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Elliott Yamin (born Efraym Elliott Yamin[1]
on July 20, 1978) is an American singer who is best known for being the
third place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol.
****
Background information
Birth name Efraym Elliott Yamin
Also known as Elliott Yamin
Born July 20, 1978 (age 28)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Origin Richmond, Virginia, USA
Genre(s) Pop–Soul
Years active 2006–present
Associated
acts Little Memphis Blues Orchestra
****
Biography
Early years
Elliott Yamin (pronounced yah-meen) was
born in Los Angeles, California to an Israeli Jewish father, Shaul Yamin
(of Iraqi heritage), a part-time house painter and part-time layabout,
and a Jewish American mother, Claudette Yamin, née Goldberg [2], who
herself was a former professional singer[3]. He began singing at the age
of five and had no formal training. As he mentioned in the third round
of the semi-finals, Yamin is 90% deaf in his right ear. When he was
eleven years old, he moved to Richmond, Virginia and attended Tuckahoe
Middle School. His parents divorced when he was fourteen years old. At
the age of sixteen, Yamin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and was one
of two finalists of American Idol season five (the other being Kevin
Covais) that required an insulin pump. Yamin attended Douglas S. Freeman
High School in the West End Richmond neighborhood until he left in his
sophomore year. He went to work at a Foot Locker regional store and with
the help of his employer, he eventually received his GED. He later
worked with a jazz band, DJed for a radio station from 2am till 6am
under the name "E-Dub",[4] and worked as a counter clerk at Westbury
Pharmacy, a job he left to audition for American Idol!
American Idol
Yamin auditioned for American Idol in
Boston, Massachusetts as an alternative to Memphis, Tennessee where
auditions were cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina. Yamin performed "A
Song for You" and made it to the Hollywood round.
Yamin's primary genre is soul; he was
described as a blue-eyed soul singer by Rod Stewart while on the show.
Yamin's favorite artists are Alicia Keys, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder,
and Usher.[5]
On the May 10, 2006 results show, Yamin and
Taylor Hicks were announced as the top two vote recipients, and they
made it into the top three contestants along with Katharine McPhee.
On May 12, 2006, Yamin returned to Richmond
for a hometown celebration. In a gathering attended by roughly 4,000
people, he received a key to the city from Mayor Douglas Wilder. Later
that day, he threw the opening pitch for a Richmond Braves game and met
with Governor Tim Kaine, who gave him a t-shirt bearing the quote,
"Virginia is for Elliott Lovers." Yamin said it was the "happiest day of
[his] life".[6] The day was declared "Elliott Yamin Day" in Richmond.
On May 17, 2006, Yamin was voted off the
show with 33.06% of the votes. Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks
received 33.26% and 33.68% of the votes, although it is unknown who
received which percentage.
On May 18, 2006, Congressman Eric Cantor
(R-VA) praised Yamin in remarks on the floor of the United States House
of Representatives.[7]
Yamin was a well-liked contender among the
Idol crew. He received favorable remarks from the judges (especially
Paula Abdul, who had called him "one funky white boy" and her
"favorite"), the Idol crew, the Rickey Minor band, and the other Idol
contestants. Simon Cowell stated that after five seasons, Yamin is
"potentially the best male vocalist" on American Idol. Cowell later told
Jay Leno that Yamin was one of the nicest contestants - ever - on
American Idol.[2]
List of Yamin's performances and judges'
commentaries on American Idol [hide]
Semi-finals:
Week 1: "If You Really Love Me" (Stevie
Wonder)
After this performance, Cowell said that
Yamin was potentially the best male vocalist in the history of American
Idol.
Week 2: "Moody's Mood For Love" (James
Moody)
The judges loved Elliott's performance.
Jackson gave Elliott a standing ovation, Abdul said she couldn't wait
for his next performance and Cowell said that it was a great performance
and that Elliott is starting to believe in himself.
Week 3: "Heaven" (Bryan Adams)
He received mixed reviews for this
performance. Jackson thought it was "hot" and Abdul loved it, but Cowell
called it a "copout."
Finals:
Week 1: Stevie Wonder
"Knocks Me Off My Feet" (Stevie Wonder)
During the rehearsal, Stevie Wonder had
strong praise for Elliott Yamin and told him he should definitely pursue
a career in the music industry. After the performance, Jackson thought
Yamin did a very good job, while Cowell thought Yamin's performance was
good but was not blown away by it. Abdul thought it was great and
believes that Yamin will go far in the competition.
Week 2: Songs of the '50s
"Teach Me Tonight" (Al Jarreau)
All three judges praised the performance,
with Jackson pointing out the difficulty of the song and Cowell saying
Yamin's singing was "fantastic".
Week 3: Songs of the 21st Century
"I Don't Want To Be" (Gavin DeGraw)
Jackson did not know what to say about the
arrangement but said that he was the third "hot one" on the show. Abdul
loved the arrangement and told him that he is one "funky white boy".
Cowell said in quote "Good song, terrible arrangement, good vocal and
the dancing was hideous." Seacrest mentioned that Cowell gave a good
equation. All in all, the three judges praised his vocal style but had
their own thoughts about the arrangement.
Week 4: Country Songs
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Garth Brooks)
Jackson said that the competition has
finally started. He also said that Yamin brought it down and that it was
hot. Abdul said that he was humble, fantastic, and that he stayed true
to who he was. Cowell said that it was a great song choice, but it was
not great vocal. He also said that Yamin would have to do better than
that in the future and that he was not as confident as usual.
Bottom 2
Week 5: Queen
"Somebody to Love" (Queen)
Jackson said that Yamin chose a hard song
to sing and that he had some pitchy problems. Overall, Jackson loved him
and thought it was really good. Abdul said that it was the best vocal
that night. She also said he took the best parts of that song and put it
into 1 minute and 20 seconds, and he gave the best Elliott Yamin
performance. Cowell said that Yamin chose a tough one. He agreed with
Jackson that it was an in and out performance, but he thought Yamin
pulled it off.
Bottom 3
Week 6: Songs from The Great American
Songbook
"It Had to Be You" (Frank Sinatra)
Jackson and Abdul enjoyed the performance,
but Cowell said that it lacked a "certain personality." Seacrest implied
that Cowell was watching another performance, and Seacrest and Jackson
proceeded to make fun of Cowell.
Week 7: Love Songs
"A Song for You" (Leon Russell as performed
by Donny Hathaway)
Jackson hated the arrangement, but loved
Elliott; referred to him as "the bomb," and told him that he "could sing
it like the record anytime." Abdul was in tears and said Elliott moved
her from the beginning. She told him he celebrated what the competition
was about, and commented on how he evolved as a performer. She said he
*was* an American Idol, and that he had a beautiful [future]. Cowell
said that in parts Elliott's performance was like a "vocal masterclass,"
and it was superb. Yamin's performance helped to re-expose the
long-forgotten talent of Donny Hathaway. In the hours following the
American Idol broadcast, "A Donny Hathaway Collection" jumped to #23 on
the Amazon.com bestseller list, a bellwether for music sales. His
performance of "A Song for You" also began to receive enough airplay to
warrant low-level inclusion on some radio media charts.
Week 8: Songs from the contestant's birth
year (1978), Songs from the Top 10 of any Billboard Chart
"On Broadway" (composed by Barry Mann,
lyrics by Cynthia Weil, recorded by George Benson)
Jackson thought it started out rough, but
then said it worked for him in the middle and in the end. Abdul agreed.
Cowell said it was not Yamin's best, and that it was very disjointed.
"Home" (Michael Bublé)
Jackson and Abdul loved the performance.
Cowell was concerned about the song choice which has lyrics about
wanting to go home as well as lacking the "wow" factor.
Bottom 2
Week 9: Elvis Presley
"If I Can Dream" (Elvis Presley)
Jackson loved it, Abdul appeared teary-eyed
and said it was his "best performance vocally in this competition",
Cowell believed that "he was coming in as the underdog tonight" and was
"the best performance of the night so far".
"Trouble" (Elvis Presley)
Jackson said it was his "best performance
ever". Abdul declared that, "Now, this was your best performance ever in
this competition". Cowell said he was showing personality and
"deserve[s] to go onto the next round".
Top 2
Week 10: Clive Davis' pick, Judge's pick,
Contestant's pick
"Open Arms" (Journey)
Jackson and Abdul praised the performance,
but Cowell felt he was stiff.
"What You Won't Do For Love" (Bobby
Caldwell)
Jackson felt he was not in tune, but Abdul
and Cowell liked his performance.
"I Believe to My Soul" (Ray Charles, as
performed by Donny Hathaway)
Jackson and Abdul felt the song was too
unknown for American Idol viewers. Cowell said that Yamin's song choice
meant he would be eliminated, but admitted Yamin is a great guy, a great
singer and he has made his mum very proud.
Eliminated
Finale
"One" (U2 as performed by Mary J. Blige &
U2) with Mary J. Blige
"A House is Not a Home" (by Burt Bacharach)
Although Yamin was no longer in the
competition, he returned for the finale to sing "One" (in a duet with
Blige) and "A House is Not a Home" (during a medley of Burt Bacharach
songs). Both performances were well-loved by critics, who agreed they
were the best of the night (His performance with Blige was the only one
of all of the duets to receive a standing ovation by all the judges). On
television, Randy Jackson was noted as saying that Yamin's version of "A
House Is Not A Home" blew away the judges at the finale.
Idol aftermath
Yamin appeared on the Tonight Show on May
18, 2006. Other post-finale appearances included Live with Regis and
Kelly and the Fox News Channel program, Dayside.
On June 11, 2006, Yamin performed the
national anthem a cappella at Game 2 of the NBA finals in a Dallas
Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki jersey. It received warm reviews from various
media.
Yamin appeared on the cover of the July
2006 issue of his hometown Richmond Magazine, selling out 144,000 copies
in four days. The magazine normally circulates 31,000 copies in a 30-day
period.
On July 5, 2006, AI5 Summer Tour offered
its first concert in Manchester. Yamin appeared in seven acts. The first
was Nickelback's "Savin' Me" (duet with Chris Daughtry). He continued
with three solos: "Moody's Mood For Love" (James Moody), "Never Too
Much" (Luther Vandross), and "Trouble" (Elvis Presley). Afterwards, he
was joined by Daughtry, Ace Young and Bucky Covington to sing "Patience"
(Guns N' Roses); their performance was dedicated to Katharine McPhee,
who was absent due to illness. Next, the Idol performers (except for
Taylor Hicks) performed Queen's "We Are The Champions", and finally
Hicks joined them to sing "Living in America". The tour continued until
September 29, 2006.
On July 28, 2006, Yamin, along with the
other nine finalists, met with U.S. President George W. Bush at the
White House.
On October 22, Yamin sang the National
Anthem at the Dodgers Stadium (LA) and cut the ribbon for a diabetes
walk during JDRF International Walk to Cure Diabetes.
On December 6, 2006, Yamin released "This
Christmas" on AOL Music. The single is a holiday favorite that has been
covered by such artists as Destiny's Child and Christina Aguilera.
On December 8, 2006, Yamin sang the
National Anthem, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" and Donny Hathaway's
"This Christmas" as part of the 2006 Genworth Children's Advantage
Classic (sponsored by the Genworth Foundation) at the Alltel Pavilion at
the VCU Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, VA. He sang it in a tennis
event, between a Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi vs. Lindsay Davenport and
James Blake doubles match; and an Andre Agassi vs. James Blake singles
match.
Yamin recently announced a publishing deal
with Sony Records which features artists such as John Mayer, Paul
McCartney and John Lennon (Extra Interview, December 6, 2006).
Solo career
On October 8, 2006, Yamin performed at the
Virginia State Fair as the closing act. His backup band was the Little
Memphis Blues Orchestra. There was no new material featured in the
concert, he sang nine cover songs:
"Use Me" (Bill Withers)
"Ready For Love" (Bad Company)
"Little Ghetto Boy" (Donny Hathaway)
"I Believe To My Soul" (Donny Hathaway)
"You've Got A Friend" (Carole King)
"Empty Arms" (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
"I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"
(Donny Hathaway)
"What's Going On?" (Marvin Gaye)
"Whipping Post" (The Allman Brothers Band)
Yamin became the first season five finalist
to have a solo concert event. He was well-received by his hometown.
On December 5, 2006, Yamin released a
single to iTunes titled "This Christmas."
Trivia
Yamin loves basketball, and is a fan of the
Charlotte Bobcats.
Yamin is 5'6" (168 cm).
He wants to educate young people about
music and diabetes.
His favorite snacks are Little Debbie
Strawberry Shortcake rolls.[3]
His favorite judge while performing on AI
was Simon Cowell. "He doesn't sugarcoat anything."
Discography
In 2005, Yamin was featured on three tracks
("Sound Doctrine," "Song of Hope," and "Whatchacomeherefoe?") of local
gospel musical artist Big Planz's album Sound Doctrine.[8]
In 2006, Yamin's rendition of "Moody's Mood
For Love," originally by James Moody, is featured on the CD American
Idol Encores.
In December 2006, Yamin released his
rendition of Donny Hathaway's song, This Christmas, online to AOL Music
and iTunes. He also announced an upcoming album expected by February 14,
2007.
Charts
Year Song Album US Pop US Digital RIAA
Certification
2006 "Moody's Mood For Love" American Idol
Season 5: Encores 73 76 -
2006 "This Christmas" This Christmas -
Single - - -
Notes:
Moody's Mood For Love was not released as a
standard single in the United States; no songs from the American Idols
Encore CD were made available as singles for radio airplay. The chart
position was attained strictly from sales of the individual track from
various Internet music download sites. Its Billboard position is a
rarity for a release based solely on sales only.
Moody's Mood For Love did not chart on the
US Hot 100, but it reached #1 on the Bubbling Under chart, thus earning
a position of #101. It also hit #1 in UU-BRU internet radio and remained
in that position for 9 weeks.
This Christmas hit #1 on the UU-BRU
internet radio, jumping from #22, on December 14, 2006.
References
Footnotes
-
^ Full name/birth place
information compiled from State of California. California Birth
Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California
Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At
Ancestry.com
-
^ "Virginia's Jewish
Idol"
-
^ Mom is proud of her
'Idol', Douglas Durdan, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 11, 2006,
accessed June 7, 2006
-
^ He mentioned this on
April 11, 2006, on Queen night.
-
^ [1] Yamin's profile on
americanidol.com
-
^ Yamin's page on
Virginia Tourism Site
-
^ Yamin wins House
tribute Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 18, 2006
-
^ Ruggieri, Melissa.
"Special guest with Big Planz", 2006-06-22. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
****
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