Clay Mentioned in USA Today

From the USA Today website
#1
Tom Vickers, an independent recording industry consultant, says Idol was in perfect pitch through the revamped semifinals but has fallen flat in the finals."The final four has gotten weaker as the show has progressed," Vickers says. "I still think the first and second years' final four were stronger than this year and last year."Vickers has doubts that any of the singers can enjoy the professional success of earlier Idols Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino or second-season runner-up Clay Aiken.

#2
Brittany Richardson, 14, another Temecula resident also waiting to get into Idol, explained why one singer's — or perhaps a judge's — problems don't affect most fans' interest in the show."When you find somebody you like and who you're voting for, you kind of look past what all the other people are doing," she says. In Season 2, which the group of waiting fans said was the best, "Corey being arrested didn't change the fact that we were voting for Clay."