Barrhaven's Own Idol is Dynamite!
July 22, 2004 - Nepean Westender

by Laurel E. Anderson

I had the pleasure of meeting Canadian Idol finalist sensation and local talent, Becky Abbott this past week at my satellite office, Starbucks in Bell’s Corners. The meeting place was Becky’s idea and I love her already for picking my favourite latte spot to get together to discuss the whirlwind her life has become since Idol.

Becky has even more stage presence in person than she does on stage. For 19 yrs old, she is a very focused, dynamic and confident young artist who seems wise beyond her years when it comes to the music industry. There’s no fooling anyone, Becky is making music her life one day at a time and says, “Even if I’m never a superstar, I hope to make a living singing.” And after being around her for an hour, I feel like she’s already on her way to superstar status!

Miss Abbot wasn’t even going to try out for Idol this time around. That’s right, she did line up for Idol last year and waited and waited along with the rest of the contestants and when her number finally came up, the judges just didn’t seem interested and she didn’t get any further than that.

Fast-forward to this year and Becky wasn’t even thinking about trying out for Idol. It was just not part of the plan. Instead, Becky was planning to audition for a spot at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. This school is the perfect place for what is know in the industry as a ‘triple threat’ performer. Triple threat means that you can sing, dance and act and at the AMDA, students work on their crafts and are given the exposure, through performances, to Broadway and other industry scouts with the hopes of landing a musical role in the big league. And while this is something Becky is still focused on, a few friends got the best of her and after much bugging by them, was talked in to trying out for Idol again this year.

Becky feels timing is everything and this year, chose to time her arrival at the Idol tryouts a bit better. By coming near the end of the day, she was guaranteed to be seen on the second day of auditions and did not have to stay up and out all night. It was a smart move that definitely paid off for this huge talent. Becky showed up to register and was given an armband and told to come back the next morning. Assured of a spot, Becky headed home to prepare and sleep in the comfort of her own home.

Day two arrives and since most of the competitors went through on day one, there aren’t many singers around compared to day one. The wait isn’t long at all and Becky makes it through the first and second rounds, receiving the much sought after ticket to see the celebrity judges and then it’s back home to rest for her next big performance.

It’s the second day of celebrity judging and Becky has been waiting thirteen hours for her two minutes in front of Zack, Jake, Sass and Farley, who will decide if she goes to Toronto or not. The wait is nerve-wracking as there is not much to do except warm up your voice and watch other competitors reactions when they leave the celebrity audition area. Becky told me that she couldn’t help thinking about how many good singers were not making it and how that would affect her. “Why am I here?” was a common question in her head. She really thought that her chances of moving on at this point were not good.

The time has finally come and Barrhaven’s own Becky is under the spotlight. I asked Becky how it felt to finally be in front of the celebrity judges, especially since she is a veteran when it comes to performing in front of groups. She said there were some nerves but then ‘ a switch came on and the nerves were gone and I was really excited.”
She continues by saying that “Sass is so warm” and made her feel good. Sass loved her performance and Zack agreed. Farley said that he was not really feeling it and Jake told her to sing something else. So Becky started singing the song ‘At Last’ which has some key lyrics that would work with Becky’s performance as she tries to ‘sing’ Jake over to her side. It worked with Jake going from looking bored and doodling on a pad of paper, to coming around. Becky said that she just had to give it her all to win Jake over and so she left her mark and made her way to the judges table, singing directly to him, touching his face and ultimately winning him over with her great performance. Becky sums it up by saying, “I just went for it. I had nothing to lose.”

And everything to gain. Becky is excited to make it to the finals in Toronto even though she can’t tell a soul how she has done. I asked Becky what she did to prepare for Toronto and she said song selection was a big part of her preparation. Working from a list that was provided by Canadian Idol was limiting and to make it a challenge, Becky downloaded all the songs that she didn’t know to try to find a song that fit her.

Becky told me that she had a great Idol experience. She made new friendships, enjoyed great experiences and made invaluable connections. I asked her what it was like to room with the competition and she said that any worries that she had about that were quickly put aside when she met her roommate and the other finalists. She describes everyone as being “very supportive.”

I told Becky that I though that she rocked the house when she sang in the final group of eight, pink leather blazer and all! She thanked me and said that she felt she had a solid performance. “You should be in the finals,” I say. Becky tells me again that timing is everything and smiles. She is so professional already and her future plans include to start recording a CD, to audition for the AMDA in New York and to maybe pick up some gigs with her old band, factor eight. Oh, and she’s also working on a duo with her piano teacher Larry Tarof that may be coming soon to a lounge near you.


‘One on One with Becky Abbott’

Me: I read that you make a ‘wicked pot’ of Kraft Dinner. Let’s compare and share secrets.
Becky: She smiles and tells me that her boyfriend told her to write that on her bio but still agrees to share her secret. “After you boil the pasta and remove the water, you put the pasta back on the burner, leaving it turned on and pour the milk in and let it all soak in for a bit.”
Me: Oh, I don’t use milk but I add grated cheese. What do you do to relax before performing other than those throaty noises that Nick and Jessica do on their show, The Newlyweds?
Becky: I do aerobics and listen to music. The throaty noises are for warming up the vocal chords. I just make humming noises. They help to stretch and warm the vocal chords.
Me: If I was you at HMV and asked your opinion on what CD I should buy, what would you recommend?
Becky: John Legend’s “Live at the Knitting Factory” due out soon.
Me: If your passion weren’t singing, what would you do?
Becky: Acting or a personal trainer
Me: If you could interview any musician tomorrow, who would it be and why?
Becky: Nelly Furtado because she made it on her own: she knew she would make it. She had lots of offers that she turned down because she knew how she wanted to do it.
Me: What do you really want to do?
Becky: I want to do it all!


Becky Abbott has a big heart, an even bigger voice and the focus and determination to go for it. Watch out for Becky Abbott coming at you, somewhere, sometime soon, live!!!

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