Elliott to Greet the Navy Troops

Elliott Yamin is scheduled to welcome home Navy Troops from the U.S.S. Boxer (LHD4) on June 15th at their North Island Naval Base in San Diego, California. Elliott will have the opportunity to thank the Navy personnel for their service to this country after just returning from Iraq where they have served a double extended deployment. During this day, Elliott will have lunch with the troops and will also participate in a meet-and-greet with military personnel and their families. He will also sign copies of his debut self-titled CD Elliott Yamin and photos. “Visiting The North Island Naval base will be a unique and wonderful opportunity,” stated Elliott. “I have so much admiration for men and women that service this country and the courage and strength that they possess. I look forward to being able to spend some time with them all and hear some of their stories while I visit the base.” Elliott Yamin is currently on his first solo U.S. tour in support of his debut self-titled CD, which was released on March 20, 2007. Elliott Yamin entered the Billboard charts at #3, making him the highest new artist debut on an independent label in soundscan history. The CD also debuted at #1 on the Billboard Independent charts (where it remains) and #2 on the Billboard R&B charts. His CD is now #13 on media base and #13 on the BDS charts. Elliott’s impending success shined well before the season of American Idol finished (in a historically close race behind Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee) when early in the competition, the ever-prickly Simon Cowell deemed him “potentially the best male vocalist in the history of ‘American Idol.’” And after the release of his debut album, Elliott Yamin, few could believe this accomplished vocalist was once too embarrassed to sing out in his middle-school choir class. Perhaps even more compelling than Elliott’s status as an out-of-nowhere vocal powerhouse is the fact that he came to “AI” with no vocal training and no real performance experience. It 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. Since then, Elliott has learned how to live with his diabetes and has for five years worn an insulin pump, which takes most of the guesswork out of self-treatment. But his vivid memories of those difficult early years have inspired him to visit children and teens at the American Diabetes Association’s summer camp in Pittsburgh. Elliott is now a spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association and participates in a number of charity organizations throughout the country. For more on his work with Diabetes and his post-"Idol" career, watch our exclusive interview! Download singles from Elliott's first album here!