The song has been performed by various contestants on singing competition television shows, including Adam Garner on Pop Idol, Andrew Boderick on Canadian Idol and Elliott Yamin, Sanjaya Malakar and Jermaine Jones on different seasons of American Idol.
Missy Elliott | Elliott Gould | Elliott Sharp | Bill Elliott | John Elliott | Elliott Roosevelt | Elliott Sober | Elliott Yamin | Elliott Murphy | William Elliott Whitmore | Denholm Elliott | David Elliott | Stephan Elliott | Robert B. Elliott | Jane Elliott | Herb Elliott | Wild Bill Elliott | Simon Elliott | Sean Elliott | Ramblin' Jack Elliott | Phil Elliott | Elliott School of International Affairs | Elliott Randall | Elliott Maddox | Elliott Erwitt | Doug Elliott | Don Elliott | Chris Elliott | Charles Elliott | Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr. |
In 2009, Tozer worked with American Idol's Elliott Yamin to co-write and produce the record "Someday" on Yamin's second album, Fight for Love.
Many American Idol contestants have sung "I Don't Want to Be" on the show, including Matt Giraud and Michael Sarver (both from Season 8), Chris Richardson (from Season 6), Elliott Yamin (from Season 5), Bo Bice (from season 4), and Casey James (from season 9).
At Three Ring, he helped parlay Elliott Yamin's (American Idol) appearance into the highest chart debut by a new artist on an independent label in Soundscan history.
The band toured the United States during the American Idol concert tour, playing numerous after-parties which sometimes feature Hicks on stage, along with Hicks' friends and fellow American Idol finalists, Elliott Yamin, Ace Young, Bucky Covington, and Chris Daughtry (they, along with Hicks, made up the top five men).