Citation :Back home and hopeful
Stevenson feeling intensity of Idol competition now
Sara Ditta, Edmonton Journal
Published: Monday, August 25, 2008
Whether he's swamping in Lloydminster or serenading the country, Earl Stevenson does it with a smile. A grin rarely left his face while he was passing through Edmonton on Friday morning, on route to his hometown of Lloydminster.
Even after advancing to the final four of Canadian Idol this week, he'd still enjoy jumping back on a backhoe any day.
"Everything's fun, if you want it to be," he said
Earl Stevenson paid a visit to Edmonton and Lloydminster.
Earl Stevenson paid a visit to Edmonton and Lloydminster.
John Lucas, Edmonton Journal
And fun was certainly had Friday night during his performance at Lloydminster's Exhibition Grounds, showcasing one of his own compositions, called Ghost. It's a feat he's unable to do on the show.
"I wish I could do all my own songs," he said. "I bug them (Idol producers) all the time about it."
The song was written after he returned from advancing to the top 200 of Idol. It's about staying positive and remaining true to oneself, he said. However, he was still making last-minute changes on Friday morning. New lyrics were scrawled on his arm, to make sure he'd remember the additions that night.
He'll also perform three other originals, along with three cover songs he's done on the show. Stevenson has 40 original songs prepared for his post-Idol career.
The prospect of seeing friends and family also made him delighted to return to Lloydminster, even if it was only for one night.
Early Friday, he was already receiving an anticipatory call from a friend in the city awaiting his arrival.
He owes his success to the support of his hometown, he said.
"I don't know if I would be here without them," said Stevenson. "Some people spend two hours re-dialing to vote and I don't know if I would do that."
It's an especially welcome return, since his Idol accommodations continue to empty of familiar faces.
Mookie Morris of Toronto, one of Stevenson's close friends on the show, was voted off last week.
"It feels like it's getting a little lonelier on the show."
Watching Morris go, after he smashed his guitar on stage, was a revelation for Stevenson. He realized how few contestants are left and started to feel the intensity of the competition, he said.
The two may move in together in Toronto after the show ends, he added.
Moving far from his hometown for a passion isn't new for Stevenson. He previously lived in Vancouver and Calgary to pursue a past interest in extreme snowboarding.
Even then, he still let loose with his dulcet, folksy tones.
"Snowboarding down the hill, I was singing at the top of my lungs all the time," he said. "But I was never thinking, 'Oh I'm practising for Canadian Idol and a music career.' "
Nevertheless, a knee injury caused him to give up his dreams of being a professional snowboarder, especially when he realized that young kids were doing more difficult moves with ease.
But it was soon after the injury that he picked up the guitar and started writing his own tunes, while travelling around Europe and in Hawaii.
He was spurred by his family to enter the competition when he returned.
Stevenson is staying positive about the final shows. He simply hopes to provide some quality performances, while not burning out before the end.
Whatever the outcome, Stevenson will always be left with the "memories of all the madness" and the wisdom of words inked on his left arm, which he said he has followed throughout the event.
The tattoo -- written in Czech and done after a particularly miserable experience in Prague -- states, "Remember the story."
source:
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/new ... 39db54bb69