Jacob Hoggard, lead singer of Hedley, comes off as one of those optimistic people who believes in the power of positive energy.
But don’t be fooled.
One fan named Kayla Andrews found out the hard way that Hoggard can be quite the opposite.
Hoggard, you may recall, was a contestant during the 2004 season of CTV’s Canadian Idol. He made it into the top three before being eliminated. However, rather than slip into obscurity as so many Canadian Idol contestants do, Hoggard broke out big on the national stage with his band, Hedley.
The band played Mile One Stadium on Friday, May 25. Kayla Andrews was in the audience, and enjoyed the show tremendously.
“I had a fantastic time at the concert,” she wrote, in an email interview. “Hedley was unbelievable! Everyone knew how to bring excitement to the crowd. Also, I've been a Jacob Hoggard fan since he first appeared on Canadian Idol and a big fan of Hedley ever since they released their first single.”
Later that night, Kayla ran into two band members – Dave Rosin and Tommy Mac – at the Sundance.
“They were really nice to me and my friend. They chatted and took pictures with us.”
And you can imagine Kayla’s excitement when she spotted Jacob Hoggard in the crowd.
“It was around 1:30 a.m. when my friend and I decided it was time to leave. As we were heading out the door, my friend spotted Jacob. I was very excited that I was finally going to meet him after all these years being a big fan. I had to tap him on the shoulder several times before he turned around and shouted, ‘Hey! Look, it's a midget!’ Then he laughed at the guy next to him and his turned his back to me while I was still holding up my camera.”
Kayla was speechless.
“In that moment it felt like time had stopped. I couldn't believe what came out of his mouth. All I could think about was, ‘How am I going to listen to his music again without this memory reappearing?’ I was not only insulted but embarrassed because the club was full of people that definitely heard him.”
Hoggard’s comment was doubly rude because Kayla stands 4 foot 7 inches, and is indeed a short-statured person. “I was born premature with renal failure and at age four I received a kidney transplant. Therefore, my illness decreased my capability to grow taller. Regardless of my condition, nobody should be insulted the way I was insulted Friday night.”
The experience has tainted Kayla’s opinion of her former idol.
“I've come to realize that Jacob Hoggard is not the man he portrays himself to be when the spotlight is on him. All I wanted to do was be a fan and congratulate him for putting off a fantastic performance and possibly get a picture taken with him, not an insult. If you have nothing nice to say to your fans after your concert, then you should stay in your hotel room. Otherwise you'll be hurting your fans as well as your career.”
What’s your view? Has a bit of fame gone to Hoggard’s head? Did you have any encounters, good or bad, with Hedley while they were in town? If so, please leave a comment below.
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Why shouldn't she have went to the media? So fans like you with blinders on won't know the ttruth? I have heard far too many stories about this fella to believe otherwise. Take a hike on over to their Facebook page because something happened in Halifax too the next couple of nights after. Didn't their record label Universal already drop them?