Posted Jan 18th 2006 3:24PM by TMZ Staff
If 'American Idol' is a reality show, then the harsh reality is that most of the finalists struggle to pay their bills once their time in the sun is over. For Jim Verraros, his time "in the sun" proved to be ironic.
"Three months after I was on the 'American Idol' tour," says Verraros, "I was working in a tanning salon. I had to deal with people coming into the salon saying, 'Weren't you that dude on 'American Idol'?' I got through those kinds of hard experiences with music."
When 'American Idol' debuted in 2002, Verraros was one of the most recognizable finalists on the show, thanks in large part to his memorable audition in which he talked about having deaf parents.
"When I watch 'American Idol' now," Verarros tells TMZ, "I have to smirk because these contestants have no idea what they're getting themselves into."
A native of the Chicago area, Verraros went from being on the cover of TV Guide in 2002 to now performing at bridal expos. It's not exactly a cruise ship, but it's pretty close.
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Filed under: Train Wrecks, TV, Music, 24
Tags: American Idol, AmericanIdol, Carmen Rasmusen, CarmenRasmusen, Jim Verraros, JimVerraros, rejects, Vanessa Olivarez, VanessaOlivarez
