Early life Leith was raised in Milltown, County Kerry, Ireland. His father travelled as part of his work as an engineer, and their family lived in countries including Libya and Botswana. As a child he formed a family band, Leaf, with his sister Aine and brothers Paul and Darren. Leaf recorded in New York and then again later under the new name Releaf, which made an appearance in the Irish Top 100. Since moving to Sydney, he has played in a number of high profile venues across Sydney, as the front man for the band Revelate. His first Australian performance was at The Basement in Sydney’s Circular Quay. He worked as a chemist prior to auditioning for Australian Idol. Australian Idol Leith was selected by the judges as one of the final 24 contestants, and was the first person voted into the competition’s top twelve as the result of a viewer vote. He was praised by the show’s judges for his falsetto technique, which he used regularly in performances. Despite comments from judges Mark Holden and Kyle Sandilands in relation to Leith’s unconventional appearance, and a performance of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” which drew ridicule from Holden, the judges assessments of Leith’s performances were usually positive. His renditions of Roy Orbison’s “Crying”, Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” each earned Leith a “touchdown” from Mark Holden, a gesture which has come to be regarded as Holden’s ultimate accolade for an excellent performance. Sandilands also stated that the family of Roy Orbison had contacted the Australian Idol producers requesting a copy of Leith’s performance of “Crying”. Leith was the last contestant in the 2006 season to be in the bottom three, until the top five verdict on October 30. On Sunday, November 26, during a live broadcast from the Sydney Opera House, Leith was announced the winner, over runner-up Jessica Mauboy. His debut single, “Night of My Life”, was released as a paid digital download from Bigpondmusic soon after the conclusion of the grand final, with an official CD release on November 28. It has been stated that his debut album will be released in early 2007. Australian Idol Performances * Sydney Auditions - “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice| * Theatre Round (Day Three) - “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen| * Top 24: Group 1 - “You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker| * Top 12: Contestant’s Choice - “With or Without You” by U2| * Top 11: Rock - “Creep” by Radiohead| * Top 10: No. 1 Hits - “If Tomorrow Never Comes” by Garth Brooks| * Top 9: Contestant’s Year of Birth - “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” by Elton John| * Top 8: Disco - “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang| * Top 7: Contestant’s Choice: Acoustic - “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak| * Up Close And Personal Night - “Sky” (original) by Damien Leith| * Top 6: Rock Swings: “High & Dry” by Radiohead| * Top 5: ARIA Hall of Fame: “Message to My Girl” by Split Enz| * Top 4: Viewer’s Choice: “Crying” by Roy Orbison| * Top 4: Viewer’s Choice: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen| * Top 3: Judge’s Choice: “Nessun Dorma” by Giacomo Puccini| * Top 3: Judge’s Choice: “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers| * Top 2: Contestant’s Choice: “Never Meant to Fail” by Alex Lloyd| * Top 2: Contestant’s Choice: “Waiting On an Angel” by Ben Harper| * Top 2: Grand Final Performance: “Nessun Dorma” by Giacomo Puccini| * Top 2: Winner’s Single: “Night of My Life” |
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