Beyond 'Idol:' Before Asheville show,

His MySpace page tells readers, “Sing like Yamin it!” and that’s exactly what Elliott Yamin has been doing lately.

Having to quickly overcome his shyness, the former “American Idol” contestant has been touring for months in support of his self-titled debut album. His first single from the album, “Wait for You,” has been a radio hit and his second single, “One Word,” was released on radio in October.

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We caught up with Yamin to talk about his days since “Idol,” his new album and other things you may not know about him. Yamin will perform Saturday at

The Orange Peel.

Question: It’s been a year and a half since the show. What’s been your favorite part since the show?

Answer: Everything is exciting. I love to tour, I love being out on the road. The most exciting thing to me is just having music that I call my own and being able to go out and perform it every night. And just giving it back to the fans.

Q: Do you think you’re better off having not won “American Idol”?

A: Yes, I do. I’ve been able to do my own thing on my own terms. If I had won, I don’t think I would have been able to do the things I’m doing now. I’m a business guy now. I’ve gotten the chance to do some real hands-on stuff and learn about how this stuff works, and I’m a partner in every sense of the word of my whole project.

Q: You co-wrote five songs on your album. Had you ever written songs before?

A: I hadn’t really written before. That’s one of the things I’m really going to be trying to work on. I’d love to have a hit one day that I wrote.

Q: How was the writing process for you?

A: It was easy. The studio is like my haven. That’s where I get to be me and get to be kind of myself. That’s where I get to let all of the creative juices flow. I loved every second of it. I can’t wait to get back into it.

Q: I’ve read that you’ve held 46 or 47 jobs. What’s the strangest job you’ve ever held?

A: One of the strangest jobs I had was when I worked at Shoney’s, when I was a kid. They have a mascot, the Shoney Bear. It’s this big bear suit. Big old head, big body suit that you wear. I would sit outside on the corner, in front of the restaurant and I would wave at people. I would do this for sometimes four, five or six hours straight. That was my gig. That was the second job I ever had. I was like 16. Eventually, I actually moved up to dishwasher.

Q: What charity organizations are you involved with?

A: I’ve been doing a lot of work with the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). I’m all over the diabetic map. Right now, there’s a program called Life for a Child. I’m selling these T-shirts and a pin at my shows. We’re trying to raise money to help bring insulin to diabetic children in 13 different countries all over the world. In my situation, I’m a Type 1 diabetic, and I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without insulin. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the T-shirt and pin sales are going to the charity. Hopefully, one of these days, I’ll be able to go to these countries, visit these children and go make a difference personally.

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