Theo Tams is a Canadian singer and the winner of the
sixth seasonThe 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....
of the CTV reality show
Canadian 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...
. His debut album,
Give It All AwayGive It All Away is the 2009 debut album by singer Theo Tams, the winner of the sixth season of the reality television competition Canadian Idol.-Background:...
, was released on 19 May 2009 by Sony Music Canada.
Early life
Tams grew up in
Coaldale, AlbertaCoaldale is a town in southern Alberta, Canada, located east of Lethbridge, along the Crowsnest Highway.- Attractions :The main attractions are the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, the Land o' Lakes Golf Course, and the Gem of the West Museum....
, and he attended Immanuel Christian High School in
LethbridgeLethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
. Tams played
trumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
in high school, and is self-taught on
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Before
Idol, he was a student at the
University of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
, studying classical music and psychology. He is taking a leave from his studies to pursue a music career.
Tams released the EP
Unexpected in 2005.
Canadian Idol
At his audition for
Canadian Idol in February 2008, Tams drew laughs from the judges as he demonstrated evidence of his anxiety-related perspiration, having soaked through his shirt.
Tams most often performed while playing piano. His performances included "Apologize" by
OneRepublicOneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
, "Collide" by
Howie DayHoward Kern "Howie" Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals in order to accompany himself...
,
Bob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's "
No Woman, No Cry"No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song by Bob Marley & The Wailers. The song first became known in 1974 through the studio album Natty Dread. The live version from the 1975 album Live! is perhaps best known — it was this version which was released on the greatest hits compilation Legend. The original...
", and
Jann ArdenJann Arden is a Canadian singer-songwriter.-Life and career:Arden was born and raised near Calgary in Springbank, Alberta and attended Springbank Community High School. Her breakthrough came with her critically acclaimed 1993 debut album Time for Mercy and her first single "I Would Die For You"...
's "Good Mother".
Idol judge
Zack WernerZack 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...
described Tams' performance of
Bryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
' "
Heaven"Heaven" is a power ballad written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and performed by Bryan Adams. The song first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album in 1983 and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984...
" as "one of the top two or three performances in the history of the show."
He won
Canadian Idol on September 10, 2008, after singing three songs on the final performance show that included "
Sing"Sing" is the debut single by Theo Tams, the winner of season 6 of Canadian Idol.-Background:The song was written by Rob Wells and Xandy Barry...
" (released to radio and digital download on 11 September 2008), which was the winner's single chosen for him. The runner-up, Nova Scotia carpenter
Mitch MacDonaldMitch MacDonald is a Canadian singer who was runner-up in season 6 of the reality series Canadian Idol.-Early life:...
, performed a different song as his own potential winner's single, the first time this has been done on
Canadian Idol.
Although the
Idol winner's first album usually is released about two months after the show's finale, Tams had much longer to prepare his. Tams said he appreciated the longer time, and hoped to have some songs he wrote himself included on the album.
Performances and results
| Week |
Theme |
Mentor |
Song |
Artist |
Result |
| Top 24 |
Semifinal Group 2 |
|
"Apologize "Apologize" is a song written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder for OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud. A remix version was included on the Timbaland album, Shock Value and on the deluxe version of Dreaming Out Loud...
" |
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
/
TimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
|
Safe |
| Top 20 |
Semifinal Group 2 |
|
"Collide" |
Howie Day Howard Kern "Howie" Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals in order to accompany himself...
|
Safe |
| Top 16 |
Semifinal Group 1 |
|
"Bubbly "Bubbly" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat from her debut album, Coco . Written by Caillat and Jason Reeves and produced by Mikal Blue, the song was released as the album's lead single in May 2007...
" |
Colbie Caillat Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
|
Safe |
| Top 10 |
Songs of David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
|
|
"Silly Boy Blue" |
David Bowie |
Safe |
| Top 9 |
Hits of Dead Artists |
|
"No Woman, No Cry "No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song by Bob Marley & The Wailers. The song first became known in 1974 through the studio album Natty Dread. The live version from the 1975 album Live! is perhaps best known — it was this version which was released on the greatest hits compilation Legend. The original...
" |
Bob Marley & The Wailers Bob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
|
Safe |
| Top 8 |
Unplugged Music Week |
Gavin RossdaleGavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
|
"Weak in the Knees" |
Serena Ryder Serena Ryder is a Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter raised in Millbrook, Ontario.Ranging musically between folk, roots, country, and adult contemporary music, Ryder possesses a five-octave range...
|
Safe |
| Top 7 |
Top 10 UK Hits |
Tom Jones Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
|
"You Had Me "You Had Me" is a song by English soul singer-songwriter Joss Stone from her second studio album, Mind Body & Soul . Written by Stone, Francis White, Wendy Stoker and Betty Wright, it was released on 13 September 2004 as the album's lead single...
" |
Joss StoneJocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
|
Bottom 3 |
| Top 6 |
Canada Rock(s) |
Simple PlanSimple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
|
"Sweet Ones" |
Sarah SleanSarah Hope Slean is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and occasional actress from Pickering, Ontario. She has released eleven albums to date .-Major recordings:...
|
Safe |
| Top 5 |
Judges' Theme
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
|
|
"The Long and Winding Road "The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
" |
The Beatles |
Safe |
| Top 4 |
Anne MurrayMorna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
's Music
Idol's Choice |
Anne Murray
|
"You Don't Know Me"
"Chariot" |
Anne Murray
Gavin DeGrawGavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
|
Safe |
| Top 3 |
Songs of Bryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
|
Bryan Adams |
"Heaven "Heaven" is a power ballad written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and performed by Bryan Adams. The song first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album in 1983 and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984...
"
"When You're Gone" |
Bryan Adams |
Safe |
| Top 2 |
Idol's Choice
Idol Single
Judges' Choice |
John LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
HedleyHedley is a Canadian pop rock band comprising lead singer Jacob Hoggard, Tommy Mac on bass, Dave Rosin on lead guitar and Chris Crippin on drums. The current band retains the original name of Hoggard's pre-Canadian Idol group, although the membership has changed. The band originated in Abbotsford,...
|
"Good Mother"
"Sing"Sing" is the debut single by Theo Tams, the winner of season 6 of Canadian Idol.-Background:The song was written by Rob Wells and Xandy Barry...
"
"I Wanna Know What Love Is" |
Jann Arden Jann Arden is a Canadian singer-songwriter.-Life and career:Arden was born and raised near Calgary in Springbank, Alberta and attended Springbank Community High School. Her breakthrough came with her critically acclaimed 1993 debut album Time for Mercy and her first single "I Would Die For You"...
Theo Tams
ForeignerForeigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
|
WINNER |
Post-Idol
Tams moved to
TorontoToronto 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...
to work on collaborations for his debut album. Tams toured Canada along with runner-up
Mitch MacDonaldMitch MacDonald is a Canadian singer who was runner-up in season 6 of the reality series Canadian Idol.-Early life:...
and third-place finisher
Drew WrightDrew Edward Wright is a Canadian who is best known for being a top three finalist on the sixth season of Canadian Idol.-Early life:...
in November–December 2008.
Christmas Dream (2008)
Tams released the single "Christmas Dream", a song he cowrote with
Luke McMasterLuke Mcmaster is a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician.With a lifelong commitment to music, McMaster experienced early success as one half of a music duo from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, McMaster and James, named after McMaster and his performing partner, Rob James. Despite initial success,...
,
Simon Wilcox-Early life:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Wilcox is the daughter of multi-media artist Sadia Sadia and Canadian rock musician David Wilcox. She is also the great niece of Canadian political scientist John Meisel. At the age of three, she was placed with a female friend of the family in...
and Greg Johnston. The B-side of the single is a cover of "
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"Christmas " is a Christmas holiday song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 Christmas compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. The song was written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie...
", and all proceeds are being donated to the charity
Free the ChildrenFree The Children is an international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by children's rights advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on the concept of "children helping children." It specializes in sustainable development in countries of Kenya, Ecuador,...
. It peaked at #69 on the
Canadian Hot 100The 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...
.
Tams also performed with
Eva AvilaEva Avila is a singer and songwriter. She won the fourth season of the CTV reality show Canadian Idol in 2006.-Early life:...
and
David ArchuletaDavid Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...
for Toronto's CHUM FM's annual Christmas Wish Breakfast.
Give It All Away (2009–2010)
On 17 March 2009, his first single from his album was released, "Lazy Lovers", written by Tams,
Hawksley WorkmanRyan Corrigan , better known by the stage name Hawksley Workman, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full length albums throughout his career...
, and Greg Johnston.
His debut album,
Give It All AwayGive It All Away is the 2009 debut album by singer Theo Tams, the winner of the sixth season of the reality television competition Canadian Idol.-Background:...
, was released on 19 May 2009. It features seven songs he co-wrote, which is more than any previous "Idol". Writing collaborators on the album include
Simon Wilcox-Early life:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Wilcox is the daughter of multi-media artist Sadia Sadia and Canadian rock musician David Wilcox. She is also the great niece of Canadian political scientist John Meisel. At the age of three, she was placed with a female friend of the family in...
,
Hawksley WorkmanRyan Corrigan , better known by the stage name Hawksley Workman, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full length albums throughout his career...
,
Sarah SleanSarah Hope Slean is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and occasional actress from Pickering, Ontario. She has released eleven albums to date .-Major recordings:...
, and
Damhnait DoyleDamhnait Doyle [DAV-net] is a Canadian pop singer. The phonetic spelling of her first name also serves as the title of her 2003 album. Her most recent album, Lights Down Low, is a collection of covers...
. A cross-Canada tour is planned for September.
Tams released a charity Christmas single alongside
Ali SlaightAli Slaight is a Canadian singer-songwriter signed to Universal Music Canada. She grew up in Toronto, Ontario where she performed in bands and musical theatre beginning at the age of 11...
called "Do You Hear What I Hear." This song went to #1 on the Canadian AC Chart.
Tams's next single is "Manhattan Blue." The music video for the song was released May 28, 2010. The video features
So You Think You Can Dance CanadaSo You Think You Can Dance Canada was a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV.Based on the original American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each season, the show held auditions in major cities across the...
second seasonSeason 2 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada is a dance reality show and competition that airs on CTV. It is hosted by ETalk correspondent and former MuchMusic VJ Leah Miller....
winner Tara-Jean Popowich and Vincent Desjardins. The video premiered on
ET CanadaEntertainment Tonight Canada is a daily entertainment newsmagazine show that airs primetime on Global Television in Canada. Encore presentations can also be found on the Slice and TVtropolis channels, both of which are part of the Shaw Media network...
on June 17, 2010.
In April 2010 Theo Tams sought out a new management and business team to handle his career, a move that has already demonstrated a renewed energy and strategic direction for Theo as he moves to the next level and his all important 'sophomore' album that will create a clear distinction between the 'Idol' and the long-term 'career-artist'.
Tams headlined a 15 date cross-Canada tour with special guests StereoGoesStellar, which started August 7, 2010 and met with much critical acclaim as he toured smaller more intimate venues playing in an up close and personal presentation of his songs solo on piano.
Second studio album (2011–present)
Tams explains that his second album, which will be released in 2011 will be a real "artist" album in so far as it will showcase just exactly who he is and what he stands for as a singer/songwriter. It will dig deeper emotionally than his debut album and represent almost a "song diary" that comes from a mixture of his life experiences since "Give It All Away" and from other parts of his life before his Idol experience. One of his new songs focuses on his experience in
AfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Theo has already begun the intense writing process with one of his heroes, who will also be producing the record. It is expected that the project will be formally announced towards the end of January 2011 and the production team named.
Personal life
Tams
came outComing out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as
gayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
during the show's run by referring to a male partner during one of his post-performance interviews. This made him the first openly gay performer to win an
Idol series in North America. He subsequently endorsed
Adam LambertAdam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
in the 2009 edition of
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, and included two gay couples, one male and one female, in the video for his single "Lazy Lovers" . Theo is also a fan of
Ellen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
, and wants to be on
her showThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
. He also admires
Mother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
and her work, and has travelled to countries she has been to.
On June 28, 2010, Theo took a trip to
AfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to perform for the Canadian troops on Canada Day. This was an opportunity for him to visit Canadian and allied troops not only on the base in Kandahar but he travelled by Blackhawk outside of the wire to meet with and hear the stories of the front-line troops. On July 14, he told
Canada AMCanada AM is a Canadian breakfast television news show, which has aired on the CTV Television Network since 1972. It is currently hosted by Beverly Thomson and Seamus O'Regan, with Marci Ien reporting from the headline news desk and Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports...
that it was "the most surreal experiences I've ever had."
Albums
- Give It All Away
Give It All Away is the 2009 debut album by singer Theo Tams, the winner of the sixth season of the reality television competition Canadian Idol.-Background:...
(2009)
- 'TITLE TBC (2011)
Singles
- "Sing" (2008)
- "Christmas Dream" (2008)
- "Lazy Lovers" (2009)
- "Wait for You" (2009)
- "Do You Hear What I Hear?" duet w/ Ali Slaight (2009)
- "Manhattan Blue" (2010)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
| 2009 |
Gemini Awards |
Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series
(Canadian Idol Top 6 Show - "Sweet Ones" performance) |
|
| 2010 |
Canadian Radio Music Awards The Canadian Radio Music Awards are an annual series of awards presented by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters that are part of Canadian Music Week....
|
Mainstream AC Artist |
|
Tours
- 2008: Canadian Idols LIVE! Tour 2008
- 2009: Give It All Away Tour
- 2010: Taking It All Back Tour : 2010" w/sg StereoGoesStellar
External links