Throughout the 1990s, Ryan's father owned and operated many restaurants, where Ryan worked as a waiter, setting up his nickname on idol as "waiter boy", in reference to the pop singer Avril Lavigne's song "Sk8er Boi".
Throughout the 1990s, Ryan's father owned and operated many restaurants, where Ryan started singing. Before entering "Canadian Idol", he worked as a waiter at the Lone Star Texas Grill in Kingston and was often referred to as the' waiter boy,'in reference to the pop singer Avril Lavigne's song "Sk8er Boi".