Vocalist Elliott Yamin first gained recognition as the second runner-up on the fifth season of the reality show American Idol. Born in 1978 in Los Angeles, to a painter father and professional singer mother, his parents divorced when he was 14. This was a period of personal difficulty for the singer.

Already close to 90% deaf in his right ear, Yamin was also diagnosed at 16 with type 1 diabetes. His focus however had shifted full-time to pursuing a singing career, and he found various performance opportunities including work with a jazz band on a local radio station under the moniker E-Dub.

In 2006, Yamin auditioned for American Idol in Boston, Massachusets. Singing Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” – made famous by Yamin’s personal idol, soul singer Donny Hathaway – Yamin made it through the first rounds of the audition and moved onto the second and most importantly Hollywood Round.

A likable performer with a knack for romantic soul ballads and a laid-back stage presence, Yamin was a fan favourite from the word go and ultimately made it to the final-three round along with eventual runner-up Katharine McPhee and eventual winner Taylor Hicks.

In December 2006, Yamin announced he had signed a publishing deal with Sony, and he released a cover of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” on iTunes.  This year, saw Yamin releasing his self-titled solo album, with the hit song “Wait For You.”