This topic is here because of Brandon's warning that any posts that were not questions, would be deleted from the thread about the Elliott question contest.

A couple of posts were deleted and I'm reposting them in keeping with the rules.


"Ok restless people, you've been wondering what's going on with Elliott. Here's your chance to find out. Ask him yourself...

It's a special Q&A for members of Elliott's "Official" Forum to ask just what's been on their minds. Keep it clean folks

Just post your question on this thread. This thread will be for questions to Elliott only. Everything else will be deleted.

*Each member is allowed one question.

*You can change your question until the deadline.

*The deadline will be March 31 at midnight.

*After the deadline, the thread will be locked and no more questions will be accepted or edited.

*Be sure to include your screen name and/or first name, or whatever you'd like to be addressed by.

*Elliott will be sent the questions to a read over and then pick out 10 questions to answer.

*The answers will be posted here and the Etrain myspace in some form.

Here we go.......


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Change don't come at once
it's a wave, building, before it breaks. ~ Ed Ved

We are and forever will be ... THE E-TRAIN!

Ging Posted: Mar 21 2008, 01:14 AM


ETrain Engineer


Group: Passengers
Posts: 1,729
Member No.: 1,373
Joined: 27-May 06



When do we get to hear some of the new Album ?


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craxymonkey Posted: Mar 21 2008, 01:25 AM


ETrain Engineer


Group: Passengers
Posts: 1,206
Member No.: 3,920
Joined: 7-March 07



QUOTE (sherwood @ Mar 20 2008, 10:19 PM)
QUOTE (croweb70 @ Mar 21 2008, 01:01 AM)
Ok restless people, you've been wondering what's going on with Elliott. Here's your chance to find out. Ask him yourself...

It's a special Q&A for members of Elliott's "Official" Forum to ask just what's been on their minds. Keep it clean folks

Just post your question on this thread. This thread will be for questions to Elliott only. Everything else will be deleted.

*Each member is allowed one question.

*You can change your question until the deadline.

*The deadline will be March 31 at midnight.

*After the deadline, the thread will be locked and no more questions will be accepted or edited.

*Be sure to include your screen name and/or first name, or whatever you'd like to be addressed by.

*Elliott will be sent the questions to a read over and then pick out 10 questions to answer.

*The answers will be posted here and the Etrain myspace in some form.

Here we go.......


Sorry, Brandon, this isn't good enough.

Elliott knows that his fans have been dying to know what's going on with him for quite some time. and now he deigns to choose 10 questions among all those that will be asked? You can bet, he won't choose any 'good' questions.

Get him to get on the Train at a specific time and answer everyone's questions. If he thinks something isn't answerable he can just say so.

Does Elliott not believe that making better use of the Web would be good for his career? Why isn't he hiring the right people to look after it? I'll bet there are lots of savvy Etrainers who would love to volunteer.


your right on...

yes, elliott gives us load of things to look forward too, but some people have extreme connections, while others don't, and those who don't want to know him, want to HEAR him. Yeah sure its great to see him on TV, but why can't we have a word from him? like a blog.. i'm pretty sure, of him not blogging or whatnot, alot of fans are disappointed.

All i got to say is,
the world is changed, people use the computer these days...

Hi Sherwood just wanted to make it clear, this is not a contest. I appreciate you following the rules. We're just trying to keep the questions orderly. Also, You have some valid questions on your post that you might want to include under the Q&A thread.

Brandon, I used the word 'contest' tongue in cheek; that's what this is.everyone will craft their questions very carefully in hopes they'll get chosen, 'cause everyone's only allowed one, and then it has to be chosen. So it's not only a contest, it's a lottery. Not a good way to keep your fans quenched.

I think all questions are valid and whether they get answered as part of this event or not - the important thing is that Elliott will read ALL the questions. He will hear it and think about it, even if he does not choose to publicly answer it. Isn't that really what you want with these questions?

Sherwood, you are so right on. Believe me, I have first hand knowledge of "some are more connected than others" . I learned that at the JCC Forum that was held in Feb. I won't mention names, and alot of the well connected are extremely nice people, but I have come to the realization that the "clique" is alive and well on the e-train. Very unfortunate. I will always love Elliott and Claudette, no matter what, even if I one day decide to jump off this train and take a slow boat to China. I hope your question to Elliott is one of the "lucky" ones. :cheers:

I think in this case some choose to be more connected than others. I feel like a clique is only a clique if it is exclusive, not if one chooses not to join the group. Different fans have different interests. There are surely different levels of "fandom" Some have said they choose not to know Elliott, just to enjoy his music. In that case, why look ill to those who do want to interact with him given the chance?

Personally, I didn't seek to speak with Elliott at any of the recent functions - but some did. That was their desire, I don't think they were more connected than I. For sure, every event that I have participated in was open to anyone on the ETrain that chose to participate - all were welcome. If some chose not to - I don't question that, some like to be a part of group events and some don't.

I hate to see people think of some as part of a clique just because some choose different ways of being a fan.

The question thing really is a lottery.

The question thing seemed cute although maybe people are annoyed it's limited to ten and not more.

Elliott is just not a blogging kind of guy. Since I'm guessing any blog he did would just be a chatty listing of events I'd be happy with an updated MySpace where all upcoming events are listed. It would have been nice for a little anniversary update about the album but I'm fine without it.

Given the choice of someone actively communicating with the fans but without much going on or the opposite, I'm happier with this situation. Of course both would be ideal but I prefer the active career. I can understand that people do want to hear from him but it's not a major thing for me.

I'm really out of the loop on the clique stuff so no comment at all.

I agree Jaime, I'm glad he's got a busy career. I do see how some fans feel like staying in touch is part of the business. I also agree that blogging is not Elliott's thing.

I think I forgot to make a point in the "clique" remark. There seems to be a perception that there is a small group of people who have more access than others to Elliott when at his events, and I don't think that is true at all. I do think there are some fans who, because they like saying hello, etc - have chosen to just take the initiative to be where they need to be to make it happen. There is no one on the Etrain that has "all access" to Elliott but Brandon and in his defense, there are VERY rarely "set up" opportunities to see and meet Elliott and when there are - they are for special reasons, International fans or maybe fans who have special needs because of disabilities, etc. I hope that clears up any misunderstandings.

I'm glad for the opportunity to ask Elliott a question. And I'd be happier if he chooses to answer mine.

I don't feel any resentment for Elliott's "absence" because I know he has a very good reason for it. Of course, I'd be happy to hear from him personally but if he opts not to, I'm ok with it.

Sometimes I think we demand too much of him. Like what was mentioned above, Elliott does not owe us anything because it is our choice to support him and I think, so far, he has shown how appreciative he is of what we do for him.

Elliott, coming from me, blog when you feel like it. I'm sure when you do, you'd give us news that would surprise us and make us ecstatic.

I LOVED your question, I so hope he answers it. :)

I had my question answered for 2 of the "Sing the Jingle" chat's , but that's cause I logged on early !!

Well, Jamie did start an anniversary thread yesterday. So Elliott didn't post in it, did anyone think he would? I am sure that if we looked back to 3-20-2007 postings, there would be many many "cd release" stories, that would have been fun to "re-live" on the 1 year anniversary. I know that things were a-buzz in a lot more places than Richmond and New York. I personally love the memories, and not because of the absence of "new" news, guess I'm just a nostalgic kind of person.
I think part of me just loves to remember"the early days", and now that Elliott is firmly ensconced in his career, we can sit back and relax. He's got his wings, now he can fly! I don't mean to imply that he doesn't "need " us anymore, quite the contrary. But it's in a different way, now.Does that make any sense?
Anyway, even though E probably won';t be winning a Pulitzer Prize any time soon, I'll settle for a Grammy or 2 or 3! And I will continue to love and support him throughout his life and career, even if he never blogs again. :chloe: :chloe: :chloe:

I think the anniversary celebration for the album will be next week when it hits 500K (one year after it's debut on the Billboard chart). I think the excitement over seeing Elliott back on Idol kind of overshadowed the album anniversary.

Anybody who would have predicted that Elliott would be back on Idol almost a year to the day his album was released would have been accused of smoking something back then (and that would be his 2nd appearance) So all in all, a terrific year.

I do not demand or expect anything from Elliott. Because he is so gracious and willing to meet his fans, they in turn have become demanding, imo. I have never met another "celebrity". I used to visit Stings official website. I never had any sort of expectation that I would meet him, or that he would send a personal blog. I feel like the bar is being set too high. Let the man be.

As for people meeting Elliott several times and that makes them part of a clique......does that mean people are supposed to NOT take part in the opportunities presented to them? That seems unreasonable. I have quite a few Elliott concerts and events. Not only was every etrain member welcomed with the entire group, but every single Elliott fan that was anywhere near by was included in the excitement, conversation, and family feeling. I've seen people here, take pictures of people they don't even know, get their addresses and mail the pics to them. No exclusivity going on anywhere that I have witnessed.

Well said---a clique is exclusive.

From anything I have took part in or encountered with E fans, I have been included with open arms. My level of participation is my choice and what they do is their choice. I have met so many wonderful people here and I can certainly say it is not a clique!

Yes some appear to have more exposure to E, but they are putting in the time to do so......waiting for hours on lines, going to multiple events, waiting after shows, etc.....and I applaud them! I know I could do the same if I had more time.

I also thank them for doing this, because they gave us the in knowledge about what is going on.....so thank you guys! and I look forward to seeing everyone hopefully soon!!!!

JMHO: Expectations are resentments under construction.

:grouphug: :hug: :chloe:

:grouphug: :hug: :chloe:

Well said!

How do people get the impression there is a clique with special access? Because posts will occasionally appear with information that only people close to Elliott would know. We see posts that say something like "Elliott is back in LA now." with no explanation. That leads people to believe the poster has special access, even if the poster just happens to know someone at the LA airport who saw Elliott arrive on a plane. You may have just been at the right place at the right time to hear information, but others may assume you have 'special access'. I have no idea if anyone has special access or not, but I do occasionally get that impression.

I think it's FANTASTIC that Elliott is going to take the time to answer 10 questions from fans. My hope is that his tens of thousands of myspace friends who love him and naively rely on myspace blog alerts to keep them informed about Elliott will at least see the final result of this project. In other words, I sure hope he posts the questions and answers as a blog on HIS myspace.

I dont' care how anyone gets info on "our boy" , I'm just glad they take the time to post it on here ! :yes:

I'm guessing that many of Elliot's biggest supporters here live in Richmond and may be close with his friends and family. That just makes perfect sense and I can't get angry at people for it. I'm new to the "fan world" but I've read that people can get pissed over "who's the closest" etc. I'm just too far away to care about that. I appreciate the work that those people do and if it gets them some extra access I say they deserve it.

Here, here! So there's a couple of friends of the family who post here - I certainly don't begrudge them their friendships and I'm glad they share things they think will interest us.

I'm glad for that info, too. I certainly wasn't implying that it should stop.

COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!!!

Thank you!!!

:thumbsup:

I am truly happy for those that have had their close connections. I don't begrudge anyone that. And I honestly feel that Elliott and Claudette give way more to their fans than should ever be expected. I have tried my best to "fit" in, And as I stated earlier, no one nor anything will ever keep me from supporting Elliott and his music. Peace out!

You can please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time!

Kudos for coming up with something a little different and interesting. Too bad this is being dissected like a frog in chemistry class.

Elliott is Elliott. He is who he is. His newness to this fan appreciation do's and don'ts must be mind boggling. Each one who condemns and critizes his efforts or lack their of does not have a full understanding of what he is going through.
Never judge a man until you have walked in his shoes. IMHO.

It's a little discouraging to read some of the negative remarks posted here on the E-Train. I know we all love Elliott. Let's show the love not the criticism.

On with the questions. It will be fun!!!

Some have had opportunitues that others haven't - that's just the way it goes sometimes. I STILL haven't gotten to meet Donny Osmond and one of my best friends got to meet him on her honeymoon. Of course she had to call me and tell me about it! It was YEARS ago but I'm still jealous!

I don't mean to put words in the poster's mouth but I doubt she was trying to create a firestorm... probably just feeling a little sad at missing out on some things. Now how bout a :grouphug:

it seems like Elliott likes to play his cards close to his chest. That's very understandable in this business. It keeps disappointment and frustration to a minimum. Mums the word until it is written in stone (or plastic). : )
That said....I have REALLY missed hearing from him what is going on behind the scenes now. I also have been a little disappointed that he has never posted or allowed ANY of the comments I've ever left him on myspace. Does he even read them? Or did I not have a picture that he liked? (big boobs or goofy enough?) I know he has hundreds of comments on myspace to sort thru....I just thought since I have been a member over here at Etrain almost since the beginning and I thought a big supporter he'd recognize my name. But he probably doesn't. No big deal. But I still would like to hear from him. Even if it's just a "boy i'm tired"!

I get myspace info from Bucky all the time and love it. Bucky answered questions with video answers on his myspace. I think this would be a good thing for Elliott..we get to hear and SEE him.
bucky's video response

wow, I just want to take the time out to thank Brandon for organizing this Q and A, and I think it is VERY gracious of Elliott to take the time out to read through the questions and answer a few of them. Doesn't matter to me if he answers MY question, or others...it will just be great to get some feedback from Elliott on anything anyone here asks!

I too know that I am ABSOLUTELY hands down no one special when it comes to Elliott Yamin, but HE is someone special to me, and to all of us in our own special ways. At the 5 shows, in different states I have been beyond BLESSED to attend, I never for one second felt like any member of the train was any better, more special, getting more access, etc. Elliott tries his little heart out to makes sure he has access to just about all of his fans at some point, and you know it can't be easy and he must feel like he is pulled in 1000 directions. There have been more times than not that I have witnessed others from the train, including myself that have stepped back, and watched with a heartfelt smile as Elliott connected with his fans. I for one, am BEYOND grateful to Elliott, the mods, the other fans here on the train, and to Brandon for all they do and sacrifice. I too could care less who, what, when, where, or how the important info gets here, and am more appreciative that it actually DOES at some point!! ;)

I really hope this doesn't offend n e one because that is not at all my intent... But I couldn't keep silent on this one... Based on what he's said, the man hardly gets to keep in touch with his own flesh & blood. I think it's extremely unreasonable to expect any communication from him at all. Granted, as fans, we all would love to hear from him .... but should we be upset if we don't? No. Here the man is making an effort to reach out and he's being met with folded arms and turned up noses... I have to agree with linda, I do believe that his willingness to be accessible to his fans has spoiled us and almost "fostered" a sense of entitlement. I just hope this doesn't come back to bite us in the butt later =/.....

Amen;)

Amen! Amen!

nice post. I am afraid he will withdraw himself completely, and I can't say that I would blame him one bit. It just seems like it is never enough. From different things that he has said, I don't think he hardly gets to see his own girlfriend. His recording, family, charity work, etc...has to take a priority.


Brandon, we appreciate all that you do here.

I also want to thank Brandon for the "Ask Like Yamin It". I think it's great even though I can't think of anything to ask. LOL I've seen some great questions so far and looking forward to the responses.

Although now I can't get the vision out of my head of him dancing with Cheryl or Julianne on Dancing with the Stars and Bruno saying "you got to move those hips Elliott". LOL


:grouphug:

^Lol. Yeah, I was thinking of the same thing, hence I asked the question. It would be great exposure for him too. DWTS is one of my favorite shows, obviously.

total agreement!

Mine too.