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Ryan Malcolm, born October 13 1979, is best known for being the winner of the first season of Canadian Idol. With a love of singing innately in him, Malcolm began singing at his father's restaurants in Kingston, Ontario, but he had little success until the then-21-year-old auditioned for the first season of Canadian Idol. Malcolm's awkward charm and honeyed tones won over the judges, but failed to win over the public his first time around. Malcolm would not be voted into the top 11 rather, he was selected as a wildcard choice, making it into the top eleven on his second time around. Despite this initial setback, Malcolm sailed through the competition, tackling unfamiliar genres and covering songs by Billy Joel, U2, and even Patsy Cline. With only one trip to the infamous bottom 2 before the finale, Malcolm was declared the winner of the show's first season in 2003. Riding on the success of the show, Malcolm's first single (one that was tied in with the show), Something More, became an instant chart success, debuting at number one on the Canadian Singles Charts and staying there for 14 straight weeks. The single went four-times platinum on its first day of release. On December 9, 2003, Malcolm released his debut full-length album, Home, which was a commercial success in Canada. The album went on to sell over 170,000 copies in Canada alone and was certified platinum, peaking at number four on the album sales chart. Malcolm's success with his debut album earned him a Juno nomination for pop album of the year. A second single was released, Star of All the Planets, which peaked at number 79 on the charts. A third single was also released, You Made This Fool Become a Man, which failed to chart. Malcolm embarked on a Canadian tour, and even made a few stops in Europe. He was the Canadian representative in the World Idol competition, competing against stars like Kelly Clarkson, coming in sixth place. Following moderate success after his first single and album, Malcolm opted for a shift in career. After briefly turning to songwriting and theater work, Malcolm became the frontman for Canadian indie group Low Level Flight. Along with Low Level Flight, Malcolm has once again seen success on the Canadian Hot 100, with the band's two first singles, Change for Me and Say, peaking at number 69 and 22 respectively. ~ Matthew Chisling, Rovi
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