Yamin entertains with songs, stories
In hometown visit, international star has adoring audience

Sunday, Feb 24, 2008 - 12:08 AM Updated: 12:27 AM

By MELISSA RUGGIERI
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

As a kid, Elliott Yamin was a self-proclaimed "knucklehead."

Now he's an internationally recognized singing star with a debut album that has sold more than 500,000 copies, a hit single ("Wait for You"), a full passport and a hometown that still adores him.

Appearing at the JCC Forum Series last night, a candid and smiling Yamin -- who had just flown in from Los Angeles -- addressed a sold-out crowd of about 600, including his mother, Claudette, with stories from his 2006 stint on "American Idol."

"I understand that forever I'll be synonymous with the show," Yamin, 29, said. "I really feel I learned so much about life and how to carry myself as a responsible, respectable adult."

During his 90-minute appearance at Oates Theater at Collegiate School, Yamin, clad in black jeans, Converse sneakers and a gray blazer, also engaged in a Q&A session and sang "Wait for You," "Movin' On" and "Free," accompanied by bandmate Russell Ali on acoustic guitar.

. . .

Yamin returned last week from an 11-day USO tour of Germany, Belgium, England and Holland, where he performed for members of the Air Force and the Army and their families. And on March 2, he'll take a four-day trip to Angola in Africa with a film crew from "Idol" accompanying him and Fantasia Barrino, the 2004 winner of the singing contest.

At an autograph session before he addressed the Forum audience, Yamin said the "Idol" producers contacted him about making the trip for the "Idol Gives Back" special, which will air April 9 on Fox.

"It's nice to know I'm still in their good thoughts," he said. At the session, Yamin cheerfully signed photos and endured many pecks on the cheek from a line of about 75 fans.

"I hope he truly will have a big career, because he has a lovely voice," said Harriet David, who was there with her daughter, Arlene Schwartz, and 12-year-old granddaughter, Sarah, who said shyly that the thing she likes most about Yamin is, "his hair."

. . .

Even though Yamin will be the guest of honor at the March 1 fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at The Jefferson Hotel, he returns to Los Angeles -- where he now lives -- today to work on a couple of upcoming projects.

He and Ali are co-writing a song for the soundtrack to the movie "Sweetwater" about Sweetwater Clifton, the first black basketball player signed by the NBA. And, in addition to working on songs for his own next album, Yamin is re-recording "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?", Elton John's smash ballad from "The Lion King," for a Disney soundtrack compilation.

But even though his lifestyle has changed since his pre-"Idol" days of living in the Richmond area and working at Melito's and Westbury Pharmacy in western Henrico County, Yamin still sounds grounded.

When an audience member asked how strange it was to deal with members of the paparazzi, Yamin chuckled. "It's weird, man, it's weird. But it's also very flattering. I'm not really an attention-seeking person, but there are things you have to do to keep your name out there, like red-carpet events," he said. "It's just hard for me to think of myself as anybody but the same dude from Richmond."



This was posted by NANCY
Busy guy with lots to look forward to.

I also got a Google alert on this but cannot open it at all -- the link doesn't work!!

Here's the working link:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-...02-24-0249.html

I posted the whole article. Lots of updates here.

There's audio that can be downloaded, pics, and recaps posted starting here. Last night was awesome.


http://etrainstation.com/index.php?showtopic=14747&st=60

Great article, but "can you feel the love tonight" Why? I just personally find it such a dull, overplayed song.

I guess I actually love it - wait 'til you hear Elliott sing it, then I bet you'll love it too. When you get past the assuming it's sappy, it's really beautiful. Any song that uses words like vagabond and kaleidoscope is okay in my book.

Amen!!

elton john? lion king? disney? what's not to like! =)

I think they are making a record that Elliott said was supposed to be like "Great New Artists Sing Disney's Greatest Hits!!!!!" - LOL! That's why the song - and it IS one of the most memorable disney songs, and to be asked to cover a song that Elton John made huge - well that's quite a compliment!

I hate the song myself but it's still cool that Disney asked him to do it.
Maybe, I'll like his version (keeps fingers crossed).

Yeah, I'm not the biggest CYFTLT fan, but c'mon, it's Disney. That's the biggest thing right now. Hopefully, all the Hannah Montana fans pick that CD up and discover Elliott Yamin.

Thanks for the link,Nancy!!
Wow,Elliott and Russell are co-writing a song?Can't wait to hear that!

And I'm not a big fan of "Can you feel the love tonight" too,but Elliott's version will be fantastic!

Was that Elliott on that Ben Affleck video on the Jimmy Kimmel tonight? Did anybody else happen to catch that hilariousness? I just didn't want to start a thread about it because maybe not that many people saw it.

I think Elliott will improve it. But, in any case, woohoo! Movies, and Disney! writing songs and singing songs. That'll bring him some cash and more visibility and more. Very cool.

I guess I'm in the (sappy) minority here, because I love this song and Lion King is my favorite Disney animated movie. Heh. :P Thus, I am obviously thrilled and excited about this. I wonder if the song will be done as a duet and, if so, who would be singing the female part... :)

OMG, those videos have been hilarious (and crude, lol). I couldn't tell for sure if it was Elliott or not, while in the group it looked like him but at the mike it didn't.....Inquiry minds want to know.

You are not alone. I love it too and am very excited about it and so is Elliott. :awe: From what he said at the JCC event (posted a link above where you can download the audio from the event), it's not a duet.

I saw it too, Flipboy5. It was hilarious. Unfortunately, that was not Elliott in the video. The person who looked a little like Elliott at a quick glance was Pete Wentz from the group, Fall Out Boy. It would have been great if E had been in that room full of stars.

I like the Disney song and can't wait to hear Elliott sing it. The DisneyMania series of CDs are pretty popular. I'm happy that Elliott will have another compilation CD in his musical history. Disney is a big deal.

Oh. Thanks, harley. :) Downloading now. I had no online access for two days so I was late to all of this. Good to know it will be all E. I was a little concerned that if it would be a duet, the female part would be dominant (as it was in the original soundtrack). :)

Incidentally, they showed a clip of Elton John winning the Oscar for CYFTLT at yesterday's Oscars.

Also cool: According to this http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840000/

looks like Smokey Robinson is in the Sweetwater movie.

Hope Elliott's and Russell's song makes the cut.

I can't wait to hear it...Elliott will blow that song out of the water.

I got goosebumps just hearing him talk about it. Definately check out the audio, the newspaper nor any of us can relay the information better than the man himself. I will forever be grateful to Gracestreet for capturing it. My mind was a blur after the event.

I don't remember it being a duet on the original soundtrack. In fact I just downloaded it, Elton sings it with a choir. OMG, it gives me chills thinking of Elliott singing it.

It was actually a "trio" in the version that appears during the movie itself... Simba, Nala, and a female vocalist :)

I meant in the movie. :P

Oh okay, I remember that, but the Elton John version isn't a duet. That's what I was thinking.

I don't think the imdb movie was the right one. Check out this link:

http://www.acappellanews.com/archive/001690.html

I agree, but only if he sings it fairly straight.

:music: "Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn you feeeeeeeeeel the loooooooooooooooooooooooove toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...." :music:

I wonder if it will be the same arrangement as Elton's.

Things are looking good for our boy!

Wow, so there are two movies about Sweetwater Clifton coming out in the same year? And your corrected link says the movie stars Robert DeNiro and Richard Dreyfuss. Interesting. I don't see how they're going to "star" in a movie about Sweetwater Clifton, but nonetheless.

Actually, I kind of liked the sound of that other movie for Elliott, but big names will do!

So...did you think the same thoughts as mine?? Future Oscar for Elliott? :thumbsup:

Wow! That's good news!!!! :) Elliott and Tasia are love!

Didn't the blurb in imdb say the cast might be changed? Maybe this started off as a little indie movie and then big names got interested.

Is there any doubt? My mind was there all last night! :elliottelliott:

Yeah, now that you mention it, I think it did. Good point. Cool. ...

...and whoever stars, I really hope Elliott's and Russell's song makes the movie! I imagine the possibility of getting a song he's written into a movie about the NBA is another thing that's really really thrilling for E the B-ball fan!

Also thrilling is the fact that, with well under two years as a professional singer under his belt, he's already on his *second* Disney compilation. I'll bet that voiceover part in an animated film that he's said he wants to do isn't far in the future now, either.

I was there! The 3 songs that he sang, after his talk, were Free, Wait for You, and Movin on. :hooray: They were, without a doubt, the best vocals that I have heard from E live. They were crisp, strong, professional, and emotional. My husband even gave Elliott a compliment (gasp!!)-he said that E had evolved as a singer AND as a performer since his solo concert at the State Fair of Virginia earlier. He was soooo gracious and sweet to everyone at the post-concert reception. I gave him a home-made present and blabbed on until one of the 3 security guards in the room gently reminded me that it was time to move on. Yes, he also had a police escort. Our boy is very important now. But he was his usual beautiful-person, nice self throughout it all. :toocute: :toocute: :toocute: :toocute: :1word:

Everything seems to be going right for him. Maybe OW didn't go over too well, just to keep him grounded.

Yeah, it's probably just as well to see from the first that even when you're on a roll there are lots of ups and downs, and you can just ride them out and move on to the next thing. Not that I think Elliott's likely to have unrealistic expectations. Repeatedly facing obstacles hones your skill at making new goals and figuring out how to meet them, though.