Tidbits 11/3

Clay is now listed on The Tyra Banks Show website. Don't forget that Clay appears on the show on November 22.

• Digital Dream Door says Clay is the 26th best male vocalist of modern times. Other singers on the list: Tom Jones (1), Elton John (19), Luther Vandross (29), John Mayer (56), Ruben Studdard (73).
  
• South Mississippi Sun Herald - small Clay mention, another Ruben article
• Greenville Online- another cool Clay mention in a Ruben article --

  Clay Aiken, who came in second behind Ruben, remains the most popular of the nonwinners. His first disc, "Measure of a Man," topped the Billboard album charts, selling 2 million copies. Aiken's latest, "A Thousand Different Ways," came in at No. 2, selling 211,000 copies in late September.

• NY Daily News, 411Mania - some more Days of Our Lives mentions.
• A few mentions of Clay's Christmas tour.
• Asbury Park Press
• Charlotte Observer
• The State SC
• Orlando Sentinel makes a really good point- "Thankfully, a friend reminded me that pop culture has what he calls Clay Aiken syndrome, wherein the people who don't win often supersede the people who do."
• North Dakota Spectrum - the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame becoming lame? -- "If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is really just a place to commemorate the most popular entertainers, then they might as well nominate Britney Spears and Clay Aiken."
• RealFootball365 mentions Clay - "The year was 1978. Carter was in the White House; Ashton Kutcher, Kobe Bryant, Usher, Clay Aiken and Nelly Furtado were born; Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiered on the tube; and Missouri beat Nebraska, 35-31, in Lincoln. That was the last time Mizzou beat the Huskers in Lincoln."

• There Was A Man- quotes from the boards about Clay's Meghan Mullally appearance... now here's something that caught my eye:

  I remember in the early days, USUALLY at a TV taping, he appeared to be all business. He came out on stage very serious and totally focused and took care of sound/backups/directions…the cameras came on and he lit up. It seemed like the “performance” was job 1 period—rather than the appearance/experience/performance all as one. It was almost as if he were trying too hard to be perfect. Performance over—lights off--and it was over. Often very little or NO audience recognition or interaction—before or after, especially at the end of a performance or show. He seemed a bit awkward, like he didn’t know quite what to do with himself. Just stood there, shifted his weight, made uncomfortable faces, didn’t know what to do with his hands and that was it. Of course, always LOVED HIM and the performance and all, but the appearances and his comfort level varied quite a bit—especially in regards to audience interaction. Sometimes he seemed in kind of a far away alternate universe and not quite fully there. I know there were a few Meet and Greets where a few felt he was preoccupied and wasn’t quite present. Two entirely different people—Real Life Clay and Performance Clay.
  
  These days he seems—well, just different, easy, loose and relaxed—and it’s more than just growing older and maturing. I wonder if it might have been a conscious decision--like he wrote in LTS--as soon as he stopped worrying about what everybody else thought and was himself, life got good. Now, he comes out on stage and it’s the same person that “sings.” He is him and the performance is part of him, not separate from him. He enters, acknowledges the audience, smiles, waves, often says something, nods in appreciation of the cheering and welcoming fans. He interacts, sings, whatnot—and it all matches. Totally NOT IN A COCKY WAY, but in a playful way he almost hijacked the show—personally playing with the audience, teasing, bantering and Megan loved it! It’s the closest we’ve come to capturing Concert Clay on live TV. On the couch, he includes the audience in the conversation. He brings us into the performance so we can celebrate with him. He “invites” us in. Talking and teasing and being totally present and engaging with the host as well as us. It honestly felt like we were sitting around the living room eating cheese and crackers. It really is quite remarkable. These days he seems less guarded and more uninhibited, genuinely relaxed and having the best time. The “aw shucks” stuff was missing, and he even graciously accepted a couple of compliments—AND he didn’t even act embarrassed. Can’t explain it, but I’m so totally hooked—and I know I’m not alone. Clay recently seems to embrace his fans, and it looks like he really is just crazy about us and is proud of us. To me, he doesn’t “feel” detached anymore or incongruent. He also on the last several performances is nodding almost in a bow after sings and lets us cheer and appreciate him. That is so different. Now when the lights go off and the show is over, he doesn’t seem in such a hurry to “run.” His hugs to the hosts seem huggier. After I see him I feel like I’ve been so lovingly and warmly embraced and kissed sweetly on the cheek. (And all tingly from head to toe too.)

• ClaySpots returns after her very long absence. Welcome back shadylil!
• Southern Girl- news roundup.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, American Idol, Without You, Invisible