Clay on Cover of Seattle Times' Ticket

After winning a poll last week at SeattleTimes.com, the Seattle Time honoured their promise of putting the winner on the cover of today's special section, called "Ticket", a preview of upcoming concerts in the Seattle area.

The Claymates have vociferously spoken
By Judy Chia Hui Hsu
Seattle Times staff reporter

"American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken won our you-pick- the-Ticket-cover contest with 78 percent of the vote. He brings his "Joyful Noise 2005" concert to McCaw Hall Sunday.

We asked readers who they'd like to see on the Ticket cover, and the vote was overwhelming!

It's Clay Aiken!

But just as in "American Idol," we have a Clay controversy!

Oh, enough. Exclamations are right at home on a fan Web site, but not the pages of a newspaper. And that brings us to our pick-the-Ticket-cover seattletimes .com poll, which featured four choices: Rob Thomas, Bright Eyes, Clay Aiken and "Chicken Little." Early votes leaned heavily in favor of the chicken, with Bright Eyes a close second. Aiken was dead last.

Then the Clay Aiken fan base got wind of the contest, and it was all over. Fan sites linked directly to the poll, and suddenly we were getting hundreds and hundreds of votes — for Aiken.

Concert preview

Clay Aiken, 8 p.m. Sunday, McCaw Hall at Seattle Center; $49.50-$69.50 (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com; information, 206-684-7200 or www.seattlecenter.com). Heads up, Claymates.

The red-headed American Idol runner-up descends on McCaw Hall in Seattle Sunday with a holiday show called "Joyful Noise 2005," a follow-up to last year's "Joyful Noise" tour. In addition to a different song list, the tunes will be performed in concert with vignettes written by Aiken.

This year, the Charlotte, N.C., native is playing 40 shows in 36 cities.

"Joyful Noise 2005" features songs from Aiken's 2004 platinum album, "Merry Christmas With Love," and his renditions of a bunch of traditional favorites. In 2004 the CD came in at No. 1 on Billboard's holiday albums chart.

Aiken doesn't just do Christmas, either. His first release, "Measure of a Man" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Although he did lose to Ruben Studdard on TV, Aiken's still riding the wave of his "American Idol" popularity. Our poll alone is a sign that his fans really do love him. At the final count it was nearly 2,200 votes, 78 percent for Aiken.

OK Aiken fans, you win. Now go buy the paper.

Judy Chia Hui Hsu: 206-464-3315 or jhsu@seattletimes.com