Ben McKenzie
Ben McKenzie is an Australian singer, songwriter and film-maker, as well as an artist and photographer. That said, he is best known for his appearance on the 5th series of popular TV show,"Australian Idol" in 2007.
Australian Idol[edit]
Ben auditioned in Sydney, New South Wales with a rendition of John Mayer's "Daughters". He was originally seen as a "pimply-faced geek", but soon left behind this image as he progressed through the competition. After being selected for the Top 100 phase in Sydney, he continued through to the Top 24 Semi-Finals, gaining recognition and wowing audiences with "Mad World" by Gary Jules. He was the fifth contestant to be voted by the audience into the Top 12.
Ben was one of the more popular contestants in 2007, known for his unique voice and exciting personality. His best performance is widely acknowledged to be a cover of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek".
Ben was eliminated from the competition on October 14. The previous night, he had sung "Higher Ground" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and the judges were divided. Mark Holden and Ian Dickson were unimpressed, while Kyle Sandilands liked his performance and Marcia Hines furiously declared Holden and Dickson's comments as rubbish, slamming her first on the table. Ben was placed in the Bottom Three with Matt Corby, the eventual runner-up of Idol, and Dickson solemnly stated that he had predicted both Ben and Matt to be Grand Finalists. Nevertheless, Ben was eliminated.
Australian Idol Performances[edit]
- "Daughters" by John Mayer - (Audition)
- "Mad World" by Gary Jules - (Top 24)
- "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 - (Top 12)
- "Bodies" by Little Birdy - (Top 11)
- "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson - (Top 10)
- "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap - (Top 9)
- "Wonderwall" by Oasis - (Top 8)
- "Higher Ground" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers - (Top 7) Bottom 2
Post-Idol[edit]
Ben has currently been filming his feature film "Submerged" for his film production company "Dreams Unleashed". On 10 February, 2008, he performed in Melbourne.