Jim Verraros

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist James Conrad Verraros (born February 8, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the first season of American Idol. Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American Sign Language and gained notoriety on American Idol for signing the lyrics to his audition song. After competing on the series, he released three pop rock, dance albums with music producer and songwriter Gabe Lopez. Verraros was also featured on the 2002 compilation album American Idol: Greatest Moments, covering "Easy" by the Commodores – this album reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart.

While participating in the 2002 American Idols LIVE! tour, Verraros came out as gay. He was the first American Idol finalist to come out, and he remained the series' only publicly gay finalist for over three years. Several organizations subsequently honored Verraros as an influential figure within the gay community (such as Out magazine, which named him to its "Most Intriguing People" list twice, first in 2002 and again in 2006). Throughout his music career, Verraros performed at numerous pride events. He also toured at gay clubs.

Verraros released his official debut album, Rollercoaster, through independent label Koch Records in 2005. It was accompanied by two singles and received generally positive reviews. Some of the songs from Rollercoaster had previously been featured on a demo album, Unsaid and Understood, which Verraros had self-released through mp3.com around 2003. The lead single from Rollercoaster, "You Turn It On", peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard Dance Club Play Chart.

In addition to music, Verraros pursued an acting career. He 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. He also stayed involved with American Idol-related projects for several years. In 2003, he joined with various finalists from the first two seasons of the series for a promotional tour of select shopping malls throughout the United States, and later, he co-hosted a video recap series of American Idol's seventh season for AfterElton.com.

In 2007, 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. Verraros and Brennan married in 2009. The same year as his wedding, Verraros self-released three new singles, although the accompanying second album, Do Not Disturb, was not released until 2011. Following Do Not Disturb, Verraros announced his intention to retire from music. He subsequently served as executive vice president of Brennan's organization, Bridal Expo Chicago and Bridal Expo Milwaukee. Verraros and Brennan have since separated.

Early life

Verraros was born on February 8, 1983, in Mount Prospect, Illinois. He grew up in nearby Crystal Lake.<ref name="Queercast">Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Dream Wedding">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His father, Nicholas,<ref name="Dream Wedding"/>Template:Efn and mother, Debbie,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> both lost their hearing after contracting German measles as infants.<ref name="Punk Globe">Template:Cite interview</ref> Verraros was raised to be fluent in American Sign Language. The responsibility of interpreting for his parents as a child led him to relate with people older than himself, more than he did with others his own age.<ref name="Punk Globe"/><ref name="Windy City 04">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Reflecting on his childhood, Verraros once said, "I had to do things like hold phone conversations and discuss things with doctors and even real estate agents. I had to become well-versed not only with sign language but with people skills as well...I didn't have time for bullshit."<ref name="Windy City 04"/>

Around the age of twelve or thirteen, Verraros realized that he is gay. Although he did not come out publicly until after adolescence, his sexual orientation was apparent to his classmates, who bullied him during middle school. In response, Verraros developed a more masculine appearance. In a 2003 interview, he said of the time, "I changed my image. I wore a lot of baggy jeans, I gained weight, and it was fine for a while."<ref name="Advocate Interview">Template:Cite news</ref> He also sought help from the school psychologist during those years. High school marked a more significant improvement for him – he became active in theater and went on to attend Monmouth College on a theater scholarship.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/>

Upon later transferring to Columbia College, Verraros struggled to find acting opportunities.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/> Insecure about the weight that he had put on, he began doing intensive workouts and became a vegetarian. Over the course of two and a half months, he lost around eighty pounds. Some people thought that he had developed an eating disorder, and Verraros later acknowledged that he most likely did.<ref name="Windy City 04" /><ref name="Advocate Interview" />

Verraros was open about his sexual orientation with classmates at both colleges.<ref name="Windy City 04"/><ref name="Advocate Interview"/> Looking back in 2004, he said that people who had been mean to him in high school were "rooting" for him at Monmouth and that he came out to his mother and sister during this time.<ref name="Windy City 04"/><ref name="Advocate Interview"/> In another interview, he called the environment at Columbia "beyond gay-friendly".<ref name="Advocate Interview"/>

American Idol

During his time at Columbia College, Verraros followed a friend's suggestion to try out for American Idol<ref name="Official Bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and attended the auditions in Chicago<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> – even though his primary interest was acting.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/><ref name="Edge Interview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Verraros later said that he had only tried out "for fun" and without any expectations.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/> In 2006, he reminisced, "I wasn't really looking for a record deal. I was looking for the experience, and everything just kind of... happened."<ref name="Edge Interview"/> The auditions were held only a few blocks away from his college dorm.<ref name="Atlantaboy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Attempting to stand out, Verraros chose to sing "When I Fall in Love" by Nat King Cole at his audition, rather than a pop song.<ref name="FOFA">Template:Cite interview</ref> He was nineteen at the time.<ref name="FOFA"/><ref name="Idol Audition Episode">Template:Cite episode</ref> While singing, he also signed the lyrics to his song.<ref name="Idol Audition Episode"/><ref name="Kindly callers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> American Idol heavily focused on his parents' disabilities, and several publications speculated that Verraros may have been helped in the competition by sympathy votes.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/><ref name="Kindly callers"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Title belt">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Despite receiving positive remarks from the judges at his audition,<ref name="Idol Audition Episode"/> Verraros began receiving largely negative feedback by the Top 30 semi-finals.<ref name="Group Episode"/> Placed into Group 1 for that round<ref name="Group Episode">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> he chose to reprise "When I Fall in Love". Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul both called this the best performance that Verraros had given on the series up to that point,<ref name="Group Episode"/> but Cowell also called Verraros "ordinary" in comparison to that night's preceding performer, Tamyra Gray,<ref name="Group Episode"/><ref name="Rushfield">Template:Cite book</ref> and declared, "I think if you win this competition, we would have failed."<ref name="Kindly callers"/><ref name="Title belt"/><ref name="Group Episode"/><ref name="Rushfield"/><ref name="Chatter">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jessica Shaw of Entertainment Weekly called this the harshest critique that Cowell had given to any contestant on the series up to that point.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> First season co-host Brian Dunkleman recalled in a 2014 podcast overhearing the judges say that they were going to "nail Jim" on the night of the semi-finals.<ref name="Cracked Dunkleman">Template:Cite AV media</ref> After the performance, Dunkleman offered Verraros reassurance, but during a commercial break, the series' executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe, purportedly took Dunkleman backstage and raged against him for not further demoralizing Verraros. Dunkleman recounted this as a partial explanation for why he quit the series after its first season.<ref name="Cracked Dunkleman"/>

Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times speculated that the severity of Cowell's comments during the semi-finals may have increased audience support for Verraros,<ref name="Kindly callers" /><ref name="Title belt" /> who was voted through to the top ten.<ref name="Kindly callers"/><ref name="Rushfield"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Norcross">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Originally, Verraros was going to be cut anyway. In his 2011 tell-all book, American Idol: The Untold Story, Richard Rushfield revealed that a "judge's cut" was going to be introduced as a twist to the semi-finals. After the Group 1 results episode went off air, Cowell went to the three contestants who had been voted through to the finalsTemplate:Efn and told Verraros that the judges were overruling his advancement to the next round. Rushfield wrote that "A stunned Verraros and his fellow contestants burst into tears" upon hearing the announcement.<ref name="Rushfield"/> Before the twist could be aired, Lythgoe reversed the decision, arguing that the audience's preference should be respected.<ref name="Rushfield"/> In 2020, Lythgoe and 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.<ref>Template:Cite podcast</ref>

His place in the top ten secure, Verraros planned to sing "Get Ready" by The Temptations for the first round of finals. The week's theme was Motown. Verraros won a coin toss against Kelly Clarkson, who also wanted to sing "Get Ready", but he switched course upon considering how much of the song is in falsetto. With a limited selection of Motown songs available for him to choose from, Verraros settled on "Easy" by The Commodores, even though he was unfamiliar with it.<ref name="FOFA"/> The judges were critical of the performance.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> Two contestants were voted off that week, and Verraros was the second eliminated, following EJay Day.<ref name="Rushfield"/><ref>Template:Cite episode</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Performances

Episode	Theme	Song choice	Original artist	Order	Result
Audition	Auditioner's Choice	"When I Fall in Love"	Nat King Cole	N/A	Advanced
Hollywood	Contestant's Choice	"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"	Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell	N/A	Advanced
Top 30	Contestant's Choice	"When I Fall in Love"	Nat King Cole	2	Advanced
Top 10	Motown	"Easy"	The Commodores	7	Eliminated

Public response

When Verraros advanced into the top ten for American Idol's first season, Shaw (of Entertainment Weekly) wrote of the contestant, "I can't decide whether I love him or loathe him."<ref name="Dish">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She likened Verraros to a forgettable boy-band member, but also wrote that she had appreciated Verraros' decision to use sign language during his audition.<ref name="Dish"/> After Verraros was voted off the series, Shaw wrote of him, "I genuinely felt bad for the guy...Of course, I could have told you all that he wasn't advancing on to the next round. You can't follow up stellar singers like Tamyra and Justin [Guarini] with a tepid rendition of 'Easy.'"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times was more favorable. After watching all of the top ten finalists perform on their nationwide tour, he suggested that Verraros should have placed seventh and commended him for "doing as well as anyone could" with poor singing-material (referring to "Easy").<ref name="Derogatis">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another positive review of Verraros came from Rick Shefchik of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, who wrote that Verraros sang a "tender version" of "When I Fall in Love" during the competition.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Most critics, however, voiced negative opinions. Amy Amatangelo of the Boston Herald wrote that Verraros "lacked stage presence"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Eric Deggans of St. Petersburg Times called Verraros "obviously overmatched" among the other first season finalists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In his review of American Idol: Greatest Moments, Chuck Campbell of The Herald News was critical of Verraros' track on the album, writing "Verraros takes it too easy on his slack interpretation of Lionel Richie's Easy."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Post-Idol life and career

2002–2003: American Idol tour and related projects

About a month after being voted out of the top ten on American Idol's first season, Verraros joined thirteen other former contestants from the series to perform at various events in Northwest Indiana.<ref name="Tournament to feature">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="basketball event">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn He participated in a group medley during American Idol's first season finale<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a few weeks later, he reunited with all of the series' top thirty contestants for the American Idol in Las Vegas TV special.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Verraros then participated through October and November in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002, along with his fellow top ten finalists.<ref name="Chatter"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For each stop of the tour, he reprised his performance of "Easy" from the series.<ref name="Derogatis"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Prior to competing on American Idol, Verraros had been open about his sexual orientation through an online journal. The Advocate, an American LGBT-interest magazine, discovered this journal while Verraros was on the series and contacted Fox with an interview request for the contestant. One day later, the journal was deleted.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.Template:Efn Verraros was open about his sexuality with the other American Idol finalists, whom he described as being very supportive.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/>

Verraros came out publicly during the American Idol tour.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/><ref name="Tinseltown">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also came out to his father at this time.<ref name="Advocate Interview"/> In November 2002, Verraros was named as one of "2002's Most Intriguing People" by Out, another LGBT-interest magazine.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Tinseltown"/><ref name="Windy City 05">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Pride DC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Joins ChicagoPride">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Around that time, Verraros said, "I just thought it was time to come out. I really hate the segregation and only being able to hold hands in gay bars. We have to start breaking down the barriers. I want to be a gay advocate and let teens know that being gay is just a small part of who you are. And if people don't like it, it's their problem, not yours."<ref name="Tinseltown"/> Verraros gave an extensive interview to The Advocate in January 2003,<ref name="Advocate Interview"/> which was described as his official "coming out",<ref name="Windy City 05"/><ref name="Pride DC"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and in May, he participated in Boston's Youth Pride march.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The American Idol: Greatest Moments album, released October 1, 2002, features a recorded version of Verraros singing "Easy".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Asked during his run on American Idol what he might call his debut album, Verraros suggested "So You Say".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Verraros moved to Los Angeles after the American Idol tour and was turned down by several agencies.<ref name="Finding Fame">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Queer Cinema">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While in LA, he lived for two years with Natalie Burge and Christopher Aaron, both of whom were in the Top 30 with him on American Idol's first season.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Burge Interview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn Throughout the Spring of 2003, Verraros participated in Coca-Cola's Behind the Scenes With American Idol promotional tour, in which he and a selection of other finalists from the first two seasons of the series performed across the country in shopping malls owned by the Simon Property Group.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2003–2005: Unsaid and Understood, Eating Out, and Rollercoaster

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and music producer Gabe Lopez reached out to Verraros, after hearing American Idol: Greatest Moments. The two began a collaboration based out of Lopez's home studio.<ref name="Queer Cinema"/> Unsigned to a record label, Verraros self-released his debut album, Unsaid and Understood, in 2003.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While recording the album, he worked at a tanning salon and at a phone bank.<ref name="Queer Cinema"/> Unsaid and Understood was included on a list of six indie albums by gay and lesbian artists recommended by Adam B. Vary of The Advocate. Vary wrote that Verraros "sings with true passion and bracing maturity" on the album and singled out the track "So Deep", for being "so dirty even Xtina would blush."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another track on the album, "I Want You", was included on Bi the People, a 2003 compilation album of "bisexual artists and friends", which was released to raise money for the Bisexual Foundation.<ref name="Bi">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Multiple tracks from Unsaid and Understood topped the Rock and Pop charts on mp3.com,<ref name="30 Under 30">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the album won the 2004 Out Music Award for Outstanding New Recording – Debut Male.<ref name="Finding Fame"/><ref name="Sing out">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A tour of gay clubs was undertaken to promote the album.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Official Website - April 2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Finding Fame"/><ref name="Queer Cinema"/> The film was produced on a budget of less than $1 million<ref name="Queer Cinema"/> by Ariztical Entertainment.<ref name="Queer Cinema"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Filming lasted ten days.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although intended as a straight-to-DVD release, it secured limited theatrical distribution in 2005,<ref name="Queer Cinema"/> after performing well in film festivals.<ref name="Finding Fame"/><ref name="Queer Cinema"/> Two songs from Unsaid and Understood, "I Want You" and "Welcome to Hollywood", are included in Eating Out, as is a third song performed by Verraros, called "Visions of You".<ref name="Pride DC"/><ref name="Autographs">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Writing again for The Advocate, Vary (along with Dennis Hensley) placed Eating Out among a group of films released in the mid-2000s that he and Hensley felt constituted a "New New Queer Cinema", after the initial "New Queer Cinema" movement faded in the 1990s.<ref name="Queer Cinema"/> Vary also argued that, as a college sex comedy, Eating Out is notable for being an early example of a gay genre film.<ref name="Queer Cinema"/> Eating Out received mostly negative reviews,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although Verraros was praised for his performance by Dana Stevens in a review for The New York Times, who wrote that Verraros "has a scrappy energy that sets him apart from the bland and vulgar proceedings" of the film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rollercoaster

Template:See also According to ChicagoPride.com, Verraros pitched Unsaid and Understood to "every major label in the U.S. two or three times" without success.<ref name="Metzke">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Metzke"/> New York-based indie label Koch Records began communicating with Verraros over the summer of 2004 about the possibility of featuring him on a compilation album of songs by American Idol finalists. Verraros sent Koch Records a demo tape and was signed to the label within a week.<ref name="Finding Fame"/><ref name="Metzke"/><ref name="Makeover">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Megastar">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Unsaid and Understood was then revamped and released through Koch Records as Rollercoaster on April 26, 2005.<ref name="Sing out"/><ref name="Five">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="AllMusic Overview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn This was marketed as Verraros' official debut.<ref name="Pride DC"/><ref name="Joins ChicagoPride"/> The album recycles several songs from Unsaid and Understood, in addition to featuring new material.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Several publications noted that Verraros went through a significant image change between his time on American Idol and the release of Rollercoaster. Verraros explained that he had "come into [himself]" during that time,<ref name="Finding Fame"/> having improved his figure and become more involved within the LGBT community. The Advocate wrote that on American Idol, Verraros had been "a slightly geeky kid with a stiff stance...[and] a preppy look [that] included dark- rimmed glasses, spiky hair and a stone-washed jeans jacket" – in contrast, The Advocate wrote, Verraros possessed "bad-boy good looks" and "long rock-star hair" when Rollercoaster was released.<ref name="Finding Fame"/> The Houston Chronicle added that the "shaggy dark cut, eye makeup and slick threads" that Verraros had adopted at the time gave him sex appeal.<ref name="Houston">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Verraros himself assessed his look on American Idol as having been "[very] Midwestern" – he said that he was wanting to distance himself from associations with the series<ref name="Makeover"/> and that he was excited "to see how people would react to such a crazy change".<ref name="Makeover"/>

A release party for Rollercoaster was held on April 27, 2005, at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood.<ref name="Pride DC"/><ref name="Finding Fame"/> The date was chosen to follow Eating Out's Spring premiere in US theaters.<ref name="Out Review">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

"You Turn It On" was released as Rollercoaster's first single.<ref name="Finding Fame"/><ref name="Houston"/> The song debuted at number forty-eight on the Billboard Dance Club Play Chart,<ref name="Pride DC"/> where it spent eleven weeks,<ref name="Billboard Chart">Template:Cite magazine</ref> peaking in early June at number twenty-one.<ref name="Billboard Chart"/><ref name="Megastar"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Catching Up">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

"You're Getting Crazy (Estas Enloqueciendo)" was released in October as the album's second single.<ref name="Metzke"/><ref name="Billboard Crazy">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Billboard wrote that it "treads in similar territory [as "You Turn It On"] stirring the beats into a simmering frenzy."<ref name="Billboard Crazy"/> The song received multiple remixes by Mike Cruz and L.E.X, which Edgemedianetwork.com called "as slick, upbeat and professional as anything else currently climbing the charts."<ref name="Metzke"/><ref name="Billboard Crazy"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Billboard suggested that the song could become a hit, if Verraros released an accompanying music video,<ref name="Billboard Crazy"/> although no music videos were ever released for any of the songs on Rollercoaster.<ref name="Speak Free 2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Shortly after releasing Rollercoaster, Verraros moved back to Crystal Lake, where he lived with his family for a time.<ref name="Punk Globe"/><ref name="Finding Fame"/> Over the summer of 2005, he performed at the wrap party for American Idol's fourth season,<ref name="Finding Fame"/> served as a judge during the finals of "Windy City Gay Idol" (held by the Windy City Times at the Circuit Nightclub in Chicago),<ref name="Joins ChicagoPride"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> attended a pride ceremony held by the New York City Council,<ref name="7 Days">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Efn and also served as a judge at the World of Chocolate, a charity event for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He participated in several local events around Chicago during this time<ref name="Joins ChicagoPride"/> and performed in multiple pride events,<ref name="Punk Globe"/><ref name="Finding Fame"/> including the LA Pride<ref name="Punk Globe"/><ref name="Joins ChicagoPride"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Chicago Pride parades.<ref name="Joins ChicagoPride"/> He also performed, along with American Idol second season third place finalist Kimberley Locke, at the Kansas City Gay Pride Festival in June and at the New York City Gay Life Expo in November.<ref name="FOFA"/><ref name="Finding Fame"/><ref name="Metzke"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A club tour was considered to promote Rollercoaster.<ref name="Punk Globe"/>

2006–2007: Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds and unrealized film projects

Twice in the mid-2000s, Verraros was called a "gay icon" by the Chicago Sun-Times, first in 2004, and again in 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Former Idol">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The New York Post noted in 2006 that Verraros had "gained a cult following" due to his role in Eating Out.<ref name="High and Low">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2009, PopCrush claimed that "almost immediately" after appearing on American Idol, Verraros had become "a huge symbol within the LGBT community",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and that same year, the Washington Examiner wrote that Verraros "has been a fixture in the gay world...practically becoming a gay sex-symbol through the years."<ref name="Examiner">Template:Cite news</ref> Verraros remained the only American Idol finalist to be publicly out until 2006, when his fellow first season finalist R.J. Helton came out.<ref name="High and Low"/><ref name="Big Gay Closet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Helton had confided in Verraros about his sexual orientation on the night of the first-season finale, shortly before the group went on tour and before Helton had come out to any of the other first season finalists.<ref name="Big Gay Closet"/>

Verraros returned to the role of Kyle in Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds,Template:Efn which filmed during the Summer of 2006<ref name="High and Low"/><ref name="J.D.">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and screened in several film festivals,<ref name="J.D."/><ref name="Philadelphia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Former Idol"/> before receiving a theatrical release on November 22.<ref name="RT">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Brocka returned as co-writer,<ref name="J.D."/><ref name="Philadelphia"/> but passed directorial duties over to the first film's Film editor, Phillip J. Bartell.<ref name="Former Idol"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film features a song written by Verraros and Lopez, called "You Make It Better", which was released as a single on July 17, 2007.<ref name="Autographs"/> Like its predecessor, Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds received mostly negative reviews.<ref name="RT"/> It was described as a cinematic landmark however, by multiple publications, for being the first sequel to a gay film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In June 2006, the Windy City Times included Verraros in its "30 Under 30" list of young figures who had made positive contributions to the LGBTQ community. Throughout that year, Verraros continued performing at local events around Chicago;<ref name="30 Under 30"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> he was also featured on American Idol Rewind, filmed a guest appearance for the pilot of a cooking show called The Astrological Kitchen,<ref name="Official Website News">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and released a duet called "Sweat" with indie artist Jamie O'Brien.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Once again, Verraros was named to Out magazine's "Most Intriguing People" list for that year.<ref name="Official Website News"/><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

In November 2006, it was reported that Verraros was living in East Dundee, Illinois, with his long-time boyfriend. It was also reported at this time that Verraros' second album would be released in 2007.<ref name="Former Idol"/> In a December 2006 interview with gay-interest website Atlantaboy.com, Verraros said that Rollercoaster had been "pretty much all over the place" and that his next album would be "more focused",<ref name="Atlantaboy"/> while in April 2007, the Daily Herald wrote that a follow-up to Rollercoaster was scheduled to be released that May.<ref name="Impact">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Verraros had also told Atlantaboy.com that he was "heading more toward the film thing" and that if he ever released a music video, he would hope to co-direct it.<ref name="Atlantaboy"/> Around this time, he mentioned that he had been cast in three films; one was described as a dark LA-based romance, in which he would play a cocaine addict who falls in love with a struggling actor,<ref name="Queercast"/><ref name="Throwback">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> another, referred to by the title Copacabana: Of Love and Shadows, was described as a Rio de Janeiro-based musical, in which Verraros would play both male and female roles;<ref name="Queercast"/><ref name="Edge Interview"/><ref name="Throwback"/><ref name="Screen Daily">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn and the third, referred to by the title Pizza on Sunset, was described as a gay LA-based romantic comedy.<ref name="Pulse">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By July 2007, Verraros still had not released his second album.<ref name="Queercast"/> It was announced over the summer that he was "writing and recording [the album] in Malibu, California" with producers Gary Miller and John Porter.<ref name="Autographs"/> On a July podcast for the Windy City Times, Verraros said that he was aiming for a January 2008 release.<ref name="Queercast"/>

2007–present: Return to American Idol-related projects, marriage, and Do Not Disturb

The 2007 book Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Deborah Poneman, features a chapter about Verraros, which Poneman called her favorite story in the book. During a press interview, Poneman said, "I thought it was so amazing that a kid got to number eight or nine on 'American Idol' with parents who are deaf...His 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."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Verraros appeared at multiple book signings in Illinois during January 2008 with Poseman and American Idol sixth season finalist Gina Glocksen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Quote box

Throughout the first half of 2008, Verraros recapped the seventh season of American Idol for ChicagoPride.com<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and co-hosted video recaps of that season with Penny Frulla for AfterElton.com.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also featured on Usmagazine.com as a guest recapper for that season's Top 12 episode.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2008, the Chicago Free Press named Verraros "Best LGBT Musician of 2007" in its "Pressie Awards". In a subsequent Myspace post expressing his gratitude for the award, Verraros announced that his second album, which still had not been released, would be called Do Not Disturb (AfterElton.com had previously reported that the album would be called Chapter Two).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Verraros accepted the Pressie award in March,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Idol Chat Top 12">Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> around which time he said that Do Not Disturb would be "coming out in the next couple of months."<ref name="Idol Chat Top 12"/>

Verraros cameoed as a priest in Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!, which was released in the Summer of 2008.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> That same year, the electronica album Ear Therapy was released by DJ Russ Harris, which features Verraros on the track "Another Lifetime",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the following year, Verraros released three new singles on iTunes – "Touch (Don't U Want 2)" on January 20;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn "Electric Love" on May 26;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and "Do Not Disturb" on November 9.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> All three songs were written and produced by Gabe Lopez, whose official website announced that the accompanying album's release date had been pushed back to late 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn Samuel Lora of the Washington Examiner gave "Touch (Don't U Want 2)" a negative review, calling it "simple and vapid".<ref name="Examiner"/> He also wrote that the song "is overdone with heavy beats and crowding vocals".<ref name="Examiner"/> "Electric Love" fared somewhat better with Lora, who called it "pretty decent" but also felt that it was mimicking the sound of other, more successful artists. Lora likened the song to a "less powerful" version of "Larger Than Life" by the Backstreet Boys or something by "Nick Carter if he were making Justin Timberlake music".<ref name="Examiner"/> Lora had kinder words for "You Make It Better", which had been released as a single two years earlier.<ref name="Examiner"/>

In November 2009, Verraros served as a judge for Rialto Idol, a singing competition held by the Rialto Square Theatre for the ComEd Festival of Trees.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Entertainment Weekly reported in March 2010 that Verraros was looking for "an indie label to release [Do Not Disturb]."<ref name="Catching Up"/> Several years earlier, in 2006, Verraros had mentioned the possibility of his second album being released through Sony BMG's then-newly formed gay-focused label, "Music With a Twist".<ref name="Speak Free 2"/> Ultimately, Do Not Disturb was released on October 18, 2011, through Red Queen Music – Sound Axis. Ten tracks are included on the album,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> out of dozens that were written and recorded throughout the development process.<ref name="Pulse"/> Verraros told Entertainment Weekly in 2010 that Do Not Disturb would likely be his final album, saying "I think I'd like to just pull away [from singing] and focus [more on acting]."<ref name="Catching Up"/>

Marriage

On September 6, 2009, Verraros married Bill Brennan in their shared home state of Illinois.<ref name="Dream Wedding"/><ref name="Greg">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Ties Knot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="My Wedding">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="and boyfriend">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The couple first met through MySpace in 2005, at which point they decided to meet in person, after realizing that they only lived about twenty minutes away from each other.<ref name="Dream Wedding"/><ref name="Greg"/><ref name="My Wedding"/><ref name="and boyfriend"/> A few months later, they moved in together. Brennan proposed to Verraros two-and-a-half years after they began dating.<ref name="Greg"/> Although Illinois did not legally recognize gay marriage in 2009, Verraros said that he and Brennan "wanted the day to be a reflection of [their] love and commitment to each other as well as a statement to other gay couples in Illinois".<ref name="Dream Wedding"/><ref name="and boyfriend"/> Each of the groom's fathers served as their best men in the wedding.<ref name="Dream Wedding"/><ref name="Greg"/><ref name="Ties Knot"/><ref name="and boyfriend"/> The song "You Make It Better" from the film Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds was written by Verraros about Brennan and was included in the music set list for their wedding.<ref name="San Francisco"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The marriage was later legalized in Iowa.<ref name="San Francisco"/>

Brennan is the president of Bridal Expo Chicago and Bridal Expo Milwaukee.<ref name="Greg"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2006, Verraros signed an endorsement deal to serve as spokesman for the business;<ref name="Impact"/><ref name="Official Website News"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> he eventually became executive vice president.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Planit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kelly Clarkson and Verraros maintained a friendship after competing on American Idol together, and Verraros helped design the headpiece that Clarkson wore for her 2013 wedding.<ref name="Planit"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

By 2019, Verraros and Brennan had separated. Verraros is currently engaged.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Primary source inline On November 20, 2021, Verraros married Sean Michael Buck.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Filmography

• American Idol Season 1 (2002) – Himself
• Eating Out (2004) – Kyle
• Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds (2006) – Kyle
• Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (2008) – Priest

Discography

Demo albums

Year	Title
2003	Unsaid and Understood

Albums

Year	Title
2005	Rollercoaster
2011	Do Not Disturb

Compilation appearances

Year	Title	Peak chart positions	Details
		US
2002	American Idol: Greatest Moments	4	Credited on the following tracks: "Easy" (Solo performance) "California Dreamin'" (Group performance)

Singles

Year	Song	Peak chart positions		Album
		US Dance Club <ref name="Billboard Chart" />	UK Dance Club
2005	"You Turn It On"	21		Rollercoaster
	"You're Getting Crazy (Estas Enloqueciendo)"	—
2007	"You Make It Better"	—		Non-album single
2009	"Touch (Don't U Want 2)"	—		Do Not Disturb
	"Electric Love"	—
	"Do Not Disturb"	—
2023	"Take My Bow"Template:Citation needed	—	15Template:Citation needed	Non-album single

As featured artist

Year	Track	Album
2008	"Another Lifetime" (DJ Russ Harris featuring Jim Verraros)	Ear Therapy

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 1229213

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• Official Website (Archived: 2019)
• Official Website (Archived: 2004)