Sanjaya was born on September 10, 1989 in Washington State. Sanjay and his sister Shyamali and their younger brother live with their parents in the Seattle area of Washington. Sanjaya sang in the Total Experience Gospel Choir for three years after being referred to by an aunt. In September 2006, Sanjaya and Shyamali auditioned for American Idol in Seattle, with Sanjaya singing Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m yours from his biggest idol, Stevie Wonder. Both Sanjaya and Shyamali made it through to Hollywood. Once they got to Hollywood, Shyamali was cut and Sanjaya went on to the top 24.
Sanjaya recently made it into the top 10 guaranteeing himself a position on the Idols tour coming this summer. Sanjaya has met some of the best music idols ever to have lived. During Diana Ross week, Sanjaya performed Ain’t no Mountain High Enough, for the British Invasion week he sang, You Really Got Me, which was a vast improvement to his repertoire. During No Doubt, Gwen Stefani week he attempted Bathwater which he forgot some of the words. For the American Classics week he sang Cheek to Cheek and for Latin week he sand Besame Mucho.
After Latin week, Sanjaya missed elimination when America voted out Haley Scarnato. Each week Sanjaya returns and with hardly any improvement. On a recent show Simon Cowell called him the smartest contestant. That could be due to the fact that week after week he has weak vocals and sports strange haircuts but it is his personality that keeps bringing him back.
