J.D. Fortune still carries a photo with him that was taken at a Toronto Sun party almost a decade ago.
Fortune, the new lead singer for veteran rock band INXS, was performing as an Elvis Presley impersonator at the Sun's 25th anniversary bash. Among the attendees was boxing legend George Chuvalo, and the two posed for a picture together.
"George Chuvalo is someone who overcame a rough life," Fortune said yesterday. "I found him very inspiring."
Fortune, who has been living in Oakville but originally is from New Glasgow, N.S., earned his new job with his victory on the TV reality series Rock Star: INXS, which wrapped up on Tuesday.
The singer, who turned 32 earlier this month, was in a recording studio in Los Angeles last night, working on the new INXS album. The group will begin a world tour early in 2006.
"I would love to play the Air Canada Centre," Fortune said. "There are going to be a lot of Canadian dates."
Fortune has paid his dues to get to where he is, struggling to get his singing voice heard. He clearly remembers what a former manager once said to him.
"He said I could skate, but I wasn't good enough for the NHL," Fortune recalled.
The manager in question, by the way, was Canadian Idol judge Zack Werner.
"Zack used to be partners with a manager I once had, and we never really saw eye-to-eye," Fortune said. "I don't think Zack thought I had much talent. But I'm not into gloating. That's digression, not progression. And progression is what it's all about as we're in here right now recording this awesome album."
J.D. Fortune sounds like a stage name. Well, it is ... but it isn't.
Fortune, whose real name is Jason Dean Bennison, adopted his performance monicker from his mom's side of the family.
"My parents split up when I was young and I decided Fortune was who I am, because my mom raised me," J.D. said.
J.D.'s grandmother, Joan Fortune, couldn't be more proud.
"I've known something like this was coming since J.D. was 4 years old," said Joan Fortune, on the phone from Nova Scotia. "He was into everything, from break-dancing to Michael Jackson moon-walking."
According to Dave Gunning, one of J.D.'s high school buddies, Fortune deserves to finally have some financial security.
"J.D. is someone I was pretty worried about," said Gunning, who played guitar on Fortune's original demo tape for Rock Star: INXS. "He had to use my cellphone to call L.A. back when he was first getting involved in this.
"This is a rags-to-riches story. But he always was the type of guy who, if he had $5 in his pocket, he spent it on his friends. He's very close to his mom (Sandra) and his sister (Sarah) and now he has the means to do something financially for them."
Sometimes that side of J.D. was lost on the show, according to one of his cousins, April MacInnis.
"They depicted J.D. as the bad boy," she said. "But that's not the J.D. we know. He's a nice guy.
"He's a Canadian kid."
Fortune certainly is proud of his Canadian roots.
"Please make sure you thank the readers of the Toronto Sun, and all the people in Toronto -- without them, none of this could have been possible," Fortune said.
Viewers who missed Fortune's crowning moment on Rock Star: INXS can catch an encore presentation on Sunday (Prime, 5 p.m.)
