Rex Goudie
Updated Mon. May. 15 2006 3:15 PM ET


Age: 20
Hometown: Burlington, NL
Audition City: St. John's, NL

Before auditioning for Canadian Idol on a dare, Rex Goudie was struggling at Memorial University and considering becoming a mechanic, for lack of a better plan.

Now the 20-year-old Burlington, N.L. native lives in his own apartment in the middle of downtown Toronto, cruises the city in an uber-stylish, retro-looking 2005 Mustang (black with a red leather interior) and has no more questions about where he's headed.

"(Canadian Idol) gave me some sort of direction. Last year I had no clue what my next step was going to be," Goudie told Eye on Idol, just before heading off on the cross-country "Let it Go" tour with 2005 Canadian Idol Melissa O'Neil (who is also his girlfriend).

The pair -- recently seen introducing the MusiCan video together at the Junos -- wrap up their tour on April 19 in London, Ont. after playing in front of sold-out crowds across Canada.

He rates the Idol experience as one of the best he could imagine, and considers himself beyond lucky to have made the cut.

"Now I've got a job that I don't even think of as a job. And I'm not stuck for a penny."

He has a record contract with SONY BMG Canada, got to write four of his own songs on his recent album, Under the Lights, was nominated for two 2006 Juno Awards (artist and album of the year).

"You try to use Canadian Idol as a stepping stone to show people what you can actually do," he said from a tour stop in Moncton. "To be nominated for artist of the year... shows most people that I'm real, that I want to be able to do this for awhile."

Goudie auditioned for Idol on a dare with only local performances under his belt, going to the St. John's open call. His confident, laid back persona, good looks and strong vocals made him an instant audience favourite.

Throughout his rise up the pop music ranks Goudie has managed to maintain his down-to-earth East Coast charm and is able to boast financial stability for the first time.

"Before, I was living paycheque to paycheque," he said. "Needless to say, I was able to do a lot more for my family at Christmas this year."

He said his mom has always wanted to see Switzerland, so a family trip to Europe is next on his agenda.