Sanjaya Malakar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sanjaya Malakar
Sanjaya Malakar at the Mural Amphitheater, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA on May 12, 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Sanjaya Joseph Malakar
Born	(1989-09-10) September 10, 1989 (age 35) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Origin	Federal Way, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, reality television personality, writer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboard
Years active	2006–present

Sanjaya Joseph Malakar (born September 10, 1989) is an American singer. He became famous as a finalist on the sixth season of the TV show American Idol. He gained a lot of attention during the show. He surprisingly reached 7th place with public votes. This was despite the judges, especially Simon Cowell, often not liking his performances.

After American Idol, Sanjaya Malakar appeared on many TV shows. He was also often made fun of in popular culture. He finished fifth in the second season of the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Early Life and Education

Sanjaya Malakar was born in Seattle, Washington. His father, Vasudeva Malakar, was an Indian immigrant. His mother, Jillian Blyth, had Italian, Dutch, English, and Irish family roots. Sanjaya later lived in Federal Way, Washington, a nearby town.

His parents separated when he was two and divorced when he was three. He lived with his mother and siblings in Seattle. They received welfare support for a time. His mother remarried, but his stepfather passed away soon after.

Sanjaya spent most of his childhood in the Seattle area. He also lived in California and [[Kauaʻi, Hawaii|Kauaʻi]], Hawaii. In Hawaii, he performed with the Hawaii Children's Theater group. While in Seattle, he sang for three years with the Total Experience Gospel Choir.

Sanjaya went to Martha Lake Elementary School. He also attended Seattle Waldorf School and Northshore Junior High School. For high school, he went to Shorecrest High School and Todd Beamer High School. After his second year of high school, he took a test called the GED. This allowed him to leave high school early. He wanted to focus on his music career and his time on American Idol.

Sanjaya's Journey on American Idol

After making the top 10, Sanjaya performed on the American Idol Tour with fellow Idol alums, including Melinda Doolittle.

On September 19, 2006, Sanjaya Malakar tried out for American Idol in Seattle. He went with his sister, Shyamali. Judge Simon Cowell said Sanjaya had a better voice than his sister. Both of them moved on to the Hollywood round. Sanjaya said Stevie Wonder was his favorite singer. He sang Wonder's song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" at his Seattle audition.

In Hollywood, Sanjaya sang "Some Kind of Wonderful". He was sad when his sister was eliminated. But he made it to the Top 40. Next, he sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". The judges often criticized his performances. However, Simon Cowell noted that Sanjaya was popular with voters. Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul liked his "You Really Got Me" performance. During his Top 11 performance, a 13-year-old girl named Ashley Ferl was shown crying. She cried tears of joy for Sanjaya and other contestants.

On March 27, 2007, Sanjaya sang No Doubt's "Bathwater". He wore a unique hairstyle with many ponytails. Host Ryan Seacrest called it the "ponyhawk." Sanjaya forgot some words during the song. Simon Cowell said, "Sanjaya, I don't think it matters anymore what we say... if people like you, good luck." The next night, Ryan Seacrest wore a wig with the same hairstyle to make fun of it.

On April 3, Sanjaya sang "Cheek to Cheek". He wore a white suit and danced with judge Paula Abdul. Abdul said, "I get it. I get why people love you. You are charming." The next day, it was announced that Sanjaya was in the "middle three" contestants.

Sanjaya's performance of "Bésame Mucho" on April 10 was his first performance that all judges liked. He sang it in Spanish. Jennifer Lopez said, "I like this kid. I love Sanjaya!" Randy Jackson commented, "You're one of the smartest contestants I've ever met. That was actually really good." Simon Cowell even said, "It wasn't horrible." Sanjaya moved on to the Top 7 after this performance.

After singing "Something to Talk About", Sanjaya was in the bottom three. He was eliminated in 7th place on April 18, 2007. During his farewell song, he changed a line to "let's give them something to talk about other than hair."

American Idol's ratings dropped after Sanjaya was eliminated. Some believed this was because he was no longer on the show. On the May 23 American Idol finale, Sanjaya performed with the top six male singers. He also sang "You Really Got Me" with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry.

Performances on American Idol

• When Ryan Seacrest announced the results, Sanjaya was in the bottom three. He was declared safe second, and Brandon Rogers was eliminated.

Public Reaction to Sanjaya

Sanjaya Malakar was the most talked-about contestant during his American Idol season. Many articles and online searches were about him. One fan on MySpace even claimed to go on a hunger strike until he was voted off. She later stopped her strike when he stayed on the show longer than she expected.

Some online groups supported Sanjaya, like "Team Sanjaya." Other websites made fun of his success in a playful way. An official fan website for Sanjaya was also created. It had updates from him and his mother.

Simon Cowell told Extra that he would not have returned as a judge if Sanjaya had won. The show's producer also thought Sanjaya would not win. Many thought the judges stopped giving real feedback on his performances. They seemed surprised by how many people voted for him. Randy Jackson even said, "I cannot even say anything on the vocals anymore." Some believed that if Sanjaya had won, American Idol might have become less popular. Others thought the show benefited from all the attention he brought.

On April 17, Simon Cowell said about the controversy, "I know this has been funny for a while, but... [Sanjaya's performance] was hideous." The website "Vote for the Worst" encouraged people to vote for Sanjaya. This was to cause a stir on the show. Howard Stern also asked his radio listeners to vote for Sanjaya. Some of his listeners voted hundreds of times. Sanjaya later told Jimmy Kimmel that his aunt voted 1,100 times.

The crying fan, Ashley Ferl, was made fun of on Saturday Night Live. Andy Samberg played Sanjaya, and Kristen Wiig played the crying girl. The excitement around Sanjaya led to new words like "Sanjayamania" and "Fanjaya" for his fans.

Homecoming and Tour

After his time on American Idol, many people wanted Sanjaya to be honored in his hometown. The city of Federal Way, Washington initially said they couldn't find information about him. They also said they had "more important things to deal with."

However, a local mall, The Commons at Federal Way, found Sanjaya. They arranged an event for him. Fans cheered for him at the event. The city's Mayor Michael Park and King County Council member Pete von Reichbauer praised him. They said he was a great role model. Mayor Park said Sanjaya's "charismatic personality, contagious smile, positive attitude and enthusiastic pursuit of his dreams are qualities to be admired." Sanjaya received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor. He also got a declaration of "South King County Sanjaya Malakar Day." In May 2007, he was also honored in Seattle, Washington. Fans greeted him, he signed autographs, and answered questions.

Since Sanjaya finished in the top 10, he joined the 2007 American Idol Concert Tour. This tour visited over 50 cities in Canada and the U.S. He performed Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the tour.

Sanjaya's Career After Idol

Soon after American Idol, Sanjaya attended the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. He was a guest of People magazine. He met then-President George W. Bush. Sanjaya was popular with the press and fans there. Even then-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer asked for his autograph.

Several magazines featured Sanjaya. These included Us Weekly, People, TIME, and Teen. He was in Us Magazine where he talked about his reactions to the parodies and his new fame. People magazine featured him talking about his American Idol journey and future plans. In TIMEs 2007 "TIME 100 POLL," he ranked third based on public votes. He was also nominated for Teens "Top Ten Most Cutest."

Sanjaya also received awards. He won two of TV.com's Fashion Awards for "Best Hair – Male" and "Best Trendsetter – Male." He was nominated for "Best Reality Show Star" at the AZN Television's Asian Excellence Awards. He won "Best TV Reality Star" at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards. He also won the "Favorite Reality Game Loser" award at Fox's 2007 Golden Realitini Awards. His "Ponyhawk" was ranked No. 3 in AOL's "Top TV Moment" video searches in 2007.

TV Appearances and Projects

After Idol, Sanjaya appeared on many TV shows. These included The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Access Hollywood, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, and Live with Regis and Kelly. He also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He even got "slimed" on Nickelodeon.

In May 2007, a short film called I Am Art was released online. Sanjaya played a character who created "Sanjaya Malakar" for American Idol as part of his school project. Sanjaya later made a video explaining it was a joke.

Sanjaya also hosted an American Idol show on the TV Guide channel. It was called Idol Stars: Where Are They Now?. He talked about what past Idol stars were doing. Sanjaya also helped write the book, Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul. He wrote his own book, Dancing to the Music in My Head: Memoirs of the People's Idol, in 2009. He also appeared in a commercial in India for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

In May and June 2009, Sanjaya starred in the reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He earned the nickname "Jungle Boy" because he seemed so comfortable in the jungle. He became good friends with Holly Montag on the show.

In May 2010, it was reported that Sanjaya was singing for Pagliacci Pizza. This is a pizza chain in Seattle. On February 23, 2011, Sanjaya joined the off-Broadway musical Freckleface Strawberry. He was also a guest judge for a talent show in Seattle. In July 2011, Sanjaya toured the U.S. with the band, The Brave Chandeliers.

By May 2012, Sanjaya was working as a bartender in Queens, New York. He said that much of the money he made earlier was lost. He explained, "I was young. I didn't know anything. Some people took advantage." In April 2014, Sanjaya stopped bartending. He wanted more time to focus on his music. This included his album Life ~ Love ~ Music.

On July 14, 2016, he performed at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort in Suquamish, Washington. Sanjaya sings jazz songs on the album Good Merlin by The Chaz Lipp Groove Tripp. This album was released on June 23, 2017. He has received good reviews for his singing on it. Critics have praised his "incredible, flexible voice" and "brilliant pipes."

Sanjaya's Music

Sanjaya Malakar's American Idol CD album, Sanjaya Malakar, was available on iTunes starting June 10, 2007. This album reached the Top 100 Pop Albums in sales. His EP (Extended Play) album, Dancing to the Music in my Head, was released on January 20, 2009. Songs from this EP include "A Guy Like Me" and "A Quintessential Lullaby". The EP came out the same day as his book. In 2011, he also released his album Life ~ Love ~ Music. The first song from this album was a cover of "Tempted" by Squeeze.

Albums

Singles

Personal Life

In an interview in 2022, Sanjaya Malakar shared that he was working as a pastry chef in Montana. He had decided to step away from the entertainment industry.