2 idols making own names

It’s a phenomenon that has gripped the whole world. Be it American Idol, Canadian Idol, Pop Idol, Australian Idol or even our very own "idol" searches, one thing is clear–stardom still is the ultimate measure of success.

Take the case of Gareth Gates. Here was a boy who could barely utter his own name due to a stammer he had suffered all his life, yet when he first sang Flying Without Wings on Pop Idol, a voice so pure and charged with emotion came out, it could make even a grown man cry.

It was as if Gareth had been born to be a superstar. Not only did he have the voice of an angel, he was a natural on camera and his model looks make him a photographer’s dream. Women simply adore his liquid brown eyes, disarming smile and those gorgeous dimples! It was clear from the start that Gareth was going to be a star.

"We knew we’d found a star in Gareth from the first day we saw him. He has a unique gift that makes you sit still and listen the moment you hear his voice and the emotion he puts into every word is breathtaking," says Simon Fuller, Pop Idol format owner. 

This comes as no surprise to those who know him, as music has been a passion of Gareth since his early years. Aside from being a superb singer, he also plays several instruments. He is an accomplished pianist and songwriter whose love affair with music began at age eight and quite by accident. His school was staging a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Gareth was given a bit part. "All my mates were in it, so I thought, why not? It would be a laugh," he says.

But as soon as his teachers heard him sing, he was given the part of Joseph. "My mom and dad came to see it. They had never heard me sing and my mom was in a flood of tears. It was like, ‘What’s going on here? You can really sing.’"

Since then, singing became a lifeline for Gareth. "For so long, I had struggled to express myself properly with speech. Then I discovered that I could do it with music. That’s the reason why I put so much into it when I’m up there on stage," he explains. "I can sing without faltering because it requires a different kind of breathing to speech."

In the summer of 2001, Gareth auditioned and almost went all the way in the award-winning TV series Pop Idol, where he came second to Will Young. "I was gutted at first, but I was pleased for Will. I realized that it didn’t matter. I got a record deal and the opportunity to do what I’ve always wanted to do and that’s what really counts."

Since then, Gareth Gates has won many awards including Favorite UK Male Singer in UK’s National Music Awards; Best Male Solo Artist in Smash Hits Awards 2003; and Favorite Male Artist in MTV Asia Awards 2004 with the release of his two albums: What My Heart Wants To Say in 2003 and his just released repackaged album Go Your Own Way.

Go Your Own Way features the beautiful ballad Say It Isn’t So and the uplifting dance number Spirit In The Sky. Also included in this special edition release is a bonus CD which includes the acoustic version of his hit single Anyone Of Us plus five other brand new tracks.

"Life will never be the same for me. I’ll never be able to walk down the street again without being approached by hot chicks. It’s such a hard life," Gareth laughs. "Seriously though, it’s fantastic. Now, I can really concentrate on my career and love of music. It’s wicked!"

Enter Clay Aiken

Meanwhile, Gareth Gates’ American counterpart, Clay Aiken is likewise fast making a name after finishing second to Ruben Studdard on the second series of the highly rated Fox TV show American Idol.

Following the show’s climax in May 2003, Aiken signed a recording contract with RCA Records and entered the studio with veteran producer Clive Davis to work on his debut album, which enjoyed immediate success the following month when its lead-off single, This Is The Night, ousted Studdard’s Flying Without Wings to the top slot in the Billboard Hot 100.

Aiken also released his first solo album, Measure Of A Man in October, featuring the chart-topping single Invisible. 

(Gareth Gates’ Go Your Own Way and Clay Aiken’s Measure Of A Man are available locally in CD and cassette formats at record stores nationwide distributed by BMG Records Pilipinas.)