| Intro | American musician |
| Is |
Musician Singer Pianist |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Music |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 4 November 1981, Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, U.S.A. |
| Age: | 38 years |
Eli James Mattson (born November 4, 1981) is an American pianist and singer. He was a Top 10 finalist on the third season of America’s Got Talent. His rendition of Marc Cohn’s 1991 hit, “Walking in Memphis” during his initial audition impressed many, picking up on his maturity and vocal talent.
Early life
Mattson was born in Duluth, Minnesota. He has been playing piano since he was five years old and has been performing, including his own compositions, since the age of fourteen.
When Eli was only 16, he was awarded a prestigious grant from the Peninsula Arts Association in Wisconsin to help further his music career.
After touring with a country band, he lived in Chicago for three years before his national debut on America’s Got Talent.
He has been playing at local venues for the past several years and has garnered a large and varied fanbase. He calls Door County, Wisconsin home.
Eli’s influences include Elton John, Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby, Jimmy Newquist, Dave Matthews Band, just to name a few.
As of 2014 Eli Mattson is no longer performing due to medical issues. Eli’s younger sister Marybeth Mattson continues to perform throughout Door County, WI and the midwest with Jeanne Kuhns and Patrick Palmer in their band Small Forest.
America’s Got Talent
Performances/Results
| Week | Song choice |
Original artist |
Performance order |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | “Walking in Memphis” | Marc Cohn | N/A | Advanced |
| Vegas Verdicts | “Your Song” | Elton John | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 40 Group 4 |
“Nobody Knows” | Tony Rich | 9 | Advanced |
| Top 20 Group 2 |
“If I Ain’t Got You” | Alicia Keys | 9 | Advanced |
| Top 10 | “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” | Elton John | 10 | Advanced |
| Top 5 | “Against All Odds” | Phil Collins | 4 | Eliminated |
Post Talent
On October 17, 2008, Mattson joined the Top 10 finalists, as well as past winners from America’s Got Talent to perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. On October 24, 2008, Mattson had a Meet and Greet in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin at the Ladder House. On October 27, 28 and 29, 2008, Eli played three sold out benefit concerts in his home county of Door County, Wisconsin.
On November 22, 2008, Eli was the Grand Marshal of the Time Warner Green Bay Holiday Parade. Then he performed a concert at the Meyer Theatre in Green Bay that same day.
In January 2009 Eli went to LA to start recording for the Epic division of Sony Music.
In April 2009, Eli made guest appearances on Terry Fator’s show in Las Vegas. Fator reports that he actually voted for Eli ten times on America’s Got Talent, the maximum per voting method.
Discography
| Year | Album | Peak | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | |||||||
| 2000 |
First Three
|
– | |||||
| 2002 |
Monsters
|
– | |||||
First Time Flyer Sessions
|
– | ||||||
| 2005 |
Eli Mattson – Compilation CD
|
– | |||||
| 2009 |
Next 4
|
– | |||||
| 2012 |
Chasing Rabbits
|
– | |||||
| “—” denotes the album did not chart. | |||||||
Tracks
“First Three”
Baby Doll, Morning of the Night, All I’ll Be
“Monsters”
All I’ll Be, Father Please, Baby Doll, Morning Of, Are You There, Blue Ocean, 7, Baby Lonely, One Time More, Smile
“First Time Flyer Sessions”
Shadow, Soft As Sin, First Time Flyer, Miss Morgan
“Eli Mattson – Compilation CD”
All I’ll Be, Baby Doll, Morning Of, Blue Ocean, 7, Baby Lonely, One Time More, Smile, Shadow, Soft As Sin, First Time Flyer, Miss Morgan
“Next 4”
Jaybird, Proud, She Only Knows, Walking in Memphis
“Chasing Rabbits”
Strangers, About Last Night, Wicker, Alien and Me, I’d Seen It All, Same Time Next Year, Two Years, Favourite Things