Brian Melo
Encyclopedia
Brian Melo is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Hamilton, Ontario
who was the winner of the fifth season
of Canadian Idol
in 2007. His first studio album, Livin' It, achieved Gold Status in Canada. His second album, The Truth, was released October 2010.
, Ontario
to Maria and Augusto Melo, immigrants from São Miguel
, Portugal
. He is a graduate of Cathedral High School
. He professionally trained vocals at the Royans School for the Musical Performing Arts, which also featured Our Lady Peace
frontman Raine Maida
. In 1997, Melo sang back-up for Shania Twain
as part of a choir and from 2003 he was the lead singer for Hamilton, Ontario alternative/indie band Stoked with guitarist Joe Cacioppo, bassist Rick Fazendeiro, and drummer Paul Fontes.
. He had auditioned for previous seasons of Canadian Idol but had never made it past the judges. In early 2007, he was encouraged by both his best friend Kevin Craig and his brothers Larry and Dave Melo to try again in Toronto
. His audition was the first one shown in the television broadcast.
During the finals of the competition, the judges all praised Melo for his emotional performances and his command of the stage. After his performance of "Karma Police
" by Radiohead
in the Top 5 episode, the audience and judges gave him a standing ovation
, with Jake Gold
remarking, "I just hope the people at home understand what they just saw. One of the most magic[ sic] moments ever on this show." Zack Werner
added, "Mr. and Mrs. Melo, your son very well may be the next Canadian Idol. You [Brian] give credibility to the whole damn franchise."
Many of the special guest judges spoke very highly of Brian Melo during the show:
- Brian May of Queen was very impressed with up and coming star. “Brian Melo is the real deal”, he commented live on the show.
- Grammy Winning Vocalist Enrique Iglesias said “It feels as if Brian Melo already has millions of fans out there.”
- Kelly Clarkson was overheard saying she "loved the raspiness in his vocals."
On September 11, 2007, Melo won Canadian Idol
, despite having been considered the "dark horse
" at the start of the competition, and having landed in the "Bottom Two" twice. He beat Jaydee Bixby
for the title, who had never been in the bottom three throughout the entire series.
The finale was viewed by more than 2 million Canadians, and approximately 5 million votes were cast, the most in Canadian Idol history. Brian won by a landslide, with a CTV official stating about the vote difference, "With respect to Brian and Jaydee, the margin is significant enough that out of respect for Jaydee we will not release it."
His first single, "All I Ever Wanted
", was released at 12:00 AM on September 13, 2007. The song is also featured on his debut album, Livin' It, which was released on November 27, 2007.
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
who was the winner of the fifth season
Canadian Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of Canadian Idol is the fifth installation of the Idol series in Canada. It was again hosted by Ben Mulroney, with Farley Flex, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan and Zack Werner all returning as judges. The show premiered on June 5, 2007 with a 90-minute episode. Voting began during the...
of Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
in 2007. His first studio album, Livin' It, achieved Gold Status in Canada. His second album, The Truth, was released October 2010.
Early life
Brian Melo was born in the East End of HamiltonHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to Maria and Augusto Melo, immigrants from São Miguel
São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island , nicknamed "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. The island covers and has around 140,000 inhabitants, 45,000 of these people located in the largest city in the archipelago: Ponta Delgada.-History:In 1427, São Miguel...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. He is a graduate of Cathedral High School
Cathedral High School (Hamilton, Ontario)
Cathedral High School is an inner city public Roman Catholic high school in Hamilton, Ontario, under the jurisdiction of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. Cathedral High School dates back to 1912, when high school classes where offered to the youth of Hamilton by the Hamilton...
. He professionally trained vocals at the Royans School for the Musical Performing Arts, which also featured Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
frontman Raine Maida
Raine Maida
Raine Maida , is a Canadian musician best known as being the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. He has come to be known for his unique countertenor nasal falsetto singing voice, as well as his cryptic and poetry-influenced song lyrics...
. In 1997, Melo sang back-up for Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
as part of a choir and from 2003 he was the lead singer for Hamilton, Ontario alternative/indie band Stoked with guitarist Joe Cacioppo, bassist Rick Fazendeiro, and drummer Paul Fontes.
Canadian Idol 2007
At the time of his Idol audition, Melo was still living in Hamilton and working as a construction workerConstruction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
. He had auditioned for previous seasons of Canadian Idol but had never made it past the judges. In early 2007, he was encouraged by both his best friend Kevin Craig and his brothers Larry and Dave Melo to try again in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. His audition was the first one shown in the television broadcast.
During the finals of the competition, the judges all praised Melo for his emotional performances and his command of the stage. After his performance of "Karma Police
Karma Police
"Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead from their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The song's title and lyrics derive from an in-joke among the band, referring to the Hindu theory of retributive enforcement, known as karma....
" by Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
in the Top 5 episode, the audience and judges gave him a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
, with Jake Gold
Jake Gold
Jake Gold is an American-born Canadian musician manager. He was a judge on the Canadian Idol television program. In addition to Idol participants, he has managed popular Canadian artists like The Tragically Hip and The Watchmen. His management company, The Management Trust, currently works with a...
remarking, "I just hope the people at home understand what they just saw. One of the most magic
Zack Werner
Zack Werner has had a career in the music industry as an artist, producer, entertainment lawyer and manager. He is also president of Toronto-based Venus Management and Venus Records , where he spends his time finding and developing new talent across Canada.He attended the St...
added, "Mr. and Mrs. Melo, your son very well may be the next Canadian Idol. You [Brian] give credibility to the whole damn franchise."
Many of the special guest judges spoke very highly of Brian Melo during the show:
- Brian May of Queen was very impressed with up and coming star. “Brian Melo is the real deal”, he commented live on the show.
- Grammy Winning Vocalist Enrique Iglesias said “It feels as if Brian Melo already has millions of fans out there.”
- Kelly Clarkson was overheard saying she "loved the raspiness in his vocals."
On September 11, 2007, Melo won Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
, despite having been considered the "dark horse
Dark horse
Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
" at the start of the competition, and having landed in the "Bottom Two" twice. He beat Jaydee Bixby
Jaydee Bixby
Jaydee Bixby is a Canadian country musician who was the runner-up on the fifth season of Canadian Idol. In 2008 he signed with Her Royal Majesty's Records and went on to release his debut album Cowboys and Cadillacs...
for the title, who had never been in the bottom three throughout the entire series.
The finale was viewed by more than 2 million Canadians, and approximately 5 million votes were cast, the most in Canadian Idol history. Brian won by a landslide, with a CTV official stating about the vote difference, "With respect to Brian and Jaydee, the margin is significant enough that out of respect for Jaydee we will not release it."
His first single, "All I Ever Wanted
All I Ever Wanted (Brian Melo song)
"All I Ever Wanted" is the "winner's single" of the fifth season of Canadian Idol.-Background:It was recorded by Idol winner Brian Melo. It was also recorded by runner up Jaydee Bixby; though his version was not officially released it was leaked onto the internet.Brian's version of the single has...
", was released at 12:00 AM on September 13, 2007. The song is also featured on his debut album, Livin' It, which was released on November 27, 2007.
Canadian Idol Performances
| Week | Song | Artist | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 22 | "Stereo" | The Watchmen The Watchmen The Watchmen is a Canadian rock band. They were one of the most commercially successful Canadian alternative rock groups of the mid to late 1990s. During their peak years the band had three gold records and one platinum record... |
Advanced |
| Top 18 | "Angels" | Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... |
Bottom 4 |
| Top 14 | "Drive" | Incubus Incubus (band) Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;... |
Advanced |
| Top 10 | "If You Could Only See" | Tonic Tonic (band) Tonic is an American rock band that has earned two Grammy nominations to date. The band was formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo. Later members have included Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard, and Dan Rothchild. Signed to a recording contract in 1995, the band released its debut album Lemon Parade... |
Safe |
| Top 9 | "Bold As Love" | Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter... |
Bottom 2 |
| Top 8 | "She Talks to Angels She Talks to Angels "She Talks to Angels" is a song by the rock band The Black Crowes. It is the eighth track on their 1990 debut album Shake Your Money Maker and was released as the album's fourth single. The song made it to 30 on the US Hot 100... " |
The Black Crowes The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the... |
Safe |
| Top 7 | "Too Much Love Will Kill You" | Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... |
Bottom 2 |
| Top 6 | "The Dolphin's Cry" | Live Live (band) Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009.... |
Safe |
| Top 5 | "Karma Police" | Radiohead Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992... |
Safe |
| Top 4 | "Mack the Knife" "Feeling Good" |
Bobby Darin Bobby Darin Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country... Michael Bublé Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was... |
Safe |
| Top 3 | "Whiter Shade of Pale" "Lightning Crashes" |
Procol Harum Procol Harum Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"... Live |
Safe |
| Finale | "This Ain't a Love Song" "All I Ever Wanted" "Hallelujah" |
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald... Brian Melo (Winner's Single) k.d. lang K.D. Lang Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress... & Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships... |
WINNER |
2007-2008: Livin' It
- 2007: Was the winner of Canadian IdolCanadian IdolCanadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
in 2007 which also led to the release of his first single, "All I Ever Wanted". - 2007: His debut album, Livin' It, was released on November 27, 2007. Brian has 5 co-write credits on the album, more than any other Canadian Idol on their first album.
- 2008: He released his second single, "Shine" off his album Livin' It.
- 2008: On April 11 he released his 3rd single off his album, "Livin' It" called "Summertime".
- 2008: He made a cameo performing appearance on Faber Drive's video, "Sleepless Nights".
- 2008: He performed "Back to Me" on the Canadian Idol 6Canadian Idol (season 6)The sixth season of Canadian Idol is the sixth and final installation of the Idol series in Canada and premiered on June 3, 2008, on the CTV Television Network. It is again hosted by Ben Mulroney, with the addition of Jully Black as a special correspondent and general mentor to the contestants....
finale, where it was confirmed as his 4th single.
2008-2009
- Late 2008: Announced new material is in the works.
- 2009: CTVCTV television networkCTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
announces he left Sony BMG to venture out on his own.
2009-2010: The Truth
- 2010: Brian Melo's second album, The Truth, will be released in 2010.
- Brian works with acclaimed music producer Harry Hess of Harem Scarem Fame at Vespa Recording Studios. Billy Talent and Three Days Grace have also recorded with Harry Hess at Vespa.
- Brian wrote songs and found inspiration in trendy music hotbeds of Nashville, Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois. Many of the album’s songs were written in Hamilton.
- A number of the songs on Brian's albums were co-written with tanjola/Universal Canada artist Shiloh, including the debut single 'Soundproof'
- March 2010: Melo holds a private listening party for his new album, suggesting it is completed.
- September 2010: Brian has started his own record label named "Rat Pack Records." He also signed to Fontana NorthFontana NorthFontana North is a Canadian record distribution company and represents the Canadian wing of Fontana Distribution. It is a joint venture between Canadian-based MapleCore and US-based Fontana Distribution. The company was established by MapleCore in 2004 as MapleNationwide, and in 2006, it partnered...
and Universal Music Canada.
Notable Accomplishments
- Winner Season 5 of Canadian Idol, 2007.
- The City of Hamilton declares October 12 Brian Melo Day.
- Worked and performed with mentors including Jon Bon Jovi, Queen, Paul Anka, and Maroon Five.
- Has met and worked with Kelly Clarkson, Suzie McNeilSuzie McNeilSusan Jane "Suzie" McNeil is a Canadian pop rock recording artist.-Early life:McNeil was born in Mississauga, Ontario. She has a sister, Laura Norris, a teacher at a public high school in Toronto.-Rock Star: INXS:...
, Shiloh, Faber Drive, and Feist. - Toured across Canada and has performed in historic national venues including the legendary Massey Hall. *Awarded the Nelly Furtado Award by COPA as the Outstanding Portuguese Canadian in 2007.
- Headlined the Azores (Portuguese Islands) most prestigious music festival Angra Rock in August 2008.
- Performed a duet on Faber Drive’s (tour partners) hit single Sleepless Nights (Never Let Her Go).
- Shared the stage during Canadian Music Week with Alanis Morissette.
Community Work
- On many occasions Brian lends his support to the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton, where he participated in their programs as a youth. The organization now hosts a Brian Melo scholarship for emerging artists.
- 2009: Announces the release of a new song called "Move and Be Moved" for the charity event MAD 4 Maddie. Whether or not this song will be on his second album is not known.
- Headlined the Charity of Hope gala in March 2009 at Carmen’s in Hamilton. Served as the charity group’s MC in 2010.
- Participated in Me to We Day with Craig Kielberger.
- Supported and helped raise funds for cancer patient Avery at the Ronald McDonald House.
- Sang the Canadian national anthem for a special event honoring Sarah Palin, April 2010.
- Honorary Chair of the Community Child Abuse Council – Hamilton.
- Performed awe-inspiring version of The Beatles hit All You Need is Love at Haiti fundraiser, Heart for Haiti, in January 2010. Fellow artists included Feist, The Arkells, Finger 11, and Tomi Swick.
- 2010: It has been announced by The Magazine that he will perform the graduation version of the 6teen theme song during its series' finale on Feb. 11.
Discography
The following is a complete discography of every album and single released by Canadian pop rock singer-songwriter Brian Melo.Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
|||||||||
| 2007 | Livin' It
|
14 |
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... : Gold |
||||||
| 2010 | The Truth
Fontana North Fontana North is a Canadian record distribution company and represents the Canadian wing of Fontana Distribution. It is a joint venture between Canadian-based MapleCore and US-based Fontana Distribution. The company was established by MapleCore in 2004 as MapleNationwide, and in 2006, it partnered... /Universal |
— | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
CAN Rock |
Much MuchMusic MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:... |
|||||||
| 2007 | "All I Ever Wanted All I Ever Wanted (Brian Melo song) "All I Ever Wanted" is the "winner's single" of the fifth season of Canadian Idol.-Background:It was recorded by Idol winner Brian Melo. It was also recorded by runner up Jaydee Bixby; though his version was not officially released it was leaked onto the internet.Brian's version of the single has... " |
11 | — | — | Livin' It | ||||
| 2008 | "Shine" | 69 | — | — | |||||
| "Summertime Summertime (Brian Melo song) "Summertime" is a song written by Greg Johnston and Andy Stochansky, and recorded by Brian Melo for his first album Livin' It . It was released as the album's third single in Canada in 2008.-Background:... " |
— | — | — | ||||||
| "Back to Me" | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2010 | "Soundproof" | — | 23 | 4 | The Truth | ||||
| 2011 | "Anywhere But Here" | — | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||