and just an openness with myself and with other people that I don’t think a lot of artists bring to the table,” said Tams, shortly after being named the new Canadian Idol on Wednesday’s star-studded finale.
Even though Tams knew he was ready for this, he wasn’t convinced it was going to be his name that was called when host Ben Mulroney read the results.
“In my head when he said ‘The next Canadian Idol is…’ that was the first moment where I was like ‘I am ok with him saying ‘Mitch’ and I just expected him to. And I am just blown away,” said Tams.
“I just feel so blessed. I just feel lucky. I just feel like one of the first times in my life that I’m just finally where I know I should be. It’s such a great, great feeling. I’m just so happy I was able to do it the whole entire season by being myself and I didn’t have to change anything and I was still able to make it this far. I’m ecstatic. I can’t believe it at all.”
His first single ‘Sing’ is already being played on radio stations across the country and the day following his Idol win was jam packed with media interviews and TV appearances.
Tams was worried early on in the competition he was going to be known just as the “sweaty pit guy” after he couldn’t hide his nervousness in his first audition.
But once he got to the Top 200 week in Toronto, he blew everyone away the first day with his rendition of “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan on the piano.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that nervous. I’ve sung in front of a lot of people before and was never that nervous … I knew there was going to be a lot of talented people but not like as many as there is here,” Tams said at the time.
Zack Werner told him to take a seat as he was immediately through to the next round and told everyone else in the audience that Tams was their competition.
“It was a lot of encouragement but I mean at the same time, it shows that I’ve shown what I can do and now nothing less will be expected,” continued Tams.
Now that he’s the Canadian Idol, Tams hopes he can inspire other people to believe that no matter who you are or what you’ve gone through, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to.
“I told myself when I drove to Calgary for my very first audition that I wanted this and I was going to get it,” said Tams.
“I’ve had so many people just try and change things about me and being on Idol was one of the first times where I had the courage to be myself through and through and that’s why this experience just means so much to me and winning is just the cherry on top.”
