Party with 'Idol'
Former contestant sings three songs in backyard in Chester

BY DOUGLAS DURDEN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Apr 7, 2007

He may have lost on "American Idol" last year. But former contestant Ace Young was winning fans last night -- at a backyard in Chester.
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Young's appearance, consisting of a miniconcert and lots of small talk, was part of a 10-city contest tour sponsored by Edy's Ice Cream. (The company has several "American Idol"-inspired flavors to promote.)

Amanda Paulette, winner of the Richmond contest, had a day's notice to invite 25 friends (we counted 30 and just as many cameras) and inform her parents they would be hosting a concert in their yard.

"I was racking my brain between family, neighbors and co-workers who would want to come on such short notice," said Paulette, 33, a production coordinator for TimesDispatch.com. "I'm not native to Richmond, so I don't know a lot of people outside of home and work."

But she did know an Elliott Yamin fan site on the Internet where she extended an invitation, which helps explain why Young was asked so many questions about Richmond's contribution to last year's competition.

Young arrived in the Chester neighborhood at 7 with his entourage of older-and-taller brother Ryan, guitarist Paul Trudeau, and a burly bodyguard.

If his goal was to charm, he succeeded.

"Love the hair," he called out to a young man with similar dark curls. He allowed a Yamin fan to take a picture of him holding Yamin's new CD.

"Where's our host?" he asked, looking for Paulette before starting the first of his three-song set with "Father Figure," a George Michael song he performed on "Idol" last year.

While Young made eye contact -- not hard to do with an audience of two dozen -- and bantered in between verses brother Ryan worked the back of the yard, inviting people to sing along.

Within minutes, the audience was doing just that, especially when Young offered an a cappella version of the chorus from Yamin's new "Movin' On."

"Does anyone have questions?" asked Young, who also performed "Scattered," a single he's released through iTunes.

They did, including one about the roommate situation on last season's show (Young and Chris Daughtry shared a room, with Yamin and Taylor Hicks across the hall), and whether he keeps up with the old crowd. "I'm going to see Mandisa tomorrow," was his way of saying yes.

"After singing for millions of people on the 'American Idol' finale, no crowd ever makes me nervous," said Young, asked what the difference was between his performances a year ago and now. "And I get to party with people in their backyard and eat ice cream."