Brian Melo crowned Canadian Idol after five million votes

Brian Melo, the indie-rocker/construction worker from Hamilton, achieved what thousands of hopefuls across the country have coveted over the past few months: the Canadian Idol crown.

“This is incredible. I didn’t think I’d be standing here a year ago,” Melo said, thanking friends, family and “the Hammer” (Hamilton) after host Ben Mulroney announced the results.

Melo took the win Tuesday night, to thunderous applause from fans – and judges -after a sing-off with Jaydee Bixby, a self-described country boy from Drumheller, Alta. Almost five million votes determined the winner.

A sleeper success, Melo gained steam as the competition went on and eventually became the judges’ favourite. On Tuesday night’s broadcast, they showered the 25-year-old singer/songwriter with praise.

“Brian’s been like this growing taste I’ve truly learned to savour,” uudge Zack Werner said.

Melo even impressed rockstar Jon Bon Jovi at a recent workshop in New York.

When Melo sang the 2007 winning Idol single, All I Ever Wanted, judge Jake Gold said, “It sounds like you wrote it. It’s that simple . . . I was vibrating through the whole thing. I don’t know what else to say.”

In a recent interview with CanWest News Service, Melo said he may have felt hungrier for the win after surviving Bottom Three status on past shows – when contestants with the fewest votes are announced and one is voted off.

“I’ve learned I can take a lot of punches. I can be at the bottom and can crawl back to the top,” Melo said.

This year’s finale wasn’t short of celebrity singers and high-voltage performances.

Bon Jovi blew the audience away by singing their hit It’s My Life and the title track from their new album Lost Highway.

The Top 10 finalists kicked off the night by singing a powerful Bon Jovi medley, and 2006 Idol winner Eva Avila made an appearance, calling her past year “overwhelming.”

Canadian popstar Avril Lavigne performed two singles from her new album The Best Damn Thing, as a warmup for her 2008 North American tour.

Melo’s winning Idol single All I Ever Wanted – the one he performed at the end of the season finale – will be released on Wednesday on both ITunes and radio. He will embark on a cross-country concert tour with fellow Top Three Idol finalists – Bixby and Mission, B.C.’s Carly Rae Jepsen – this fall. (For ticket info go to idol.ctv.ca).