Paris man’s Got Talent!

Jonathan Pooley during his performance on Canada’s Got Talent. His episode airs on Citytv at 8 pm on March 25th. 

By Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

A Paris man is following his dreams, which led him to the big stage in front of a national audience on Canada’s Got Talent. You can catch 38-year-old Jonathan Pooley on season 4 of Canada’s Got Talent (CGT) on March 25th at 8 pm ET on Citytv. Pooley’s performance airs during the season’s second episode where contestants with varying skills will compete for the $1 million grand prize provided by Rogers.  Pooley, a passionate signer with musical talent practically running through his veins, had to keep mum about the details of the performance. In an interview with The Paris Independent, he did disclose that it was a surreal experience, being surrounded by so much talent and energy and meeting others who shared the same passion for performing. “From thinking my time had passed to standing on the stage in front of Shania, Howie, Katherine and Kardinal, it felt like a dream come true. Seeing the judges in person was unreal and I’m excited to watch the episode on March 25th to relive it all,” he added.  He'll also have a chance to relive the performance during a live interview on Breakfast Television at 9 am on Tuesday, March 25th. This isn’t the first time Pooley has been in the limelight. In 2007 he competed on Canadian Idol, making it to the top 60 before he dropped out. He admitted he was young, and the pressure was too much. “Even after that, I kept pursuing music for a while,” said Pooley, who was a member of a group called FameCity Boiz that performed in Europe, the United States and across Canada. The rush of that lifestyle all changed one day when his girlfriend at the time – who’s now his wife – called to share the news that they were expecting a baby. He recalls, “At that moment, I knew I had to shift gears and focus on something more stable. So I got a ‘real job’ or at least a more secure one!”That secure job eventually landed him another job as a TTC bus driver. Over the years, he and wife Heather welcomed three boys, Preston, Lucas and Aidan. Life was good, until a few years ago when he noticed he wasn’t feeling himself. “I was struggling with thoughts I’d never had before, thoughts about no longer being alive. It got to a point where I finally opened up to my wife about it and she convinced me to go to therapy instead of trying to handle it all on my own,” said Pooley, openly sharing his very personal struggle because drawing awareness to Mental Health is extremely important. Pooley went to Brant Mental Health Solutions, in Brantford where he received therapy from a psychotherapist named Patricia. It was a life-changing decision. He learned coping mechanisms to help him get back on track but perhaps the most startling realization, that wasn’t so obvious at the time, was how much he missed the music.“I needed to incorporate more of my passion into my everyday life. And one of those passions was music,” said Pooley.  He did just that. He started making up little songs about being a TTC bus driver, just having fun to help pass the time and he shared those videos online. People enjoyed them and as the positive feedback flooded in, he decided to post some covers too. That’s when Canadian wrapper, singer and actor Drake saw one of his videos and shared it. It went viral.“Suddenly, things kind of took off. Now I’ve had several million views on TikTok and Instagram, posted on various popular platforms, several news stories and articles and TV appearances and I’ve gained support from people all over the world,” he shared, adding it’s incredible to see how much joy music has brought to not just his everyday life but to others as well. It also made him realize that his ship had not sailed, and it was not too late to take the plunge, follow his dreams and sign up for Canada’s Got Talent. The time was right. Pooley’s love of music is deeply rooted in his upbringing. His dad and uncle are musicians, his sister loves to sing just as much as he does and his cousin Kris is a successful musical director, currently working on American Idol, and has collaborated with industry stars from Sabrina Carpenter to Katy Perry and more. Pooley admits he’s been singing his whole life, it’s just a natural extension of who he is.In his spare time, Pooley enjoys the quiet life in Paris, living in the Pinehurst subdivision since 2019. He’s a volunteer coach on his son’s Under Armour Flag Football team in Brantford, he spent some time coaching a team for the Paris Soccer Club and his family enjoys being active in the community. You can catch Pooley’s performance at 8 pm on March 25th. Season 4 of CGT does premiere on March 18th at 8 pm ET on Citytv.