Damien Leith emerged among the many vocalists propelled into the spotlight by the worldwide Pop Idol television sensation. Born on January 18, 1976, in County Kildare, Ireland, he passed his early years in places ranging from Libya to Botswana while his father pursued engineering projects abroad. During adolescence he joined his siblings in the group Leaf, which later cut recordings in New York City under the moniker Releaf. After wedding an Australian, he moved to that country and assumed frontman duties for Revelate, a band that cultivated an intense following along Sydney’s club circuit.
Employed as a chemist at the time, Leith yielded to encouragement from acquaintances and tried out for Network Ten’s 2006 Australian Idol competition, its fourth season. Chosen as one of 24 finalists from more than 25,000 entrants, he drew notice from the judges for his singular falsetto and delivered self-accompanied performances of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Viewed by observers and supporters as an unlikely victor, he defeated Jessica Mauboy in the November 26, 2006, finale. At age 30 he became the second-oldest champion across any Idol edition worldwide, surpassed solely by 31-year-old French winner Steeve Estatof.
Following his contract with Sony BMG, Leith put out the debut single “Night of My Life” two days after the Australian Idol conclusion. It entered at number one and held the top Australian chart position for four weeks, paving the way for the LP The Winner’s Journey, which earned quadruple-platinum certification inside two weeks of release. In 2007 he issued Where We Land, his initial non-Idol-branded album; it arrived at number one on the ARIA chart and attained gold status shortly afterward. The next year Leith encountered his first commercial setback with Catch the Wind: Songs of a Generation, an anthology of 1960s and 1970s material that included versions of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and Cat Stevens’ “Wild World.” In 2009 he rebounded with his third studio album, Remember June.
