A Fresh Perspective on Music

An interesting article from Ominbus Online about music preferences.

Your music preference does not make you better than me
By Jesica Jacobs
Published: Friday, October 21, 2005

Like most things, music is subjective. We all like different things. Knowing this, I have come to the realization that many people, including myself, need to shut up and be a little more understanding. What pleases my ear may damage yours. What you find enjoyable may make me want to hurl. But we need to understand the important thing: if the music inspires then it is doing its job. It is not so difficult to say, "not my style but I don't begrudge you the right to indulge."

I have a beautiful and wonderful friend who loves Clay Aiken. Often I have snubbed my nose at such a prospect, but he inspires her and I need to appreciate and be thankful for this. I have a couple very close friends that are addicted to the country music. Whatever. It is fine if it makes them want to be a better person.

Being a musician myself, I want the music I choose to make me want to make music of my own. I know you do not know who Architecture in Helsinki is and I understand that you probably do not care about The Decemberists, The Avalanches, or Aloha, but respect that I do.

If your music does not inspire you or make you feel things you rarely feel, I suggest trying some new music. Other than that, I think you and I both need to keep our mouths shut about what other people listen to. Not to say that when you find a band or artist that really makes you wild you should not share them, just do not look down on someone for what they already enjoy.

So, no more saying "if you do not own and love (insert album name here) then you are not a true musician and you do not know what music is." It does not mean that you have to like listening to Clay, just shut up when someone else appreciates him. And do not worry, I will take my own advice.

Special Guest on Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Special

Clay will be appearing on the Mannheim Steamroller's 12 Christmas special. The Mannheim Steamrollers have been doing Christmas tours and specials for over 30 years. We're not sure whether this is a radio or TV broadcast, but stay tuned to CDD for more details as they become available.

Other artists slated to appear on the special are Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Faith Hill, Josh Groban and fellow Idol, Kelly Clarkson.

From the CD's JesBen

For those of you that are familiar with holiday music, Mannheim Steamroller is one of the most well known holiday acts around the world. They are doing a 12 hour holiday show on Christmas Day which, in addition to Mariah, Clay, R. Kelly, Josh Groban, and Celine, will also feature Kelly!

New Dianne Austin Article

A new article by Dianne Austin was published today by our affiliate, ClayReport. An abridged version appears below. To read the full article, click on the article title.

An Evening with Clay's Friends
And then there was Nick Leisey. I asked him where Clay was and he said. "Oh, he's home." I assumed that "home" was the newest L.A. quarters Clay must have acquired while spending so much time here lately.

"But look around at this place and the crowd", I said. "Do you really think he'd get mobbed here? He could pull his hat way down, wear the clothes he usually wears, and if he stood over there by the wall, don't you think he could get away with it?" I admit, I was pressing him about this.

"It isn't that," he said. "He just doesn't like it--he rather stay in."

2005 BAF eBay Auction

The 2005 eBay auction for the Bubel Aiken Foundation starts today!
Among the items up on the auction:

• Clay's Monday Night Football Jersey
• Signed Copy of Merry Christmas With Love

For a complete listing of items in the auction (more being put up, we are told), click here.

More info was posted at the foundation's website:

October 21, 2005

eBay Auction to Benefit The Bubel/Aiken Foundation

An eBay auction to benefit the ongoing work of the Bubel/Aiken Foundation will commence on October 22, 2005. Each item will be listed for a 10 day auction period. Additional items will be added during the following 2 days. Some of the items to be auctioned will include:

*Sheet music for The Way, Invisible and Bridge Over Troubled Water, autographed by Clay Aiken

*The #8 football jersey (and football) worn by Clay Aiken on "60 Seconds with Jimmy Kimmel on Monday Night Football", autographed by Clay.

*Actual posters used during the filming of the "Kenny" episode of Scrubs, autographed by Clay Aiken.

*Autographed copies of "Merry Christmas With Love", Clay Aiken

These are just a few of the items to be listed. To view these items once the auction has begun, log onto eBay.com and type Clay Aiken BAF Fundraiser in the search line. 100% of the proceeds will go to the work of TBAF, benefiting those with special needs and their typical peers.

Another New Christmas Promo

The CB's Khrystah found this new pic from last year's MCWL album photoshoot.

BAF, Clay Win Make A Wish Foundation Award

Frances Wilson, of the Bubel Aiken Foundation has said Clay and the foundation has been honoured with a 2005 Make A Wish Foundation Award! Congrats Clay and the BAF!

From the BAF's Frances Wilson:

I want to share some wonderful news with you. Clay recently received a
beautiful award from the Make A Wish Foundation. It reads:
Thank you for
helping to "Share the Power of a Wish."

Engraving on plaque:
Make A
Wish Foundation
2005 Chris Greicius Award
Favorite Wish Maker

Presented with Sincere Appreciation to
Clay Aiken

Please
feel free to post this message on other Clay friendly boards.

Thanks
Frances Wilson

And some background info on the Chris Greicius Award courtesy the Make A Wish Foundation:

The Chris Greicius Award is named for the first child who inspired the Make-A-Wish program. Greicuis wanted to be a state trooper, so just before he died in 1985 some people made that happen for him for one day. After he was gone, they decided there must be other children with other wishes that could be granted.

Every year the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America recognizes the entertainment industry for its dedication to wish granting with the Chris Greicius Award. Chris' wish to be a police officer was fulfilled in 1980, and inspired the volunteers who granted this wish to form the Make-A-Wish Foundation later that year. This year, we are proud to announce the following members of the entertainment industry as the 2004 Chris Greicius Award winners: the cast from the WB television show Charmed, country music legend Garth Brooks and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Congratulations!

Interview with KTLA Next Week

From the CB's ellenpoppy:

[The morning show anchors] just announced on KTLA in Los Angeles that Clay will be there next week for an interview!!!

No other details.

Clay Mention at Canadian Neil Sedeka Concert

From the CB:

I didn't see any mention of this on the board. Me, My sister and her husband attended a Neil Sedaka show at Casino Rama in Orillia, Canada last night. He was very good and such a nice man. He sang all his hits including Solataire and mentioned that a young singer Clay Aiken had the biggest hit of 2004 with his song. Many people in the audience clapped when Clay's name was mentioned, including us of course!

AD: Seattle, WA

Star Tribune Uses Clay TV Guide Cover

Clay's July 2005 TV Guide cover was used in an article in the St. Paul Star Tribune about the new TV Guide (left- Desperate Housewives).

Clay was not mentioned in the article itself, but click here to read it.

Few Mentions in UNICEF PR

Iowa Girl Appointed National Youth Ambassador for Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- As the newly appointed National Youth
Ambassador, Talia Leman of Waukee, Iowa is eager to get her peers involved in
the annual Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, which is for the first time
ever raising money for children in the U.S. as well as for children in other
parts of the world.

This year's Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF theme appropriately is "World
Heroes," with Clay Aiken, internationally known Multi-Platinum recording
artist serving as this year's Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF National Spokesperson.
This theme is a reflection of children being recognized as key fundraisers and
advocates -- a role that Talia Leman embodies. In recognition of her work,
ingenuity and commitment, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF appointed Ms. Leman the
2005 National Youth Ambassador. Clay Aiken, internationally known Multi-
Platinum recording artist, is serving as this year's national spokesperson for
this year's Trick-or-Treat campaign.

Mention of JNT in MTV and Rolling Stones Article

Nice mention about the Joyful Noise Tour from MTV.

For The Record: Quick News On Green Day, No Doubt, Cuban Link, Bright Eyes, Clay Aiken, Pixies & More

Clay Aiken won't be home for the holidays -- he's going on what he calls the second installment of his Joyful Noise Tour, a follow-up to the holiday trek he did last year. This time, he'll sing songs that he recorded for the platinum Merry Christmas With Love that didn't appear on the album, as well as new arrangements for some traditional tunes. The tour will also feature a new element, a series of vignettes with a running storyline that Aiken wrote, featuring two main characters and supporting roles which will be cast in each city with local actors. The 40-date tour kicks off November 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and concludes December 30 in Clearwater, Florida. Meanwhile, Aiken has been in the studio recording his next album. ...

Also mentioned in the online edition of Rolling Stones.

In Brief: U2, the Stones
CLAY AIKEN will embark on his second consecutive holiday tour, Joyful Noise 2005 on November 2nd in Vancouver. The forty-show trek, with opener lite-classical piano prodigy WILLIAM JOSEPH, will conclude in Clearwater, Florida, on December 30th...

2006 Calendar Very Likely

We have strong indications from Barnes and Nobel and various Calendar sellers that there will be an official 2006 Clay Aiken calendar. The 2005 calendar was one of Calendar.com's 2004 bestsellers.

Mention on New ABC Comedy "Freddy"

Clay was mentioned on Wednesday's episode of ABC's new series, Freddy. Not a very good mention, so don't read on if you're sensitive to this kind of stuff.

From the CB:

Did anyone see it...they were gathered around a table looking at a magazine and the young girl said.."That's Clay Aiken" wasn't paying attention to the reference or show so much..but when I heard his name, my ears perked up.

Claymates Respond to N&O Music Critic's Criticism

After Raleigh News & Observer music critic David Menconi criticized Clay on his recent Jimmy Kimmel appearance, Claymates responded in force, says Mr. Menconi in this blog.

The Rolling Stones versus...Clay Aiken?!
You know, the world really makes no sense at all. For example, last Sunday I had a story in the Sunday Arts/Entertainment section that I figured would push some buttons out there -- on why the Rolling Stones are just a nostalgia act nowadays, and therefore no longer relevant. Usually, something like that would draw a torrent of nasty e-mail from the diehards who have shelled out for tickets; but so far, all I've received are a handful of "attaboy" messages.

Meanwhile, what DID get a response from Sunday's paper was a little three-paragraph item on the back page of the same section, which recounted Clay Aiken's recent appearance on "Monday Night Football" with (I thought) minimal attitude beyond noting that Aiken's football-throwing technique probably wouldn't have impressed any football scouts who were watching.

But it seems I can't even type the words "Clay Aiken" without offending his more evangelical fans out there. Wrote one angry fan from South Carolina:

"I don't know what David Menconi or others there that have written articles about Clay Aiken have against him, but it is so apparent to me and others that they are jealous of him and his success. You would think that the people in this region would be tremendously proud of him. Instead, they seem to malign him at every chance. You people should be ashamed.

Clay Aiken deserves every word of praise that anyone could possibly give him for being such a kind and generous man to others and for the magnitude of talent he possesses.

I loved that skit Clay did with Jimmy Kimmel and I resent the dig in your article. I'd love to see one article or review from your paper that would actually show him the praise and acclaim that he deserves."

Another weighed in from Arkansas:

"To the fans of Clay, this was not a "weird" Clay siting. You see, Jimmy Kimmel often has a commercial during Monday night football advertising his show for that nite. Clay was to be a guest on his show for the 4th time in the past couple of years. Jimmy used to make jokes in his monologue about Clay before he had him on his show for the first time. After he met and got to know Clay, they became friends and Clay has done skits for the Kimmel show. Jimmy and the Clay fans know that Clay is not very athletic and thought this was a very funny siting actually. Of course, it is known that you are not a Clay fan but if you, like Jimmy Kimmel, got to know him you might change your tune. Of course, as long as you work for the N&O, it is doubtful you will put positive spin on anything."

There were others, but you get the idea -- further proof that you just never can tell what will set people off.

Mention in Article About Waxing

Yes.. you heard me right. Waxing. An abridged version of the article from the NY Daily News appears below.

Battle of the hair removers
Mr. Guinea Pig's mind keeps flashing back to the scene in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" of Steve Carell getting his chest hair waxed. You could feel his pain as he screamed out in agony: "Kelly Clarkson!"

On the right side, white roll-on ­lotion was applied sparingly with its cylindrical applicator. It was faster-acting, dissolving some hair on contact. After 4 minutes, the fur was almost all gone, with less to wash away and less leek smell.

The cream felt cool, but missed a few hairs and some stubble. The ­lotion left Mr. Guinea Pig's pelt amazingly smooth. Alas, it also left his skin sore, aching enough for him to be heard muttering: "Clay Aiken!"

RCA Press Release About New CD and Tour

RCA Records/Sony BMG today released the following statement about Clay's Joyful Noise 2005 Tour and the new CD. The release says the concerts in the tour will have a continuing storyline! Interesting!

Clay Aiken Embarks on 'JOYFUL NOISE 2005 Tour'; Second Annual Holiday Show Features New Songs
Print This Story Email This Story Save this Link View PR Newswire's RSS Feed
http://www.rcarecords.com

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Clay Aiken might sing "I'll Be Home
for Christmas," but he won't be, as he embarks on his "JOYFUL NOISE 2005"
tour, his second consecutive holiday tour. The RCA Records artist will perform
40 shows in 36 cities, starting Nov. 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The tour then crosses into the United States, and concludes with two shows on
Dec. 29-30 at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.
"JOYFUL NOISE 2005" tour is the sequel to Aiken's first holiday tour,
which was a huge success, playing to sold-out theaters at every stop. The 2005
tour will feature songs from Aiken's platinum-selling "Merry Christmas with
Love," the best-selling new holiday album of 2004. The song list will differ
from the 2004 tour, and will include a number of songs Clay recorded for the
album that didn't appear on the CD, as well as new arrangements for some
traditional favorites.
"JOYFUL NOISE 2005" tour will feature a new element - a series of
vignettes with a running storyline, written by Aiken. The vignettes will
feature two main characters and supporting roles will be cast in each city
with local actors.
"I've always loved Christmas music and holiday songs," says Aiken. "And
even though there's no place like home for the holidays, I'm looking forward
to touring the country with the second installment of the 'Joyful Noise'
tour."
This is the sixth tour of Clay's career, and it caps a busy year with a
schedule filled with everything from fulfilling his role as UNICEF Ambassador
to being a reporter for the TV series "The Insider." Aiken has also been in
the studio recording his next album, and will continue to work on that project
during the closing months of 2005.
As part of his UNICEF duties, Aiken is the spokesperson for their annual
trick-or-treat fundraising campaign. While the money raised from this effort
is usually earmarked exclusively for other countries, this year, for the first
time, half of the money raised will be donated to victims of Hurricane Katrina
in the United States.

Following is a list of dates, cities and venues for the "JOYFUL NOISE
2005" tour:
11/2 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theater
11/3 Portland, OR Theatre of the Clouds
11/5 Eugene, OR Hult Center
11/6 Seattle, WA McCaw Hall
11/8 Oakland, CA Paramount Theater
11/9 Hollywood, CA Kodak Theatre
11/10 Hollywood, CA Kodak Theatre
11/11 San Diego, CA San Diego Civic Theater
11/13 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
11/15 Salt Lake City, UT NuSkin Theater at Delta Center
11/16 Denver, CO Lecture Hall
11/18 Council Bluffs, IA Mid America Center
11/19 Kansas City, MO Midland Theater
11/21 Minneapolis, MN Northrop Auditorium
11/22 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
11/25 Louisville, KY Palace Theater
11/26 Cincinnati, OH Music Hall
11/27 Youngstown, OH Convocation Center
11/29 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
11/30 Reading, PA Sovereign Center
12/2 New York, NY Beacon Theater
12/3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
12/4 New York, NY Beacon Theater
12/6 Boston, MA Orpheum
12/8 Albany, NY The Palace
12/9 Providence, RI Providence Perf Arts Center
12/10 Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theatre
12/11 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center
12/13 Washington, DC Constitution Hall
12/14 Baltimore, MD Lyric Theater
12/16 Nashville, TN Gaylord Entertainment Center
12/17 Atlanta, GA Civic Center Theater
12/18 Pensacola, FL Civic Center
12/20 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium
12/21 Charlotte, NC New Charlotte Arena
12/22 Raleigh, NC Moonlight Theatre
12/27 Hollywood, FL Seminole Arena
12/28 Melbourne, FL King Center for the Arts
12/29 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
12/30 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall


CONTACTS:
Pamela Murphy
PMPR
(631) 907-2705
Pamelamurphy11@yahoo.com

Roger Widynowski
RCA Records Publicity
(310) 449-2638
rogerw@sonybmg.com

Clay Mentions

Brief Clay mentions in the following articles:

WCNC North Carolina: Mike's Tuesday Travel Journal: How to properly wrap a human...
Any normal adult male would have been suspicious of all the trickeration it took to get me home on a Friday night... when I'm usually partying uptown with my best pals Clay Aiken and Fantasia Barrino. Let me tell you something. The "Clay Man" can dance for a white boy.

MyPlash Clay Aiken Mastercard: Wall St. vet urges lower card rates
Earlier this year, I wrote about the "American Idol" Clay Aiken MasterCard, offered by a subsidiary of MasterCard, called MyPlash, which is short for "my plastic cash." It's a prepaid card requiring parents' signatures for those under 18, but I think using "plastic" as an adjective for "cash" sends the wrong message.

Blogger's Day 'With' Clay

A bunch of Claymate bloggers had a 'day with Clay Aiken' at the Essex Junction, VT concert and they write about it on their blog. Also includes some great pics from the M&G.

My Summer Tour with Clay...sorta

Ok. So it really wasn't with Clay but it was close enough. AND BOY WAS IT GREAT FUN. And it hardly cost me any money at all. Ok. Another lie.

So I was planning on going to the Indianapolis & Cleveland concerts. Then the email arrived on Thursday August 11th. YOU HAVE WON A MEET & GREET IN TOLEDO. I was like holy cow - where is Toledo? Is this joke? I have no tickets! AHHHH! How far is? Do I fly? Do I drive? My brakes need to be fixed! AHHHH! This was amplified my like 10 because we had hit our favorite martini bar for happy hour and had just walked in. Being a compulsive email checker I also check my email under the influence. THANK GOD, you know!?

You had to respond to the email: Yes I will attend the meet & greet or No I will not attend the meet & greet. I think I screamed at the computer, WHO WOULDN'T ATTEND A MEET & GREET??? My dear husband Brad had to help me respond to the email as I couldn't seem to respond as my fingers had turned to Jello.

My next thought was when is this concert in Toledo? I consult the concert schedule that I had handily placed on my desk, for quick reference. It was Tuesday, August 16th! Quick like bunnies Brad springs to action and gets me two tickets on eBay that are to be FedEx'ed and arrive Monday. Then I thought about my job. I was already going to be off work that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for Indy, then Wednesday and Thursday of the following week for Cleveland. We devised 4 different travel plans to get to Toledo and nixed three of them. I would drive Monday after work to my aunt's house in Indianapolis (4 hours) then the next morning get up and drive the 4 hours to Toledo. Well, needless to say I got lost. But look where I ended up:

All corn, then this!

Read on...

AD: Phoenix, AZ

This ad is by CDD's renee4clay.

Clay in Millionaire Question

Clay was mentioned in an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire yesterday.

From the CB:
The question was;
A June 2005 Time magazine report revealed that Guantanamo
Bay official had used music as an interrogation aid?

The chocie of answers are;
A. Christina Aguilera
B. Clay Aiken
C. Mariah Carey
D. Will Smith

For $25,000.00 Win

A. Christina Aquilera, the final ansrwer.

NZ Idol Contestant: "Just Look At Clay Aiken!"

Clay was mentioned by on of the New Zealand Idol finalists on last night's telecast on New Zealand TV.

From the CB:
Last night was final of New Zealand Idol 2. The runner-up, Nik Carlson, was
just interviewed on the TV news and was asked how he felt about coming in
second. He said (words not exact but message still the same!) that coming in
second wasn't necessarily a bad thing and then he said: "JUST LOOK AT CLAY
AIKEN!"

A Senior's Last Request

A must read for all Claymates. Have the Kleenex box ready.

A Senior's Last Request
by Lori Tambellini
October 15, 2005

Due to the fact that
I no longer work, I spend a lot of my time volunteering. One of the
things that I most like to do is visit a nearby nursing home. I have
one special woman that I have become very close to in the past 6 months
who is 86 years old. She has cancer and she has been very close to
dying. I took a very special interest in her because she has no family
and she also reminded me very much of my own grandmother whom I loved dearly
and who passed away 9 years ago.

Yesterday I was sitting
alone in my living room and I was fondly reminiscing about the times that
I had recently shared with this elderly woman. I hadn't been to see
her in about a month and I suddenly felt compelled to go visit her.
I got dressed and I stopped by the grocery store to buy her some flowers...
carnations being her favorites. I wasn't in any way prepared for
what was about to happen.

When I arrived at
the nursing home, the nurse on duty informed me that my precious friend
wasn't doing too well, and that they thought that she might be experiencing
her last days. I was very saddened by the news, but very happy that
I had decided to visit her. This woman and I have one very special
thing in common... we both love and adore Clay Aiken.

Continued...

AD: Council Bluffs, IA

New BAF Logo Unveiled

A new logo for the Bubel Aiken Foundation was unveiled today by the Anoroc Ad agency, based in Raleigh. A new website is also in the works by the same agency. In related news, the Clay Aiken logo (top right) won the Silver Addy, an award given out by the Triangle Ad Club of Raleigh. More information about the BAF logo can be found at Anorocagency.com, then clicking on Results in the lower left hand corner of the page. The ad agency released this statement on the new logo.

THE CHALLENGE:
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was a startup foundation created by pop icon Clay Aiken and Diane and Mike Bubel. The Foundation needed to partner with an agency who could handle the diverse needs of a ational foundation and create materials that would allow the Foundation to command national recognition and support. Over 90 national agencies competed to become the foundation's lead agency. Anoroc was asked this September to recreate the Foundation brand to update the look and create a brand platform less connected to the image of it's founding pop icon.

CLIENT GOALS:
- Rebrand Foundation to be less connected to it's pop icon founder
- Build TBAF into a nationally recognized Foundation
- Create a brand that allows TBAF to become recognized as one of the nations leading foundations
- Create all materials to be usable in-house on client's PC system

ANOROC SOLUTION:
In redesigning TBAF brand, Anoroc began with focusing on the goal of TBAF - full inclusion for children with developmental disabilities into the main stream activities of daily living. Anoroc conducted research and discovered that one in every five lives are touched by a child with a disability. The goal of the logo became to develop an abstract interpretation of the research findings, reveal the goal of inclusion, and display the unique elements these children bring to the typical world around them. After finalizing the logo, brand color palette and typography selections, Anoroc began recreating the Foundation Web site to showcase the rebranding.

The Web site was designed with photos of children involved in life, a motif of interconnected swirls of color played throughout the site to signify inclusion. Anoroc built the site using the latest ASP.Net technology to allow greater flexibility in functionality. New site technology will allow blast email fund raising functions, on-line giving, e-news system to allow staff to capture and manage email volunteer, member and donor addresses and deliver eNewsletters.

New OFC Blog

A New Clay blog is up at the official fanclub. In it, Clay talks about Gulu Walk, an annual walk held in over 40 cities recognizing the 19 year civil war in Uganda. Clay visited Uganda earlier this year as part of his UNICEF work.

Rumor: New Christmas Special Being Produced

From Caperkeeper at the CV:

Hi All!

I just got some inside news from someone who's brother was working over the weekend on Clay's Christmas Special set in LA!!!

Yes Clay is doing another Christmas Special!!!

I couldn't wait to let everyone know!

Clay TV Guide Cover on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

On last night's episode of ABC's hit reality series, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, featuring the Teas family, the host and 'team leader', Ty Pennington made a visit to TV Guide headquarters in New York City. The headquarter's walls were decorated with recent TV Guide covers and Clay's July 2005 cover was one of the covers featured.