| Mitch MacDonald | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Date: | 22 October 1985 |
| Birth Place: | Port Hood, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Instrument: | Vocals, guitar |
| Genre: | Pop, folk music, indie music |
| Occupation: | Singer |
| Years Active: | 2008–present |
Mitch MacDonald (born October 22, 1985) is a Canadian singer who was runner-up in season 6 of the reality series Canadian Idol.
MacDonald is from Port Hood, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island.[1] He grew up in a family of seven siblings.[2] He worked primarily as a carpenter before Idol.[3] He cites his musical influences as including fellow Cape Bretoner Gordie Sampson. Bright Eyes is one of his favourite bands.[4]
On Canadian Idol in 2008, MacDonald worked with such artists as Anne Murray, Simple Plan, Gavin Rossdale, and Tom Jones.[2] During his run on Idol, he never appeared in the "bottom two" or "bottom three".[5]
Music writer Martha Worboy described MacDonald's music as "tender, mostly acoustic renderings."[6] He received accolades in particular for his rendition of Joel Plaskett's "Love This Town", which drew comparisons to Paul Simon from the judges.[7] Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald, a musician himself before entering politics, said, "The key to his success throughout the contest was that he remained true to his musical roots."[8]
| Week | Theme | Mentor | Song | Artist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-final Group 1 | Top 24 | "Follow Through" | Gavin DeGraw | ||
| Semi-final Group 2 | Top 20 | "I'm Yours" | Jason Mraz | ||
| Semi-final Group 2 | Top 16 | "Blue" | The Jayhawks | ||
| Top 10 | Songs of David Bowie | "Moonage Daydream" | David Bowie | ||
| Top 9 | Hits by Dead Artists | "Angel Eyes" | The Jeff Healey Band | ||
| Top 8 | Week of Unplugged Music | Gavin Rossdale | "Oh, Atlanta" | Alison Krauss | |
| Top 7 | UK Top 10 | Tom Jones | "Jealous Guy" | John Lennon | |
| Top 6 | Canada Rocks Canadian Rock n' Roll | Simple Plan | "Love This Town" | Joel Plaskett | |
| Top 5 | Judges' Theme Lennon–McCartney | "In My Life" | The Beatles | ||
| Top 4 | Music of Anne Murray Idol's Choice | Anne Murray | "Cotton Jenny" "Between the Bars" | Anne Murray Elliott Smith | |
| Top 3 | Songs of Bryan Adams | Bryan Adams | "Heat of the Night" "When You Love Someone" | Bryan Adams | |
| Top 2 | Idol's Choice Idol Single Judges' Choice | John Legend Hedley | "Paris" "Where We Begin" "If" | Gordie Sampson Mitch MacDonald Bread |
MacDonald toured Canada as part of the Top 3 Tour, with Theo Tams, and Drew Wright.[9] [10]
As of 2010, he continued to tour occasionally, both in his home province and in other parts of Canada, and he started work on an album.[11]