LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Hickory Records) - March 20th marks the release of Elliott Yamin, the debut album from one of American Idol's most memorable contestants. Set for release on Hickory Records ( a label affiliated with Sony ATV
Music Publishing where Yamin is signed as a writer,) the CD boasts both a lion's share of songs co-written and performed by Yamin as well as participation from some of the entertainment industry's most respected songwriters and producers.
Among the writers and producers who worked with Yamin in the creation of the CD are Stargate (Beyoncé, Ne-Yo, Rihanna), Josh Abraham (Pink, Linkin Park, 30 Seconds to Mars), DJ Lethal (Evanescence, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit), Michael Mangini (Joss Stone, Baha Men, David Byrne), and Derek Bramble (David Bowie, Vanessa Williams, Lalah Hathaway).
Fans of Yamin's work on American Idol will be delighted to find his version of Leon Russell's "A Song for You," which Yamin's own idol, Donny Hathaway, recorded in 1971. Viewers will recall that Yamin's smoldering performance brought Paula Abdul to tears – she said he was an American idol – and moved Cowell to liken Yamin's rendition to a vocal master class, judging it "superb." Randy Jackson simply called the young man from Richmond, Va., "the bomb."
Also making an appearance on Elliott Yamin is "Movin' On," which the singer co-wrote and which is likely to remind American Idol devotees of the time Abdul called him "one funky white boy."
Yamin's whiskey-soaked tenor – an instrument he characterizes as "raw" and "gritty," more Wilson Pickett than Sam Cooke – unifies the disc's disparate flavors. The record is also commendable for capturing the immediacy of Yamin's live performances and his palpable joy in singing.
Commenting on the recording process, Yamin said: "Collaborating on the songs with these talented people who've been involved in music way longer than me and who share my passion for it has been an incredible experience. I've learned so much from them as an artist and as a person. The key to writing is to come from the heart. People relate to real feelings."
Perhaps even more compelling than Yamin's status as an out-of- nowhere vocal powerhouse – he came to American Idol with no vocal training and no real performance experience – is his role as the underdog, who as a child had to cope with near-deafness in his right ear and at 16 was faced with Type 1 diabetes.
Asked how he's coped with sudden fame, he points out: "A lot of young people with diabetes have said I've given them hope and made them believe in the power of music. They've told me how they've struggled and gone through difficult changes in their lives, and that seeing how I was able to achieve something through 'Idol' has inspired them to go for what they want. It's amazing to me that I've played that role in someone's life."
Yamin has truly 'given back" and has encouraged his fans to be involved in raising funds for the Richmond chapter of the ADA and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. "I've donated the clothes I've worn on 'Idol' and onstage during the tour and anything I've been widely photographed wearing. I've also donated American Idol memorabilia and autographs for fundraisers," he informs. "But I don't feel I've done enough yet – there's just so much more to do."
"When you look out into the audience and see people singing along and smiling and laughing and crying, you feel an incredible connection. The fact that you are able to move people that way is the most satisfying thing I've ever experienced. I thrive on it," Yamin says. "When I'm onstage, I'm home – I have a sense of belonging I've never felt before. It feels like what I was born to do. It has put my whole life into perspective. It's like I finally figured it out; I finally got it right: I'm a singer."
