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With looks ranging from preppy 50s matinee idol to 70s androgynous glam rocker, chameleon-like performer Jacob Hoggard has left his mark on Canadian Idol.
His uninhibited style and swagger have, arguably, not only elevated the level of performance for all competitors but may have also raised future expectations for the show's millions of viewers. "The earlier I put myself out there on the line and the earlier that I went extreme, the more I would have to work with in the future," Hoggard says about his approach to the competition.
"It may have made a couple of options for the others a bit more restricted because of the pattern that I've already gone...I mean no one likes to do the same thing," he adds.
While performing may come naturally to the 20-year-old, he also had his own share of challenging moments on Canadian Idol. Hoggard says his most difficult performance was during the tribute to legendary folk artist Gordon Lightfoot in which he sang the hit, "Sundown". "It was a very soft song to sing and because of that I had to derive a lot of emotion and a lot of focus from it. And I really had to get into Gordon Lightfoot...and discover why he wrote his music...and what that song meant to him," he says.
But his most favourite performance, in which he felt most at home, came on the very night of his elimination when he let loose on Cheap Trick's pop-rock song, "I Want You to Want Me," as he stood on a stool, sipped from a cup and flirted with the Idol judges. "That was probably the closest I've gotten to how I normally am on the stage," says the Abbotsford, B.C. resident.
Inhibitions don't seem to factor much in Hoggard's stage persona, who believes in giving all he's got to make the connection with his audience, whether it involves squeezing into a latex blue jumpsuit or giving an intense rendition of a power ballad.
"I get my job done when people understand the point I'm trying to get across and ultimately as a performer that's what you do," he explains. It is, perhaps, Hoggard's explosive and dynamic performances that have made him a fan favourite, eliciting ear-piercing screams from teenage girls and their mothers alike.
Though he finds the boisterous fans and the autograph sessions always exciting, the self-confessed attention-seeker makes sure he stays humble amidst all the Idol frenzy with the support of his family and girlfriend. "I'm almost scared of getting caught up in the whole 'Idol fever' of it all and getting swept away because as much as I think it's big right now, in ten years I could possibly be looking back and go, 'What a fool I was for thinking I was the coolest guy in the world'," Hoggard admits.
And what does his girlfriend think of all the interest he's been receiving from the female demographic? Hoggard says, "She's very confident and she and I have a very secure relationship, a very strong relationship...for us it's not a huge thing at all. We enjoy it together."
He says he also gets strong support from his band mates and best friends in his group, Hedley, named after a small town east of Abbotsford. Though Hoggard has been making his own waves as a Canadian Idol finalist, he hopes to build a music career as the front man of Hedley. "My band and I have worked really hard for the last couple of years and we've produced some really great stuff together...we have a lot to offer the industry and so I just really hope that that gets recognized," Hoggard says.
But with many career options coming his way, Hoggard is sure not to rule anything out, even if it means going solo for a while -- a possibility, Hoggard says the band is aware of and understands. "If there are steps that have to be taken without them in order to eventually achieve what I want as far as being with the band and creating music with the band, I'm willing to go that way but, hopefully, things pan out with the band," he says.
One thing Hoggard is sure of, however, is that his other passion -- carpentry -- will be put on hold for the next "80 to 90 years," though he proudly recalls his greatest woodworking achievement, "We built a house completely on stilts once, on the side of a cliff and it's a landmark in our town now."
It seems the "most anticipated" performer -- to borrow a phrase from Farley Flex -- will now be anticipating his own moves as he sifts through offers he's received since being eliminated from Canadian Idol.
"I have a lot of options now on the table and I look forward to looking into them and really doing my homework on everything and really picking the best option for me," Hoggard says. "I'm excited to see what happens next. I just gotta keep givin' her."
- Eye on Idol

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