A funeral service for Claudette Yamin, mother of singer Elliot Yamin, will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Bliley's-Central, 3801 Augusta Ave. in Richmond.

Interment will be private.

Mrs. Yamin died last night. She was 65.

The cause of her death was not released. She had been hospitalized during the weekend at a local hospital.

Elliott Yamin, 29, became a national celebrity during his 2006 run on the TV show "American Idol," where he placed third. During the competition, his mother became known to "Idol"-watchers and Richmonders for her fiery spirit.

Last year, Mrs. Yamin moved briefly to Los Angeles. She returned to the Richmond area in February.

"I went to see if I could rebuild my health," she said in a February interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A broken hip had never fully mended.

A message posted last night on Elliott Yamin's Web site by his friend Brandon Crowe said, "The world lost a beautiful soul. I can't go into any details at this time except to say that she went peacefully."

Crowe's message on etrainstation.com said the family has asked for privacy.

Family sources said donations in Mrs. Yamin's memory can be made to Jewish Family Services, 6718 Patterson Ave., Richmond, Va. 23226, or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Central Virginia chapter. (Elliott Yamin has Type 1 diabetes).

In addition to Elliott, Mrs. Yamin is survived by her younger son, Scott Yamin of Buies Creek, N.C.; a daughter, Jodi Queen of Encinitas, Calif. a brother, Eugene Goldberg of Pompano Beach, Fla.; and two grandchildren.

An appreciation of Mrs. Yamin will appear in tomorrow's Times-Dispatch. Contact Melissa Ruggieri at mruggieri@timesdispatch.com.

Contact Cynthia McMullen at cmcmullen@timesdispatch.com.