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BurberryAiken's CDD | Home & News

Latest News From CDD

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Clay was on GMA this morning

From the Clayboard

Just heard the anchors on GMA announce they will be talking to Clay Aiken about his role on MAP in a little bit.

I don't have the ability to cap the show (don't even have a working vcr right now), so hopefully someone else will see it.

ETA: Ok, he was just on, with the weather girl. I don't know if that was the whole deal or not, kind of think so. He looked so good this early in the morning.

Watching the York videos last night he looked so thin. This morning he just towered over this girl and looked mighty fine and not so thin.

Wearing long-sleeved navy with thin horizontal stripes shirt with sleeves pushed to the elbows. Looked so calm and relaxed.

He talked about jazzing up the "There she is" song. He has "researched" the program and, of course, has to root for his home state, but "Miss Massachussetts ... Miss Alabama, Miss Nebraska, and one other was mentioned as some he liked.

They showed a brief clip of the GMA summer concert.

OK, looks like he will be on again a little later.

Clay Aiken Christmas Album now available for ordering on Amazon

ORDER HERE

Currently at Amazon.com ranking #32.

Names In the News:

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Excerpt:

HERE SHE COMES

Who are the front-runners for Saturday night's Miss America Pageant (9 p.m. EDT, ABC)? Winners of the three nights of preliminaries were Jenna Edwards of Florida, Jennifer Dupont of Louisiana, and Amy Davis of Utah for swimsuit; and Erika Ebbel of Massachusetts, Veena Goel of California, and Danica Tisdale of Georgia for talent. The top Quality of Life awards for community service went to Deidre Downs of Alabama, followed by Elizabeth Barchas of Idaho and Elizabeth Muto of Nevada.

Personally, we just want to hear Clay Aiken sing.

Christmas Album now up to #3 on Amazon.com

Christmas Album
Clay Aiken



List Price: $18.98
Price: $18.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details.

Availability: This item will be released on November 16, 2004. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives.


See more product details

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Product Details

Audio CD (November 16, 2004)

Number of Discs: 1
Label: RCA
ASIN: B00062ZV2E
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 3

MAP promo 9.18

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Friday, September 17, 2004

Kalan Porter crowned 2nd Canadian Idol

Courtesy the Toronto Star:

Canadian Idol Kalan Porter performs his new single, AWAKE IN A DREAM


Elfin charmer, 18, wins Idol laurels
Victory by Kalan Porter comes as no surprise
Young man from the Hat a big hit with female teens


HO ANDERSON
ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

Tousle-haired Kalan Porter, charmer of millions of teenage girls and, no doubt, a great many of their mothers, claimed the crown in last night's Canadian Idol finale, beating out Theresa Sokyrka.

"I just want to say a big thanks to my parents and my family, the judges, everyone at CTV," said the curly-haired ranchers' son, as he was hugged by Sokyrka and confetti rained on the stage.

Then he sang the tune especially written for the Idol winner, "Awake In A Dream."

Once backstage, he told the media, "When I won, the first thing that went through my head was, `Oh crap, I have to sing.'"

Then Porter formally signed a BMG recording contract in front of the press.

His win didn't come as a surprise. For weeks, the elfin college student from Medicine Hat, Alta., has been the prohibitive favourite to win the talent contest, with an online betting site offering increasingly shorter odds on his chances.

Along the way, the baby-faced Porter got criticized at times by the judges for bland interpretations of songs, but his big voice and cherubic looks were a big selling point for viewers.

Saskatoon's Sokyrka sounded hoarse and tired after the show, but excited by the experience. "I'm going to get some rest and say goodbye to the wonderful people I've met," she said.

So ended the second season of the phenomenally successful show based on Pop Idol, the British series that spawned a host of worldwide spin-offs.

The first Canadian Idol winner, Ryan Malcolm from Kingston, Ont., returned last night to sing a song and wave around a guitar.

In the audience was Gordon Lightfoot, who applauded as one of his songs was performed by the young Idol cast.

Among others in the crowd were Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, actors Don McKellar, Patrick McKenna and Jonathan Crombie, tennis player Daniel Nestor and skater Kurt Browning.

Out west, thousands gathered in arenas in Medicine Hat and Saskatoon to view the finale and cheer on their hometown favourite.

The latest Idol began in early June, when almost 9,000 pop stars of the wannabe variety gathered at auditions held in nine cities to compete for a place on the Idol roster. During a tense selection period, presided over by judges Farley Flex, Sass Jordan, Jake Gold and Zack Werner, that number was whittled down to 32 for telecast purposes.

By now Canadian Idol's formula is familiar to most everyone: each week the contestants perform songs in a different genre while being subjected to gruelling critiques or, less often, glowing praise from the judges. However the true power lies with the viewers. Based on their votes, the talent pool is thinned each week, one by one.

Canadian Idol has been a bona fide success, and CTV confirmed last night there will be a third season. In all, 32 million votes ("one for every Canadian," said host Ben Mulroney) were cast in the second season, well beyond the 20.5 million tallied last year.

The final showdown won by Porter tallied 3.6 million votes.

Last month, to stir viewer interest, the program brought in Lionel Richie as a guest judge. Contestants sang Richie's hits from the 1970s and '80s, after which the pop star offered his comments.

"You sing with such maturity, it's frightening," gushed Richie after Porter sang one of his songs.

Small wonder, given the time he's had to practise. According to his bio, Porter was humming Brahms' Lullaby when he was 18 months old. Whether belting out a song or simply flashing his smile, the young man with the poodle curls was a crowd favourite from the outset.

With files from Canadian Press

Ticket Data from Dallas

9/8/04

Clay Aiken
Nokia Live
Grand Prairie,TX
AEG Live
Ben Jelen
3,592 tix sold
4,435 tix available for sale
80%
39.00 - 49.00
$160,230

Clay featured on 2004 AMA Website

GO TO AMA SITE

Larger version: Click:

Carowinds Ad.Poster 9/17

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CDD CONGRATULATES KALAN PORTER- CANADIAN IDOL 2004

Thursday, September 16, 2004

5 'Idol' alumni carve out niche for holidays

From YAHOO NEWS

Clay part highlighted in red.

Thu Sep 16, 6:34 AM ET Add Entertainment - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo!


By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

While the next American Idol season doesn't kick in till January, fall is anything but a hiatus as five of the show's offspring prepare to roll out albums during a five-week span starting Nov. 2.


・Twain buys a bit of New Zealand
・Bravo to air Bobby Brown reality show
・Zeta-Jones stalker to stand trial
・Olsen sisters campaign for Happy Meals
・'CSI': Anatomy of a TV franchise


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Search USATODAY.com




Snapshots

USA TODAY Snapshot
What is your favorite part of autumn?
More USA TODAY Snapshots


The timing not only sets up the Idol discs as ideal stocking stuffers for millions who follow the Fox series, but it also sets up the Idol alums as ideal guests for the highly rated show's fourth run - a promotional jackpot.


The timetable and scorecard:


・Ruben Studdard (news)'s I Need an Angel, a set of original and traditional gospel tunes, is due Nov. 2. The title track, written and produced by R. Kelly, goes to radio Oct. 4. Studdard's 2003 Soulful debut has sold a hefty 1.7 million copies, roughly on par with current CDs by Prince and Ashlee Simpson (news).


・Clay Aiken (news)'s traditional Christmas album, to include Joy to the World and Winter Wonderland, is due Nov. 16 and will coincide with a TV special and tour. His Measure of a Man CD sold 2.6 million copies. Single Solitaire sold 320,000.

・Fantasia is still in the studio recording her as-yet-untitled debut, due Nov. 23, with such collaborators as Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott and Jazze Pha. Though soft at radio, her I Believe/Summertime has sold 338,000 copies, a stunning haul for the nearly moribund single format.


・Kelly Clarkson (news) has co-written songs for a still-untitled pop-rock album arriving Nov. 30. Her Thankful debut sold 2 million copies. Single Breakaway, from The Princess Diaries 2, is rapidly climbing airplay charts.


・Diana DeGarmo's maiden effort is expected Dec. 7. Her Dreams/Don't Cry Out Loud is the nation's top-selling single, with 175,000 copies sold (with virtually no radio airplay).


The Idols enjoy celebrity status, but will the glut end up voting one or more off the chart? Record mogul Clive Davis, who's supervising all five projects at his J and RCA labels, sees no logjam.


"To lump them together is a serious blunder," he says, insisting that this crop shares only the tenuous tie of the show's banner. "American Idol deserves enormous credit, but we're not using it as an umbrella. We're treating the artists as individuals. The momentum from the show is a huge advantage. The artists have to earn the rest."


DeGarmo, working with such producers as David Foster (news), is tapping into talents beyond the limits set by the show, Davis says. And Fantasia "is a young Mary J. Blige or Aretha. We have to be true to her talent. The material is being custom-crafted to her."


The upside for the Idol stable is a lack of competition from outsiders, since the pop genre is thinly populated these days, Davis says. The downside is that radio programmers tend to shun pop tunes in favor of rock and hip-hop (or non-Idol pop artists such as JoJo and Hilary Duff). Even without support from radio, which has bypassed most Idol singles, Davis predicts solid sales for each album.


"There is life after American Idol," he says. "There is a career beyond the souvenir."

MarketWatch celebrated Lycos's 5th year anniversairy with...CLAY?

From MarketWatch.com

Terra Networks (TRLY: news, chart, profile) is marking the fifth anniversary of its Lycos Top 50 weekly list of most popular searches, and Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson have been on every list since the start. In 1999, the first list featured Backstreet Boys and Beanie Babies. Five years later, Clay Aiken and Poker dominate Web search activity, according to Dean Tsouvalas, who writes the Weekly Lycos 50 column. Other search terms from the first list which have shown staying power include NFL, WWF and Dragonball.

Clay loses out to Kayne West at World Music Awards

Oh well, maybe next year! Here's some scans from the WMA program:



Click to enlarge:

(Aiken spelled wrong)

NEW SNL Pics courtesy ClayPhotos.com




Clay's Menu

From the Clayboard

NO DOMINOS. PLEASE HAVE ALL PIZZA BOXES LABELED BY BUS.

A simple but structured night schedule:

Menu Rotation: (advanced & approved by Production Manager)
Mon: BBQ night
Tue: Asian night
Wed: Mexican night
Thu: American Night
Fri: Carving night (include Tri tip and Ham)
Sat: Past Bar (assorted pasta types, meats, veggies, sauces)
Sun: Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings

And for his late night truck drivers:
TRUCK DRIVER FOOD
Please prepare and have ready four (4) bag lunches at 10:00pm to be delivered to the
Production Office. Two (2) Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches or flat meat, an apple, candy bar, napkins, and two (2) bottles of water each.

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Clay mentioned in Article from KTIV TV

09/14/2004
Clay County Fair Underway
The Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa, is in full swing. Organizers call it one of the greatest counties fairs there is.

The 87th Clay County Fair has something for everyone -- from hayrides to thrill rides.

It's why organizers call it one of the greatest county fairs in the world, but it hasn't always been that way.

The history of the fair dates back to 1918. Ever since, organizers have tried to make each year bigger and better.

Fair manager, Phil Hurst, says it's the big-name performers that have come to the fair, that have really put it on the map.

Past performers include Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Clay Aiken. Perhaps the biggest name to pass through the fair, Bob Hope in 1975.
“We are the biggest county or state fair when it comes to ag and ag-business in the nation," says Hurst.

This year's fair has over 600 commercial exhibits and the attendance is expected to top 300,000 -- living up to the theme, “Greatest and More in 2004.”

The fair runs through next Sunday.


Christian Walk
© 2004 KTIV. All Rights Reserved.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Clay puts his hat backwards

From the Clayboard

You have to download the video of YGAF from Allegan; it's at Airplaycentral. Jacob puts one of the usher caps on Clay - backwards- and Clay adjusts it and starts doing some Hip hop moves with his arms....really funny. He actually looks cute even doing that!

Kathleen Tracy Clay Aiken unauthorized Bio now on B&N for ordering


AVAILABE HERE

Very insightful post with a publishing industry expert on Clay's book

COURTEST THE CLAY NATION NEWS (CNN)

Subject : Clay Nation News Evening: Interview with a Publishing Professional

Feel free to share this newsletter with other Clay fans
To subscribe to this newsletter, visit www.claynationnews.com

Clay Nation News
Evening News & Reminders
September 13, 2004



Q&A With a Publisher
Our guest interview is with a senior editor at a major publishing house. This person is knowledgeable in all facets of the publishing industry and has agreed to be interviewed for CNN in an effort to educate Clay's fans on how the publishing industry works, how booksales are recorded, and ways to "buy smart" so that our book purchases will do the most good for Clay in terms of sales, Bestseller lists and industry buzz. Feel free to send followup questions to cnn@claynationnews.com and we will do our best to get an answer from the publisher.

A Publishing Primer, or, EEEEEEEEEEE! Clay Aiken has a book out!

Q: Does it matter when I buy Clay’s book? I can’t wait!

A: Yes, it’s very important to buy LEARNING TO SING in the first two weeks (but not before the book is officially on sale) if we want the book to hit the New York Times bestseller list, which is widely considered the most important bestseller list in publishing. But remember: don’t buy it before the official on-sale date (Ed. Note: right now this looks like November 16), because sales before that date may not count towards first week sales. LEARNING TO SING should have a strict on-sale date, but many non-traditional outlets (i.e. wholesale clubs, supermarkets, Walmart, Kmart, Target) are known for putting books out early before their on-sale dates. In general, bookstores are better at enforcing dates, and some online retailers like bn.com and Amazon.com count sales for the first week even if it ships to you before the on-sale date.

Pre-ordering (both online and at bookstores) is also important because it lets both the outlet and the publisher know what kind of demand there is, and this can affect the number of copies printed and shipped. The more copies shipped, the bigger the buzz, but also the higher the expectations and the bigger the risks. For bigger books, Amazon will also order directly from the publisher rather than a distributor--something they don’t do with every book. There are rumors that the print run for LEARNING TO SING is around 200,000 copies, which is a very substantial number for a hardcover book. Publishers can also go back to press on books if sales outpace anticipated demand, and that is a Good Thing.

Q: Does it matter where I buy Clay’s book? I think it may be cheaper online or at Sam’s Club.

A: For the purpose of making the New York Times bestseller list, during the first two weeks of the book's release, please try to buy a copy at a store that reports to the Times list. Stores that are known to report to the Times include Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldens, Books-a-Million, Walmart, Amazon.com, and Sam’s Club. Hastings and W.H. Smith also report to the Times, along with other stores (including many independent, non-chain bookstores), but there isn’t a comprehensive list of reporting retailers.

Most Christian bookstores do NOT report to the Times, and neither does BJ’s Club. I don’t believe Costco does either.

But this is purely about making sure the book hits the New York Times list, which is only one factor in a book’s overall success (although an important one). It is important to focus on the New York Times list for the first two weeks, because the publishing industry uses it as one barometer for the overall success of a book. However, it is also essential that Clay's book sells well at all the outlets carrying it, because a store that isn’t selling the book fast enough will likely return it to the publisher, and returns are a Very Bad Thing.

Q: So are bestseller lists the only way to gauge how well Clay’s book is doing? And is the New York Times list the only list out there?

A: There are lists other than the New York Times bestseller list--for example, most major newspapers have their own lists that reflect what’s selling well in the area (San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, Denver Post, etc. all have their own lists). The Wall St. Journal has its own list, Publishers Weekly (the industry magazine) has its own widely respected list (I believe Entertainment Weekly bases it’s bestseller list on the Publishers Weekly one), and USA Today has an extensive Top 150 bestseller list which combines books of all formats and genres into one list that reflects actual cash register sales. The USA Today Top 50 list is printed every Thursday in the print edition--the online edition will have the Top 150.

Many retailers also keep their own bestseller lists, such as B & N, Waldens, Borders, etc., and the CBA (Christian book market) also has bestseller lists for their stores. Each list has a different method for determining the books that hit their lists, and all these lists are important, but traditionally the New York Times list has been the most prestigious and the most widely quoted, and hitting the Times bestseller list is one major standard for evaluating a book’s success.

One thing that isn’t necessarily reflective of how a book is actually doing is the bestseller placement in stores like Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc. Although the slots say #1 or #2 or #15, these positions are bought by the publisher, and are indications of publisher support rather than cash register sales.

Of course nothing is as important as cash register sales, and publishers have access to BookScan, which is to the book industry what SoundScan is for the record industry. BookScan tracks every book sold at many major retail outlets that sell books. It’s important to remember that BookScan does not include every retail outlet--it leaves out important outlets such as Walmart, Sam’s, BJ’s, and Virgin Megastore.

Q: What if I live in Canada? Should I order from the US or can I go to a Canadian bookstore?

A: Canadian book sales are only a fraction of American book sales, so if you want to help Clay’s sales, it would be more helpful if you buy the book from an American store if you can, even if it’s online through Amazon.com, Borders.com or bn.com.

Q: What if I buy an audio book or a download instead of the hardcover? Will that count towards his hardcover sales?

A: No, the only sales that will count toward his hardcover numbers are hardcover sales--audio books and e-book downloads are all counted separately.

Q: Is it okay to buy it used on Amazon?

A: No, not if you want Clay to see any royalties. Authors don’t get paid for any used book sales. Used book sales also do not count towards Bestseller lists.

Q: So does it matter if I buy online or I buy at a bricks-and-mortar store?

A: As long as they report to the New York Times, it doesn’t matter as much because all the sales will be accounted for. However, keep in mind that it is important that the book sell well at brick-and-mortar stores or they will be returned to the publisher. Fans should not make all of their purchases online.

Another time it matters is if Clay does book signings at bookstores. Then it will be very important that people buy his books at the actual signing, because the store will have ordered more copies of the book anticipating big sales from the signing. If he doesn’t sell many books at his signing, then it won’t generate the buzz necessary to be noticed in the industry and by the general media (for instance, Bill Clinton’s signings generated huge publicity because so many people turned out for them). The important thing to note about book signings is that the bookstore will usually not allow people to bring in anything from outside the store to be signed (i.e. no cds, magazines, etc.). Sometimes they will, but you won’t know until you get to the bookstore and an announcement is made at the signing. Even copies of Clay’s book not bought at the actual bookstore may not be allowed. So if you plan on attending one of Clay’s signings (that’s assuming that Clay does them of course), be prepared to buy your book at that store, even if you have already purchased one.

Q: Book signings--I love book signings! When we will start hearing about them? And how much promotion will Clay do vs. how much promotion other authors do?

A: Book signings will probably be arranged depending on Clay’s existing schedule. It’s arranged by the publisher usually in places where they expect a large turnout and can get decent media attention, so I’m guessing that New York City and Los Angeles will be the definites. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Raleigh is in the mix as well. Most celebrities only do a few select signings rather than a book tour, so I’m not expecting Clay to do more than six signings (I’m actually expecting more like 3 to 4 signings)--unless, they combine the possible Christmas CD tour with a book tour (see below). It’s also possible he may sign at more than 1 store in New York and LA, since they are such big markets. Signings don’t generally last for more than an hour--two at the most. If there’s a huge crowd, don’t expect more than a "Hey, how are ya?" as he signs your book--there will be security and publishing people there to make sure he doesn’t spend too long on one person if there are 50 others waiting in line for their turn.

The important thing to note about book signings is that the bookstore will usually not allow people to bring in anything from outside the store to be signed (i.e. no cds, magazines, etc.). Sometimes they will, but you won’t know until you get to the bookstore and an announcement is made at the signing. Even copies of Clay’s book not bought at the actual bookstore may not be allowed. So if you plan on attending one of Clay’s signings (that’s assuming that Clay does them of course), be prepared to buy your book at that store, even if you have already purchased one.

The publicity for book signings is usually up to the individual store, with the publisher helping out. Also expect the info to be listed on Clay’s official website. Expect local print media to mention any local signings, especially if Clay does an interview with them as well.

Clay will most likely appear on morning shows and talk shows to talk about the book, and the Christmas album as well (I definitely expect him on at least "Good Morning, America", and he did indicate that was likely in a recent interview). Most celebrities do get a fair amount of media attention, and I expect Clay to at least equal what other celebrities do, if not more.

If he signs at places that sell both the book and CD, then I’m hoping he can sign both as well. And something else to keep in mind--since there seems to be a Christmas tour in the works to support the Christmas CD, there’s also a chance that there will be signings set up in the cities on the tour.

Q: What if I don’t buy Clay’s book in the first month? Is it too late to make a difference?

A: If Clay’s book isn’t considered successful, and generally the first month of sales will determine whether the book is deemed successful or not, then bookstores will start to return the books back to the publisher. Heavy returns of any book equal publishing disappointment. If it is a disappointment because of slow sales, then the books will be remaindered in place--meaning, the book will be sold at a drastic discount directly by the publisher. This is different from remaindering through a third party, which happens with almost every book at the end of their hardcover life. The shelf life for a hardcover is usually six to nine months, because the paperback reprint is usually published a year after the hardcover is published. So if there’s still some hardcover inventory nine months after publication, the publisher will sell off the inventory to a company that specializes in buying and selling remaindered books. So even if you can’t buy it in the first month, don’t wait too long to buy it because the book won’t be on the shelf indefinitely. And the more slowly it sells, the quicker stores will be to return it back to the publisher.

Q: So if the book is returned, how does that affect Clay?

A: Clay received money to write the book, but it was an advance against royalties, meaning that once his advance earns out, he will get royalty checks twice a year. So if his book ships 200,000 copies, he’s expected to sell at least half of that amount. But this is where it gets tricky, because publishers do their accounting based on sales to their accounts (i.e. bookstores and other stores) and not on actual cash register sales. So when a bookstore orders a certain quantity of books, the publisher bills the store for that entire quantity. Books are considered sold unless they are returned back to the publisher. So even if a bookstore doesn’t actually sell every single copy of Clay’s book in their store, as long as it doesn’t get returned, it’s considered sold by the publisher. But the store will only keep copies of the book if they think they will sell it--if rate of sales is slow then that can indicate that they have too much stock. Stores reduce stock by returning books to the publisher. Every publisher hates returns, which is why when books start coming back too quickly and sales are slow, they may be forced to remainder in place as a sales incentive. So someone may be able to buy the book at a very low cost, but it’s a loss for the publisher and bad for the author.

So then Clay’s royalty check is based on books not returned--or books "sold" to the bookstore, rather than books "sold" to the consumer. So both kinds of sales are very important--cash register sales because that’s what creates buzz and excitement in the marketplace (besides it being what people actually buy), and sales to stores because that’s what his royalties will be based on.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eds. note: To clarify, for those who only plan to buy a single copy of the book, please try to buy it during the first two weeks from a bookstore that reports to the New York Times. The publishing industry will be watching the major bestseller lists, especially for the first few weeks, as a barometer for how the book is doing.

If you know you will buy multiple copies, then you can plan your purchases strategically: during the first two weeks especially, make your purchases from a store that will report to the NY Times. Then, if you're going to be buying extra copies for gifts for friends and family, you may buy them from Christian bookstores or Costco (discounts!) or any other store, but try to purchase at least some of them from stores who report to Bookscan.

Stores known to report to New York Times List:

Barnes & Noble
Borders
Waldens
Books-a-Million
Walmart
Amazon.com
Sam’s Club
Hastings
W.H. Smith

Stores NOT known to report to New York Times List:

Most Christian bookstores
BJ’s Club
Costco

Stores that do NOT report to Bookscan:

Walmart
Sam’s
BJ’s
Virgin Megastore

Tidbit from Atlantic City Miss America Pagent

From the Clayboard

Okay Y'all. I just got off the phone with Miss Virginia in Atlantic City about ten minutes ago. She said that they made the announcement about Clay during rehearsal today and that all the girls were estatic - everyone has been chatting it up all day. So at least we know that the contestants know that OMC is best thing that could happen to the Miss America broadcast Another interesting note, it doesn't sound like he will have much time to hang out with the contestants at all b/c the producers told the girls he would not be attending any of the rehearsals even the Saturday TV rehearsal. They are giving him the script and he is showing up for Saturday night only. I guess they know our boy is a professional!!

NC State Fair Ad 9/14

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Monday, September 13, 2004

NC State Fair's press release regarding 2nd show.

RALEIGH – Clay Aiken fans will have one more opportunity to see him perform at the 2004 North Carolina State Fair. Due to an overwhelmingly large interest in the first concert, a second show has been booked for Monday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m. in Dorton Arena.

Fairgoers can purchase reserved tickets for $15 online at www.ncstatefair.org beginning Monday, Sept. 27, at noon. Once again, because only 6,000 seats are available, there will be a limit of four tickets per person for this concert. There will be no free seating available for this show.

The first Clay Aiken concert sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale on Friday, Sept. 3. In addition, ticket sales for the other Fair concerts have been strong.

The State Fair will employ the same online ordering process for the second show. The State Fair contracts with Yahoo! to sell tickets online. The State Fair creates its own State Fair Store using the Yahoo! server.

Online sales were successful except for one glitch created when Yahoo! staff started troubleshooting a slowdown in the checkout process. Yahoo! had never experienced a situation like this and took actions to correct it. To try to get to the root of the situation, Yahoo! added 1,001 tickets to the concert's total inventory, which meant there were more tickets than seats available. This troubleshooting measure was done without informing State Fair staff members who were monitoring the online sales. A total of 694 of these "extra" tickets were sold before the site could be shut down. This led to an oversell of Clay Aiken concert tickets.

"We understand that human error occurs," said State Fair Manager Wesley Wyatt. "We have been working with Yahoo! to resolve the issue and are confident that the system will work properly during the second online sale. We will contact people who purchased the extra tickets to the first show and provide them the option of getting favorable seats to the 3 p.m. show."

Please contact Tiffany Budd at (919) 733-4216 for more information.

IWCY #4 on Promosquad top 20

- 1 Kelly Clarkson Breakaway
- 2 Justin Guarini Condition Of My Heart
- 3 Maroon 5 She Will Be Loved
- 4 Clay Aiken I Will Carry You
- 5 Ashlee Simpson Pieces Of Me
- 6 Avril Lavigne My Happy Ending
- 7 Yellowcard Way Away
- 8 Linkin Park Breaking The Habit
- 9 Dashboard Confessional Vindicated
- 10 Hoobastank The Reason
- 11 Green Day American Idiot
- 12 Ashlee Simpson Shadow
- 13 The Killers Somebody Told Me
- 14 Jem They
- 15 Usher Burn
- 16 Franz Ferdinand Take Me Out
- 17 Britney Spears Outrageous
- 18 Eminem How Come
- 19 Terror Squad Lean Back
- 20 Clay Aiken Solitaire

Clay's next goal: 'Animated Movie'

ARTICLE HERE

Clay Aiken has had quite an eventful year and a half. After being named runner-up during American Idol's 2003 season, he released a top-selling album and toured the country with first-season winner, Kelly Clarkson. Now, he adds animated character to his list of involvements. In Disney's Special Edition DVD of the hit 1992 movie Aladdin, Clay Aiken lends his voice to one of the bonus features -- a music video in which Aiken sings the deleted song "Proud of Your Boy" (the video features Aiken singing the song in the studio, as well as the original Aladdin storyboards). Here, he speaks to Child about the song, his favorite films, and what his life has been like since American Idol ended.

Q: Tell us a little bit about the song "Proud of Your Boy," which was written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
A: In the original script, there was a whole deleted storyline where Aladdin had a mother. And in this song, he's saying, "I may screw up at everything, but I'm going to do my best to make my mother proud because I love her so much." Alan Menken taught me the song and helped me understand where he was coming from when they wrote it. He was in the studio the day I recorded the song and it made him very proud that we could do this in honor of Howard Ashman's memory [Ashman died in 1991].

Q: Does the song have a special meaning for you?
A: It's a nice parallel to my own life. My singing career is something my mom dreamed of me doing much longer than I did.

Q: What was it like working on a Disney film?
A: I always thought it would be so cool to be the voice of a Disney character. When I was growing up, it was one of those things I never thought I would be famous enough to actually do. When I got the call asking me to sing the song, I said yes. My next goal is to do a full animated movie.

Q: What are some of your favorite animated films?
A: I always loved Disney stuff. My favorite is The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Q: Tell us about your charity, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation.
A: Before American Idol, I was a college student majoring in special education. For a long time, I saw kids turned away from activities and programs because they had disabilities. The goal of my foundation is to include kids with disabilities in after-school programs, camp programs, and extra-curricular activities so they can participate just like everyone else.

Q: What has your life been like since American Idol ended?
A: A little bit hectic! Every day I'm doing something new and different. I can't go anywhere without people noticing me -- even with a hat on!

Q: Any advice for kids who dream of doing what you did someday?
A: Every single person in my position has a story about someone who told them that they couldn't do it. My advice for kids is to always believe in yourself, persevere, and don't let people change you.

Clay to sing THE WAY and THERE SHE IS

Aiken Returns to Miss America
(Monday, September 13 10:47 AM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Viewers who tune in to ABC's coverage of the Miss America pageant on Saturday, Sept. 18 will see less programming than last year (down to only two hours), fewer displays of talent (also down to two showcases), but even more Clay Aiken.
The former "American Idol" runner-up will make his second consecutive appearance on the Miss America show. According to ABC, Aiken will have a running presence throughout the show. In addition to performing his single "My Way," (typo) Aiken will introduce the contestants during the evening wear part of the competition. When the winner is announced, Aiken will serenade her with the classic "The She Is."

"'American Idol' was really popular because it's a family show, something everyone can sit and watch together as a family," Aiken told reporters last year before his first visit to the show. "Miss America is the same way -- it's a very family-oriented, safe show, and families can watch it together. I know I did with my mom, my dad and my brother when I was younger."


Aiken's debut album "Measure of a Man" is approaching triple-platinum status.
The show will be hosted by Chris Harrison (ABC's "The Bachelor").

Official ABC statement

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
MISS AMERICA ORGANIZATION
TWO MISS AMERICA WAY
SUITE 1000
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ 08401

CLAY AIKEN WILL BE A SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMER
ON ABC'S "MISS AMERICA" TELECAST SEPTEMBER 18

Aiken Will Serenade The Winner With "Miss America's" Signature
Song, "There She Is," As Part of His Appearance On The Show

Multi-platinum recording artist Clay Aiken will be a special guest performer on this year's live "Miss America" telecast, on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the first "Miss America" telecast, which also aired on ABC.

Aiken, who has garnered millions of fans and critical acclaim worldwide since he burst on the scene with his lush vocals and youthful charm, will have a presence throughout the program's final competition festivities in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He will introduce the contestants during the glamorous evening wear competition, as well as perform his single, "The Way," from his hit debut album, "Measure of a Man," during the telecast. In the dramatic culmination of the competition, he also will serenade this year's winner with "Miss America's" signature song, "There She Is." Aiken's popular band, which is accompanying him on tour, will back him up on the show.

This year marks Aiken's second consecutive year as special guest performer on the program. He is in the midst of a national tour promoting his debut album, "Measure of a Man," which is nearing triple-platinum status. It sold 613,000 units in its first week of release, the highest first-week total for a debut artist in over 10 years, and it was ranked by SoundScan as one of the best-selling albums of the year.Chris Harrison, host of ABC's romance reality hit series "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," will host the live "Miss America" telecast for the first time.

Art McMaster, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization, is an executive producer of ABC's live telecast of "Miss America." Bob Bain returns for his fourth year as executive producer of the telecast. Alan Carter will be the director. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED) (Broadcast in stereo where available)

Clay holding 1,2 and 3 on New Zealand's official chart

Voted in by residents of New Zealand:
CLICK HERE

Billboard confirmed sales for MOAM and Soulful Out

From kellykellyk @theclayboard and Dudleyvillas from the CH

Dudleyvillas from CH was able to find out the sales for MOAM and Soulful.

Through Sept. 5, confirmed Soundscan sales are:

MOAM - 2,617,898 (an average of 3,139.5 copies per week in the 7 weeks that it has been off the Billboard top-200 chart)

Soulful - 1,740,484 copies overall (it has been off the BB top-200 for 12 straight weeks)

Clay on a Christmas CD Compilation

WALMART|BEST-BUY
Ultimate Christmas 2

Various Artists-Holiday/Seasonal


CD


1. A Holly Jolly Christmas - Alan Jackson
9. Oh Holy Night - Kelly Clarkson


2. Angels We Have Heard On High - Christina Aguilera
10. Posada (Pilgrimage To Bethlehem) - Santana


3. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Barry Manilow Featuring K.T. Oslin
11. Santa Claus Is Back In Town - Elvis Presley


4. Christmas Day - Dido
12. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) - Whitney Houston


5. Christmas Song - Dave Matthews Band
13. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - 'N Sync


6. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Ruben Studdard And Tamyra Gray
14. The First Noel - Clay Aiken


7. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Martina McBride
15. This Christmas - Joe


8. My Only Wish (This Year) - Britney Spears
16. World Christmas - R. Kelly

CD Release date Changed to November 16th

Updated list from kellykellyk

Well, since it seems the dates for all of the releases have changed, I decided to start a new thread.

Apparently it has been confirmed that Clay's CD will be released on Nov. 16. Both Ruben & Kelly are scheduled for Nov. 9. Fantasia may be scheduled for the 16th, but we don't have confirmation yet. Diana's CD will apparently come out in 2005, as will John Steven's.

So here its how it looks now:

2 November
Duran Duran (best of; Singles Box, Vol II; Capitol/EMI)
John Lennon (Rock & Roll; remastered, with 4 bonus tracks; Capitol/EMI)
LeAnn Rimes (This Woman; Curb)
Travis (best of; Travis: Singles; Epic)
Trisha Yearwood (title TBA; MCA Nashville)

9 November
Andrea Bocelli (Andrea; Philips/Sugar)
Mariah Carey (On the Other Side; Island)
Vanessa Carlton (Harmonium; A&M/Interscope)
Kelly Clarkson (title TBA; RCA) -- confirmed
Elton John (Peachtree Road; Universal)
Toby Keith (Greatest Hits 1999-2003; DreamWorks Nashville)
Britney Spears (My Prerogative: Greatest Hits; Jive) -
Ruben Studdard (gospel; title TBA; J)
Trick Daddy (Thug Matrimony; Atlantic)
Shania Twain (Greatest Hits; Mercury Nashville)

16 November
Clay Aiken (Christmas CD, RCA)
Ashanti (title TBA; Inc./Def Jam)
Black-Eyed Peas (Monkey Business; A&M/Interscope)
Chingy (Powerballin'; Capitol)
Destiny's Child (Destiny Fulfilled; Columbia)
Eminem (Encore; Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
?Fantasia? (title TBA; J) -???Fat Joe (Things of That Nature; Atlantic)
Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz (Crunk Juice; BME/TVT)
Snoop Dogg (Rhythm & Gangsta; Doggystyle/Star Trak/Geffen)



23 November
Jennifer Lopez (title TBA; Epic)
Jessica Simpson (Christmas; title TBA; Columbia)
U2 (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb; Interscope)
Gwen Stefani (GRS; Interscope)

Diana - sometime 2005

No 2nd AMA for Clay

Clay will be AMA less this year. :(

Usher Leads American Music Award Nods

1 hour, 31 minutes ago

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES - R&B casanova Usher, whose album "Confessions" steamed up the charts with songs about sex, affairs and breakups, received a leading four nominations Tuesday for the American Music Awards.


AP Photo


Related Links
• List of American Music Award Nominees (AP)



Many categories included last year's winners — Toby Keith, Tim McGraw and Linkin Park — and previous nominees Beyonce, Avril Lavigne (news), Norah Jones (news) and R. Kelly.


Meanwhile, rapper-producer Kanye West, whose album "The College Dropout" combines gospel, rap and braggadocio, had three nominations, the second most after Usher.


Usher was nominated as favorite male artist in both the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories, and his "Confessions" also has best album bids in both groups.


In the hip-hop/rap class, West was up for favorite male artist, "The College Dropout" got a mention for best album, and his third bid came for the cross-genre award as best newcomer.


Two categories feature all of the same nominees as last year. The country male artist group again includes Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw (who won in 2003). It also was deja vu for contemporary inspirational music, as 2003 winner Steven Curtis Chapman competes once more against MercyMe and Third Day.


Meanwhile, OutKast — the big winner at February's Grammys (news - web sites) — was nominated for best rap/hip-hop group, and its Grammy-winning "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" got a bid for best rap album.


The awards will be presented during a Nov. 14 ceremony that will be shown live on ABC. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will host it.


The nominations are based on sales figures and radio play. Winners are selected by a survey of about 20,000 listeners.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Possible Christmas Special?

From the Clayboard

OK gang! I found this on another artist's site in the Other Artist's forum. I was shocked about the mention of a Christmas special on December 8th. If this has already been mentioned.....mods....please lock. I hesitated to post this.

Also, I don't know how reliable this info is so please don't shoot the messenger but here is what someone posted:

Clay Aiken's new CD goes on sale November 16th. (Is that the date we have been hearing?)

To coincide with the release of the CD,
NEW MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS!

Clay Aiken's three day national media tour begins Monday November 22nd
Appearances on CBS-TV's The Early Show and CNN American Morning with more still to come.
An additional tour and promotions will begin through Christmas
Clay Aiken抯 Christmas special will air December 8th!
More national publicity December 6th thought 7th, details to come!

Clay in Disney Adventure Mag

From the Clackhouse

My son gets Disney Adventures Magazine and the October issue just came today-Dufflet on the cover but then again she is on the cover every other month it seems. There is a near full page bit on Clay on page 22 on the Backstage Disney page. This magazine is the size of a TVGuide and is targeted to 10-14 year olds.

The mini article is called Magic Man-Clay Aiken Jumps Into a Whole New World. There is a large picture of him in full wail (brown shirt-is that GMA?) from the mid chest up.

Comment to start: Clay Aiken is used to magic carpet rides: He’s been on one since he became the American Idol runner-up in 2002. Now, he’s singing a new tune on the Aladdin special edition DVD. Find out about it here.

DA: How was it recording the new song POYB?
C: Doing it with a huge orchestra was amazing!

DA: Who was your favorite Aladdin character?
C: The Genie is always everyone’s favorite because he is so funny. I also really love Abu because I always wanted to have a pet monkey.

DA: What do you think Simon Cowell would say about Aladdin’s singing?
C:He’d say he was a no-talent hack, the worse singer he’d ever heard. That’s all he ever says!


I like the fact that they note Clay’s AI as 2002 even though technically he ended his series in 2003. It makes it seem like he’s been around awhile.

They note it comes out October 5th and direct you to this website for more music news. I followed the link and Clay is the main story. There is a small blurb about his Christmas CD and his book.

There is no mention in the magazine of A Whole New World by Jessica Simpson and what’s his name.

Clay mentioned in a paragraph about reality stars (Kelly)

From a Dallas Morning News

CAREER TURNS: Had hit first single (A Moment Like This) and also climbed high on the charts with debut CD Thankful. But beachfront musical From Justin to Kelly was instant algae at the box office. Future still looks reasonably bright, although Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken has since blown past her as a more bankable, likable belter.


CDD supports:

Bubel Aiken Foundation GoodSearch for TBAF UNICEF