EJay Day

Last updated

EJay Day
EJay Day on MS Veendam (Close-Up).jpg
Day singing on the MS Veendam cruise liner in 2012.
Background information
Birth nameEarl Day Jr.
Born (1981-09-13) September 13, 1981 (age 42)
Origin Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States
Genres R&B, pop
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Years active1999–present

Earl "EJay" Day Jr. (born September 13, 1981) is an American singer and songwriter, who placed tenth during the first season of American Idol . Originally not chosen to advance into the voting rounds, Day was brought back to replace another contestant who had lied about his age. After being voted through the semi-finals into the top ten, Day became the first finalist in American Idol history to be eliminated from the competition. Prior to appearing on the Fox reality series, Day helped write the song "Pure Love" for Raven-Symoné's album Undeniable and placed in the top 20 on Popstars: USA .

Contents

Day went on to participate in the 2002 American Idols LIVE! tour and throughout the following year made several appearances at charity events. He toured again in 2003, as part of a promotional campaign called Coca-Cola's Behind the Scenes With American Idol – a tour in which various American Idol finalists performed in select shopping malls throughout the country. A recording of Day singing Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" is included on American Idol: Greatest Moments . This compilation album of all the first season finalists was released in 2002 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Although Day has never released a full album, he collaborated with his fellow American Idol first season finalist AJ Gil on a single in 2003. The song, "Calling All Angels", was written for and released through the charity organization Give Kids the World. Day and Gil first performed this song in Pasadena, California's New Year's Day Rose Parade. Later that year, Day released his own single, "Come Into My World", which attained limited airplay in Atlanta, Georgia. A full album of the same title was set to be released around 2006, but has never been made available.

Leading up to and then following his run on American Idol, Day has had a career performing on cruise ships – most notably ones operated by Royal Caribbean and Holland America. Day has also been cast in several stage productions over the years. His social media accounts contain several original songs that have never been commercially released.

Early life and career beginnings

Earl Day Jr., known professionally as EJay Day, [1] [2] originally hails from Lawrenceville, Georgia. [1] [3] [4] [5] The youngest of four children, [2] his parents, Earl Sr. and Gilda, were employed by Corporate Environments at the time of Day's American Idol appearance. [6] Day took to singing in church at an early age. [2] [7] He would later credit this experience with helping to develop his vocal abilities, saying that it taught him how to "sing parts and harmonies". [7] Before long, Day began performing in larger venues. [2] He signed with a talent agency known as Hot Shot Kids/Teens in Atlanta, which also represented Tamyra Gray and Diana DeGarmo, two other local artists who would also go on to become American Idol finalists. [7] At the age of twelve, Day sang the National Anthem before an Atlanta Braves game. [2] According to the bio on Day's (now-defunct) official website, he had found a large audience by the age of fifteen, performing for several notable officials and celebrity figures, such as President George Bush, former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Hank Aaron, Andre Agassi, and Muhammad Ali. Day purportedly performed for Ali numerous times, "at book-signing events and other receptions [held in Ali's] honor." [4]

In 1999, Day graduated from Central Gwinnett High School. [8] The same year, he shared songwriting credit for the track "Pure Love" on Raven-Symoné's album Undeniable . [4] [9] [10] At the time of his American Idol audition, Day was employed as a singer and dancer at Six Flags Over Georgia. [11] [12] [13] He also found work singing on a cruise liner [6] [14] and was cast in multiple musicals. [14] Prior to appearing on the Fox reality series, Day participated in the second season of Popstars: USA , [2] [8] placing in the Top 20. [2]

American Idol

Day auditioned for American Idol in Atlanta, Georgia, [14] [15] singing "Get Here" by Oleta Adams. [16] He was twenty years old at the time. [1] [2] [8] Although initially cut from the competition prior to the voting rounds, he advanced into the semi-finals, after another contestant, Delano Cagnolatti, was disqualified. Anyone over the age of twenty-four was not allowed to audition that season, [lower-alpha 1] and it was discovered that Cagnolatti, then twenty-nine, had lied in an attempt to escape the cut-off. [8] [12] [18] [19]

"I had 45 minutes to pack for the flight, I had to practice on the plane singing the song in my head and then the airline lost my luggage...Vocally, I was happy with my performance, but I thought my face looked frozen."

EJay Day, commenting on his American Idol semi-final performance of "I'll Be" [2]

Placed into Group 3 for the Top 30 semi-finals, Day performed "I'll Be", by Edwin McCain. [8] [16] [19] [20] Although he had less time to prepare than the other contestants, [2] he received positive remarks from the judges and was voted through to the top ten. [2] [16] [21] For the first round of the finals, each contestant was instructed to sing a Motown song. Day selected "My Girl", by The Temptations. [11] [13] [19] Although he was once again praised by all three judges (and even called best of the night up to that point by Randy Jackson), [11] [lower-alpha 2] Day received the lowest number of votes that week and became the first finalist ever eliminated from American Idol. [13] [20] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [lower-alpha 3]

Day's performances with American Idol have caused a divergence of opinions among music critics. Following Day's elimination from the competition, Jessica Shaw of Entertainment Weekly concurred with the contestant's low placement, criticizing his fashion – "EJay could have been voted off simply for wearing that 'Please, sir, I want some more' Oliver Twist cap" – and his song choice that week – "Of all the Motown songs, did he have to pick one that’s been covered to death?" [13] Day's recorded rendition of "I'll Be", on the American Idol: Greatest Moments album, earned a better reaction however, prompting another writer with the publication, Jon Caramanica, to declare that Day "got robbed". [27] Dave Wedge of The Boston Herald also singled out "I'll Be" as a highlight on the album, writing that Day "show[s] personality along with some polish". [28] Wedge considered Day's track superior to those included on the album of that season's runner-up contestant, Justin Guarini. [28] In a review for The Herald News , Chuck Campbell was largely critical of the album and wrote that Day "bumbles along" on the track. [29] He nonetheless considered Day's vocals to be emotionally well-conveyed. [29]

"No one has sung better than that today; no one. You did great, brilliant...what else can I say? You just sung your heart out."

Simon Cowell praising Day's American Idol semi-final performance of "I'll Be". [16]

Ranking the sixteen most notable Georgians to ever appear on American Idol, Rodney Ho of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution placed Day in the twelfth spot. [lower-alpha 4] He wrote that Day's live rendition of "I'll Be", performed during the semi-finals, had "some tonal issues", but was mostly in key. [20] In a 2013 retrospective feature by PopCrush, Cristin Maher wrote that Day displayed "sweet" and "smooth" vocals while on the series. [19] Boston Herald writer Amy Amatangelo gained the impression that Day should have gone on further in the competition, after seeing his group medley performance in the first-season finale. [30] A year after Day's run on American Idol, Simon Cowell reflected, "[EJay Day] could outsing Justin Guarini any day of the week, but he had just an average feel about him." [31]

Day's involvement with the 2002 American Idols LIVE! tour also elicited varied reactions. Ho concluded that Day gave a better performance on this tour than some of the higher ranked contestants, [20] calling Day's voice "the best of guys'". [32] Day's performance in this setting was considered "barely audible" by Amatangelo, but she nonetheless complimented it for being "energetic". [33] Writing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Chicago Sun-Times respectively, Kevin C. Johnson and Jim Derogatis were considerably less positive in their reviews. [34] [35] Johnson criticized the "harshly cut wig and thick makeup" that Day wore on the tour, while describing Day's performance in the set as "style over substance". [34] Derogatis called Day's performance "completely forgettable". Offering up his own ranking of the ten finalists, Derogatis readjusted several positions, but still placed Day in last. [35]

Performances

EpisodeThemeSong choiceOriginal artistOrderResult
AuditionContestant's Choice"Get Here" Oleta Adams N/AAdvanced
HollywoodContestant's ChoiceGet Here [16] Oleta AdamsN/AEliminated 1
Top 30Contestant's Choice"I'll Be" Edwin McCain 7Advanced
Top 10 Motown "My Girl" The Temptations 4Eliminated

Post-Idol

Day performing on the cruise ship MS Veendam in 2012 (with an unidentified guitar player on his left) EJay Day on MS Veendam, with unidentified guitar player.jpg
Day performing on the cruise ship MS Veendam in 2012 (with an unidentified guitar player on his left)

Less than a month after American Idol's first season finale, Day reunited with the top thirty contestants to perform in the two-hour American Idol in Las Vegas TV special. Day then participated through October and November in the 2002 American Idols LIVE! tour, along with his fellow top ten finalists. [4] [6] [14] [19] [36] Each of this tour's thirty shows was opened by Day singing Janet Jackson's "Black Cat". [4] [37] [38] To usher in 2003, Day performed in Pasadena, California's New Year's Day Rose Parade. [6] [19] Paired with eighth place finalist AJ Gil on a float for Give Kids the World, [39] [40] the two sang "Calling All Angels", [39] a song which had been specifically written for the charity organization. [41] The band OTown also participated in this float. [40] Day and Gil would subsequently perform "Calling All Angels" at an Orlando, Florida fundraising gala in June [41] [42] and release this duet as a single through Give Kids the World. [39] [41] [43] Later that year, Day participated in further fundraising events, such as the Hollywood Knights Season Wrap Party in Los Angeles [40] [44] [45] [lower-alpha 5] and NSYNC's Challenge for the Children event in Miami. [40] [49] Throughout the Spring, Day participated in Coca-Cola's Behind the Scenes With American Idol promotional tour, in which he and a selection of other finalists from the first two seasons of the series performed in shopping malls owned by the Simon Property Group. [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] Around this time, Day also performed the National Anthem for a variety of professional Georgia sports teams, such as the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers. [57] [58] In November, Day performed along with Edwin McCain and American Idol second season finalist Vanessa Olivarez in a tree lighting ceremony at the World of Coca-Cola. [59]

The MS Veendam, a cruise ship on which Day has often performed MS Veendam.jpg
The MS Veendam, a cruise ship on which Day has often performed

Shortly after appearing on American Idol, Day returned to performing on cruise ships. [5] [40] [54] Between 2005 and 2006, it was reported that he had been performing on two different ships operated by Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas . [54] By 2011, Day had established a musical act performing on Holland America's MS Veendam. [60] Day has also been cast in several low-profile theatrical productions. [5] It has been suggested by PopCrush, that Day may have continued performing for Muhammad Ali, [19] extending his purported pre-Idol history with the iconic boxer. [4]

The American Idol: Greatest Moments album, released October 1, 2002, features a recorded version of Day singing Edwin McCain's "I'll Be". [14] [61] The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. [14] Although Day has never released a debut album of his own, he remarked during his American Idol run that he would likely title such an album Fire or Eye Candy. [3] [62] Following his elimination from the series, Day elaborated to Billboard that his dream would be to collaborate with The Neptunes on music similar to that of Britney Spears. [12] Five months later, People magazine reported that Day was recording "demo tapes", [63] and the following April, Day told Orlando Weekly that he had completed a song called "Come Into My World". [55] In July 2003, "Come Into My World" was released as a single. According to Day's official website, the song found airplay on two radio stations in Atlanta. [64] Currently, "Come Into My World" can be heard on Day's StarNow account, along with another original song, "My Lovin's Too Good Too Wait". [65] Day's MySpace page included two additional tracks, "Just Let Go" and "One Good Beat", which can no longer be heard due to MySpace accidentally deleting millions of songs. [66] [67]

In September 2006, it was reported by Gwinnett Daily Post that Day had recorded a full album. Evoking Day's single from three years earlier, this album would have been titled Come into My World. Although unreleased, the album was said to contain original songs, mixing R&B with pop. The publication was told by Day that "many of the songs were inspired by his experiences performing on cruise ships." [5] Day's official website noted that the album's songs were written by Day himself, Charlie Morgan, and Georgi Ivanov. [4]

The LGBT publication Baltimore OUTloud reported in 2012 that dance music artists known as the Perry Twins were writing and producing new music for Day, although nothing more was said about Day in this article. [68] Two years later, on September 4, 2014, Day uploaded a song titled "Need You in My Life" to his YouTube channel. In the description, Day called this the first song on which he understood the "meaning [of] songwriting" and noted that it was inspired by a relationship in which he and the other person had to part ways, in spite of their strong feelings for one another. [69] "Time was not on our side. It's usually like that for me...[but maybe], just maybe we would meet again", Day wrote about the song. [69]

Discography

Singles

YearSingleAlbum
2003"Calling All Angels" (with AJ Gil)Non-album single
"Come Into My World"Non-album single
N/A"My Lovings Too Good Too Wait"Non-album single
"Just Let Go"Non-album single
"One Good Beat"Non-album single
2014"Need You in My Life"Non-album single

Compilation appearances

YearTitlePeak chart positionsDetails
US
2002 American Idol: Greatest Moments 4Credited on the following tracks:

Footnotes

  1. American Idol's cut-off age would be raised to twenty-eight in later seasons. [17]
  2. Day performed fourth that night, following Ryan Starr, R.J. Helton, and Nikki McKibbin. [11]
  3. Two finalists were voted off from American Idol that week. Day was the first to be eliminated, followed by Jim Verraros. [13] [20] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]
  4. The list was not based purely on singing abilities. Host Ryan Seacrest was given the top spot, and Larry Platt – who auditioned, but never became an official contestant – was ranked ninth. [20]
  5. Hollywood Knights raises money for high schools through basketball games played between celebrity figures and school faculties. "Up-and-coming" musical artists are featured during the half-time shows, [46] [47] and additional celebrity figures are invited to attend the season wrap party in June. Day was merely invited as a guest. [45] [48]

Related Research Articles

<i>American Idol</i> American singing competition

American Idol is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to April 7, 2016, for 15 seasons. It was on hiatus for two years until March 11, 2018, when a revival of the series began airing on ABC.

James Conrad Verraros is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the first season of American Idol. Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American Sign Language and gained notoriety on American Idol for signing the lyrics to his audition song. After competing on the series, he released three pop rock, dance albums with music producer and songwriter Gabe Lopez. Verraros was also featured on the 2002 compilation album American Idol: Greatest Moments, covering "Easy" by the Commodores – this album reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart.

Anatoliy Vladimirovich "Anthony" Fedorov is an American singer and actor who is former lead singer for the Chicago band 7th Heaven. He rose to fame as the fourth place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of American Idol premiered on Monday, January 19, 2004, and continued until May 26, 2004. The third season was won by Fantasia Barrino, who defeated Diana DeGarmo by an approximate margin of 2% ; the vote total was then the highest recorded vote total in the show's history. This season also featured future EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh in the competition.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003, and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Ryan Seacrest therefore became the lone host beginning with the second season.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of American Idol premiered on June 11, 2002, and continued until September 4, 2002. The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, the latter of whom left the show after the season ended. Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson served as judges. Kelly Clarkson won the competition, defeating Justin Guarini, who finished in second place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris Bennett</span> American singer (born 1988)

Paris Ana'is Bennett is an American singer who finished in fifth place on the fifth season of the reality television talent show, American Idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Daughtry</span> American musician and American Idol contestant

Christopher Adam Daughtry is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth season of American Idol. Released by RCA Records, Daughtry's self-titled debut album became the fastest selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history, selling more than one million copies within five weeks of release. The album was recorded before the band was officially formed, making him the only official member present on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Phillips</span> American singer-songwriter and actor

Phillip LaDon Phillips Jr. is an American musician and singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning the eleventh season of American Idol in 2012. His coronation song, "Home", became the best-selling song in American Idol history.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 6) Season of television series

The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host. A new record of 74 million votes were cast in the finale round, and a new record of 609 million votes were cast in the entire season. Jordin Sparks won the competition, while Blake Lewis was the runner-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Gwinnett High School</span> Public high school in Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States

Central Gwinnett High School is a public high school in Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. The school is operated by Gwinnett County Public Schools. Jordan Middle School and Moore Middle School are its feeders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Johns (singer)</span> Australian singer (1978–2014)

Michael Johns was an Australian singer who finished in eighth place on the seventh season of American Idol, in 2008. In 2009, he released a music album, Hold Back My Heart, which sold 20,000 copies. Johns died on 1 August 2014, at the age of 35 of dilated cardiomyopathy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Idols Live! Tour 2002</span> 2002 concert tour

The American Idols Live! Tour 2002 was a fall concert tour featuring the top ten contestants of the inaugural season of American Idol, which aired earlier that year. The tour visited 30 cities across the United States starting October 8, 2002 in San Diego, and became the template for concerts tours following each of the succeeding American Idol seasons. Select performances of Clarkson are also released in the Miss Independent DVD album in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Alaina</span> American singer and songwriter

Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth is an American singer and songwriter from Rossville, Georgia. She was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower, was released on October 11, 2011. Her second album, Road Less Traveled, was released January 27, 2017. Alaina later achieved her first number one on the Country Airplay chart with the album's title track. Her second number one came later that year when she simultaneously topped five Billboard charts with her friend and former classmate Kane Brown on their duet "What Ifs". In addition to this song with Brown, Alaina became an in-demand duet vocalist throughout the next few years, appearing on number one collaborations with Hardy, Devin Dawson, and Dustin Lynch. Her third studio album, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, was released on September 3, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Durbin (singer)</span> American singer and guitarist

James William Durbin is an American singer and guitarist from Santa Cruz, California, who finished in fourth place on the tenth season of American Idol in 2011. Durbin was the lead singer for heavy metal band Quiet Riot from 2017 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candice Glover</span> American singer and actress

Candice Rickelle Glover is an American R&B singer and actress who won the twelfth season of American Idol. Glover is the first winner to have auditioned three times before being cast for the live shows. Her debut album Music Speaks was released on February 18, 2014.

Richard Jason Helton is an American Contemporary Christian music artist, who first came to prominence as the fifth place finalist on the first season of American Idol. The first Wild Card contestant in the history of the series, he initially failed to reach the Top 10, but was brought back by the judges to compete in the finals. In 2004, he released the album Real Life with GospoCentric Records, which peaked at #14 on the Billboard Christian Music chart.

MacKenzie Richard Bourg is an American singer-songwriter originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. He was placed fourth in the fifteenth season of the reality show American Idol. Prior to appearing on American Idol, Bourg competed in the third season of The Voice.

Abner Juda Gil is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed eighth during the first season of American Idol. Following his participation on the Fox reality series, he released two mixtapes, as well as several standalone singles. He also starred in the 2005 independent film Destination Fame. Throughout his career, Gil has collaborated with a variety of artists. He was the first Latino to ever place on American Idol, and several of his songs are in Spanish.

Dibesh Pokharel, known by his stage name Arthur Gunn, is a Nepalese-born American singer-songwriter from Wichita, Kansas, who came to national attention in 2020 as the runner-up finalist on the eighteenth season of the singing reality show American Idol. He started singing in 2014, and is known for his "textured, sandpapery" vocals. He released his eight-song debut album, Grahan, in early 2018. He released another album, KHOJ, in 2019 with singles including "Ma," "Khoj" and "Karnali ."

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dodd, Aileen D. (July 8, 2002). "Superstar search creates instant celebrities". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Atlanta, Georgia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Dodd, Aileen D. (July 9, 2002). "'Idol' performer the next Michael Jackson? – Singer thrives in spotlight". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia.
  3. 1 2 American Idol staff. "American Idol: Season 1 Contestants – Ejay Day". americanidol.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2006.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "EJay Day Biography" (Press release). EJay Online. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gwinnett Daily Post staff (September 30, 2006). "EJay Day, Tamyra Gray return to TV as 'Idol' enters syndication". Gwinnett Daily Post . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Dodd, Aileen D. (January 21, 2003). "'Idol' star basks in limelight's afterglow". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia.
  7. 1 2 3 Fernandez, Don (March 6, 2004). "Rising stars have humble beginnings: 'American Idol' territory – A talented slew of singing sensations proves that success lives here". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta Georgia.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Rodney Ho (July 16, 2002). "Trio of locals going for big break as 'Idol' finalists". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on September 21, 2002.
  9. Stephen Thomas Erlewine (April 27, 1999). "Raven-Symoné – Undeniable". Allmusic . Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  10. Ken Barnes; Bill Keveney (January 10, 2008). "Idol reflections: Six years of rhythm and remembrance". USA Today . Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Top 10 Perform". American Idol . Season 1. Episode 10. July 16, 2002. Fox Broadcasting Network.
  12. 1 2 3 Hay, Carla (August 3, 2002). "'American Idol' Weds Reality TV and Music". Billboard . New York City: Prometheus Global Media. p. 65. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Jessica Shaw (July 4, 2003). "EJay and Jim get booted – but where's Simon?". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alan K. Stout (November 1, 2002). "EJay Has His Day – Top Performers at Arena Tonight". Times Leader . Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  15. Rodney Ho (October 28, 2002). "2002 flashback: Atlanta 'Idol' season 2 auditions include mile-long line". RadioTVTalk. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Top 30: Group 3". American Idol. Season 1. Episode 7. July 2, 2002. Fox Broadcasting Company.
  17. Nellie Andreeva (June 21, 2010). "'American Idol' Lowers Eligibility Age Limit". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  18. Zap2it staff (January 22, 2003). "Television news briefs". Zap2it . Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2016 via HighBeam.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cristin Maher (April 25, 2013). "See the Top 10 Contestants from Season 1 of 'American Idol' Then and Now". PopCrush . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rodney Ho (April 4, 2016). "Top 13 Georgians on 'American Idol' over 15 years". RadioTVTalk. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  21. "Top 30: Group 3 results". American Idol. Season 1. Episode 8. July 3, 2002. Fox Broadcasting Company.
  22. 1 2 "Top 10 Results". American Idol. Season 1. Episode 11. July 17, 2002. Fox Broadcasting Company.
  23. 1 2 Monica Collins (July 23, 2002). "'Idol' curiosity; Fox's talent show captures public's fancy as final rounds begin.(Arts and Lifestyle)". The Boston Herald . Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2016 via HighBeam.
  24. 1 2 Mark Perigard (July 24, 2002). "Arts & TV in Brief.(Arts and Lifestyle)". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2016 via HighBeam.
  25. 1 2 Rick Porter (July 18, 2002). "America Voted – and 2 'Idol' Contestants Are Gone". Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 20, 2003.
  26. 1 2 Rushfield, Richard (January 18, 2011). American Idol: The Untold Story. New York City: Hachette Books. ISBN   9781401396527.
  27. Jon Caramanica (October 18, 2002). "American Idol: Greatest Moments". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  28. 1 2 Dave Wedge (October 18, 2002). "Only fans will 'Idol'ize show's CD.(Scene)". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2016 via Highbeam.
  29. 1 2 Chuck Campbell (October 17, 2002). "CD reviews". The Herald News . Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  30. Amy Amatangelo (September 5, 2002). "Singing waitress serves up a winner.(Arts and Lifestyle)". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2016 via HighBeam.
  31. Rodney Ho (November 22, 2003). "Simon strikes back". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  32. Ho, Rodney (October 22, 2002). "Pop Review: 'Idol' ensemble offers passable entertainment". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia.
  33. Amy Amatangelo (October 30, 2002). "Idols make grasp for stardom.(Arts and Lifestyle)". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2016 via HighBeam.
  34. 1 2 Kevin C. Johnson (November 7, 2002). "Corny "American Idols" Showcases Almost-Knowns". St. Louis Post-Dispatch .
  35. 1 2 Jim Derogatis (October 18, 2002). "Sizing up the top 10 idols". The Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2016 via HighBeam.
  36. Gil Kaufman (August 30, 2002). "'American Idol' Finalists Plan Arena Tour, Compilation Album". MTV . Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  37. Corey Moss (October 9, 2002). "American Idols Take on 'NSYNC, en Vogue at Tour Opener". MTV. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  38. Sean Piccoli (October 25, 2002). "Idols Croon in Sunrise". Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  39. 1 2 3 Give Kids the World staff. "Calling All Angels CD". Give Kids the World . Archived from the original on July 5, 2004.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 "EJay Rocks Schedule" (Press release). EJay Rocks. Archived from the original on August 16, 2003.
  41. 1 2 3 Melanie Oast; Jennifer Reed (June 6, 2003). "EJay World". ejayrocks.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2004.
  42. Scott Maxwell (June 15, 2003). "Talk About Your Fashion Court". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  43. Give Kids the World staff (June 21, 2003). "Give Kids the World Village". Give Kids the World. Archived from the original on June 21, 2003.
  44. Melanie Oast; Jennifer Reed (June 17, 2003). "EJay World". ejayrocks.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2004.
  45. 1 2 "Hollywood Knights Season Wrap Party 2003 – Celebrity Confirmations" (Press release). Hollywood Knights. Archived from the original on August 27, 2003.
  46. "Hollywood Knights – About Us" (Press release). Hollywood Knights. Archived from the original on August 31, 2003.
  47. Allen, Karie (January 2003). "School getting ready for celebrity basketball game". The Press-Enterprise . Moreno Valley, California. Archived from the original on November 8, 2007.
  48. "Hollywood Knights Celebrity Basketball Team Season Wrap Party 2003" (Press release). Hollywood Knights. Archived from the original on August 27, 2003.
  49. Melanie Oast; Jennifer Reed (July 23, 2003). "EJay World". ejayrocks.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2004.
  50. "Coca-Cola 'Behind-The-Scenes With. American Idol' Tour Kicks Off" (Press release). Simon Property Group. April 3, 2003. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  51. "'American Idol' tour to appear at Orland mall" (Press release). The Herald-News. April 24, 2003. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2016 via HighBeam.
  52. Fernandez, Don (May 2, 2003). "Mall presents 'Idol' stars, karaoke, too". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia.
  53. Ted Cox (April 24, 2003). "In the air.(Suburban Living)". Daily Herald . Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2016 via HighBeam.
  54. 1 2 3 Tom O'Konowitz (May 24, 2005). "Other 'Idol' Hopefuls Staying Busy, Too". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2016 via HighBeam.
  55. 1 2 Billy Manes (April 17, 2003). "False idols". Orlando Weekly . Archived from the original on October 19, 2003.
  56. Gary Susman (May 1, 2003). "Ousted Idol contestants launch mall tour". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  57. "EJay Day Singing National Anthem on December 2" (Press release). Atlanta Hawks. November 26, 2003. Archived from the original on February 17, 2004.
  58. Melanie Oast; Jennifer Reed (September 10, 2003). "EJay World". ejayrocks.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2004.
  59. Montse Knowlton (November 27, 2003). "Calendar – Christmas Events". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  60. Rachel Naud (February 17, 2011). "Thirtysomethings find fun at sea with the grandparent set". Montreal Gazette . Postmedia Network . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  61. "RCA Records to Release American Idol: Greatest Moments on October 1" (PDF) (Press release). RCA Records. September 19, 2002. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  62. Mark Franklin. "EJay Day's Idol performances". The York Dispatch . Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  63. People staff (December 30, 2002). "Sequels: American Dreamers". People . Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  64. Melanie Oast; Jennifer Reed (July 15, 2003). "EJay World". ejayrocks.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2004.
  65. EJay Day. "EJay Day – Actor, Musician". StarNow. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  66. EJay Day. "EJay Day Music". MySpace . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  67. Daniel Kreps (March 18, 2019). "Myspace Lost All Music Uploaded to Site Prior to 2015". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  68. Hogan, Tye (June 1, 2012). "Double Your Fun with the Perry Twins" (PDF). Baltimore OUTloud. Baltimore, Maryland: Pride Media. p. 18. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  69. 1 2 EJay Day (September 4, 2014). "Need You In My Life by EJay Day". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2016.