#102 EJay Day

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 102 (or 102nd favorite) American Idol finalist EJay Day. He got 10th place on the first season of American Idol. Of the season 1 finalists, I prefer him over Jim Verraros and Nikki McKibbin. As of May 2010, EJay Day was ranked by Los Angeles Times at number 100 on their American Idol power rankings list.

Day was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on September 13, 1981. He is a day younger than American Idol season 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson.

Day was a last minute replacement in the American Idol season 1 semifinals for Delano Cagnolatti, who was disqualified for falsifying his age to escape American Idol's age cutoff, which was then 24 but now 28, since season 4. Cagnolatti stated that he was 23 years old, but he was actually 29 years old at the time of the auditions. Day was a member of the third semifinal group, and he performed "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain, which would later be performed by American Idol season 10 semifinalist Jovany Barreto. I think Barreto sung that song better than Day did. Day was voted into the top 10 alongside Nikki McKibbin and Christina Christian. However, he was the first finalist to be eliminated after performing "My Girl" by The Temptations. Later that night, Jim Verraros was eliminated, and Nikki McKibbin was also in the bottom 3.

After his stint on American Idol, Day participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002 alongside the other season 1 finalists. He opened the tour concert with a performance of "Black Cat" by Janet Jackson. He also performed many times for WBA legend Muhammad Ali, who asked him to perform at his book-singing event and other receptions held in Ali's honor. He also performed in the 2003 Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. During childhood, he was part of a church choir and did many performances including singing the U.S. National Anthem for professional sports teams based in the U.S. state of Georgia. Day co-wrote the song "Pure Love" on behalf of television actress and R&B, pop, and hip hop singer Raven-Symoné's sophomore album entitled Undeniable. He also performed aboard several of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 101 American Idol finalist. She did not sing on camera until the voting rounds. She auditioned with the song "Can't Fight for the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes. She was ranked at number 114 on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.