There Are No Shortcuts Kids

I remember when Rock Star INXS was on people were all giddy because the winner, J.D. Fortune, was from Mississauga. There was a story this past weekend in the Toronto Star and it turns out that the tour is over, Fortune is out of the band and was (at the time of the story) unemployed and homeless. Now no one wishes that on anyone but it goes to show that there are no shortcuts. No one, not a record label, not a tv show, is going to swoop in and hand you fame and fortune.

The reality of the situation, unfortunately, is that reality-TV shows aren't a guarantor of a performer's success once the vested viewer interest of voting a favourite singer on or off the series dies away.

Canadian Idol hasn't exactly proven a hit factory, either, offering little but fast fadeouts for the likes of Ryan Malcolm and Melissa O'Neil. Most people can't even recall last season's winner, Theo Tams.

The real proof of whether J.D. Fortune can hang on to his rock-star status or will revert back to being the anonymous Jason Dean Bennison will come when his solo album, rather cleverly titled The Death of a Motivational Speaker, is finally released. Somewhere.

"The only thing that can actually save someone from that disaster is actually having talent," says Rossi. "If you don't have talent, you get 12 months on tour and some airtime. But that doesn't mean sh--."

So forget Canadian Idol, American Idol, or Rock Star Whatever. Practice, play when you can and build your audience 'one fan at a time'. If you're good and what you do resonates you'll be ok, but there are no shortcuts.