JONES TALKIN’

with...

Elliott Yamin

FROM THE FANS - FOR THE FANS!

Part One

I have been wondering...Why does Elliott wear the baseball hat with the 1988 on it?
*Doreen*

Oh, that’s just the other side of my hat!!  The front of it has the Baltimore Orioles on it.  I’m an Orioles fan!  The Orioles hat that I wear is their logo from 1988 and so that’s why the hat says 1988 on the back.  It’s their design that they used to have from 1988.

Can you cook?
*Lois*

Well, you know what...I can cook a little bit.  I’m not the greatest chef in the world.  I haven’t cooked in a long time though because I've been so busy.

What can you cook?
*Margaret*

Let me see.  I make a good Honey Lemon Chicken and Honey Lime Salmon! 

That sounds extravagant!
*Mrs. Jones*

Yeah, it sounds extravagant but it isn’t.  There’s really nothing to it.  (Laughing)

That’s a nice signature dish, Elliott!!
*Mrs. Jones*

I got the recipes from my mom so she’s responsible for that!  I haven’t indulged in my own cooking in a while because I’m so busy.  I’ve been eating really bad actually.

Ohhhhhhhh you better stop that!
*Mrs. Jones*

Yeah…you’re right - I do have to stop that!

What’s your favorite drink at Starbucks?
*Ali*

Ohhh – OK - My favorite drink at Starbucks is the Pumpkin Spice Latté!!

Elliott, I love him so much can you please ask him – What is the one thing he can’t live without?
*Linda*

Well, if you want to get down to the real stuff, Linda …what I really can’t live without is insulin.  If I didn’t have my insulin, I couldn’t live very long.

Are you single?
*Mary*

No, Mary. I'm sorry to disappoint you...I’m not single. 

He’s got his super-model, Mary!
*Mrs. Jones*

Has it dawned on you, Elliott, that there are a lot of people who feel about you the way you feel about Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway?
*Laura*

Not really.  I’ve seen a few messages and I’ve received a few messages from fans that feel that way and they have expressed that same kind of gratitude or same kind of admiration.  So yes…that’s so flattering.  And...at the same time, it’s kind of ridiculous!  (Laughing)  Wow…just to be mentioned in the same breath with those two idols of mine – it is very flattering - but it doesn’t make any sense because I’m not anywhere nearly as good as those guys!  (Laughing) 

You’re very humble, Elliott.
*Mrs. Jones*

Well...it's not that I have a lack of confidence in myself - it’s just that those guys are on a totally different level and I can only strive to be as talented as those guys and I still have a long way to go.  That’s all I’m saying.

Last year at this time you were part of the Top 11 on American Idol.  Now that you just released your first solo CD, has the journey been what you expected or has it been beyond what you ever imagined?
*Laura*

Well...I think it’s going to beyond what I ever imagined because I really didn’t know what to expect in this whole thing.  I’ve been kind of that happy go lucky, bring it on, let’s do it all, kind of attitude…and so yeah…I’ve dreamed about all of this but to actually be living the dream - it’s been all that and then some!!  It’s really amazing.   I mean…I’m really living the dream!  Living my dream! 

Everyone has admired the relationship you have with your mom.  Does she have any plans to move to L.A. with you or will she stay in Richmond?
*Theresa*

Well, I don’t know if she has any plans to move to L.A.  It’s funny…her brother, and only sibling, lives in Fort Lauderdale and when we were there on tour this summer we all got to hook up – all of us.  We got to go out to eat and hang out and catch up and she stayed there for three weeks.  And now she’s getting ready to go there for another three weeks so I think she’s falling in love with Florida.  You know how a lot of us flee down to Florida when we get older and we retire?  I don’t know if she’s going to do that, but she really loves Florida.  I’ve heard her say, “You know, I wouldn’t mind going to Florida for three, four, five months out of the year.”

She’s not saying that about L.A.? (Laughing)
*Mrs. Jones*

Naaaaa - not L.A.!  But…who knows?!

Is it hard on you being away from her?  Or is it hard on her that you’re out there?
*Theresa*

At times it is.  Yes, it’s kind of mutual hardship.  We’re so just used to seeing each other so often and I’m used to going over to her house three and four times a week because I pick up my mail over there.  I miss my mom a lot.

And you eat over there, I'm sure!?  (Laughing)
*Mrs. Jones*

Yes...and I eat there!!  She wouldn’t let me leave without eating.  Typical Jewish mother…I do just miss seeing her.  I miss her cooking a lot!!  (Laughing)

Okay, this next question…I must have received over 100 of these.  I’m only asking this once because we can’t go state by state because that’s what a lot of fans want to know.  Are you coming to Michigan?  Are you coming to Maryland?  Let’s ask this once!

Do you have a tour schedule yet?
*Margaret*

Well, that’s a great question!!  We’re probably going to do something in the spring/summer time.  I wish I had a more definitive answer.  I think we’re just going to wait and see how the record goes for now though.  We’re throwing around ideas - how we’re going to go out - who we’re going out with – stuff like that.  We’re talking about maybe mid-June or July and maybe do a six week club tour.  Then possibly come back and do a headlining tour – like a small theater tour.  But there’s so many ways to go about it, we’re just trying to make certain we do it right.  Just like you do with a record - we’re kind of taking our time to figure out how we’re going to do it.  Trust me, as soon as we know, then all that information will be available on My Space and my fan site – promise!

Tell us about your new band?  Who’s in the band?  How many are in the band?  How were they chosen to be in the band?
*Susan*

The band - they’re great, man!  We’re all around the same age group.  The drummer, Alex, is from Australia – he’s an Aussie!  He’s played with Nine Inch Nails - he’s been all over the world with those guys.  He was actually recruited by my bass player, Ollie.  Ollie and I worked on a bulk of the record together.  I’ve known him for a while…since I came out here for the show.  He’s a good friend of my cousin, Joshua.  So he recruited Alex and he also recruited our guitar player, Russell – who is friends with the drummer.  Those two kind of came as a package deal.  (Laughing)

They both were in another band together.  Ollie recruited those guys – he knows them, and I just fell in love with the way they played and how musical they are.  Erin is our keyboard player and he’s Ollie’s brother. 

And is this your permanent band?
*Mrs. Jones*

For now, it’s as about permanent as you can get!!

Do you have any pet peeves? 
*Janice*

That’s tough…

What bugs you, Elliott?  What really, really bugs you??
*Mrs. Jones*

I hate to put on makeup!! 

Say what!?!?
*Mrs. Jones*

Stage makeup!  For TV appearances and stuff like that!!  (Laughing)  It’s funny…I told all of my boys back home…I said, “I’m not going to be putting makeup on!”  And they were trying to tell me, “Oh yes you are!!  They’re going to want to put makeup on you, man!!”  I said, “Man, I guarantee you guys, I will not be wearing makeup!!”  Sure enough!!!!  (Laughing)  I’ve put on more makeup in one year than….Oh my God!  (Laughing)  That’s what you have to do for TV and interviews - they doll you up!!  That’s the part I could really do without.  Then again when I see myself on TV without makeup on for an interview, I look like a different person and I say, “Man, I need some makeup!!”  (Laughing)

I was just wondering what Elliott has been up to since the Idol tour ended?
*Stacy*

You mean in my spare time?

Sure – in your spare time…what are you doing these days?
*Mrs. Jones*

I forgot what spare time is like, Stacy.  I love to play basketball though.  I’ve always been into sports.  I love to play sports.  I love to go to the batting cage and hit baseballs.  I’m kind of a homebody, too.  I like to stay home.  I like to play board games – I play Scrabble a lot – stuff like that.  I’m pretty boring.  (Laughing)  I like to go to games, too!!  I like to go to professional NBA games...and I love to just hang out with my friends.

Now that you’re famous can you tell us about any wild crazy fan encounter that you've had.
*Carmen*

Well, there’s typical stuff like the crying shaking fans which I’ve really never understood and probably never will.  But you know what…I kind of can now in a way because when I met Stevie Wonder…I wasn’t shaking, but I was reduced to tears.  And I always think about that when I encounter fans like that.  It’s just weird.

It’s weird because they’re reacting to YOU that way right?
*Mrs. Jones*

Exactly!

And you’re going “hey, it’s just me!” 
*Mrs. Jones*

Yeah…I want to say, “What’s the big deal?  It’s me!”  I’ll tell you a story…
When we were on tour there was a girl who just jumped over the barricade.  Chris Daughtry and I were on the bus - we were in Chicago.  There was a fan that jumped the barricade.  It was the worst security that we had at any venue.  They really weren’t protecting us too well and a couple of the security guards left their posts where the barricades were set up.   Most of the time we would park underground in the arena, but in this particular instance we had to park in the parking lot where all the other concert goers were parked.  We were exposed that way.  And, there was this fan that jumped the barricade and actually walked onto our bus!!  Chris got on the bus and didn’t lock it.

I heard about this fan and what she did!!
*Mrs. Jones*

Oh, you did?!

Yeah!!!
*Mrs. Jones*

How did you hear about it?

I hear stuff!  She got on the bus, right? 
*Mrs. Jones*

Yeah!  She just jumped on the bus and said, “Hey guys!”  I was making a sandwich and Chris was just coming out of the bathroom and we hear this “hey guys!”  And we thought it was one of our people, you know.  We had a girl that was on our bus and she was our “everything girl.”  She went and did our grocery shopping and she stocked the bus with stuff for us.  So we thought it was her!  This fan sounded like her voice too and when we looked up…it was just a random girl!!!  We both got really worried because you never know how fans can be.  And she was on our bus!!  Chris and I immediately said, “How did you get on here?  You need to get off!!  Get off!!  Get off!!  Get off!!”   We just ushered her off the bus as fast as we could.  It was kind of scary.

That is scary!!
*Mrs. Jones*

It was because our bus was our home and we felt violated.  The bus was our haven.  That was our home on wheels on the road and it felt like somebody just broke in.  Both Chris and I were freaked out by that. 

I want to know if Elliott felt like he lost something not being the American Idol or does he feel like he gained?
*Angelique*

Oh my goodness!!  No loss whatsoever!  I didn’t lose a thing.  I gained everything you could possibly gain as a human being.  I gained so many more values.  I gained so much more confidence.  I gained everything I could hope for and everything I dreamed of.  I wouldn’t change a thing.  I have no regrets and if I had to do it all over again, put me in third again!  (Laughing)  It’s been a dream come true.

I’ve accomplished every goal that I set out to do and I followed through with it.  That’s one of my biggest things that I’ve always lacked – one being self-confidence and two - follow through.  I’ve never been one to start something and finish it.  And I’m happy to say I’ve been doing that since the show started.  My own goals that I set for the show…I accomplished them.  And then my main goal was of course – obviously - to become a recording artist and put out an album.  And here we are talking about it!  It's great.  

So do you think this is a new you?
*Mrs. Jones*

It is a new me in many respects.  I’m still the same man in all the basic ways, but I have a career now.  I have a career that I’ve obtained and I’m pursuing.  That’s a very new me.  I’m just a better person.  Everything is better!  (laughing)

This next question comes in from a HUGE fan of yours, Elliott.  This little boy is only 5-years-old. 

Oh that's awesome - 5-years-old?!

Yep, here’s his question…
*Mrs. Jones*

What is your favorite song ever to sing?
*Dean*

Well, Dean…that’s such a tough question because there are so many great songs!  But…I would have to go with.... “Moody’s Mood for Love.”

Great job, fans - great questions!!

It was an absolute pleasure getting these

answered for you, too!!

SIT TIGHT- Part 2 is coming up next!

We'll have more of your questions, PLUS

the Jones Talkin' Speed Round!!

Think you know Elliott?

The Speed Round will tell!