Working for Success – An Interview with Canadian Idol’s Rocker, Billy Klippert

As you know, at least if you read my recaps of Canadian Idol on RealityNewsOnline, I am a huge Billy Klippert fan! So, I was more than thrilled to get a chance to talk to the man himself about his experiences on CI! Billy was open and honest (sometimes brutally) and very entertaining. I hope you enjoy what he had to say! If you have any comments, feel free to e-mail me and share them with me. Okay, on to the interview!

Paris: What made you decide to try out for Canadian Idol?

Billy: My sister waited in line for me and I felt sorry for her. I wasn’t going to try out because I read that it was a search for the next Canadian pop star. I definitely was more of a rock and roll fella.

Paris: Did you think you would make it as far as you did in the competition?

Billy: I was completely amazed to make it past the first audition, let alone to the Top 3. I never thought I would make it that far.

Paris: I really thought you would win the whole thing! But after losing your voice in the Top 30, did you think that was it? That it was over for you? I honestly looked through the rooms to see which group you were in because I was sure the judges weren't going to let you slip away.

Billy: Yeah I really thought I was a goner. I felt really upset knowing the reason that I would have been kicked off was because I practiced too hard and lost my voice.

Paris: It was heart-wrenching for us as viewers but we were thrilled to see you get through. What was your favourite part of the entire Idol experience?

Billy: The friendships made throughout this experience have been amazing. There are so many wonderful memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We were a real team and it was never a competition between us.

Paris: I've got to ask… were the shirts and sunglasses a conscious thing for you? Your hair and those sunglasses (as well as the shirts) became signature Billy items. Did you consciously do that or did it take on a life of its own?

Billy: I didn’t see anything abnormal with it and people that know me would tell you that I always wore sunglasses and unique shirts. I thought my shirts were great or else I wouldn’t have worn them. It’s funny – half the time I was wearing outfits that closely resembled Zach’s wardrobe and he made fun of them.

Paris: I noticed that with Zack too. He had some pretty outrageous outfits!

Another one of the RealityNewsOnline writers, Sting7, called your "Levon" life-changing. How did you choose that song? I would have to say that it was the highlight of the entire Canadian Idol series – for me anyway.

Billy: That was really strange how I came across that song. It was the first one of the Elton song selections I actually heard. I really liked how it started off kinda slow and smooth and then I could really raunch it up like an old preacher screaming hallelujah at the end. I gauged all my selections by how much feeling I could put in the song. Unfortunately, the pre-cleared song selections were very few in numbers. We usually had a choice of 12 songs each week.

Paris: What did you learn most about yourself by going on Canadian Idol? Anything profound that you'd like to share with all your fans?

Billy: I was surprised how hard I was willing to work for success. Sometimes I can be lazy but I found this experience to be very motivating and uplifting. I was also surprised by how emotional I got about the whole thing.

Paris: How are you dealing with your new-found stardom?

Billy: It’s overwhelming but at the same time fantastic. Stardom is a great thing, however I won’t feel that I have done anything substantial to deserve it until I record my own album and have people buy it and enjoy it. I did good on a very high budget karaoke show, now I need to establish a career.

Paris: Now, that’s funny! “A very high budget karaoke show!” I’m sure you’ll have a great career. How's your brother, Benny, doing? He was such a great support to you while you were competing. He became as much a part of my weekly recaps as any of the competitors! I got such a kick out of seeing him cheering you on each week. The two of you seem very close. I hope he's doing well these days. Let him know I miss him on my TV each Monday as well. :0)

Billy: Benny’s awesome he has been my best friend since birth. He is a fantastic drummer and singer. We’ve played in a band together for a long time and he’s one of the most amazing talents I know and I know we’ll make it to the top together.