Craig was sharp and light-hearted with his answers in an interview conducted less than 24 hours after he lost the Canadian Idol crown to Eva Avila. Showing a maturity beyond his 16 years, the Newfoundlander seemed at peace with the competition and ready to start his career. It was interesting talking to the contestant that I picked from the beginning of the competition and he was just as confident as he came across on television.
Murtz Jaffer: How are you?
Craig Sharpe: I am good, how are you?
MJ: What time did you get back last night?
CS: I think it was about 12:30 a.m.
MJ: Really? I thought I saw you as one of the late people”¦
CS: I went back early. Me and Eva and Steffi. We left pretty early.
MJ: Do you want to just get right into it?
CS: Yeah.
MJ: Can you tell me a little bit more about what the past 24 hours have been like for you?
CS: It’s been pretty busy with interviews and talking to people back home and stuff like that. But I am really happy. It’s going really great. Me and Eva still talking about some stuff in the future, so it’s pretty cool.
MJ: What was the best part for you? Was it the actual moment, I think you said at last night’s conference that it was that the whole thing was over or was it at the party or was it today? What was the best moment of the whole ride for you?
CS: I think the best moment, was when they announced Eva as the winner last night. Because you know, I did want to win and I would have liked to win but you know, second place is just as good for me. Just the fact of being there? I was fine.
MJ: Now one of the things that I thought was interesting was when you said the week of the finale, you really focused hard on Monday’s performance and that you rehearsed a lot. What was the rehearsal process like? Was it just singing your songs everyday?
CS: Yeah. It was practicing and I wasn’t afraid at all when I went out. I think that was probably one of my best weeks when I went out. I think that was probably one of my best weeks in the entire competition.
MJ: You seemed very confident, especially with the “Meant To Fly” single.
CS: I didn’t care about anything when I went out there. I just went out and did my own thing.
MJ: Now, the “Meant To Fly” single that you sang, when did you actually get the lyrics and how long did it take for you to sort of memorize them?
CS: Oh, we had a long time to memorize them.
MJ: Oh really? So it wasn’t like you just had six days to memorize them?
CS: We had a lot of time.
MJ: Can you tell me a little bit more about your song selection because Farley said that you were one of the smartest contestants in the last four years with being able to pick the right song. So how did you pick a song every week?
CS: I picked the song that I knew that I would sing and that I would sing well. I know what I can sing and I know what I can’t sing and I didn’t choose anything that I could not sing. “Tears Of A Clown”, I was not fussy about that but I passed it off. It was pretty good. I am really happy with all my performances, I wouldn’t change them. I am really pleased that they all turned out well. I am really happy with them.
MJ: You picked a Celine Dion song and Mariah Carey one week, and that’s a really high register for a guy. Were you ever concerned that you maybe wouldn’t get the guy vote because of those things or did you just go for what you can sing well?
CS: I just did stuff that I wanted to do and honestly, in the whole competition, “Meant To Fly”… I really didn’t show my high voice in the competition.
MJ: So you can go even higher than we saw?
CS: What I did in the competition was nothing compared to what I can do. “Meant To Fly”, I hit a couple of pretty up-there notes. I really didn’t show my highness still there”¦
MJ: Wow. So we can look forward to that now?
CS: What I really should have done is brought everything out on the show and shown Canada what I really can do, but you know, I kept growing and growing through the competition and I grew up to the point where I hit a couple of notes where Canada was like ‘whoa!’ And I thought, please God, if my CD ever comes out, the whoa’s will keep coming because I am going to belt a couple of notes there.
MJ: Nice. Now here’s a question for you. This is the second Canadian Idol in a row where a guy from Newfoundland has lost to a girl in the finale. What is it about Newfoundland that gets them to do so well with getting contestants in the Top 10, but they just can’t pull off the big one. Is it just because the place is so small, or what do you think it is?
CS: I think it’s just all in the voting. You know what? I am so pleased to be in the top two. I was talking to Rex (Goudie) last night and he is so proud too that me and him came in the Top Two and you know, it’s all going to be good. I think it’s all going to work out.
MJ: Now, the last time we talked in the Mansion I kept asking you what the relationship was like between the contestants and how you all could get along if it was a competition. I know that they all came back this week for the group numbers and stuff so what was this past week like?
CS: They’re awesome. I was so pleased to see them and Brandon and Ashley, all of them were so supportive for me and Eva in the finale. They’re really supportive. Myself and Ashley Coulter and Brandon”¦ we’re unbelievably good friends.
MJ: He was your roommate right?
CS: Brandon, yeah. I grew with every contestant in different ways and we were all brothers and sisters. We all loved each other.
MJ: You are the youngest contestant to make the finals of Canadian Idol, and I think that Eva tried out for Canadian Idol once before when she was 16. Did you ever talk about that? That she tried out when she was 16? Do you think that was an advantage or disadvantage? I know you have been in competitions before but never on such a national scale. Do you think you age helped you or hurt you? Obviously it helped because you made the finals”¦
CS: You know, I am glad because I am here where I am now. I am only 16. I am young. I still got so much more time to work on some stuff. It’s no rush for me. I have got three years on Eva, of being younger. Our votes were really close. She had half of Canada and she had 3 per cent more than me and you know she’s 19, and I am 16. I am happy for her so much. I am so glad that she got it. She deserves it. She deserved it.
MJ: You have watched Canadian Idol, ever since the first show you said. How cool is it that there is this show that you are watching. You try it for it for the first time and you make it all the way to the Final Two. That’s like me saying that 24 is my favorite show and the next day I am on it with Kiefer Sutherland.
CS: It’s crazy because I can remember watching it. The thing about it is that I have only been in the bottom 3 once this whole season.
MJ: In the Unplugged week right?
CS: Yeah, that was the Unplugged week.
MJ: Last night, you sang “Danny Boy” and you dedicated it to your music teacher. Can you tell me a little bit more about her and the impact that she has had on you?
CS: She was so supportive of me. She passed away last December. She was like a buddy. She was a really good friend of mine and she wasn’t like a teacher but we talked about life and stuff. She wanted me to try out this year and I didn’t want to because I was young and I wanted to learn some more stuff first. She told me to try out and see what happens. And you know? I am here.
MJ: Did you actually have that song in mind when you sang it to her? When you sang it the first time, is that one of the songs that she would have liked or was it just because you liked the lyrics?
CS: Actually, each year we put out a CD at school and this year was our Irish CD we put out. The students went to Ireland. She wanted me to do “Danny Boy” for one of the songs and I didn’t want to do it so I picked a different one. When I heard “Danny Boy” as one of my options, I was like I am taking it! It was such a sign to take it and I am so proud. That was my last song that I sang on stage for her.
MJ: I know you are a big competitor and that you have been in competitions before. How wicked is it, knowing that you’re not going to have do a competition again”¦ ever?!
CS: I don’t think it’s sunk in yet that I made it to the Top Ten, or that I made it to the Top Two. It’s so crazy. It’s good because I have got so many fans now and I have got such a good advantage of getting my career on the go now.
MJ: What is the biggest difference between you and Eva in singing terms? Is there anything specific?
CS: I think Eva is more technically advanced. Our styles are both different, but also the same. I don’t know. They’re different, but the same. I don’t know how to explain that. My voice is popish and she’s R & B, but if you got Eva to sing pop or got me to sing R & B, we both can do that too. It’s kind of similar in some ways.
MJ: It was kind of cool because Farley was like “Eva, Eva, Eva” and Zack was like “Craig, Craig, Craig.” So what do you think about Jake and Sass. Where did they sit because the other two were pretty obvious.
CS: Jake and Sass were really supportive. Zack was super supportive”¦
MJ: He liked you from the beginning”¦
CS: I haven’t gotten nothing bad from him the whole year.
MJ: And he’s the toughest apparently.
CS: He’s supposed to be. He was amazing this year and he was so good with advice. He told me backstage, “you be as big as you want to be” and he came up and gave me a hug after “Meant To Fly”. That meant so much to me. He’s a really good guy.
MJ: Just two more questions. What did you say to Eva after everything was over. Was it just like ‘good job, see you later?’ What was your interaction like last night?
CS: I didn’t get to talk to her much but when we went back to the Mansion in the limo, when we left I just said, I love you. You could do this. Good luck. If you need anything, call me.
MJ: And finally, what’s next for you?
CS: Next for me? I am going to go home for a couple of weeks and then I plan on coming back to Toronto and hook up with a couple of people and get some stuff done.
MJ: When are you leaving for back home?
CS: Tomorrow, I think so. I want to get home as fast as possible!
MJ: That’s great, thank you.
CS: Thank you.
MJ: I can tell you this now, but you were one of my favorites. I predicted you in the final four from the first show and I told everybody that.
CS: Thanks man, thanks.
