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Elliott Yamin music biography continued...

professional landscape. Born Efraym Elliott Yamin in Los Angeles on July 20, 1978, Yamin first discovered his vocal talents by performing karaoke as a teen. At age 16, he was also stricken with almost total deafness in his right ear and type 1 diabetes. Yamin dropped out of high school to pursue a musical career and supported himself with odd jobs, while performing in a local jazz band. He quit his job in a pharmacy to try out for American Idol in Boston, Massachusetts, where he sang Leon Russell's "A Song for You" -- made famous by Yamin's personal idol, soul singer Donny Hathaway -- Yamin made it through the first round of auditions and moved on to the second and all-important Hollywood round where he was voted on to the finals by judges Paula and Randy. It was during his rounds as a finalist that Simon Cowell told Yamin that he was potentially the best male American Idol contestant ever. Yamin was eliminated from American Idol in May 2006 after a very tight race. Critic reviewers and radio DJs in general seemed to like Yamin's humble personality and soulful voice, and many of them stated that he was robbed in the show and he should have won.
Post-Idol, Yamin made numerous appearances on television and at live events. His self-titled debut album was released in March 2007. Fueled by such hit Elliott Yamin songs as "Wait For You" and "Take My Breath Away," the album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart selling 90,000 copies in its first week. The album was the highest selling debut for an independent artist in Soundscan history and was certified gold status by the RIAA in October 2007. Critics also cheered. Said one: "With sincerity and a voice that vaults itself to places no talent-show contestant should be able to go, Yamin bares his soul here in a way that would do his hero, Donny Hathaway, proud." We're also expecting great things ahead from this genuine American Idol.