WEYBURN – Singer Brayden King played an hour-long concert for the students of his alma mater, the Weyburn Comprehensive School, on Friday morning, and in sharing his story with the students, he urged them to work hard and chase their dreams.
A graduate in 2018, he shared how he got into the music business, including some of the background of how he ended up on American Idol, and finished in the top 55 before he was cut from the show.
King noted he took all of his schooling in Weyburn, attending Assiniboia Park Elementary School and the Weyburn Junior High before taking his high school years at the Comp.
After his graduation, he went on a year-long Rotary Student Exchange in Belgium, and noted former teacher Bob King had inspired him to go on the exchange.
“It was one of the best years of my life,” said King, noting he then attended McEwen university in Edmonton for two years.
“I went into the music program with the intent of going into the music business. I didn’t think I was good enough to be an artist,” he said, noting that even teachers at the school told his class none of them would go on to be superstars.
“I thought I would learn how to be a manager or something like that in the music business. Then I just started playing anywhere people would take me. I started playing for free, playing for tips, and I said I can do this,” he said, noting he played 35 shows the first summer after things started opening up after COVID.
“That made me realize it is possible, and I shouldn’t put myself in a box and take a safe route just because it’s the thing I should do,” said King. “I just want to let you guys know, if you have a dream, whether it’s music or art or whatever you want to do with your life, if you work hard enough, you can make it happen.”
He pointed out that he started his music career two years ago, and now he is about to embark on a cross-Canada tour, and has just finished a stint on the American Idol TV show.
Asking who of the student body has a dream, he said, “I think everybody has a dream. I want you to find a way to make that dream work for you, because I love my life so much right now, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else right now. I hope this inspires you a little bit to go chase what you want to do with your life, because it’s definitely possible.”
Sharing how he ended up on the internationally-broadcast American Idol show, he noted that the show’s casting producer sent him a message on Instagram, and before he knew what was happening, he was doing a virtual audition before they flew him and his dad to Las Vegas in September for the live audition with the three celebrity judges.
“Everybody you saw on TV, I’m friends with everybody. It’s so, so cool to see my friends doing the show and going on to do great things,” said King, noting the Hollywood Week shows were taped in December in Los Angeles.
“That was really cool. It was two weeks and we didn’t sleep a whole lot. It was really stressful, and we didn’t eat a whole lot. It was just madness, but it was the most fun with organized chaos I’ve ever had,” said King.
After making the top 55 group, he was brought into the room with judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, and was given the final decision.
“They said, ‘Brayden, we love you so much, but there’s just a lot of top competition in this game, and you’re not going to make it into the top 24.’ Honestly, that didn’t let me down for a second. It’s put a fire in me, and I’m going to keep going,” he said.
Answering questions from the audience later, he said while he enjoyed being on the show very much, he would never do another reality TV show, because he felt they wanted him to fit a certain mold to be on the show.
“I don’t like being anybody except who I am,” said King to applause.
Asked who his favourite teacher was at the Comp, he said, “hands-down” it was music teacher Colleen Weimer, because she inspired him so much, and band director Tanya Cameron.
“I had the best marks in their classes. Ask Mr. Glaspey, I almost didn’t pass his class. When it came to music and drama, that’s were I shone, so it’s no surprise that I’m doing what I’m doing now,” said King.
When he was asked what genre he would classify his music in, King replied he calls it “rock’n’country, rock-and-roll with a bit of country. Radio doesn’t like that, they want me to fit into their mold, but I am who I am.”
During his set, he performed a couple of the songs he did for American Idol, including the song “Front Row”, which he wrote for his mom after she passed away from pancreatic cancer last year. He also did a Johnny Cash song for his grandmother, who was up in the sound booth listening to his show, along with some other family members.
