Clay on CNN HN Showbiz Tonight Again (7/29)

In his second appearance in less than a week on CNN Headline News' Showbiz Tonight, Clay previewed the exciting new set of songs he is performing on tour, armed with clips of What a Night and Mandy from last week's rehearsals. CNN also showed part from this morning's "Back For More" (more info and download of this new song in Tour News/Media) performance on GMA and also mentioned the BAF improper spending controversy was also brought up, but Clay got an opportunity to mention that an independent auditor cleared the BAF of these allegations. A few GMA-fans were also interviewed including one fan who had 140 Clay pins on her hat! ATCA and MOAF should clack tomorrow, or you can watch it at 11 PM EDT/8 PM PDT on the CNN Headline News Channel.

AllThingsClayAiken.com VIDEO
CNN.com TRANSCRIPT

HAMMER: Another former contestant, Clay Aiken, has become one of the biggest stars to emerge from "American Idol."

BRYANT: Aiken has just launched his fifth tour -- five, A.J. And everywhere he goes, his so-called Claymates follow.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is back with us, live in Hollywood with Clay-mania.

SIBILA VARGAS: Clay-mania. He`s singing covers. He`s got a new magazine cover, and he`s gotten himself covered in the wake of some questions about his charity.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got up close and personal with southern sensation Clay Aiken, and only we`ve got the inside scoop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (voice-over): "Coming Back for More" is Clay Aiken`s brand new song. He debuted it in New York this morning as part of "Good Morning America`s" summer concert series.

Fans came from all over, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s just wonderful. I mean, he really is.

VARGAS: Clay fans -- they call themselves Claymates, if you haven`t heard -- are crazy for the former "American Idol" runner-up. Some are disillusioned.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, he won.

VARGAS: Wait, come again? Didn`t Ruben win?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, he won.

VARGAS: Second place doesn`t seem to matter. He`s No. 1 to millions. This fan carries around a life-size cutout of Clay everywhere she goes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`d like to introduce you all to flat Clay. He`s the mascot of the Claydelphians, Philly area fan club.

VARGAS: Check out this fan. She`s collected 170 Clay Aiken pins.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He represents a perfect person that this world - - everybody should try to be in this world.

VARGAS: And Clay fans know no generational boundaries.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Clayland there is no age. We`re ageless.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: Just last night, Clay Aiken kicked off his jukebox summer tour in New Jersey. We caught up with him. Here he is practicing, just days before he hit the road.

CLAY AIKEN, SINGER: I want people to call me Clay Aiken instead of "`American Idol` runner-up Clay Aiken." If I can have that, I`ll be happy.

VARGAS: You`ve arrived. "Saturday Night Live`s" making fun of you, and you made the cover of "TV Guide."

AIKEN: I don`t understand it. I ask my publicist all the time why the heck they want me on the cover.

VARGAS: His tour features some 70-odd songs from five decades, everything from Sam Cooke to Barry Manilow to the Bee Gees and the Goo Goo Dolls.

All this fanfare comes on the heels of scandalous reports that Clay`s kids charity is not so charitable. Clay cleared that up for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, telling us that an independent accountant said all was on the up and up.

AIKEN: You hope that people would get the entire story and people would want the entire story, but it`s been a -- it`s been a disappointing thing. And I`ve learned in the past that people are more interested in sensationalism than they are with getting the facts.

VARGAS: Fans didn`t flinch. Clay said donations went up after the air was cleared, and now he`s just riding the wave.

AIKEN: It`s really surprising to me. I mean, it`s hard, after -- even after three years to think that for years people didn`t want to talk to me at all, and now people are so interested.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And Clay`s "Jukebox" tour hits 25 cities and includes about 70 songs. That`s a lot of singing. The tour wraps September 1.

And Karyn, I need to ask you, are you a Claymate?

BRYANT: Well, you know, Sibila, he wasn`t my pick that season. I`m just going to leave it at that.