Netscape Article

Caroling with Clay
Clay plans Christmas tour with orchestra. The five-week Joyful Noise Tour will promote his upcoming holiday album and book by Gary Susman

Clay Aiken is getting ready to deck the concert halls. Billboard reports that the American Idol star is preparing a five-week tour, backed by a full orchestra, to promote his upcoming Christmas album. Dubbed the Joyful Noise Tour, the trek will begin in San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 27 and take him to Sewell, N.J.; Baltimore; Lowell, Mass.; New York; Clearwater, Fla.; Melbourne, Fla.; Atlanta; and finally, Cleveland on Dec. 21. Along with the yet-untitled holiday album, Aiken also has a book coming out on Nov. 16, an inspirational tome called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, and a holiday TV special, airing Dec. 8 on NBC.

Clay's pals, Idol winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, and Fantasia Barrino, have a Christmas special of their own coming up on Nov. 24 on Fox. Ruben has a holiday CD of his own, called I Need an Angel, due in early November, while Kelly and Fantasia both have CDs due at the end of November.

(Posted:10/19/04)