A Matter of Character

While everyone is most likely anticipating the debut of Season 6 of "American Idol" this Tuesday night, I'm sure many, like me, are wondering if last year's season set any precedents as to whom the producers and judges are looking for, in addition to vocal talent and star quality, to vie for the coveted top spots once the competition is in full swing.

Of course I came to love Elliott not only for his sublime voice, but also his humble spirit against a back-story of struggle that captured my heart.

While an article appearing in yesterday's Washington Post centers on a national songwriting contest to determine the Idol winner's first single for the upcoming season, the show's exectutives drop some other hints on what viewers can expect.

Excerpt: Meanwhile, Hicks' win last year has attracted more of what executive producer Ken Warwick terms as "quirky" singers, and producers are also promising some great characters, too. Think Elliott Yamin, the good-natured soul singer whom judge Paula Abdul described as one "funky white boy."



I remember this exact moment (captured above), when Paula made her now-famous declaration (after Elliott knocked Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be" out of the ballpark) like it was yesterday. While I was certainly on his side by then, that night sealed the deal for me. His reaction to Paula (along with Simon's "...the dancing was hideous") was so real, heartwarming and endearing, I literally exclaimed out loud, "that's him, that's the 'American Idol'."

While there will perhaps, for me anyway, never be another character like Elliott Yamin on "American Idol", it will be interesting to see what lasting influence he has on that show as they move forward into their next season.

Time will tell.

Rg

Searching for Elliott, or Elliot, Yamin

Remember back in the old days when you first discovered Elliott Yamin on American Idol? If you were like me you were probably thinking, "Who is that sweet kid with the amazingly beautiful voice?" Then your next step would have been to go to the American Idol website and find out all you could about him as detailed by his profile there. Not satisfied enough, and as he continued to move on week by week and astonish you with that voice and engaging personality of his, you had to know more - and perhaps wonder if it was just you or are there others out there who think this guy is the greatest thing since I don't know what.

Like me, you got on the Internet and initiated a search engine quest for him. A Yahoo search for Elliott was what brought me to Yaminions.com. I think the name "Yaminions" was, at that time (we're now #1 as a Yahoo search for Elliott), within the Top 5 or so. The name of that site immediately caught my eye, and I got the point of the name right away, and was instantly endeared to the banner at the top of the Home page and it's formula "e=ai5". So, I stuck around, and the rest is history.

Then of course you perservered with daily, if not hourly, searches for news of all things Elliott!

Well, everyone's Internet searches have certainly paid off. According to Lycos, Elliott Yamin (or Elliot Yamin) landed in the Top 10 most searchable men of 2006!



Excerpts:

Search interest in American Idol jumped 300 percent in 2006, while former American Idol contestant Elliot Yamin sees the biggest jump in search interest over the past year, making the list of most-searched men of 2006.

Top 10 Men of 2006:

9) Elliot Yamin

I wonder if the name Elliott Yamin resulted in a different figure?

Rg

Elliott's New Look!

Tis the Season!

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" aired on ABC last night.

It was a staple of my childhood - that once-a-year broadcast before the advent of home video, much like when "The Wizard of Oz" or "The Sound of Music" would come on TV - those few nights we were allowed to stay up a little past our bedtime to watch.

And that music....oh that music!

I remember as a kid being excited all day and couldn't wait to get home from school when "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was coming on TV that night. It was a ringing reminder that Christmas was almost here.

Even after 30-some odd years of viewing, this show gets me every time.



Rg

What if...?

....Here is a bulletin from CBS News....


“In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting.”

--Walter Cronkite, CBS News, 12:40pm CST, November 22, 1963

On the afternoon of November 22, 1994, I was grocery shopping in a small store on Lexington Avenue and East 87th St. I had just come from seeing the film “Interview With the Vampire” and needed to pick up some things for dinner. While I was at the back perusing the greens, I noticed a tall, well-dressed man come in the door. As he began walking towards me, I realized it was John F. Kennedy, Jr. My first thought was how ironic it was that I would encounter him on that particular day, the 31st anniversary of his father's assassination. I ended up in line behind him and at one point we both had to move out of the way as a worker with a handtruck needed to pass through. We slightly brushed against each other and he smiled at me, a smile that was a haunting combination of his mother and father. As we got back in line I noticed his hands, and how they were exactly like his father's. I remember spending the rest of the day wondering where he had come from, where was he going, on that particular day of days?

Many Americans today will pause to observe the anniversary of that tragic event in Dallas. While I had yet to make my entrance, exactly four years and two days later, I grew up knowing that November 22, 1963 was the day that changed the course of history, and it was a day where everyone knew where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. So I thought I would share my mother's recollection of that moment. She was working as an assistant in the finance department of PIE in Oakland, Ca. It was practically the one day her boss was home sick. The building covered an entire block and she sat at one end facing a large room full of desks with typewriters and adding machines. At about 10:40am various telephones began ringing, including her own. Her boss called to tell her that they had interrupted television programming saying the President had been shot. As he gave her a play-by-play report, she watched what seemed like a “wave” of telephones ringing, then the typewriters and adding machines going silent nearly one by one, until you could hear a pin drop. Her boss suggested she get on the phone to have it announced over the intercom. He called her back some time later to tell her the President was dead.

Today is also the anniversary of when the medium of television took a new turn in our lives. The unprecedented 'round-the-clock coverage of events would eventually become a staple in the fabric of our lives, bringing Americans together for a common purpose, beginning with Walter Cronkite's words I quoted above, then later removing his reading glasses as he struggled to remain steady as he announced the grim news.



It would be there again when another Kennedy was gunned down, for the resignation of a President, the murder of a Beatle, the explosion of a space shuttle, and the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

It's also another day to wonder “what if” - this young, vibrant, handsome, intelligent and articulate President had survived to realize his full potential, and his vision for this country. Where would we be today? One of his most compelling quotes is as relevant today as it was during the height of the cold war when he delivered it:

“For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's futures, and we are all mortal.”

Be safe,

Rg

Bulletin from Elliott Yamin!

I never considered joining the "myspace" universe, but when it appeared Elliott was updating and using his myspace, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. Plus it's a good way to stay in touch with other Elliott fans and some long-lost friends whom I've noticed are out there.

Little did I know that the day after putting in a friend request, I get the "add" plus a "bulletin" from the man himself:



Hey everyone!

First of all, I want to thank you for all of the amazing comments and support over the past several months. I promise to keep the updates coming on a regular basis from this point on...so please check back because you never know what we're going to post at any given moment (maybe a sneak peek at some new music????????).

I know that there are a bunch of questions about my record and when it's coming out - not to mention the rumors that are floating around out there. One thing I can tell you is that I've been writing and recording a bunch of songs for the record with some great people, and I can't wait to share the music with everyone. I've been in Los Angeles, Nashville and Richmond - heading to Atlanta next week to write and record as well. There are a lot of interesting opportunities for releasing my record...please do not worry because it's coming soon! Remember...just because we haven't announced a label yet does not mean that I am not working on and releasing my music. We are exploring all of the options and are very focused on a situation that would be the best of all worlds.

Over the next couple weeks you will notice changes to the MySpace page, and I will be posting messages regularly (blogs, video, audio). I am in the studio now finishing up a song that we stared this past week, and I just finished a song for the holidays...it's a cover of Donny Hathaway's version of "This Christmas." I can't wait for you guys to hear it and I will make sure that all of my "friends" get to sample it first.

I look forward to seeing everyone on tour in '07! Please be patient over the next few weeks...good things are coming soon!!!!

Love-

Elliott

Well, that just warms my heart, excites me to no end, and takes me back to those halcyon days of Elliott-mania on American Idol! I never got to experience Beatle-mania, so this is it for me.

My South Park, Myself

The latest craze hitting the net is a site where you can create your own South Park-self.

This is what I came up with for me: