Ousted Idol believes comments cost him

W. Brice McVicar
Local News - Thursday, June 21, 2007 @ 10:00

Geoff Stone thinks his voice may have cost him his spot on the television show Canadian Idol though his singing was not the problem, he says.

The Belleville native failed to move on to the next round of the reality television show on Tuesday night when he was one of the performers judges did not opt to have return. Though Stone admitted his performance during the duet section of the competition was less than perfect, he said it may have been comments he made regarding the show which cost him his spot.

"I'm really not quite sure how I got eliminated," he said.

Stone said he did tell an interviewer, after being eliminated, he did not believe the way the judges on the show "cut up" performers is the best way to deliver criticism.


"The thing is, I said something like 'People are lining up to sell their dignity but you're robbing them of it.' The judges gave me the impression they were happy with my performances so it may have been my political outbursts that cost me."

Regardless of the end, Stone said his experience with the CTV show was one of the best of his life. Friends and family had been pressuring the 25-year-old to audition for the program but he had shrugged off the suggestion as he viewed the show as "an expensive karaoke production."

This season, however, the show was encouraging musicians - not just singers - to audition and he saw a opportunity. The pianist, who has been playing since the age of four, visited the auditions in Ottawa, where he is attending Carleton University, and was selected for the top 198.

The audition process was somewhat stressful for Stone, who said he received a standing ovation for one of his performances. The performances also opened up new doors for Stone.

"I was really fortunate to meet a lot of great people," he said. "I got to perform with people I wanted to perform with and people who were coming up to me asking to work with me."

Stone, who has released two albums independently as Geoffrey The Giant, said he is considering auditioning for Canadian Idol again. Despite his negative comments, he does see merit in the show.

"I know they're looking for someone young and impressionable. They want an artist who they can build from the group up," he said. "It was very much an opportunity. A lot of people think Canadian Idol's all about winning .... but you're also there to make connections in the music industry."

Residents interested in hearing Stone's music can purchase a copy of one of his CDs at Sam The Record Man.