‘Idol’ song competition finalist has local roots
Adam Graham / Detroit News Pop Music Writer
You may not know it, but you’re already familiar with Dan Yessian’s music: Every time the “Think Ford First” or “Dittrich Furs” jingles pop into your head, you have him to thank.
Now Yessian is taking his knack for melody to the largest platform in pop music. His song, “You Believe in Me,” is one of 20 finalists in “American Idol’s” Songwriting Competition, which aims to find the winning song for this year’s “Idol” champ. Voting takes place online through Wednesday.
“You Believe in Me,” co-written by Yessian with David Barrett of Ann Arbor and Kurt Schreitmueller of Novi, was recorded in 1996, when “American Idol” was merely a twinkle in creator Simon Fuller’s eye.
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“We assembled some singers and some musicians in the studio to do precisely an inspirational song — a booster, so to speak,” says Yessian, 63, who is nearly a 40-year veteran of the music biz. His Farmington Hills-based Yessian Music writes commercial themes for clients ranging from Pampers to Chevy to Adidas. “You Believe in Me,” which features Helen Darling on vocals, sat in a pile collecting dust until earlier this month when Yessian’s son encouraged his father to submit it in “Idol’s” second-annual Songwriting Competition. Last year’s competition yielded Jordin Sparks’ “This is My Now.”
Yessian sent in “You Believe in Me” not expecting much, and was “shocked” when he received the call that the song had been plucked from thousands of entries and had graduated to the finals.
The song — not to be confused with the past-tense “You Believed in Me,” also a finalist in the competition — contains lyrical references to mountains, rivers and spirits, familiar territory for inspirational ballads. It’s the kind of song Yessian thinks “Idol” favorite David Archuleta could really wrap his voice around, even though he was only 6 years old when the song was penned.
“Archuleta has great pitch, he’s got solid range top to bottom, and he’s very accurate,” Yessian says. “And he’s young enough that his potential is extremely heavy for a great career. He would be my favorite right now.”
Yessian Music keeps cranking out work — all those “Spy Hunter”-themed Pontiac ads currently on the air are Yessian’s — but scoring the winning “American Idol” song would be a huge boon to the business.
“It does raise the ante,” Yessian says, but says he’s not holding his breath. “This ‘American Idol’ business is the frosting on our cake.”
You can reach Adam Graham at (313) 222-2284 or agraham@ detnews.com.