“American Idol”'s Elliott Yamin Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Way He's Been Involved in Most Every Season (Exclusive)

"I am grateful, extremely grateful for that opportunity," the musician says of his time on the reality show in 2006

American Idol alumnus Elliott Yamin has nothing but good things to say about his time on the reality competition show — and the lifelong friendships it created.

When the Virginia-born singer competed on the series in season 5, which aired in 2006, the show was in its prime. Along with Yamin, the season kickstarted the careers of several now-known stars like Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and the late Mandisa.

Yamin, now 46, ended up placing third in the overall competition and then went on the subsequent tour with his colleagues before releasing the chart-topping single "Wait for You" from his self-titled album.

Looking back, Yamin tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that he is "grateful" for his time on the series and notes that he remains close with the other alumni, whom he refers to as an "eternal fraternity."

"My only goal auditioning for the show was to carve out a career for myself doing what I love and what I'm halfway good at, and what I'm passionate about," he shares.

He adds that the show afforded him "not just that opportunity, but so many more opportunities that I hadn't even had the chance to dream about yet."

Related: 11 American Idol Contestants with Famous Relatives

Being an alumni of the show is something Yamin "never shied away from," despite the potential stigmas some might worry it could bring to a music career.

"I felt like early on a lot of people may not have taken artists that would come off the show seriously, which was fine by me, because I wasn't pursuing a career in music at the time," he says.

Over the years, the long-running reality competition has transformed into a curator for the next generation of talent and has discovered massive performers who have gone on to become household names, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert.

For Yamin, it is the show’s great vibes and tenured crew that draws him back. "I am still close with most of the people from our season and a lot of the people from behind the scenes — some of the producers are still there. Some of the same camera guys are still there," he says. "People who have worked on the show, they just never leave. That's probably a testament to how well they treat everybody and how they look out for one another. We are just sort of in this eternal fraternity, if you will, and I'm proud to be a part of it.”

The singer, who is currently on tour with the Lao Tizer Band in support of their new collaborative album Amplify, shares that he has had recent run-ins with his season alumni Bucky Covington, Daughtry and winner Taylor Hicks.

"There are too many stories," he says when asked about the friendly interactions. "I just got a random call from Bucky Covington. He was one of our country singers. He called to remind me of a time that popped into his head from when we were on the show."

Yamin recalls a time when he and Covington "were just looking to get out of the bubble for a minute" while competing on the reality show and decided to hitch a ride to Venice Beach with his dad, who was a cab driver at the time.

"My pops came and scooped us up and took us to Venice Beach for the day. We hung out and then he picked us up. I was one of our first L.A. experiences as adults, and it was a lot of fun," he says of the core memory.

He also recalls attending a March Madness basketball game in Los Angeles with his "dear friend" Hicks; bumping into Daughtry at a Las Vegas Airport in 2023 when they were both traveling for gigs; and being roommates with season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis.

"No one else in the world will ever know that feeling and know what that experience was like, except for us. So we'll always have that bond," the musician says.

Related: American Idol Winners: Who Won Each Season and Where Are They Now?

Knowing that, Yamin feels an urge to return to the set to mentor each new season of singers.

"I made it a point every single season to go back and go backstage and go into the green rooms and talk with all the Idols and all the hopefuls," he says. "I share my experience with them and encourage them. That was always really special to me.

He continues, "I love to impart any kind of wisdom I can. I answer questions and just let them know I'm rooting for everyone. It has been really special to be a part of that and now I'm an elder serving other states of the fraternity."

Since Yamin's run on American Idol, he has released several studio albums and embarked on multiple tours — many of which he says still attract fans from his time on the show.

Along with dropping new music, Yamin is partnering with non-profit charity Movember to advocate for men’s health this fall.

"I am a father of a young girl who's four-and-a-half now. Time has never seemed to be more fleeting than it is once you become a parent. I want to be around as long as I can, to experience life with her," he says. "I know that men are often stigmatized as being a little stubborn when it comes to discussing health. Going to get checked up, taking care of their health in general. I'm guilty of that too, if I'm being honest."

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Through his many experiences, Yamin still deeply values the special feeling of performing on stage. "Not to sound so cliche, but when I'm on stage, I feel just absolutely untouchable," he says.

"Nothing could go wrong ... There are times when I take it for granted. I think it's natural to do that. Everyone does that, but I try not to. I try to really practice gratitude, and there's no other way to really experience that than when you're on stage."

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