Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Elliott Shines! Is E Signed?












Wild props to Ruben Studdard. When asked, 'Which finalist from all five seasons would you have chosen to be an American Idol?' Ruben replied: "Elliott Yamin! I just think he's dope man. He has one of the best voices out, that I've heard on the show in a long time." Right on, Ruben! Thanks so much, man! Absolutely! We totally agree! u da bomb, baby! And many of us voted for you too! We luv u! You and Elliott sing some hot Donny Hathaway and Luther!

Elliott shines! 'Elliott has one of the best voices around...What surprised me about Elliott is that he has by far THE BEST VOICE I HAVE EVER HEARD FROM ANY IDOL FROM ANY SEASON. Also he has a lot of stage presence as well. I could have listened to him all night. I am sooo glad he is signed.' Is Elliott signed? With Who? Tell us E! 'Elliott was the big shocker for me...live, he is riveting. His voice cuts through everything else. And he was super-fun to watch... he's got a great groovy sense of rhythm. He was very, very cool. I've always thought that for all his politeness and Mom-loving and all that, that Elliott had a deeply snarky streak, and I think I saw it tonight. There was some herky-jerky stage frenzy happening, and Elliott briefly slid into a kind of accelerated version of it.' Reviewers praise Elliott for his remarkable versatility and were stoked for more Yamin! 'Elliott Yamin of the luscious voice and hard-luck story... Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me” with third-place finisher Elliott Yamin really sealed the deal. These two know what to do, and then some. Yamin showed he’s the master of versatility, sounding amazing rocking out with Daughtry before moving to R&B for a sexy cover of Luther Vandross’s “Never Too Much,” a jazzy turn on “Moody’s Mood For Love,” and a hot time with the blues on “Trouble,” which he performed on Elvis night on the show.' ...Elliott wants to bring true funky soul back to R+B. Oh, yeah! It's about time! Excellent! And, Wow! What's Goin On, Whipping Post and Use Me are Sizzzlin! Elliott 'not only understands soul, but he lives and breathes it. You can hear that slight gospel sound to his voice, his renditions of classics are extremely moving and powerful, and his emotions come through every single word he sings. He, my friends, is the real deal when it comes to soul music. Soul music may be a dying breed for some, but I have a feeling that Elliott Yamin will bring it back to life. He’s just that good.' Amen. Really. Voices from etrain... rainy writes, 'Elliott's voice entered the arena before he did and the applause was earshattering!!! His voice is in a sphere of its own!!! Every time I have watched the videos of this number I am aware of the changes he makes to the song, and it amazes me this ability that he has! Thank-you God... Elliott tore it open and kissed it well again!!! The crowd was crazy!! I swear that pheromones were whipping the crowd's response! I tried to protect myself!!! Elliott starts talking asking how everyone is doing. Then he asks how His Ladies are doing. He shouldn't have asked, again the answer was deafening!! OMG just let me at him!! (Sorry guys) I think he was shocked at the response because his face was on the big screen eyes wide open fingers over mouth!!!' Never Too Much was incredibly sexy and soulful! An inspired choice! Thud! I about died in Philly and Richmond! E is absolutely amazing! 'Elliott was made to sing this kind of music (oh hell, he was born to sing any kind of music) He was chewing it up and the audience was showing E-love in full form. I was so proud of our guy watching him move and feeling his joy for singing!! EEEEEBLISS Moody's Mood what can I say but he sang it beautifully, soulfully, passionately and sexy. Nobody does anything that touches the depth of his ability!! Elliott just shimmers when he is singing because he is in his element and at these moments he is aware of the power that he holds and shares with us. His voice is a instrument that he is fine tuning in his quest for balance in his life!!!! Trouble was next and he got the crowd on their feet again!!! One question: Where the hell did Elliott learn to growl like that? I have an idea but that can't be printed!! Oops I didn't say that!! He was belting it out kicking out that thigh and feeding the audience and no it wasn't an appetizer!! It was a real meal and it was filling and the crowd replied with a roar!! u could hear E singing true through everyone else! The crowd loved it!!' ...Richmond was amazing! It was Hot! E is gaining so much confidence! It was truly wonderful! Elliott was so soulful, sweet, humble. It was awesome! A raucous, green-glow coliseum roared, cheered and chanted, "Elliott! Elliott!" E was clearly moved and touched with heartfelt emotion. I was so impressed by how Elliott shined as a performer; he has truly evolved! Outstanding! It was incredible...da bomb, baby! Never Too Much, Moody's Mood and Trouble were absolutely Fantastic! The E-man got all jazzy, sexy and inspired! E was clearly psyched and stoked! He really got into it just like his fabulous performance in Philly! I screamed, cheered & waved my arms clamoring like a wild E-fan! I hope E saw our ecstatic sea of green...Thud! My wonderful Philly concert experience...The Philly crowd was great and Elliott sounded awesome! We were screaming and cheering and standing, dancing, waving our arms and yellin 'I luv u Elliott!' through all his songs! We were in the Elliott fans and family section--excellent seats! It was amazing! We had green glow + Ts (courtesy of Amee from Yaminitis!) so we hope he saw us! We were between E + his mom! I just kept screaming and cheering for him! The girls (and guys) behind and all around were goin crazy cheering and screamin for Elliott! It was da bomb! He was so sweet and shy and then I think he kinda got into it cuz I think he saw and heard how enthusiastic we all were! Never Too Much was da bomb, baby! Sooo soulful, groovin, funky...hot, Hot, HOT!! Outstanding! Thud! And, of course, Trouble was soo Awesome too! It was Sizzzlin! Scorchin, baby! da bomb! Thud! Even for the jazzy, cool, fine and mellow Moody's Mood For Love, I was standin, wavin, dancin, cheerin, screamin for E and he like really started to get into his jazz sexy thing with the mic! Thud! Then, some efans across the arena threw E a shirt with a note on it, up on the stage while he was singin and he picked it up as he sang and tossed it on his shoulder, and we cheered and screamed! I think he was psyched and stoked! We were!!! At the encore, at the end Elliott dances a bit and when Ace jumped off the ramp and the audience screamed (as Elliott was leaving the stage), E looked and saw Ace and jumped off too, and we SCREAMED and CHEERED! And I got to meet and talk with and get an autograph from Claudette! She was so wonderfully kind! A fabulous time! I'll never forget! Luv u Elliott! ...From the Washington Post's 'Elliott Yamin, Riding High,' we get more definite information about Elliott's album: 'Slated for release around January or February. Yamin says fans can expect "a funky, raw, soulful R&B sound. It's going to have that old-school feel with a modern sound. Good old R&B sound." Who wants to bet the record label isn't associated with 19Entertainment? Thank you, AI, for allowing Elliott at least to tell us when we can expect his cd to drop.' ...In Richmond.com and Times Dispatch interviews I was heartened when E said: 'I want a classic, R&B, soul sound...I've already recorded a couple of songs in L.A... Things are very promising...it's not going to be with 19...' 'What's the best advice you've received? 'Stay humble and stay grounded. Just be yourself.'' 'If you were given complete creative control over recording a CD, what would it be like? 'It would have a very live, soulful R&B feel to it. With a lot of live instruments and so forth.'' u said it, E! the E-man! da best! ''Nothing too overproduced - just really raw, you know?'' Yet, I was concerned that most of the artists he listed to collaborate with were hip hop... personally I think it would be a shame to shove E down the rigid formulaic hiphop or pop/rock machine that the industry pushes, and many others share our concern. Elliott's wonderful unique Hathaway-styled bluesy soul is something quite different, wonderful, distinctive and remarkable, and I hope he is allowed to pursue that in both his funky/bluesy soul and soulful ballads laced with his tremendous jazz flavor...it is soo far superior to the typical blah pop/rock/urban fare. Quincy Jones would be awesome! Go Elliott! u r Outstanding! boy u knock me out! And, Elliott...Damn, baby! U look HOT in a suit! Thud! da boy is F I N E! From usatoday blog: "Got a nice note from the Washington Post's Korin Miller, who did the interview with Elliott that I linked to and you've been commenting on. She did ask Elliott the label question about his forthcoming album, to which he said, "I'm just waiting to make it official by signing on the dotted line." Korin goes on to say, "He wouldn't tell me which label he was teaming up with, but did say he has been writing and recording a lot in Los Angeles. I'm guessing non-BMG major (or quasi-major) label, but we'll see." Elliott is Hot! Here are a few savory morsels from the concert trail...Mighty tasty! Reviewers praise Elliott: 'Elliott Yamin... put the crowd first, his excitement for performing pairing nicely with his still-improving voice on a slick version of Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much" and Elvis Presley's "Trouble." Yamin even showed up Daughtry during their duet "Savin' Me," with Yamin's pliable voice running circles around the rocker, who was more faithful to the Nickelback original.' 'After hearing his awesome one-two-three punch of "Moody's Mood for Love," "Never Too Much," and "Trouble," who could deny that Elliott Yamin is the best singer on the entire Idol tour?' 'Elliott is fantastic, by far the best vocal... Elliott looked adorable and so comfortable tonight, really working the audience which was cool, the ladies loved his blowing kisses, and sweet gestures especially during the Luther Song, which is PERFECT for him, Loved his rendition of the song. Trouble and Moody's mood also really really good, and he shows by far that he is the best vocalist in this group...I was very happy...really cute...E man needs to record ASAP.' RealityTV Calendar writes, 'Elliott's voice sounded flawless and it even seemed to improve some since the conclusion of the show.' The Boston Globe calls E 'buoyant jazzy Elliott Yamin', and The Boston Herald writes: 'The late Luther Vandross would've loved the way second runner-up Elliott Yamin nailed his "Never Too Much."' The Telegram tells it like it is... basically the show got hot when Elliott got on stage! oh, yeah!
'...it was a show that started off strong and built to a soaring finale...the first truly great song of the night came when jazzman Elliott Yamin joined Daughtry for Savin’ Me. Few of the Idols, save Hicks, are seasoned performers, having honed their skills mainly on their television trial-by-fire. But the Yamin/Daughtry duet was a polished performance that launched the show to new heights.' yeah, like Elliott's FANTASTIC rendition of Luther Vandross' Never Too Much (All My Love), Moody's Mood for Love and Trouble! yeah, baby! luv u E! thud!
Another review praises Elliott:
Elliott Yamin came out next and joined Chris on a duet to the song Savin' Me by Nickleback. This was definitely the best duet of the night and one of the best songs of the show. Even though the two have very different sounding voices, the performance was very professional and very nicely sung.
Elliott then continued on with his solo songs which included All My Love, Moody's Mood for Love and Trouble. Elliott did well with all the songs, my favorite being Moody's Mood for Love. He interacted great with the crowd and like Chris, was an audience favorite. Elliott's voice sounded flawless and it even seemed to improve some since the conclusion of the show.
ENN reporter Ashley writes...
My favorite Elliott performances are "Trouble" and "I Believe to My Soul." My favorite Elliott "looks" were during his "A Song for You" and "If I Could Dream" performances!
Basically... Elliott was awesome! His vocals were outstanding, his dance moves were beyond cute, and he did really well. He was by far the best singer up there!! He sang three songs (Moody's Mood for Love was one of them and that was great!). His duet with Chris was probably the highlight of the show, and the crowd went wild!! He wore a black shirt and jeans for the first set, and later...tan shirt, jeans and soccer shoes (as usual!). Elliott was smiling the entire time he was up there and really looked like he was enjoying himself... he is pretty shy...but it didn't show at all!!' 'Elliott Yamin was among the night's strongest performers... sang three solo songs and he nailed every one of them. His smooth as silk voice breathed soul into the little known "Moody's Mood for Love" and his rendition of Elvis Presley's "Trouble" was so alluring that the King himself would have been proud. Please somebody give this guy a record deal! ...one of the best performances of the night...sounded amazing... showcase...rock edge to his voice...known for a soulful jazz style.'
Elliott opens with a stellar groovin version of Luther Vandross' Never Too Much (All my Love). Absolutely terrific! Oh, Nellie! Hot, hot, hot! Then E segues into a phenomenal Live version of Moody's Mood For Love. Thud! Call the Dr! I've got E-fever! Get me some ice! Elliott belts a slammin Live version of Trouble... extra growly, ladies! Scorchin! My Daddy was a green eyed mountain jack! Listen to the crowd scream for E during Savin Me, Elliott's duet with Chris and Patience. I can't believe I got tickets for 3 shows! Gotta have my E-fix! And omg! I'm going to Richmond! I can't believe it!! ...Congratulations, Elliott! E's Moody's Mood For Love was # 1 for a record breaking 9 weeks at UU-BRU! And it wasn't even released as a single! Damn! UU-BRU Internet Radio writes,
Elliott Yamin, who turns 28 this week, claims the pole position for a 9th consecutive week on UU-BRU Internet Radio with "Moody's Mood For Love". At nine weeks, Elliott Yamin holds the record on UU-BRU Internet Radio for the most weeks at the top for the first chart appearance by a solo act. The only other act to exceed nine weeks at number one with their first chart single was a group. Human League spent 10 weeks at the top of the chart in 1982 with "Don't You Want Me".
Many inspiring E stories...Elliott wrote a wonderful thank you on his concert program:

Hey fans and music lovers alike! I just wanted to take the time to personally and sincerely thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart! All of your support truly feeds my soul! If not for you I would’ve never made it this far… And believe me; I’ve come a long, long way! I want you to know that personally, there’s no greater feeling in the universe than to be blessed to share my gift and passion for music! I never knew just how powerful one voice could be, and it’s the greatest joy to touch so many lives! Thanks 4 all of your love and support during this amazing journey! I’m looking forward to visiting your hometown and entertaining everybody for years and years to come!

Gratefully yours,
Elliott Yamin

...On opening night Elliott explained it was his first concert and watched the show from under a ramp until he was spotted and had to go backstage!
Etrainer daisywhistle writes:
...a woman I work with was at the Manchester Airport on Saturday night picking up her son-in-law. Had grandkids with her and was walking through the airport (a relatively small, intimate airport by the way) when she realized that ELLOTT was walking right next to her! She stopped and said "Oh my god you're Elliott" and he said "yes I am" and then they chatted for a little while and she told him how much she loved him and supported him throughout the Idol season and he was warm and gracious and all smiles and then one of the grandkids said "you should've won" to which Elliott replied (this is so sweet and thoughtful and so Elliott), "you know, I think I just did". How awesome is that!!!

Etrainer yellin4yamin writes:
...he sang his song with Chris, did his "AWESOMEEEEE" "never too much" runs from the Luther song he did, then on to Moody, then he did "trouble"... then it happened. First let me tell you that I was a CRAZ"E" woman!!! I was about 10 ft from him the whole show... 2nd row DEAD CENTER...you DON'T EVEN KNOW!!!!! I was holding my sign, waving to him like crazy, shouting "I love you Elliot" and then...I almost died. The other 3 guys came out to do "Patience" for Kat..so Ace and Elliott walk over to sit on the stairs, to sing their parts. Elliott sits down..points RIGHT AT ME..like more than once as if to get my attention, while RAISING THAT ONE EYEBROW, I smiled at him and he BLEW ME A KISS, WAVED AT ME, ANDDDD GAVE ME A THUMBS UP!!!! All the people in front of me, and around me that KNEW I was there for E all looked at me and were like "OMG!! DID YOU SEE THAT" and I was flippin out, and Elliott started laughing!!!!!!

There's also wonderful Times Dispatch articles on Elliott's mom, Claudette! On MTV's TRL, Damien asked Elliott: "After the tour you are going to record an album, right?" E-Dub "Absolutely, absolutely. I've already started writing and I'll be getting tracks on the road, and we'll be ironing out the beginning of my album while we're on tour. And then after we get off tour, I'm gonna hibernate in the studio." Etrainer fenwick writes, 'What is really going on here -- Chris gets the Clive deal -- and now E says he's recording an album (old school: I love that they call it an album - not CD). With whom? -- I'm sure he's not recording it in his Uncle's garage! And AI is allowing him to disclose this? What is really going on here guys/gals?' Etrainer ElliottCat writes, 'hmmmmm....he said in his June interview with the Richmond paper that it was "inevitable" that he would record one, and he stated definitively that he would be staying in LA after the tour to be "in the studio." Paris stated that she was making a jazz Christmas album due out in December, and there has been no offical signing announcement on her. Maybe E has been signed by Clive and they are holding off the announcement. Or maybe they have released him from the contract to the extent he knows he will not be signing with Clive and is being allowed to say this.' Very interesting. We'll see. You may enjoy this satire.

Michael Buble thinks Elliott sang Home better than he did, and Sheryl Crowe and the AI hairstylist are big fans! Elliott outclassed shock jocks...(although etrainers r worried about ya, man. Ya gotta quit smokin, dude. It's vital, important, health and livelyhood; we luv u too much not to say anything.) E received 'some special tour souvenirs. Elliott Yamin said he has kept a sign a little girl gave him that reads, “Elliott, will you marry my mom?” Yamin did not say whether he thought about accepting that proposal but did turn the conversation to his own mother, Claudette, who has been able to come out to a few shows. “She’s lovin’ it,” he said. This time last year, Yamin said, he never would have believed he would be in the national spotlight. He said he hopes a record label will sign him so he can put out a “soulful, funky, R&B”-type record...life has completely changed since auditioning for the show.' ...Congratulations to Elliott for winning Moosak's Top 100 Four Months in a Row, Beating the competition in May, June, July and August! Elliott scored 144,141 votes in August (even with a new voting system that reduced votes!), following a record breaking 191,116 votes in July and 169,247 in June (with an impressive 92,000 vote lead over Number 2 challenger Clay Aiken!) Elliott has won Moosak's Top 100 and broken records every month since breaking Moosak's record with 37,785 votes in May! Way to go, E! Elliott climbed up the Lycos top 50... in his second week, the E-man jumped from 21 to 12 in the top 50!
The Lycos 50 Daily Report with Dean - June 29, 2006
Take the E-Train:
Blue-Eyed Funk Soul Brother Elliott Yamin up 181%
Elliott Yamin is by far our most popular American Idol. Even though he was the second runner up on AI season five, his popularity outshines that of all of his fellow contestants. Winner Taylor Hicks is the next most popular contestant from this season, followed by Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee. Elliott is so popular among Lycos users that he's even ranked higher than Clay Aiken on the Lycos 50. Now that takes some doing!
Elliott (#12) has been in the news quite a bit lately. He sang the national anthem at the NBA Finals, appeared on the Tonight Show and announced a national tour that's selling out quickly. But Elliott still doesn't have a record contract or any endorsement deals just yet -- unlike Katharine, who's working on a record, and Taylor, who is already appearing in TV commercials. His fans are eager to change that trend, however.
Elliott fans, who loving refer to him as the E-Train, have started an online petition that they hope will earn him the attention of record executives and other Hollywood moguls. The petition reads: "He has touched and inspired the lives of many through his wonderful talent, his great humble soul and his ability to overcome struggles in his life. We want to see Elliott succeed, land big recording contracts and endorsements (as he can be a great spoke person for Diabetes and for the hearing impaired)."
Yamin has Type-1 diabetes and wears an insulin pump. He is also mostly deaf in one ear due to ear infections that he developed while he was a child. Yamin's story is one of perserverance and big dreams fully realized, so we applaud the E-Train and his dedicated fans for raising awareness. And, of course, we welcome him to the Lycos 50.
Congratulations, man... way to go, E! Thank you Dean for the wonderful article on Elliott! Outstanding! And many thanks to Rita Cosby for the fine Elliott interview! There's also a video interview with Elliott and Mandisa, and tv.com rates Elliott a perfect 10! And there's a wonderful Madison Magazine article on Elliott! Randy Jackson had some praise for 'my man, Elliott.' Rumors have been popping up about a possible record deal for Elliott... many have speculated; no word yet, but very interesting as things evolve and develop. A few voices from the E-Train... keepin it real spreadin da E-luv...
BLUE NOTE would be a really exceptional label for Elliott. Something offering a great breadth of creative latitude would be ideal so Elliott can really stretch as he grows and moves into his stride, as we're already seeing... what would be a shame is for E to get pigeonholed by the rigid stifling compartmentalized genre strictures of the music industry and be forced to fit/mold himself and his fabulous unique multigenre soulful-bluesy-jazz-inflected style into strictly constraining and limited molds as say, (brit) pop, or hip-hop/urban, or alternative/ indierock, etc which would be very limiting for Elliott with his wonderful range. He's a soulman, he does rich soulful blues inflected funk, but he's also a fantastic powerful soulful jazz inflected crooner and a fantabulous kickin bluesman--da BOMB, baby! And given his artistry and abilities he should be allowed to stretch in these areas that he really thrives in, much the way Donny Hathaway and 70s Stevie Wonder did...it was a wonderfully eclectic experimental time for multigenre soul-fusion which infused the rock-pop-jazz music scene, and it was a rich fabric that encouraged experimentation which the rigid cookie-cutter formats of today's music industry sorely lacks... and has needed really badly for a long long time imho! If Donny or Stevie were forced in their creative artistry to conform to hip-hop or rock or pop would we have any of their master works? How would we have seen the breadth of Innervisions, Songs in the Key of Life, Talking Book which offer so much of the kind of multigenre latitude and experimentation that Elliott really deserves to be able to explore.
Artists like Elliott, Donny, Stevie shine in terrific moving soulful ballads as well as kickin bluesy soul diggin the funk, and their best albums and body of work reflect that latitude. Finally, in the ever present quest to make a quick easy buck, the push to be required to quickly churn out writing your own songs is incredibly and really unfairly stifling. Much of the originally written stuff is absolutely awful, look at AI as an example, yes you could have better writers but why not be allowed to use (experiment with) fantastic work that has already been written? (And if you do it's unfairly branded and dismissed as 'covers of standards', gimme a break!)
Obviously, industry folks want to get out of paying massive royalties in using existing material, but much of it is truly outstanding as we have seen with Elliott's masterful renditions of an incredible body of work that includes some of the best and perhaps least widely heard music ever written... and it deserves to be something that a budding artist can consider doing in developing their own style and body of work as they evolve. Things shouldn't be this limiting for artists...it wasn't for Donny or Stevie when they were doing their best work. Elliott should be allowed to excel in these areas and grow.

A sidenote, given how Elliott really stretched, grew and brought it when working (surprisingly to me) with Tommy Mottola, and how fantastically remarkable Elliott's performances were, I wonder if someone like Mottola would be interested in working with Elliott. He really seemed to 'get it' about Elliott and push him but let him grow and flourish. It will be interesting to see what happens. E certainly should be allowed to do soulful-jazz ballads and kickin soulful-bluesy-funk of existing material if he wants to, and he can certainly mix that with any new original material if he wants. Limitations are ridiculous, imho...
Yaminion stelliott wrote:
I also believe that Elliott is the next Big Thing to Hit the International scene. His wonderful voice is a new mix of old and new sounds in music: jazz voice, r&b soul and a warm open personality. His looks are to die for, and his generosity of heart is so rare today combined with such talent. Old and young, even the very young, will love him. I cant see his tour as Im in Europe but he will be Global by this time next year and I hope we all get an album from him, and an autobiography real soon. Nobody just likes Elliott they LOVE him WHOLEHEARTEDLY......He is a real IDOL in every sense. If it were not for AI my life would be a whole lot emptier as his voice has filled a huge gap left by the sameness of todays singers....He's different and he's wonderful...Never change Elliott yours fans love you just the way you arexxxxxx
And we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this Special Report from E-Trainer Nancy Dominguez - efan from Miami, Florida...
SPECIAL REPORT:
Elliott Mania - Fans Are Caught Up In His Magic
Yaminitis: Are You Addicted to E?

Researchers have identified a new addiction which is being called Yaminitis and is also known by those afflicted as Elliott obsession or E Train Fever. They call themselves "E-fans" and the number who admit to having it are steadily growing ever since the release of the new single, "Moody's Mood For Love".

E-Fans describe symptoms as including "incessant bursts of "There I go, there I go, there I goooo" and sudden craving(s) for white chocolate". They also experience an uncontrollable desire to listen to or watch season five American Idol semi-finalist, Elliott Yamin perform over and over again.. All of them assert that they will most certainly be "the first person in line to buy" his first solo CD.

Fans who caught Yaminitis during the American Idol season were able to get what they often referred to as their "Elliott fix" on Tuesday and Wednesday nights until the show's two hour finale on May 23, 2006. Since then, they have been experiencing overwhelming urges to visit web sites, chat forums and blogs on the internet eagerly searching for current information or reports of appearances by Yamin. They also commiserate with other admitted addicts about their desperate longing to see their favorite idol during the upcoming AI concert tour. One obvious symptom is that E-fans suffering from this addiction are always either online looking for Elliott Yamin related information or thinking about doing so. One fan reported, "I thought it was just me that was addicted, then I found out a whole bunch of us were. We thought we were crazy, but found out many others had it too - Yaminitis, So we didn't feel too crazy , just sort of normal crazy."

A recent opinion poll on the www.etrainstation.com website asked "How many hours do you spend a day, on and off, browsing Elliott Yamin forums"? The majority or thirty two percent of those polled, chose the answer exceeding the choice of ten hours which was labeled "a scary number of hours". A fan going by the name of Ladidi posted on the popular www.rickey.org website,"God, I think I'm an Elliott junkie!" Hundreds of fans who are experiencing symptoms regularly visit the www.moosak.com poll site where they discuss their idol and have broken records and kept Yamin at the number one position since last month. The site is busy 24 hours a day since the international fan base comes on to vote when the Western hemisphere has to pull themselves away from Elliott Yamin related searches, polls and sites long enough to sleep.

E-fans or Yaminions as they are also known spread their addiction to family, friends and complete strangers by constantly talking about his life and playing his music. One fan posted that her husband was getting "jealous of Elliott" and others report avoiding other responsibilities like dishes and laundry to keep up with their addiction for Yamin.

"I hear his songs in my head day and night, and I play my man made CD of his to alleviate the symptoms" posts an E-fan. Many of them identify with a symptom known as a "thud" (the sound made by a fan fainting and hitting the floor hard) and Yamin is described by his legion of fans as "thud-alicious". Research indicates that the term Yaminitis was first used by video archivist "chalky" on the televisionwithoutpity.com web site following Elliott's performance of the song, "Heaven" on March 8, 2006. A fan had posted that they "wanted to vote until their fingers hurt" and the term Yaminitis was born. E-fans self diagnose themselves stating that they "can't get enough" of him. The addiction is highly contagious and people who have it enjoy spreading it to others.

Some internet sites that post his pictures also don warnings such as they "cannot be held responsible for sudden heart attacks, uncontrollable drooling or dizzy spells." I know from personal experience that everyone who has Yaminitis will gladly endure the symptoms and will continue to spread the addiction to others while anxiously awaiting his debut CD that some believe is "the cure". Personally, I feel the CD will not cure the addiction. It will only cause an outbreak.
And here's another E-fix, a fantabulous report from E-Trainer Caren on her June 3rd visit to the People Magazine event Elliott spoke at...Outstanding, if you haven't yet seen it... When asked if he regretted any of his song choices, I was extremely pleased to hear that Elliott replied,
"No regrets whatsoever." He said that he wanted to pick more obscure songs, and that he loved "I Believe to My Soul," and really wanted to perform it. He does not believe that the song choice hurt him, (--someone asked him that--) and noted that the division of votes was 33%-33%-33%, which he found incredibly flattering... Someone asked if the Idols got to choose which celebrity they'd perform with in the finale. He said no, but that he of course was thrilled to have Mary J Blige accompany him. And then he quipped, "I mean, I was thrilled to accompany Mary J Blige." And he cracked up, as did everyone in the room. (He is such a cutie!) He heard that they had origially picked Stevie Wonder for him, and that Stevie was supposed to make it, but couldn't last minute. Then they booked MJB, who also apparently scared them last minute with an almost no-show-- but she showed up... Someone asked him if he was happy that he didn't have to sing, "Do I Make You Proud?" He said he was. He said that he actually recorded that song. But then Taylor didn't like the song that he had been assigned, and so they then assigned "Do I Make You Proud" to Taylor. (So there is a version of Elliott singing that song lying around somewhere!!! I would love to hear it!!)
Over at Yaminions... laclos has a terrific diary, Be there or B-Flat...'Where were you when you heard Elliott sing Moody's Mood for Love? What did it mean to you? Were you instantly hooked?...remember the time when Elliott Yamin had just popped up on your radar and how far you've come on this journey...Yaminions music critic extraordinaire,' Rg writes:
I discovered something remarkable over the weekend. I always wondered what the vocal range of MMFL was note-wise, at least in the key that Elliott sings it in...how astounded I was to find out that Elliott had no vocal training yet managed to sing notes effortlessly into the passage, or passagio, where a man's voice would normally break into the falsetto...I had to pick myself up off the floor. A high B-flat? That kid can belt out high B-flats with no training?...I'll use a word to describe Elliott I've used before: astonishing. Or perhaps this one even works: prodigy.
IBelieveInMySoul (that's me) writes:
Outstanding diary and comments! Thank you so much. Best, my most favorite in a long time. Have watched AI since accidentally stumblin onto Kelly Clarkson singin Aretha's version of Natural Woman in season 1...and have been voting and watching ever since...usually disappointed by AI, was so convinced the show would be terrible I could hardly bear to watch all the terrible people prior to the top 24... I remember being impressed when I heard Elliott sing in the group number in Pasadena (Hollywood week), but didn't know who he was or that he was a soulman, that would be a man of my heart...(early on I thought I'd be voting for Taylor). Elliott had me with that hot kickin, bluesy soulful rendition of If You Really Love Me in the top24 first elimination round--I'm a big Stevie fan and it was fantastic! Actually, I was floored; I think he had me when they showed his audition and he sang Donny Hathaway's A Song For You--I about died! He sounded exactly like Donny Hathaway...huge Hathaway fan here, and I couldn't believe it, I was so impressed. I could not believe Elliott sang such great hip wonderful songs and arrangements consistently on AI. Absolutely wonderful! Loved IYRLM, fantastic, and when Elliott sang Moody's Mood the next week, I couldn't believe it. When he said that's what he's singing I was worried cuz it's such a difficult song (Benson turned me onto it in 1980) and Elliott was my favorite and I thought 'oh, no--no one will know this song, how is he gonna master such a tough song...we have to vote like heck for E!' But I was completely Blown Away when i heard him...E tore the roof off Moody's Mood--Outstanding! Spectacular! I was beyond impressed, and thought it was ridiculous that Simon told him to sing 'a better song'--I thought, excuse me? (And was mortified when Simon then complained the next week when E tried to accommodate him by doing something more pop/rock...I wanted more Moody's Mood and was mad at Simon for throwing him off.) Love Elliott, am a huge fan (also loved Paris), and I never ended up voting for Taylor til there was no Elliott for me to vote for. I've never been a fan in my life, so being such an intense passionate fan inspired by Elliott is a completely new experience for me. It's completely crazy. Hardcore etrainer/yaminion/E-voter here--I even pulled many all-nighters and wrote a letter and then didn't know what to do with it so I created a blog tribute to Elliott. Now I regularly pull all-nighters riding the E-train. It's truly awesome! I can't believe I'm like this, but I've never been happier. Thanks for the fine inspiration! If you ever need an e-fix, you can check out my blog tribute to Elliott (I hope you like it. And I hope Elliott likes it if he ever sees it. I put lots of heartfelt soul in it. Much E-luv and many thanks, y'all...go etrain!): http://ibelieveinmysoul.blogspot.com/
An E-trainer writes about a dismaying, distressing experience on the eve of the final 3 competition...
What blew me away and completely derailed my faith in the integrity of the show or so-called 'fairness' to the 'competition' actually occurred the day before Elliott performed in the final 3. Bouyed by the excitement of Elliott's outstanding performances on Elvis week, I was keen to hear more wonderful news about E on the eve of the big final 3 showdown, esp since E clearly outshined everyone the week before by leaps and bounds. I was mortified when I made the terrible mistake of actually tuning momentarily to one of the hideous entertainment shows and on extra/access hollywood (you know, the one simon's girlfriend terry works for) Simon was coming straight out and stating Kat + Taylor are the final showdown in the finale ELIMINATING ELLIOTT in the most obnoxious dismissive meanspirited fashion before E even sang in the final 3. I was very upset--distraught even. I shut off the tube and shared my mortified, shocked, outraged, tearful incedulity with my partner, and was deeply disturbed and disillusioned to know somethin very creepy was goin down to freep things and screw Elliott. It was all the more outrageous coming on the heels of his fantabulous performances only days before (when everyone else sucked, I might add). It didn't make any sense, was meanspirited and terribly, grossly unfair to put it mildly...it just seemed so sick, perverse and twisted, in my devastated hopeful denial, I hoped maybe it was just Simon chewing up the carpet for some AI shock-publicity hype...but when I saw the show the next night, I was crushed by how clearly freeped, rigged, unfair it appeared from the very get-go with Clive and everything else that followed. I was appalled by how they treated Elliott. Thank god E's a wise man and has some terrific intuition and gut instincts, and thank god Elliott stood his ground and refused to sell out and compromise his integrity and proudly, fantastically performed that remarkable rendition of Donny Hathaway's arrangement of Ray Charles' I Believe To My Soul. It was phenomenal--the best thing I've ever seen on television. Amazing. period. What a wonderful moment for us to behold. You went out with class, style and magnificent chops, Elliott, at the top of your game, baby. We were all so proud. And those freepers who put the fix in (and who we lost faith in) looked ridiculous... and quite lacking in any integrity. Thanks Elliott for having the courage to stand tall, stick to your guns and perform such an amazing rendition of I Believe To My Soul... truly breathtaking!
Finally, thanks so much to Rickey for posting this fantastic image! A new classic! Elliott and Rickey... together! Oh, yeah, baby! Awesome! Of course, I love that hot Jimmy Hendrix Live at Berkeley T! You da Bomb, Elliott! Quite Hot, indeed! Man, it's like Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles! An Efan writes, 'It's really true - he's a major "chick magnet"...don't want to scare Elliott; so it's good that I can become hysterical over him in the privacy of my own home or car. (I think I'll need medication at the concert tour). God bless his sweet heart and keep him safe from too much annoyance. I really want him to enjoy this ride to stardom.' You go, Elliott! We luv you!

posted by I Believe In My Soul at 1:12 AM