A lot of performers claim not to remember the moment they first realized they were destined for a life on stage.

But not recent Canadian Idol champ Brian Melo.

He credits an onstage gig with country queen (and fellow Canuck) Shania Twain as being the impetus behind his quest for stardom.

"It was one of those moments you never forget," says Melo, who at 17 was part of a backup choir assisting Twain on the standard God Bless the Child during a performance at Copps Coliseum in his hometown of Hamilton. "It's one of those songs where you could hear a pin drop while she was singing, but once the song was over, the crowd just went nuts."

While the singalong with Shania cemented Melo's career aspirations, it wasn't the first time he'd found himself in the spotlight.

Born into a family of first-generation Portuguese immigrants, Melo was always encouraged to join his older brothers onstage whenever they performed in wedding or rock bands. By the time junior high rolled around, he and his best friend were honing their songwriting chops as collaborators, though their creative output tended to consist of one or two lines repeated over and over.

"I started songwriting, just these little songs, when I was six or seven years old," recalls Melo, now 25. "As I got older, my friends would be out doing their own thing, and I'd be writing these party-time, I-love-you-baby songs ... Hopefully my lyrics have gotten a bit better since then."

In high school, Melo registered for a choir class, thinking he could score an easy credit. Instead, he met vocal coach Linda Matto, who recognized his talent and encouraged him to challenge himself with solos, leads, and more difficult pieces than he was used to.

"She was the first person who saw something in me," says Melo, noting it was Matto who used her industry connections to score his class the Shania gig. "Unfortunately, she passed away about six years ago of cancer, but she inspired a lot of people while she was alive."

After graduating from high school and learning to play guitar, Melo started up the band Stoked with pals from Hamilton. But he put his frontman duties on hold when he was chosen as one of the finalists for Idol, a show he'd auditioned for unsuccessfully during the first season in 2003.

Initially considered a dark horse, he grew to become a favourite of both fans and judges, even prompting the notoriously cranky Zack Werner to commend him for giving "credibility to the whole damned franchise."

On Sept. 11, Melo won the show's top honour, beating out country-counterpart Jaydee Bixby (who joins him on the Winners Tour, along with third-place contestant Carly Rae Jepsen).

"You learn a lot about yourself," Melo says of the Idol experience. "Especially when you're on a national television show, being critiqued by millions of people."

Immediately after winning, Melo went to work on his debut album Livin' It, writing with seasoned veterans like Tara Sloane, Simon Wilcox, Damhnait Doyle and Andy Stochansky.

He scored five co-writing credits on the disc, a 12-track affair that showcases his signature sound, influenced by such rock legends as Radiohead, Foo Fighters, John Lennon and Queen.

"This time around, they didn't start the writers camp until the winner was announced, so I was part of the songwriting process from the beginning," Melo says proudly. "They got to know me better as an artist, and really found out what I want to do with my career."