Ryan had his musical debut singing at guest appearance with his Dad John, who had a solo vocal act.

When John and his step-mom Deb opened their restaurant in Napanee, Ryan, 13 at the time, started singing regularly with his Dad.

Presently, he enjoys coming home for reunion shows with his Dad and brother Reagan, for special events.

Before entering Canadian Idol, he also worked as a waiter at the Lone Star Texas Grill in Kingston.

Malcolm did not crack the top 10 in his first attempt but was awarded a spot on the wildcard show after which, because the vote was so close, he became the 11th contestant in the final group.

His consistency throughout the final phase of the competition and his great song choices won him many fans and eventually the Canadian Idol crown.

Later that month, Malcolm participated in World Idol and shared the stage with Elton John and Victoria Beckham.

He followed this with a tour of Eastern Canada with various guests, including Jacynthe, Gary Beals, and Audrey de Montigny.