Melissa O'Neil

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Melissa O'Neil
Melissa O'Neil

Melissa O'Neil (b. 1988 in Calgary, Alberta)was the winner of the third season of Canadian Idol. She is a high school student, born and raised in Calgary, Alberta (parents Tim O'Neil and Alison Yeung). Melissa has been involved in local musical theatre productions, and worked at a daycare centre.

Career as a Canadian Idol contestant

On Canadian Idol, she became a member of the Top 10 after receiving the highest amount of votes in her Top 32 group, singing Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel". Melissa was in the bottom three the first two weeks of competition, despite the judges' approval of her performances. However, from the third week on, Melissa has become, in the words of Zack Werner, "a threat to win the whole thing". She has not been in the bottom three since.

On Wednesday, September 7, Melissa made it to the final two.

On Tuesday, September 13 (the Top 2 showdown), judge Zack Werner told Melissa that the headlines of the next day's newspapers would be "The King is dead, long livethe Queen."

On September 14, 2005, O'Neil defeated Rex Goudie to become the third Canadian Idol and the first contestant of Asian decent to win in North America. Melissa won a recording contract with BMG as well the chance to release the winner's single, "Alive".

Songs that Melissa performed on the show included:

  • Top 32: "Concrete Angel"
  • Top 10: "I Believe In You" (Canadian Hits week)
  • Top 9: "Living For The City" (Stevie Wonder week)
  • Top 8: "Holding Out For a Hero" (Eighties week)
  • Top 7: "De-Lovely" (Big Band week)
  • Top 6: "Alone" (Classic Rock week)
  • Top 5: "My Own Way To Rock" (The Guess Who week)
  • Top 4: "A Little Less Conversation", "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Elvis week)
  • Top 3: "The Old Apartment", "When I Fall" (Barenaked Ladies week)
  • Top 2: "Angel of the Morning", "A Broken Wing", "Alive" (Finale)

Career after her win

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin gave Melissa a congratulatory phone call, immediately after the win. While unconfirmed, this is possibly the first time a head of state contacted the winner of an Idol series.

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