American Idol Fan Site | Who got voted off American Idol

WHEN “AMERICAN IDOL” signs on at 8 tonight, all 32 of the television sets in Bailey’s Smokehouse and Tavern on West Broad Street in Richmond will be tuned to the Fox show.

The restaurant’s manager, Jason Davies, expects more than 100 patrons for the weekly gathering of the unofficial Elliott Yamin Fan Club.

“He’s got the town buzzing,” Davies said of the 27-year-old high school dropout and former karaoke singer. Yamin is among the six finalists on “American Idol,” which has been averaging between 27 million and 30 million viewers.

He advanced to the next level of television’s most-watched amateur hour ever last Tuesday night despite a so-so effort in singing the standard “It Had to Be You.” Judge Simon Cowell described Yamin’s performance as blah. “Where’s your personality?”
Cowell said he wouldn’t be surprised if viewers voted Yamin off the show.

Cowell to Yamin: “I’m slightly worried for you.”

It was a misplaced concern.

Yamin moved closer to the prize as viewers last week voted off 25-year-old Brett “Ace” Young of Denver, who with Paris Bennett and Chris Daughtry pulled in the least number of votes after the April 18 songfest. Was it Young’s ponytail that turned off the voters?

Yamin got a boost when he received a ringing endorsement from Rod Stewart, who coached the contestants before they sang selections from “Rod Stewart: Thanks for the Memory … The Great American Songbook, Volume IV.”

“Elliott has a wonderful blue-eyed soul voice. A great set of pipes,” said Stewart.

Those words were met by cheers at Bailey’s in Richmond as well as in the Westbury Pharmacy on Three Chopt Road in the capital city, where Yamin worked as a counter clerk. Michael Wood, a co-worker of Yamin’s at the pharmacy, said the employees have rallied ’round him by religiously going to the phones to vote when “American Idol” signs off.

“We’re behind him 100 percent.”

Some of the Yaminmania in Richmond originates from the on-air jocks at WRVQ-FM, a.k.a. Q94, who have promoted “Elliott the Idol” viewing parties first at Ham’s Restaurant and lately at Bailey’s. Ham’s manager Jeb Bradbury will have all 52 televisions tuned to “American Idol” tonight.

“We stop everything to watch.”

WRVQ is responsible for some of the “Vote for Elliott” bumper stickers seen on Richmond streets.

Yamin, who’s spent 17 of his 27 years in Richmond, has defied long odds to make it this far. Entertainment Weekly said he’s a 12-to-1 long shot to be the next American Idol. Rolling Stone doubted he’d be among the final six.

The boy needs to show charisma, said Rolling Stone.

Yamin, in a telephone interview he did upon making the final 12, said he’s just fine with being the underdog.

“I’m amazed that I have been able to escape the cuts so far. It’s surreal.”

While his fame grows with every round, Yamin, who’s been belting out songs since he was 5, keeps telling himself to stay grounded. “I’m never content with how I’ve performed, never really satisfied. I believe my best is yet to come.”

As “American Idol” charges into the finale on May 24, Yamin’s competitors include Kellie Pickler , Katharine McPhee , Bennett , Daughtry and Taylor Hicks .

In tonight’s sing-off, Yamin and the others will draw from the songbook of the operatic Andrea Bocelli. To get the crowd at Bailey’s in the mood, Davies plans to play an hour of Bocelli’s CDs starting at

7 p.m.

Then comes “American Idol” at 8 with the long shot Elliott Yamin threatening to win it all.

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