Kingston’s Ryan Malcolm shares the Sass Jordan memories that stayed with him

Malcolm was the winner of the first season of Canadian Idol where Jordan was a judge.

Sass Jordan’s death is being felt across Canada’s music community, but in Kingston it has a particularly personal connection.

Ryan Malcolm, the Kingston-area singer who became the first winner of "Canadian Idol" in 2003, is remembering Jordan as much more than one of the judges who helped launch his career.

Jordan died Oct. 2 at the age of 63, surrounded by her family. A cause of death has not been released. The Montreal-raised singer built a career spanning nearly four decades, winning a Juno Award for most promising female vocalist in 1989 and later becoming one of the familiar faces of "Canadian Idol" for all six seasons.

For Malcolm, their story began before the television phenomenon had even taken shape.

He first met Jordan during auditions in Ottawa, when contestants who had survived the early rounds finally reached the cameras and judges’ table.

Malcolm would go on to win that first season, becoming one of Kingston’s best-known musical success stories almost overnight.

But he says Jordan’s personality never seemed manufactured for television. As the competition continued, he came to understand exactly what kind of person was sitting across from him.

Malcolm was 23 during that first season and says he sometimes spent time with the judges before broadcasts, asking questions and looking for advice as he tried to navigate an experience that was completely new.

He says the pressure surrounding the first "Canadian Idol" was intense for everyone because there was no Canadian version of the show to look back on and the broadcasts were live.

The connection did not disappear when the cameras stopped rolling.

Years later, when Jordan brought an acoustic tour to the Bayfield area where Malcolm was living, he was invited to introduce her. The two spent time together backstage, sharing some wine and catching up.

Like many friendships formed during busy careers, Malcolm says they eventually saw less of each other as life moved on.

News of her death brought those memories rushing back.

Jordan rose to prominence with her 1988 debut album "Tell Somebody". Her 1992 album "Racine" included "Make You a Believer," one of the songs that helped establish her as one of Canada’s most recognizable rock voices.

Her connection with Malcolm came during another important chapter of her career.

"Canadian Idol" premiered in 2003, with Jordan joining Farley Flex, Jake Gold and Zack Werner on the judging panel. Malcolm became the show’s first champion that September.

More than two decades later, Malcolm’s memories are not centred on the competition or television ratings.

They are of an established Canadian artist who offered advice to someone just entering the national spotlight, spoke her mind whether the cameras were running or not, and remained part of one of the defining moments of his career.

For Kingston music fans who watched one of their own win "Canadian Idol", Jordan will always be connected to that moment too.

Story by Bob Perreault