Clay in Northwest Airlines Magazine

clay aiken

Sometimes misfortune is a blessing in disguise. Such is true for 25-year-old Clay Aiken. Last year, more than 50 million viewers tuned in to the second season finale of American Idol to see who would take the title. With 24 million votes phoned in, competitor Ruben Studdard won by only 134,400 votes.

Although Aiken took second place that day, it didn’t take long for him to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. He was also named one of People magazine’s sexiest men alive. Aiken’s first single, “This Is The Night,” backed with his cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” was the only platinum-certified single of 2003. It spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Sales chart.

“It’s all very baffling to me,” Aiken once told the Houston Chronicle, regarding his fame. “I guess that’s why it’s so hard to wrap my mind around it when people are waiting outside the venue after a concert and cheering. I’m amazed that they’re actually doing that because I would never do it. I especially wouldn’t do it for some skinny little dork.”

A native from Raleigh, North Carolina, Aiken co-headlined a tour with Kelly Clarkson earlier this year, and is currently on the road in his first ever solo headlining tour in support of his multi-platinum Measure of a Man. This is the third time Aiken has toured the United States since last summer.

Aiken’s rise to stardom continues at a fast pace. He is currently recording a holiday-themed CD to be released for Christmas 2004, as well as a book of inspirational thoughts that he says has helped him reach a peaceful place in his life.

When asked once what his goals were, Aiken replied, “Success, happiness, stability. I would love to be known as a generous and selfless person.”

It seems the inspirational artist has succeeded. David Hiltbrand from The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “Whatever X-factor makes an ‘Idol’ an idol, Aiken obviously has it.”

Tune in to Clay Aiken this month on Right Here, Right Now IComputer/Web Hosting Services Provided by Blogger and HostDepartment.com. Thank you.