Delon (born Stanislaus Alexander Liauw Delon Thamrin on May 20 1978 in Jakarta, Indonesia) is a Chinese-Indonesian singer and runner-up in the hit reality series Indonesian Idol. Delon Thamrin, the youngest of three boys, grew up in a neighborhood of Mangga Besar, a highly-populated district in Jakarta which is identified primarily with commerce and trading activities and not with art, with the exception of night shows at some hotels.
Prior to Indonesian Idol, Delon Thamrin never had formal music training. His first encounter with music was when he joined a choir in his parish, the St. Petrus and Paulus Church. Delon's classical tenor voice made him one of leading soloists of this choir.
He got his degree in English from the Saint Mary Academy of Foreign Language. After his father died in 2001, he was compelled to work laboriously to help finance his family. During this period, he became a door-to-door salesman selling spring-bed and plastic ware. Later on his singing ability opened the door for him to be a wedding singer and an emcee—a not-so-fabulous start since the gig did not pay enough. At the time he entered the Indonesian Idol contest, Delon Thamrin was a non-managerial employee in a Japanese import-export company. He had to quit the job so he can follow his dream to become a singer.
His participation in the Indonesian Idol became a controversy, as he split the Indonesian public into two groups, those who loved him and those who disliked him. In fact, it was thought that he would win with sympathy votes after one of the judges behaved towards him in a manner similar to that of Simon Cowell, when the judge apparently told Delon that the reason he was in the competition was because of his looks. Delon Thamrin said that the remark hurt him very much and caused him to become depressed. But Indonesians saw that he tried to give a sincere smile to answer this comment and that he tried to improve his performance thereafter. This controversy made him even more famous, causing him to become a singing heart-throb, especially among teenage girls. His loyal fans are called "Deloners," and they have even developed a club which consists of Delon’s fans from all over Indonesia.
On 9 September 2004, Delon Thamrin became a runner-up of the first Indonesian Idol contest after his rival, Joy Destiny Tobing. A turning point for the young singer who went from a church choir boy and wedding singer to Indonesian Idol runner-up, and from a salesman to a rising star, Delon Thamrin is now almost an icon for Indonesian youth culture.
Delon's first debut after Indonesian Idol took place when he got the chance for the opening act for Blue Concert in Jakarta in October 2004, followed by the Air Supply concert in December 2004. His first album, called Bahagiaku (My Joyfulness), sold more than 300,000 copies in just under three months. Recently, Delon was voted as MTV's "Most Favourite Male" 2005. Delon Thamrin just finished recording a song ("Kokoro No Tomo") with Mayumi Itsuwa in Japan and has already moved to wowing audiences behind the screen, featuring in several branded advertisements and releasing his first movie, Vina Bilang Cinta, a box office rave in Indonesia.
Delon Thamrin has recently performed internationally for charity in Perth, Australia & Vancouver, Canada.
Delon Thamrin Indonesian Idol performances
Top 30: Bunga Terakhir by Romeo
Top 11: Rahasia Perempuan by Ari Lasso
Top 9: Aku Ingin by Indra Lesmana
Top 8: How Do You Heal A Broken Heart? by Chris Walker
Top 7: Seperti Yang Kau Minta by Chrisye
Top 6: Kasih Tak Sampai by Padi
Top 5: Inikah Cinta by ME
Top 4: Seribu Tahun by Jikustik
Top 4: Sekali Ini Saja by Glenn FredlyTop 3: Dia by Vina Panduwinata
Top 3: Aku Makin Cinta by Vina Panduwinata
Grand Final: Karena Cinta by Glenn Fredly
Grand Final: Bukan Untukku by Rio Febrian
Grand Final: Invisible by Clay Aiken
