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Kaleb Simmonds says that the best day of his life "was the first day I sang for God." Like some other competitors, Kaleb began singing in church at age seven. As he grew older, he began performing at shows throughout the community and eventually moved on to clubs. Kaleb says that viewers should know that "music is my life it is not just a hobby."
Kaleb says the most challenging part of the competition so far has been "remembering my words in such a short period of time." Winning the competition will require "faith in myself, perseverance and the ability to command an audience," he says.
Kaleb loves brown rice and tofu, his pet salamander and "anything on the Discovery Channel." He "doesn't believe in sports" and says that people would be surprised to find out that he sleeps with his teddy bear. In his spare time, Kaleb likes to sing, learn, dance, make music and write.
Kaleb's biggest accomplishment? "Being able to touch people with my music, by the grace of God," he says.
Kaleb Simmonds, the fourth finalist inducted to the Top 10, chatted with Eye on Idol the day after the big results show. Find out what the 21-year-old musician would do if he became the next Canadian Idol!
Idol: First of all, how did you sleep?
Kaleb: I didn't. I don't sleep in Toronto. I had a meeting with my lawyer today and was banging my head against the desk just trying to wake up I was so tired.
Idol: How has your day been so far?
Kaleb: It's kind of been like Alice in Wonderland.
Idol: Have you been eating well?
Kaleb: Yeah. But I didn't get to bed until 4:30 last night and I was up at 5:30.
Idol: Who's been calling you since the big news broke?
Kaleb: A lot of friends, I think my relatives are giving me a break.
Idol: Is it overwhelming, all of a sudden, to be in demand for interviews and appearances? Do you think you could get used to it?
Kaleb: No, not really overwhelmed. It's just a lot. Yeah, I'm pretty much used to it, although this isn't something that happens everyday. But, when I've got 3 shows to do and stuff like that...
Idol: You've got some time before competition for you resumes again. What are you planning to do with your time? Do you have gigs to do?
Kaleb: Yeah, I got a gig for Sunday.
Idol: What are you planning to bring to your performance in the Top 10 to make you stand out? Is there something you know for sure you?re going to do different?
Kaleb: I think I already did it.
Idol: And, what would be the first thing you'd buy if you won?
Kaleb: Where I come from, I have so many friends and so many people that are so talented. I'd like to do something to record them.
Canadian Idol Q&A:
When did you first start to sing?
Age 7.
What is your favourite song to sing?
"O Holy Night"
What CD would your friends be surprised you own?
CCR.
Who in the music world do you think your style is most like?
Nobody.
How would your friends describe you?
Musically focused.
Besides performing, what other talents do you have?
Writing skills and composing music.
What are your goals in life?
To establish a music industry for the youth.
My definition of a Canadian Idol is:
Being a positive influence on young people and expanding beyond Canada.
Who is your Canadian Idol?
My father.
Who in the Canadian Idol Top 11 did you identify with the most?
Toya.
What are your greatest strengths entering this competition?
The fact that I'm calm and understand why I'm here and what I'm going to demonstrate.
What is your biggest fear regarding this competition?
I don't really have a fear competing against other musicians.
If you don't make it on Canadian Idol, what will you do?
Make high rates making and selling music.
How would your life change if you were to become Canadian Idol?
An opportunity to easily attack my goals and accomplishment for the future.
QUICK FACTS
Favourite song: Stevie Wonder's "Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away"
Favourite male/female pop artists: Michael Jackson, Missy Elliott
Favourite CD: D'Angelo's "Voodoo"
First CD ever bought: Talib Kwalib
You may want to think twice before pigeonholing Kaleb Simmonds as a certain type of singer. The 21-year-old, who recently ended his stint on Canadian Idol, doesn't believe in categorizing his style of music.
"I'm not an R&B singer. I'm not a soul singer. I'm not a hip-hop singer," Simmonds says.
He is, however, an artist serious about reaching out to others. "God gave me a voice and he's just using me to open people's minds up."
"I don't plan on making music for one group of people…I want to make music to open up the eyes of the world," says Simmonds who's returned to his hometown of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
For the past few months, Simmonds has been opening up the eyes of millions of Canadians who have tuned in to watch and vote for their favourite Idols each week.
The soft-spoken singer says he never perceived Canadian Idol as a competition, though singers essentially vie for votes to become the next pop sensation and land a recording contract.
"I don't feel I was really in a competition with people," he explains. "I went to uncover myself and expose myself to Canada."
That meant singing to the public as much as he could until it was time for him to leave. It was an intention he had in mind since the start of the show and an expectation that lent to his subdued reaction during his elimination.
Simmonds, who claims to have a more serious personality than the "jokey, happy-go-lucky" type admits being in the public eye was "not a simple task" and was something he had to get used to, saying he learned the hard way when it came to presenting himself on camera.
"You know, because people make fun of you and they talk about you if you're not smiling and stuff like that. Then they think there's something wrong with you" he says matter-of-factly.
"You don't realize that until the first time you start seeing yourself back on TV and then you're like 'Oh, it makes sense now.' I'm not supposed to have my everyday sitting-down-on-the-couch face on. I have to actually look delightful," he muses.
"And it doesn't look nice on TV. It's not appealing to the viewers," he adds. "You just have to learn through every step that you make in a situation like this."
But on the subject of performing, Simmonds exudes an inherent passion and confidence in touching people's lives.
"There's people who actually hate me...and even those people, I'm going to guarantee, they're gonna turn around and they're gonna be the same people that are gonna come out and support me.
"Not because of my personality and what they dislike or don't like about me. But they're gonna listen to what I'm doing and they're not gonna be able to deny the sound," he maintains.
It's a sound Simmonds calls "magic".
"If you can take something and take it out of its element and out of its origin and remould the shape and the structure...That's where the reward is," he explains.
For now the ex-Idol finalist will get back to writing his own music, which he promises to be "undeniable" for everyone -- from grandmothers and grandfathers to uncles and aunts, even the dogs and cats.
"Anybody with ears."
Lionel Richie wasn't the only man who got the crowd on its feet Thursday night on Canadian Idol. Kaleb Simmonds did it too, only this time Simmonds took his final bow as he became the fourth singer to be eliminated from the competition.
Simmonds, who wowed the judges each week with his unique vocal style, was hailed by Zack Werner as "one of the best, if not the best, R&B/Hip-hop singer [he's] ever heard in the competition."
While the remaining Idols wore long faces, the Dartmouth, N.S. singer kept an upbeat disposition, shaking off his nerves like a boxer who's about to enter the ring.
"This show will have a huge hole in it when you leave and I want to thank you for filling it," Ben Mulroney said after breaking the news to Simmonds.
"I want to say thank you to everybody that supported me. Thank you for Canada. Thank you for Canadian Idol for giving me this opportunity and God bless everybody out there."
