SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 400 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 Commending Elliott Yamin. ---------- Patron-- Stosch ----------

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin, a West End Favorite Son who burst onto the popular music scene in 2006 as an American Idol contender, is recognized as a talented young emissary of goodwill for his hometown of Richmond and for the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish American mother, Claudette Yamin, who was a former professional singer and an Israeli Jewish father of Iraqi heritage, Shaul Yamin; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin began singing at the age of five, but never had formal voice lessons; at age 11, he moved to Richmond with his parents, but shortly thereafter they divorced; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin attended Tuckahoe Middle School and Douglas S. Freeman High School until he left in his sophomore year; later on he would obtain his GED with the support and encouragement of his employer at Foot Locker; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when he was 16 years old and he suffers from ninety percent deafness in his right ear; and

WHEREAS, during his early twenties, Elliott Yamin performed with a jazz band, entertained as a disc jockey for a local radio station under the name “E-Dub,” and worked as a counter clerk at Westbury Pharmacy; and

WHEREAS, while working at Westbury, Elliott Yamin decided to audition for American Idol in Boston; his performance of "A Song for You" won him a chance of a lifetime in the popular music competition’s Hollywood auditions; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin’s tremendous vocal talent lends itself well to an elegant soul style, and he quickly won the hearts and votes of his hometown admirers in Richmond, of loyal fans across Virginia, and finally of an enthusiastic national audience on American Idol; and

WHEREAS, the results of the competition on May 10, 2006, revealed that Elliott Yamin, Taylor Hicks, and Katharine McPhee were the top three vote recipients and would be the final contestants for the title of  American Idol; and

WHEREAS, before the final competition, on what he said was the happiest day of his life, Elliott Yamin returned to Richmond on May 12, 2006, for a hometown celebration, where he received a key to the City from Mayor Douglas Wilder and threw the opening pitch at a Richmond Braves game; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin met with Governor Tim Kaine, who proclaimed the day in the capital Elliott Yamin Day and presented the celebrated Richmond singer with a T-shirt announcing "Virginia is for Elliott Lovers"; and

WHEREAS, in a tight vote count by the audience on May 17, 2006, Elliott Yamin’s road to the American Idol crown ended with him garnering 33.06% of the votes to McPhee's and Hicks’ counts of 33.26% and 33.68%, (it is unknown who received which percentage); and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin may not have become the American Idol winner, but he was a popular contender among the judges, a favorite of star Paula Abdul, and well-liked by the other contestants; the often cynical Simon Cowell stated that after five seasons, Yamin is "potentially the best male vocalist" on the show and he told Jay Leno that the Richmonder was one of the competition's nicest contestants; and

WHEREAS, on May 18, 2006, Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor praised Elliott Yamin in remarks on the floor of the United States House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Elliott Yamin has been thrust into the limelight and has fared well; he has overcome obstacles that would have thwarted the aspirations of other adolescents, as well as adults, and has a valid message for the young people of Virginia, “pursue your dreams and never give up”; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend Elliott Yamin on his well-deserved national recognition; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Elliott Yamin as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of his accomplishments and best wishes for success in the future.