Fourth time lucky for singing dad

One tear-jerking story is bound to tug at people' s hearts when X-Factor SA premieres on SABC1 on Saturday.

Eliezer Hilmer, 29, an unemployed father of a three-year-old boy over whom he has been taken to court for not paying maintenance, is giving reality singing competitions a final try.

The resident of Riverlea, south of Johannesburg, has been deemed surplus to requirements on Coca-Cola Popstars, I Want to Sing Gospel andIdols SA.

Things began going south for him when, at 17, he found out that the only father he had known was not his biological father.

Cigarettes and weed became child's play, and he turned to mandrax and cocaine.

His dreams of being a lawyer dissipated. He walked out on his family. He had made peace with the fact that he "wasn't the one to bring my family out of this sh*t".

But the murder of his brother in Hammanskraal, outside Pretoria, three years ago, and the birth of his son changed things.

"Although I still struggle with cigarettes, it was on the day of my brother's funeral that I had my last [crack cocaine] and mandrax.

"His death hit me. He used to fetch me from dirty spots and fight with people [who sold me drugs]."

Although he is still some way from winning , The Times understands he has impressed judges Zonke, Arno Carstens and Oskido, and stands a chance of making the bootcamp stage.

Hilmer said: "I had given up on making it via a reality-singing competition, but when I saw the X-Factor audition call, there was a clear voice in my head saying, 'Eliezer Hilmer - X-Factor SA winner'. This competition has come at the right time."