Sanjaya Malakar was born in the Seattle metropolitan area in the large suburb of Federal Way, the son of a Bengali Indian father, Vasudeva Malakar, who had emigrated to the United States as a Hare Krishna pujari (priest), and an Italian American mother Jillian Recchi Blyth, who are both followers of the Vaishnava Hinduism. His parents filed for divorce when he was three years old and had been separated Read more...

On September 19, 2006, Sanjaya Malakar, a shy teen, entered the open audition for American Idol at the Seattle Center in Seattle, with his sister Shyamali. Simon Cowell commented that Sanjaya had a better voice than his sister. Both were advanced to the Hollywood round unanimously by the judges. Malakar cited Stevie Wonder as his idol, and sang one of Wonder's signature songs, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered Read more...

The Federal Way City Council, initially unable to find his address or whereabouts, announced plans to honor Malakar. Sanjaya Malakar was greeted by screaming fans at The Commons at Federal Way, and was praised by the city's Mayor Michael Park and King County Council member Peter von Reichbauer for serving as a great role model, with Park stating "Sanjaya's charismatic personality, contagious smile, Read more...