Since winning the title, Leith has released nine studio albums, four of which peaked in the top two of the ARIA Charts, including two number ones.
He has been awarded seven platinum and one gold certification for albums and singles by ARIA, which equates to sales of just over half a million.
[1] As a teenager Leith formed a family band, "Leaf", with his sister Áine and brothers Paul and Darren.
Before auditioning for Australian Idol, Leith worked in Sydney as a chemist with Pharmalab utilising the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Chemistry he obtained from University College, Dublin and postgraduate experience within the Metallosupramolecular Research Group in the Chemistry Department of Trinity College, Dublin.
Only following determined coaxing by friends, Leith auditioned for the 4th series of Network Ten's Australian Idol along with some 25,000 other contestants.
For the first time, Australian Idol 2006 permitted contestants to perform with instruments, and Leith accompanied himself on guitar for his renditions of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Alex Lloyd's "Never Meant to Fail" and Ben Harper's "Waiting on an Angel", and on piano for his rendition of Split Enz's "Message to My Girl".
Leith also played piano for the non-competition round "Up Close and Personal" night, when he performed his original song "Sky".
[citation needed] Leith holds the record (with Australian Idol 2004 winner Casey Donovan) for being awarded the most touchdowns, at four apiece.
Sandilands also stated that the family of Roy Orbison had contacted the Australian Idol producers requesting a copy of Leith's performance of "Crying".
During a live broadcast from the Sydney Opera House, Leith was announced the winner, over runner-up Jessica Mauboy.
[citation needed] Leith signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and his debut single, "Night of My Life", was released as a paid digital download from Bigpond Music soon after the conclusion of the grand finale, with an official CD release on 28 November, which included an original composition written and produced by Leith titled "Come to Me".
Set in the urban streets of Chippendale, New South Wales, the video was produced by Cutting Edge Productions.
The release debuted at number 3 with Platinum accreditation (70,000 copies shipped) on the ARIA Album Charts released on Sunday, 10 December 2006, and rose to number 1 on the following week, with 89,000 units sold and certified platinum four times (280,000 copies shipped).
He performed two songs, Peter Allen's "Tenterfield Saddler" with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, and "Night of My Life".
[citation needed] In late February 2007, Leith embarked on a two-week, 14 show tour of major Australian East Coast cities.
On 9 July 2007, Leith was nominated for a 2007 Helpmann Award in the category of Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert (other nominees are David Campbell, Kylie Minogue and Olivia Newton-John).
Leith embarked on a national Where We Land tour around Australia, performing his own material from the album, which began in November.
Leith performed a series of live shows across Australia for his Catch the Wind tour which began in May and ran until late July.
[19] In an interview with Australian magazine New Idea, Damien mentioned he had recorded his fourth studio album in the United States.
"Beautiful" was featured in an Estee Lauder TV commercial airing on various networks in the United States in late 2012.
[25] In August 2014, Leith released a triple A-sided single of "Last Goodbye"/"Fields of Gold"/"Girl Back on Blue Bayou" via Leithal Enterprises with Joe Melson.
[32] As of late August 2018, Leith joined Muswellbrook-based radio station 98.1 Power FM as a breakfast announcer.
His father travelled as part of his work as an engineer, and their family lived in various countries including Libya and Botswana.
[36] Leith became an Australian citizen on 25 January 2007, taking the pledge from then Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, in a nationally televised broadcast on Network Ten.