NJ.com Interview/Article

Spirit-filled 'fest 'Idol' Clay Aiken puts his faith center stage

Friday, August 05, 2005
By JOHN A. ZUKOWSKI
The Express-Times
He transformed from geek to chic in front of millions.

And now the voice over the phone seems to have changed too.

It sounded more mature and seasoned than when TV viewers saw him on "American Idol."


It was Clay Aiken, calling from Atlanta before a concert.
Aiken had just a few minutes to talk in what was likely a flurry of short phone interviews to promote an upcoming tour, which makes a stop 8:30 p.m. Wednesdayat Bethlehem's Musikfest.

The voice may be different because so much else has changed since he was a runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003.

The family friendly, openly religious Aiken has become one of pop music's most unlikely successes.

"You don't look like a pop star," Idol judge Simon Cowell famously told him.

Yep, he's more Manilow than Marilyn Manson. More Elton than Eminem. More Harry Connick Jr. than Sinatra.

But the rise of the self-proclaimed "geek" and "Mama's Boy" is one of pop music's most appealing Cinderella stories.

A chunk of that is told in the revealing autobiography "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life."

Not only is it a tale of overcoming bullies and naysayers, it's also a moving rise out of Southern poverty.

But it's also a story of religious faith.

His mother sometimes put religious-themed notes in his lunch when he was in middle school.

"The Lord sometimes takes us into troubled water not to drown us but to cleanse us," was one note she tossed into his lunch bag.

And there was inspiration in the Baptist and Moravian churches in North Carolina that he attended.

Outside of Pennsylvania, the largest concentration of Moravians is in North Carolina, where Aiken grew up. Aiken attended a Baptist church but for a period worshipped in Moravian churches.

Aiken ultimately returned to the Baptist church because he says it gave him more of a sense of community. But he says some of the inclusive messages in the Moravian Church stayed with him. That's something he wrote about in his book when he declared, "To me God is about love, not condemnation."

And so along the rise of his popularity he's been one of the few pop stars to talk about or display his Christianity.

When he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone he wore a "What Would Jesus Do" bracelet. In the story inside he met a writer for dinner and prayed to himself before he ate. When an Express-Times reporter asked him last year for a favorite Bible verse, he immediately quoted Exodus 14:14: "The Lord will fight for you and you have only to keep still."

And he's been able to do what many other artists haven't been able to do -- which is being accepted by both Christian and secular media.

A group of Christian Web sites are devoted to him. He's been profiled in some Christian publications. He's also well-known for playing a few spiritual-tinged songs at his concerts.

But when Aiken, 26, performs at Musikfest he'll be somewhat of a human jukebox.

In addition to some trademark songs, such as "Solitaire" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and songs from his album "Measure of a Man," he'll perform medleys of songs from the 1950s to the present.

That means Aiken will perform snatches of songs such as Elvis' "Love Me Tender," the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" and the disco anthem "Car Wash."

How did that come about?

From thinking about going back to some places he toured last year, he says.

"We were at Musikfest last year and we couldn't come back and do the same thing," he says. "A friend of mine did a review of songs from the 1960s and I thought that was a neat idea. But when I couldn't decide between the 1950s or '60s or '70s, I just decided to do them all."

He's reportedly been performing part of the Heart song "Alone," which last season's "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood did a show-stopping version of. But that couldn't be the reason Aiken is singing it, because he didn't watch the "American Idol" contest this year.

Aiken was touring tsunami-struck areas in Asia with the organization UNICEF when "American Idol" was airing. He's also been busy with his charity organization, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, named after an autistic boy he knew when he was studying to teach special education at the University of North Carolina.

So what does he get out of UNICEF and his nonprofit group that he doesn't get from singing?

It's a chance for him in some way to continue his pre-singing goal of teaching, he says.

And something more.

"When people are screaming at you on stage it's a kind of selfish fulfillment, that's the only way I can think of to describe it," he says. "Who doesn't want to have people love and enjoy what they do? But there's only so much you can get from people telling you how wonderful you are.

"There's a completely different satisfaction in learning what there is to do to help other people. I don't feel like my trip to Uganda is going to greatly change the situation there. But even if it's a small change it was worth it."

Aiken's trip to the African country with UNICEF was actually somewhat dangerous.

Aiken visited UNICEF shelters where children take refuge to avoid being abducted by a rebel army. The army regularly kidnaps children to be forced to either serve in the military or become sex slaves. That's displaced more than a million people.

He considers a question about whether he does things like that because it's part of his faith. Anyone can do it, he says.

"I feel everybody has a purpose on Earth and God has given each person a gift to improve the surroundings they're in once they've discovered what that gift is," he adds. "So each person's purpose is for the glory of God and to better our surroundings."

He's often mentioned his ability to sing as a gift. And he seems reflective about what it's done for him.

"I look at this gift as a stepping stone, or trait if you will, that I can use to ultimately better things," he says. "I think the entertainment career in many ways enables me to do more important things."

Despite his enormous popularity, the entertainment world is something some published reports say Aiken sometimes has trouble adapting to.

He doesn't drink or smoke. He reportedly has never said the F-word in his entire life. He also mentioned in his book how embarrassed he was bringing his mother to an awards show with sex jokes and obscene language.

So how does he stay away from the temptations that come along with that fame?

"It depends who you surround yourself with," he says.

After formerly being around people who were just career and money-oriented, he's found other people and friends that are supportive, he says. Then he pauses and apologizes for "not being very quotable about it."

In a recent TV Guide cover story, Aiken seemed homesick for his native North Carolina -- he has a home in Los Angeles -- and sounded somewhat disillusioned about some aspects of the entertainment business.

So perhaps it's a struggle he's still fighting.

But Aiken turns more definite when it comes to whether he considers himself a role model.

He does.

"When I stand out and look from the stage I see families and a lot of kids out there and that's a big thing for me," he says. "I always thought I was going to spend my life working with kids in some way. I know I'm not a teacher when I'm onstage. But whether you're singing or dancing or acting, I think you have a responsibility."

Without mentioning any names, he seems to feel strongly about entertainers who don't feel that way.

"I don't think everybody has the responsibility and delicateness it requires," he says. "When you're doing a job like this, being a role model is something that comes with it. Kids, teenagers, even adults look up to you. If you choose to put something out there that's not necessarily the best image or being a good role model, that's your choice."

He says that in a tone of maturity and experience.

And then he's gone, on to another interview.


Reporter John A. Zukowski can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at jzukowski@express-times.com.