44 Facts About Jim Verraros

James Conrad Verraros was born on February 8,1983 and is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the first season of American Idol.

Jim Verraros was the first American Idol finalist to come out, and he remained the series' only publicly gay finalist for over three years.

Jim Verraros released his official debut album, Rollercoaster, through independent label Koch Records in 2005.

Some songs from Rollercoaster had previously been featured on a demo album, Unsaid and Understood, which Jim Verraros had self-released through mp3.

Jim Verraros had a starring role in the first two installments of the gay comedy film franchise Eating Out, and he had a cameo in Another Gay Movie.

Jim Verraros stayed involved with American Idol-related projects for several years.

In 2007, Jim Verraros released a non-album single about his then-to-be husband, Bill Brennan; the song, "You Make It Better", was featured in the second Eating Out film.

Jim Verraros subsequently served as executive vice president of Brennan's organization, Bridal Expo Chicago and Bridal Expo Milwaukee.

Jim Verraros was born on February 8,1983, in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

Jim Verraros was raised to be fluent in American Sign Language.

Around the age of twelve or thirteen, Jim Verraros realized that he is gay.

Some people thought that he had developed an eating disorder, and Jim Verraros later acknowledged that he most likely did.

Jim Verraros later said that he had only tried out "for fun" and without any expectations.

In 2020, Lythoe and Jim Verraros spoke together on a podcast and shared their own memories of the "judge's cut", clarifying that it actually occurred on the performance night rather than the results night.

Jim Verraros won a coin toss against Kelly Clarkson, who wanted to sing "Get Ready", but he switched course upon considering how much of the song is in falsetto.

Two contestants were voted off that week, and Jim Verraros was the second eliminated, following EJay Day.

Amy Amatangelo of the Boston Herald wrote that Jim Verraros "lacked stage presence" and Eric Deggans of St Petersburg Times called Jim Verraros "obviously overmatched" among the other first season finalists.

About a month after being voted out of the top ten on American Idol's first season, Jim Verraros joined thirteen other former contestants from the series to perform at various events in Northwest Indiana.

Jim Verraros participated in a group medley during American Idol's first season finale and a few weeks later, he reunited with all of the series' top thirty contestants for the American Idol in Las Vegas TV special.

Jim Verraros actually came up to me at a show and said, 'Simon, I've got something to tell you.

The Advocate, an American LGBT-interest magazine, discovered this journal while Jim Verraros was on the series and contacted Fox with an interview request for the contestant.

Jim Verraros later explained to The Advocate that his journal had been removed because Fox did not want it to give him an unfair advantage in the competition.

In November 2002, Jim Verraros was named as one of "2002's Most Intriguing People" by Out, another LGBT-interest magazine.

Jim Verraros moved to Los Angeles after the American Idol tour and was turned down by several agencies.

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and music producer Gabe Lopez reached out to Jim Verraros, after hearing American Idol: Greatest Moments.

Unsigned to a record label, Jim Verraros self-released his debut album, Unsaid and Understood, in 2003.

Around the same time that Verraros was recording Unsaid and Understood, Q Allan Brocka, an American Idol fan, cast Verraros as Kyle in his 2004 gay-themed comedy Eating Out.

Jim Verraros then pursued a record deal in the United Kingdom, hoping that British labels would be more willing to work with an openly gay artist, although nothing materialized from this.

Jim Verraros sent Koch Records a demo tape and was signed to the label within a week.

Several publications noted that Jim Verraros went through a significant image change between his time on American Idol and the release of Rollercoaster.

Jim Verraros explained that he had "come into [himself]" during that time, having improved his figure and become more involved within the LGBT community.

Shortly after releasing Rollercoaster, Jim Verraros moved back to Crystal Lake, where he lived with his family for a time.

Jim Verraros participated in several local events around Chicago during this time and performed in multiple pride events, including the LA Pride and Chicago Pride parades.

Twice in the mid-2000s, Jim Verraros was called a "gay icon" by the Chicago Sun-Times, first in 2004, and again in 2006.

The New York Post noted in 2006 that Jim Verraros had "gained a cult following" due to his role in Eating Out.

Jim Verraros returned to the role of Kyle in Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds, which filmed during the Summer of 2006 and screened in several film festivals, before receiving a theatrical release on November 22.

Once again, Jim Verraros was named to Out magazine's "Most Intriguing People" list for that year.

In November 2006, it was reported that Jim Verraros was living in East Dundee, Illinois, with his long-time boyfriend.

Jim Verraros's story makes me cry, when he realized that even though the whole country was cheering for him because they loved his voice, the two people that he loved the most would never be able to hear him sing.

Jim Verraros wrote that the song "is overdone with heavy beats and crowding vocals".

In November 2009, Jim Verraros served as a judge for Rialto Idol, a singing competition held by the Rialto Square Theatre for the ComEd Festival of Trees.

On September 6,2009, Jim Verraros married Bill Brennan in their shared home state of Illinois.

In 2006, Jim Verraros signed an endorsement deal to serve as spokesman for the business; he eventually became executive vice president.

Kelly Clarkson and Jim Verraros maintained a friendship after competing on American Idol together, and Jim Verraros helped design the headpiece that Clarkson wore for her 2013 wedding.