As a kid, Elliott Yamin was a self-proclaimed "knucklehead."

Now he's an internationally recognized singing star with a debut album that has sold more than 500,000 copies, a hit single ("Wait for You"), a full passport and a hometown that still adores him.

Appearing at the JCC Forum Series last night, a candid and smiling Yamin -- who had just flown in from Los Angeles -- addressed a sold-out crowd of about 600, including his mother, Claudette, with stories from his 2006 stint on "American Idol."

"I understand that forever I'll be synonymous with the show," Yamin, 29, said. "I really feel I learned so much about life and how to carry myself as a responsible, respectable adult."

During his 90-minute appearance at Oates Theater at Collegiate School, Yamin, clad in black jeans, Converse sneakers and a gray blazer, also engaged in a Q&A session and sang "Wait for You," "Movin' On" and "Free," accompanied by bandmate Russell Ali on acoustic guitar.

. . .

Yamin returned last week from an 11-day USO tour of Germany, Belgium, England and Holland, where he performed for members of the Air Force and the Army and their families. And on March 2, he'll take a four-day trip to Angola in Africa with a film crew from "Idol" accompanying him and Fantasia Barrino, the 2004 winner of the singing contest.

At an autograph session before he addressed the Forum audience, Yamin said the "Idol" producers contacted him about making the trip for the "Idol Gives Back" special, which will air April 9 on Fox.

"It's nice to know I'm still in their good thoughts," he said. At the session, Yamin cheerfully signed photos and endured many pecks on the cheek from a line of about 75 fans.

"I hope he truly will have a big career, because he has a lovely voice," said Harriet David, who was there with her daughter, Arlene Schwartz, and 12-year-old granddaughter, Sarah, who said shyly that the thing she likes most about Yamin is, "his hair."

. . .

Even though Yamin will be the guest of honor at the March 1 fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at The Jefferson Hotel, he returns to Los Angeles -- where he now lives -- today to work on a couple of upcoming projects.

He and Ali are co-writing a song for the soundtrack to the movie "Sweetwater" about Sweetwater Clifton, the first black basketball player signed by the NBA. And, in addition to working on songs for his own next album, Yamin is re-recording "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?", Elton John's smash ballad from "The Lion King," for a Disney soundtrack compilation.

But even though his lifestyle has changed since his pre-"Idol" days of living in the Richmond area and working at Melito's and Westbury Pharmacy in western Henrico County, Yamin still sounds grounded.

When an audience member asked how strange it was to deal with members of the paparazzi, Yamin chuckled. "It's weird, man, it's weird. But it's also very flattering. I'm not really an attention-seeking person, but there are things you have to do to keep your name out there, like red-carpet events," he said. "It's just hard for me to think of myself as anybody but the same dude from Richmond."