BREAKING NEWS: Album Packaging, ABC Taping In Vancouver

Some wonderful news from the CH's AprilJoy who is in Vancouver right now for the Star Search Competition. She says Exec Producer Jaymes Foster-Levy showed everyone the new CD and that ABC is taping with Clay in Vancouver for Clay's scheduled Sept. 19 Good Morning America appearance and an upcoming Primetime Interview. WOW!

RiverRock Update

Okay, so we got see the CD! Like just see it. Jaymes held it up, the back has the picture of Clay on the ledge.

Jaymes said Clay was inside when the picture was taken, but that the glass door was actually open.
She said that this was Clay's personal copy... the CD was actually not in the package... the poster inside is of the new pic of Clay looking down... looks like it is photoshopped to have a blackish brown silk like background.
Jaymes said her two favorite songs are: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" and "Lonely No More" (asked about the writing, she said Clay is an amazing lyricist, but that she was not in the room during the writing so can't say how much he contributed but a good amount)

Oh yeah, and ABC was there filming and interviewing.. .to correspond with GMA and *drumroll please* PRIMETIME!!

Okay y'all, I think I'm going back down to have dinner now.
But I wanted to add a couple of things.

I touched the CD, just held it for a second. surprise, it felt like a CD. heh.

Faye said all the songs are her favorite, typical. And that Clay loved Spaghetti as a kid, the only way he would eat it is if she mader her own sauce, nothing from the jar. Jaymes seemed genuinely touched by the fan support, and really encouraged us to read about David's Charity as well as keep up with Clay's. They both were so great to be there and just hang with the fans.

ABC filmed the group and then interviewed the two teenage fans who put together the gathering and then interviewed KellyBond about Penny lane. I left after that so I'm not sure what all went down after that.

So yeah, more news when it comes.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Best Buy Stores Leak Fanclub Package

Several lucky Claymates have managed to snag copies of the Best Buy Clay Aiken Fanclub Package before they're slated to go on sale Tuesday September 19. The release date is meant to co-incide with the release of ATDW, but some Best Buy stores are already selling them! The CB's jbdramey posted the photo of some of the package's content (membership card and bracelet).

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Vancouver Cellcert Tonight

We're updating our David Foster gala information -- There will be cellcert tonight from Vancouver! Clay's at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC to judge David Foster's 2006 Star Search Talent Competition which is set to kick off at 8 PM Local Time (PDT).

• For Clayversity members and CV members who subscribe to the cellcert stream- the CV cellcert stream and cellcert opens at 7 PM PDT (10 PM EDT)
• For Clayboarders- the CB cellcert will begin at 8 PM PDT (11 PMN EDT). This is open to the general public.
• For Clackhouse members- the Clackhouse will also offering a recap around 11 PM EDT on their cellcert stream (subscription only). The CH plans to hold a full cellcert and cellcert stream tomorrow night when Clay is scheduled to perform.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Tidbits 9/9

• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno made a comment about Clay being chosen by President Bush to be on the Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities. He then said, "...intellectual disabilities...looks like he could be working directly with President Bush. That could be a very tight...(last word not understood)." The Clayboard has a thread with Yousendit links.
• Baltimore tickets for Clay's Christmas concert go on sale Saturday, September 9, at 11 a.m. EDT through Ticketmaster. Price of tickets is $50.00 and $65.00, plus a $3.00 restoration fee. Our link will take you right to the correct page at Ticketmaster.
• Raleigh News & Observer- NC Fair -- "The annual gathering of mooing, oinking animals as well as gourds in the shape of Clay Aiken and the biggest watermelon IN THE WORLD, show that agriculture is still a large part of our lives here in North Carolina."
• Can it get any lower? Amazon.com has once again cut ATDW's price - this time from $9.99 to $9.72.
• Poughkeepsie Journal reminds us that Clay's West Point, NY Eisenhower Hall concert tickets are now on sale.
• LA Times Calendar Live ready for fall music season. Small Clay mention.
• Aberdeen American News: Idol auditions are always unpredictable -- "Clay Aiken was eliminated at his first 'American Idol' audition, too."
• Harness Racing Portal- looks our beloved horse "Aiken For Clay" is into some real racing action! (remember this from a while ago?)

• There Was A Man - The Story of Clay Aiken (new RCA biography) and a news recap.
• I'm in 100% agreement with Southern Girl here... there's been so much Clay, I just need to take a few minutes to, well, stare at Clay's gorgeous new photos.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Special Kimmel Pre-Party For LA Fans?

Here's some news from the CD release board all LA fans will want to take note of- your chance of meeting Clay before the Sept. 26 Kimmel appearance.

Hi Everyone!!

Los Angeles-Celebrate some more!!

The Hollywood CD Release Party will not end on the 18Th! Sandi and I have been working with Virgin Megastore and their contacts with Team Clay to extend the party into the next week culminating on the 26th, Kimmel Show day!!

Sandi and I have had a big surprise for all the Los Angeles fans by way of the Hollywood CD Release party we have had the privilege of putting together. We were going to surprise all with it SOON, but it looks like the cat is sneaking out of the bag so we will say right now that there will be a big gift and surprise from Virgin and Team Clay!!

When we were able to hook up with Virgin Megastore for the Hollywood party just a couple of weeks ago, we were so happy to just get the $12.99 discount CD price and the poster! We thought, how wonderful of them!

Then Sandi came up with the idea and I agreed that we needed to alert Virgin that Clay would be in town then next week at the Kimmel show. We suggested Virgin extend the CD price and poster again for that Tuesday as well, for there would be so many additional fans right in their back yard again for increased sales!

The Regional manager for Virgin was excited to hear that news!! They did not know and had not been informed of this from any other coordinators or CD release party representatives of this. Our suggestion they extend their the discount price and the poster into the next week for the 26th was readily accepted!!!.

Then the Regional manager came back and told us exclusively one week ago that they had another surprise for us. Having been informed by us about the Kimmel show and Clay’s appearance, they had been in contact with Team Clay and there is a HUGE possibility that fans may be able to get UP CLOSE & PERSONAL with Clay between 1pm to 4pm on the 26th before the taping of the Jimmy Kimmel show.

I will take bets Clay will be at that CD party signing CD's

I am happy for LA fans, I truly am!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay Sighted in Vancouver (With A New Dog?)

First official Clay sighting in Vancouver! Clay is in Vancouver this weekend for the David Foster Foundation 2006 River Rock Gala. (More info here). We will update this post through the day with more sightings, clack, photos, etc. so please check back often.

And here's our first report from the CH's AprilJoy:

Well, here I am in the lobby of the .... no, I am not waiting for Clay to come in from a late night of carousing with his people, it is just the only place that has wireless internet... so here I sit.
*snip*

We did run into Faye, Kristy and some others in the lobby, I had to be told as I walked right by and didn't notice... must be the lack of sleep and delerium from actually being here. I've got my camera at my side just in case we might spot Clay, but either way I'll be seeing him tomorrow evening and there will be many pictures and many reports.
*snip*

Yep, Kristy is here... and someone they said was Priscilla (in other words.. I have no idea)..
*snip*

Ah well, he walked by... he smiled.... brown suit, white shirt.... oh yeah, this is all third party since I was busy talking to Codmag and not looking straight ahead like I had been all night...

So you can all call it a night, Clay has gone to bed. He went up to his room with no Kristy in sight, btw, in case anyone was curious. I'm sure no one cares at all. He was with a woman, much older (40's) Long dark hair. Blazer. Much shorter than him. but not Kristy. Oh, and he rode in our elevator.

Oh and Raleigh just walked by! Her I see, typical.

EDIT: Actually it was Durham, news to me... since I just discovered there was a Durham. I got lots of Durham kisses. Hee. Why does that make me a silly fangirl? I have pictures too. So cute.

The woman who walked with Clay to the elevators was Jaymes. She looked lovely all dressed up. She actually came back downstairs later and we said hello, and that's about it. Since it's 1:00 am I've decided I'm done for the night. I sat out on the patio with the girls (two of them are still down there), but this fangirl is tired after the seven hour drive.

Susandavis, same alternate world as me apparently because I didn't know there was another dog until I got up to Durham and noted she was quite thin and small for Raleigh, only to discover he/she was not in fact Raleigh.... by the way, does anyone know if Durham is a boy or a girl? we weren't sure and didn't think to ask.

Jackie said the hair was parted similar to Hawaii hair, she thought it was shorter too... not short, just shorter...like recently trimmed perhaps. The quote from BC4Clay is "He is looking fine."

As AprilJoy said in her report, Clay has a new dog. Raleigh has a new (boy)friend, Durham, who is also a border terrier. Cool!

Update 3:30: AprilJoy's update on Durham:

We ran into Jaymes and Durham again. Jaymes confirmed that Durham is a HE. Raleigh is at home.
Jaymes said she had no idea how the snippets of ATDW even got out there, they are totally flabbergasted by that... she didn't seem upset, just confused about it. We were hanging out with Durham and Jaymes said to the dog "We need to go see your daddy." and I thought and maybe mumbled... "can we all go see his daddy...please?"

Oh and (RCA publicist) Roger (Wydnowski) is here as well. He's just checking in right now.

Update 4:43 PM: This was mentioned today on Global TV BC's newscast. They talked about (and I quote) "American Idol Winner Clay Aiken" being present at the gala. :) For Claynadians, this repeats later tonight at 9 PM PDT (Midnight EDT)

We can also confirm that the majority of the BAF 'gang' are at the gala- mom Faye Parker, Chief Operating Officer Kristy Barnes and Dr. Priscilla Brame (of UNC Charlotte). Clay's publicist Roger Wydnowski and Executive Producer Jaymes Foster-Levy are also with Clay.

Update 7:00 PM: Cellcert information for tonight... click here.

More updates to come...

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

YES!! Houston Chronicle Finally Prints a Clay Article

I am a resident of a city just outside of Houston, Texas -- the 4th largest city in the United States. There are some wonderful Clay fans in Houston that I have met. However, the Houston media does not do the best of jobs in publicizing any Clay news, to my despair. The last few days I have been thrilled to see that so many news organizations have had the article about Clay's appointment by President Bush. No less than 30 probably. However, it was also a tad discouraging not seeing the same article in my city's newspaper, The Houston Chronicle...again.

But this morning, as I skimmed the paper, you'll never believe what I found! "Aiken may be on a panel for White House". All right!! Were my eyes deceiving me? Was I dreaming? No, this seemed to be the real deal! Read on:

Clay Aiken is in line to be named to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the White House said. The 27-year-old singer, a native of Raleigh, N.C., who gained fame as a runner-up on American Idol, once worked as a YMCA counselor. The committee advises the President on issues of people with intellectual disabilities.

How awesome! Finally, Clay in our newspaper!! Yeah, I would have liked it to be longer and for them to have mentioned his degree in Special Education, his Bubel Aiken Foundation, and his experience teaching children with disabilities, but you can't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Maybe this is a sign of things to come. Houston Chronicle...might there be an article soon about Clay's upcoming CD???

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay In Vancouver This Weekend For Foster Gala

I know I should shut up for today (look at how many posts Jan and I have done today!), but I'm obligated to remind you that Clay will be in Vancouver over the weekend for David Foster's "River Rock 2006". Clay is scheduled to judge the Star Search Competition on Saturday followed by an exclusive performance on Sunday.

At this point we don't know if and how much clack we'll be getting, but stay tuned to CDD for the latest.

More info.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay Featured in Entertainment Weekly

Clay is featured promiently in Entertainment Weekly's new article "Attack of the American Idols". The article appears in the September 15 issue of EW. Scan courtesy the CB's catsmomsny.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Countdown to September 19 and ATDW Release! - DAY 10

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Best Buy Fanclub Package Cover

Here's the cover of the new Best Buy Fanclub Package which will go onsale at all Best Buy stores on September 19. The official fanclub announced the Best Buy partnership yesterday. Each package consists of:

* 1-Year Fan Club Membership
* Exclusive Clay Aiken Official Fan Club Bracelet (Design of bracelet varies from Ultimate Membership)
* Official Membership Card
* Welcome Letter from Clay (Welcome Letter varies from Ultimate Membership)
* Upgrade Option to Ultimate Membership ($16)

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

MSNBC's Tucker Carlson's Show

The CB's PS Bonnie alerts us to a Clay mention on today's Tucker Carlson Show on MSNBC. We're not sure what to make of this, but I guess it's not all that bad.

He said, tongue in cheek, he normally does not negotiate with " known terrorist organizations" but would make an exception for Claymates. He has received complaints about his story yesterday about the Presidential appointment and the majority of those were because he showed the old hairstyle! He said the Claynation has now vowed to vote against him (Tucker) on Dancing With the Stars. So he updated the photo (showed one sitting at piano in studio, new hair) and called on our leadership to call off the jihad against him and to vote for him!!
His cohost and he bemoaned the fact that their lives were "reduced to sucking up to Clay Aiken fans"

It really was not bad. Done with humor. Could have been worse.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

MySpace.com/ClayAiken Re-Decorated!

Clay has given his MySpace page a cool new makeover. In addition to the obvious aesthetic changes, the "About Clay Aiken" section has also been revised and changed. Here's a snippet of the biography:

Who can explain why a singer becomes a pop star? Sure, talent and ambition contribute to the rise of many singing sensations, but skill and drive alone do not guarantee a berth at the top of the charts. Ultimately, it is an almost inexplicable reaction between a singer and his or her audience that creates a superstar career, sparking the kind of fanatic devotion that propels a performer into the pop stratosphere.

Such was the explosive reaction when Clay Aiken burst onto the music scene. An unlikely pop star, Aiken has remained steadfast in his desire to remain true to the simple values he learned as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina. I still live in the town where I grew up, he says. I like surrounding myself with people I know and love. It is this authenticity that his millions of fans have responded to, an almost supernatural earnestness that feels unconventional in the cynical world of today.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay Sings on The Insider

CDD Video: Clay on The Insider - courtesy the CB's gerwhisp.

As promised, Clay was interviewed and performed on today's The Insider. Here's a recap from the CV's Cotton. We're working on finding clack for you. FYI- to those of you on the west coast where this hasn't aired yet- Clay comes on about 1/2 way into the show.

Insider on.
Christie Brinkley 1st

Clay Preview:
Lara says "you can serenade me anytime!"
Hinting at Clay Aiken's major announcement!
You could hear him singing for a couple of seconds.

It's recording - so I'll 'flesh out' my recap after I get to rewatch after the show ends.

Billy Joel's daughter. Brad Pitt and fatherhood.Lindsay Lohan.Ellen - OscarsLeo Decaprio. pfft. Who cares? New James Bond. Kennedy women.

Lara says:
Clay Aiken's serenade to me! EEEEEE !! Singing!!

Too much teasin'! Dancing Wynona and Hal singing IWKWLI.

CLAY!!! He sang! He talked! He smiled!!
No announcement. I don't know if that's all. I'll have to rewatch.
3:45 pm right now. Pat O'Brian did tease about a big announcement???

More Kennedy stuff. Wahhhhhhh! I want Clay!!

How many commercials???? Dallas news! Another DUI. Sheesh.

Clay singing! Pres. appoinment was the big announcement. No details about it.

The Insider's text messaging poll today is also dedicated to Clay. They asked "how did you like Clay". Text your opinions (anything goes... hair, voice, charity work) to 55888 with the word "IN" as the first part of the text-message body. Regular text messaging fees apply.

... and a few more pics --



Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

New Photos, Biography at RCA Press Site

The RCA Records Media Center (http://www.rcarecords.com/press) has updated Clay's page with 2 new (not to mention HAWT) photos and a revised biography (it's basically the press release from last month slightly re-worded). We've posted shrunk down versions of the 2 new press photos, but you can get HUGE HQ versions at the RCA Press Website.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

WSRS To Preview ATDW Beginning Tuesday

As we told you yesterday, ClearChannel Entertainment will offer an ATDW preview through its radio stations' websites. We can now confirm, via our friends at WSRS-FM, that the preview will begin at WSRS' website Tuesday. Get ready to thud for a full hour -- From what we hear, the preview will be of the ENTIRE album- all 55 minutes of it!

Worcester, MA's WSRS was the first radio station to play "Without You".

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Billboard's Review of "Without You"

Billboard's Chuck Taylor (who also reviewed MOAM back in 2003) reviewed Clay's new single, "Without You". Here's what he had to say:

Why Clay Aiken chose to draw direct comparison between himself and Mariah Carey is confounding. After all, her 1994 top three cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without You" was flawless in execution (not to discount the original, also definitive for its day). On its own, however, Aiken does indeed draw upon his greatest strengths: a flair for the theatrical, backed with a bombastic vocal that packs a wallop. He showcases his own personality with novel phrasing here and there, while production swells and flutters with classic power ballad fanfare. Still, Aiken's return in itself raises questions: It's been quite a while, he has endured a good amount of negative press and—for AC radio—will his re-emergence be embraced or viewed as just another release from the increasingly less distinctive "American Idol" brigade? Should be intriguing to see the outcome, though not as fascinating as how Aiken will handle his cover of Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" on upcoming "A Thousand Different Ways." Sounds like a trip. —Chuck Taylor

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay on The Insider Tonight

Don't forget Clay is scheduled to perform on tonight's The Insider. The show is syndicated, so don't forget the check your local listings. The Insider ran this story on their website:

A Clay Aiken Exclusive

"I can't live, if living is without you," sings CLAY AIKEN on the first single off his highly-anticipated album A Thousand Different Ways. For millions of Clay-mates, the sentiment is most definitely mutual -- and one that will be safely satisfied when the new disc hits stores on September 19.

Featuring 10 cover songs from the "Idol" runner-up, plus four new tunes, Clay's latest collection has one driving theme behind it. L'amour!

Some of the hit singles the cute crooner has re-recorded are BRYAN ADAMS' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)," ELTON JOHN's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," CELINE DION's "Because You Loved Me," BAD ENGLISH's "When I See You Smile" and the aforementioned "Without You," made famous by HARRY NILSSON, which Clay performed exclusively for us during a recent visit to the "Insider" studio.

"We're excited about it," Clays tells our LARA SPENCER about A Thousand Different Ways. "It's been a year in the making and it's something kind of different. It's songs that I really love, songs that I've loved for years and years, and most people love, so it should be really good."

And while Clay says he would like to take credit for the idea of laying down these popular tracks, he admits that it was the brainchild of legendary music producer CLIVE DAVIS, the president of Clay's label, RCA Records.

"He wanted to do songs that everybody knew, that people recognized and things that, hopefully, I can do well," says Clay.

As for the funky new hairdo that he first showed off during last seaon's "American Idol" finale, "We just wanted to change things up a bit," says Clay. "It's been three years since we had a studio album and the spiky thing is hard to do with the flat iron, so we decided to try something a little bit different."

For more of Clay's visit to "The Insider," don't miss tonight's show!

You can see a sneak peak of Clay's performance at The Insider's website.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Ticketmaster Shows Clay Christmas Show In Baltimore on 12/06

According to Ticketmaster's online site, Clay is scheduled to perform Lyric Opera House on Wednesday, December 6, at 8 p.m. Ticketmaster also says that tickets will go on sale on Saturday, September 9, at 11 a.m. For you fans who want to go to this concert, that is THIS SATURDAY!

Including this show, Clay now has 6 shows, as follows:

Baltimore,MD, December 6
Williamsport, PA, December 8
Long Island, NY, December 14
West Point, NY, December 15
Red Bank, NJ, December 16
Grand Rapids, MI, December 19

Keep your eyes open. He may be adding more shows before its over with! Good luck to all you Baltimore fans!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Tidbits 9/8

• Clack Unlimited has a brief video of Jimmy Kimmel mentioning Clay's appointment by President Bush.
• There were more Presidential Appointment mentions today- among the reported sightings- Toronto Star, Calgary Sun, Detroit FOX 2's This AM, Spartenburg Herald-Journal (SC), Toledo Blade, 98.1 CHFI Toronto, FOX KPTV ("Clay Aiken For President?"), E! Daily Ten, etc.
  
• Measure of a Fan will go offline on September 19. You can still check out the Media Gallery or stop by their store until that date.
• Annoucing ATDW's release:
• Los Angeles Times - Calendar Live
• PopMatters
• AOL TMZ- Update on Clay -- "His third album, "A Thousand Different Ways," drops September 19, so try and stay in your seats 'til the date rolls around. And if you're still aching for more Aiken, his latest single "Without You" is available as a ringtone for your phone."
• Postcards from Pug Bus (satire)- Clay should be oa "a presidential panel on aesthetic disabilities" (uh... are they blind? Clay's SEXY!)
• A few more presidential appointment mentions:
• Philidelphia Inquirer (negative)
• The Insider
  
• Raleigh Chronicle
  
• Washington Post- "Clay Aiken lost the "American Idol" title but has won the president's ear. This week, the White House nominated the former teacher trainee and special-ed counselor to a seat on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The group meets quarterly to advise on policy and programs."
• Live Daily
• All Headline News
  
• Brownsville Herald- Clay mention in article about AI5 semi-finalist Mario Vasquez releasing his J Records album.
• Connecticut Music- Bo Bice/AI mentions Clay (???)

  Bice didn’t win the wildly popular pop-music reality contest with his rock stylings, though it would have been a nice change of pace from the blow-out-the-back-of-your-head-with-a-shotgun goo-goo that usually comes from that show. (Clay Aiken, I’m looking in your direction. Kelly Clarkson, you’re cool.)

• ABC.com has added Clay's Sept. 19 Good Morning America Fall Concert date on its website. You can also ask Clay a question on the site.
  

• ClaySpots revisits the release of MOAM as we creep ever close to the release of ATDW.
• Southern Girl - Clay Aiken news update.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Countdown to September 19 and ATDW Release! - DAY 11

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Mr. Aiken Goes To Washington on September 14

According to the White House, new 2006 appointees (Clay's one of them!!!) will be officially sworn in on September 14 at the White House between 9 AM and 5:30 PM EDT. The statement from the White House reads:

Agenda: Day one – The new Committee members will take the oath of
office, be sworn in as members of the President's Committee for
People with Intellectual Disabilities and receive guidance on ethics
regulations and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Committee

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

ClearChannel To Preview ATDW on Radio Stations

OK. This is totally weird. Radio station owners ClearChannel Entertainment (who refused to play many of Clay's songs in 2003 and 2004) plans to offer a full album preview of A Thousand Different Ways on its radio stations' websites 'within the next 10 days'. This was posted by the CB's LVClayCDParty:

I just spoke with Tom (Program/Operations Manager) & Melanie (a DJ) at KSNE in Las Vegas, asking them if they had WY yet. She said that she didn't think they had it yet. Tom said that he just got an email from headquarters (Clear Channel) that they would be previewing the ENTIRE ATDW CD on their website within the next 10 days!!!!! He said to check back at ksne.com *soon*to hear it!!!!!

Talk about seeing/hearing Clay in unusual places!!!! Who would have thought it????? I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!

Yes, I'm skeptical of this too, but we'll keep you updated!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Fanclub 2.0 Announces Nationwide Distribution Partnership with Best Buy

The old ClayOnline.com homepage has been taken down and a notice now tells fans how to subscribe to year 2. Beginning September 14, existing members may renew their memberships and new fans can sign up for the following goodies. The price remains unchanged at $29.95 US.

* 1-Year Fan Club Membership
* Members Only Clay Aiken Official Fan Club T-Shirt
* Exclusive Clay Aiken Official Fan Club Bracelet
* 8x10 photo
* Official Membership Card
* Welcome Letter From Clay

In addition, the fanclub announced an exclusive partnership with Best Buy which will retail Fanclub Packages at all Best Buy stores for $14.99 beginning September 19. The package will consist of:

* 1-Year Fan Club Membership
* Exclusive Clay Aiken Official Fan Club Bracelet (Design of bracelet varies from Ultimate Membership)
* Official Membership Card
* Welcome Letter from Clay (Welcome Letter varies from Ultimate Membership)
* Upgrade Option to Ultimate Membership

The upgrade option mentioned above in the Best Buy section is a great deal. For only $16, you get these cool bonuses:

* Members Only Clay Aiken Official Fan Club T-Shirt
* 8x10 photo
* Exclusive Clay Aiken Official Fan Club Bracelet

Congratulations ClayOnline.com! This deal with Best Buy will surely Clayvert many of their loyal customers. :)

Furthermore, the fanclub sent out the above information to its existing members in an email newsletter... check out the email's superhot picture (*drools*)... and one last item before we finish. Our Claynadian visitors will find this particularly interesting. Although no Canadian tour dates have been announced, read this disclaimer about fanclub pre-sale tickets. Hmmm.... (bolding is mine).

All pre-sale tickets subject to availability on a first come, first serve basis for select 2007 US and Canadian performances only. All shows are subject to cancellation or postponement without notice. Please consult with the relevant venue for seating information prior to purchase, and regarding any changes to the show schedule.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay on The Insider Tomorrow

Clay has been firmly confirmed for tomorrow's Insider. The segment about ATDW was pushed back earlier this week due to breaking news. The CH's snowdrop says The Insider previewed the segment today. Clay is expected to perform a song off of ATDW. Check your local listings to see when The Insider comes on in your area.

Clay on Insider preview tonight!! "I've never done this for anyone before" he says!

ETA it's him wearing what we saw in that Insider pic with the employee/fan. They show Laura hugging him. They say it's exclusive and also show him singing. I'll go work on the teeny clip. It's on with 5 minutes left of the show.

A short clip of this is now up at ClackUnlimited. PLEASE RIGHT CLICK >SAVE AS.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Tidbits 9/7

• A bunch of fantastic articles about Clay's presidential appointment. There are so many we won't even attempt to list them all. Feel free to search for "Clay Aiken" at Google News to see more.
  
• AP wire story - this story is everywhere now...over dozen pages at Google News!!!
  
• Yahoo Entertainment -- "The Measure of a Man singer has been tapped to serve on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the White House said Wednesday. President George W. Bush was expected to make the appointment official at some point in the near future."
• WRAL
• USA Today Idol blog
  
• Raleigh News & Observer: -poor reporting. See Idle Wandering's blog post... link provided below.
  

  President Bush apparently is a Clay Aiken fan.
  
  Bush this week named Aiken, an "American Idol" runner-up and North Carolina native son, to the President's Committee on People With Intellectual Disabilities.

• Presidential appointment story was also mentioned on CNN Headline News today! Great TV exposure -- they mentioned ATDW was well.
• Also picked up by infotainment show Extra. They're running the AP story on their website.
• WOW- the appointment was even mentioned today on the American Armed Forces Network radio station which is piped to US troops stationed overseas! Cool!
• OK... I think you get the point now. Tons of mentions- too many for us to list individually. A few more- NPR, local TV affiliates, radio stations... as I said, many more outlets have covered this story. Great lead up to ATDW's release.
  
• Burnaby News Leader article about the Vancouver Star Search Competition which Clay will help judge next week.
• Entertainment Weekly music blog- thoughts about Without You (not very good ones... whether you want to click and justify their yellow-journalism is up to you)
• ClayAiken.com has been updated to include a link to Clay's AOL Fall Music Preview page.
• Pioneer Press' Idol advice -- "This is a show that's not afraid to shine the spotlight on the geeky (Clay Aiken)"

• More presidential appointment stuff from the blogs:
• ConCLAYve - BERKLEY'S ESSAY... GOOD READ.
  
• WebWeaver
• Chexxxy's Pearls -- "Clay 'new' job!!!"
• There Was A Man
  
• Idle-Wandering- here's an interesting blog about how the media has been covering the appointment story. They've simply been missing some of the facts!!! Something That Really Happened agrees.
  
• Wednesday's Child- thoughts about Clay's cover choices -- "Clay opened his solo tour with a rousing version of U2's Where the Streets Have No Name. However, With or Without You is a song made for Clay. "
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

MTV and VH1 Set up For ATDW Samples / MCWL Ringtones

According to OneSingerGal at The Clayboard, MTV and VH1 are set up and ready for samples and downloads for ATDW and MCWL.

Below is a listing of what is or will shortly be available:

On mtv.com:

A Thousand Different Ways
ATDW sampler (samples and downloads not available yet, check back to see when available)

Measure of a Man
For Measure of a Man,you can sample each song and download Invisible and The Way

Clay Aiken Ringtones

On vh1.com (downloads not available yet, check back)

Clay's albums setup
At vh1.com you can download any song from Measure of a Man or Merry Christmas With Love

ATDW sampler setup

Check back at these sites often to see when all of these items will be available for download.

Happy listening!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Countdown to September 19 and ATDW Release! - DAY 12

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

"A Thousand Different" Sites With AP Presidential Appointment Story

It hasn't taken long for the word to get out that Clay is set to be appointed as a Member of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Here is a list of some of the many sites that I found at google.com:

11 News Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville - I love the title: "Mr. Aiken Goes to Washington"!
WIS 10, Columbia SC
Fayetteville Online
Fox Carolina
WVEC.com (West Virginia)
WCNC-North Carolina News
MyrtleBeachOnline.com
heraldsun.com
The Charlotte Observer

These are just some of the news organizations that have reported the AP story that was released today. No doubt many more will pick up the story as well. Clay continues to make a difference in what is one of the most important things to him, inclusion of children with disabilities, and now this great work he is doing will be known by many more people. I know I join all of you in saying how very proud we are of Clay and how great it is to be a Clay fan!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Faye Parker Suggest: Send a Card To Someone in Iraq Today

MorganRowan at the Clayboard has made us aware of a great site that Clay's mom, Faye Parker, encourages us to visit and use. Here is a message from Faye:

This is so wonderful. Please do your part
and pass this on. I just did. Thank you.

faye

No doubt this is close to Faye's heart what with Brett serving in Iraq right now. And all of our servicemen and women give so much and risk their lives every day for our freedom.

If you go to the web site, Lets Say Thanks, you can pick out a thank you card which will be printed and sent to a soldier currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick the person who will receive the card, but one of our men or women in Iraq will receive it. All cards are illustrated by children. You can pick a prewritten verse or write a message of your own, although you are not to put any personal information, such as your phone number or email address, in the message. This is free to do and only takes a minute or so. Who knows, maybe Brett or the relative or friend of a Clay fan will receive it!

Please take a moment and send one out today.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Presidential Appointment Story Now on AP Wire

A story about Clay's Presidential appointment is now on the Associated Press wire. This is great news as it means all major news websites will begin syndicating this story. It reads:

Clay Aiken To Be Appointed To White House Committee
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Singer Clay Aiken is in line to be named to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the White House said Wednesday.

Aiken is a native of Raleigh who gained fame as a runner-up in the "American Idol" show's competition. He had worked as a YMCA counselor in Raleigh before launching his singing career.

The committee's Web site said it advises the president on issues pertaining to people with intellectual disabilities. The committee was established in 1961 by President John Kennedy as the President's Panel on Mental Retardation.

A White House press release said President Bush intends to make the appointment.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

New Updates @ Clay's Fanclub

2 new items were posted to Clay's fanclub:

09/06/06 / Christmas Time with Clay!
Hey Clay fans! During this holiday season beginning in December, Clay will be making guest appearances at select orchestra shows. The holidays aren't here yet, but will be before you know it... Stay tuned for more details! Posted by Team Clay

09/05/06 / Clay's Presidential Appointment!
President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate eight individuals, designate two individuals and appoint thirteen individuals to serve in his Administration - Clay Aiken being one of them. Congratulations to Clay on his appointment to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities! For the full presidential press release, click here.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

KMart Employee Adds To Confusion

A KMart employee and Claymate, the CH's Claymaniac in PA posted this regarding the rumour that KMart will be carrying a bonus track on ATDW. It appears that KMart customers will receive an exclusive digital download, so the bonus track won't be physically on the CD.

At the OFC a K-Mart employee has posted that the store "ad roto" (elsewhere she says ad, so I assume she means the circular that goes out with newspapers) for the week of the release will feature Clay and Kenny Chesney, with all the other releases on page 3. The bonus for buying Clay's album is a digital download, the first she or her store "coach" is aware of for K-Mart. For Chesney she says it's a can cooler.

This is a still a rumour, so please take it with the same amount of salt as every rumour we report.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Press Release Is Out For CD Release Parties

The press release with information about the CD Release parties being held around the United States and other countries hit the wires last night. One of the places I found it is at Yahoo.com, but no doubt many other sites will be including it on its news pages. The press release reads as follows:

Clay Aiken Fans Plan Worldwide CD Release Parties
Wednesday September 6, 3:00 am ET
Tower Records, WalMart and Virgin Among the Retailers Hosting

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2006--Clay Aiken may have titled his new album A Thousand Different Ways for artistic reasons, but his fans want to propel him ONE way...and that's straight to the top of the charts.
The eagerly awaited CD goes on sale Tuesday, September 19th and will feature the hit single, "Without You." Participating stores will stay open late on the night of Monday, September 18th, allowing fans to buy Clay's CD at the stroke of midnight. Party activities will vary by store but will include music and raffles. Retailers nationwide include WalMart, Virgin Megastores, Barnes & Noble, Tower Records, Wherehouse Music and Borders, among others. To find a party by region, visit www.clayaikencdparties.com.

Clay's first CD, 2003's Measure of a Man achieved the highest first week sales for a debut solo artist in 10 years. The following year his second CD, Merry Christmas with Love smashed the Billboard record for highest first week sales for a holiday album. Last month, A Thousand Different Ways shot to #1 on Amazon.com just hours after pre-ordering began. The Clay Nation is eager to hear the CD as quickly as possible and will be holding CD release parties in 81 cities in North America.

The CD Release parties are a 100% fan based initiative and are not affiliated with Sony/BMG.

CD PARTIES IN NORTH AMERICA.

CANADA

BC,Vancouver

ON,Toronto,Ottawa
QC-Montreal
MB-Winnipeg
AL-Calgary

UNITED STATES

AL-Rainbow City
AK-Little Rock
AZ-Tempe
CA-LA, San Diego, Hanford, San Francisco
CO-Denver
CT-Farmington
DC-see VA
FL-Orlando, Jacksonville, South Florida, Tampa
GA-Atlanta
HI-Honolulu
IA-Davenport, Des Moines
IL-Champaign, Schaumberg
IN-Indianapolis, Marion
KS-Wichita, Topeka, Overland Park, Leavenworth
KY-Louisville
LA-Baton Rouge
MA-Boston, Worcester
MD-White Marsh, Rockville
ME-Portland
MI-Detroit, Kalamazoo
MN-Bloomington
MO-St. Louis, see Kansas
NC-Raleigh, Charlotte, WinstonSalem
NE-Omaha
NJ-Cherry Hill, Paramus, Old Bridge
NV-Las Vegas
NY- Buffalo, NYC, Syracuse
OH-Dayton, Toledo, Grove City, Cleveland
OK-OKC, Tulsa
OR-Portland
PA-Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lehigh Valley, Scranton/WB, Waynesboro, Lancaster, Meadville,
RI-Warwick
SC-Myrtle Beach
TN-Memphis
TX-Houston, Dallas,Austin
UT-St. George, Salt Lake City
VA-Salem, Bristol, Woodbridge
WA-Seattle area
WI-Madison

Contact:
CDR Marketing
Cora Beth, 413-250-9368
clayaikencdpartypress@gmail.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: CLAY NATION

Clay Nation is noted as the source of the news release, and Cora Beth, who is our go between with RCA, is listed as the contact. With this news out about the parties, we hope to have lots of great PR and possibly more people come to the parties.

If you are interested in coming to a party near you, you can get information at the CD Release Party Planning Board. You will need to make a username and password, and then you just go to the state where you would like to attend, then the city. Come join us for a great time, meet some new Clay fans, and support Clay as we buy his CD at midnight on September 19!.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Claynadians Make A Difference

Claynadians' efforts to send Clay to #1 on Amazon.ca worked remarkably well! Claynadians were asked to order 1 or more copies of ATDW from Amazon.ca today. Clay moved from the mid-60's to #2 on the bestseller (music) list today! Congratulations Claynadians and go Clay go!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Insider Rescheduled for September 8

Clay will be on The Insider September 8, CDD has learned. His appearance, previously scheduled for yesterday night, was delayed due to Steve Irwin's death. Clay will be performing "Without You" in The Insider's studios.

Mark your calendars and check local listings- The Insider is syndicated.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

BAF Grant to Help Publish Book

Ability Magazine published this story we told you about this back in May, but it never hurts to highlight this important story another time.

Clay's Bubel Aiken Foundation is helping a 3rd grade class at Lower Nazareth Elementary School in Nazareth, PA publish a book about their friend Mikayla. Titled Our Friend Mikayla, the book features illustrations and stories produced by Mikayla's classmates. Why are her classmates doing this? Mikayla was born with extensive brain damage causing spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, severe mental retardation, seizure disorder, legal blindness, hearing impairment, and numerous other medical conditions. Despite these challenges, Mikayla's classmates have accepted her as one of their own. As one classmate put it- "Having a friend with a disability is cool."

Our Friend Mikayla is a story about friendship, hope and a vision of what the world could be one day.

Read more at Ability Magazine's website.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Tidbits 9/6

A few new photos taken on July 21, 2006 at a Krispy Kreme donut shop (probably in Raleigh)

• My apologies for not updating yesterday (Jan - I love you...) - my internet's been going crazy. It was down all day yesterday. Hopefully i'll get this fixed soon. :)
  
• The Sony Musicbox Store has released another Clay ringtone - "Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word". As with the WY ringtone released earlier, it's actually Clay singing (not that polyphonic stuff).
• Clay was expected to be on The Insider last night, but it appears that was pushed back due to breaking news events - Steve Irwin. We hear he WILL be on The Insider sometime this week.
  
• OK. This is scary- The New York Times says AI producer Simon Fuller is getting into the clothing industry - yes- clothing. What's next? Grocies? Small Clay mention.
• More radio time for Clay- WNIC in Detroit gave spins to both "Without You" and "Invisible" according to the CH's MrsGenghis.
  
• Don't forget- tickets to Clay's NY Christmas concerts begin to go on sale today- more info.
• New Town Tab- upcoming CD releases... another one from Access Atlanta, Indianapolis Star.
  
• Clay Aiken The Ideal Idol- Berkley's thoughts on those ultra-hot new photos.
• Best of Clay has some awesome new Clay wallpapers for you to use on your desktop.
• Morning Call- Up and coming Epic Records artist Josh Hoge doesn't like Clay comparisons -- "[At least Timberlake's] super successful, so I don't mind being compared to him. People are always comparing me to Clay Aiken."
  
• A few mentions about Clay's presidential appointment.
• TV Squad says: "President Bush appointed Clay Aiken to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Oh, there's a political joke here but unfortunately this is a television blog. It's not just some random appointment. Clay actually has a degree in special education and worked with disabled kids before appearing on American Idol."
• Raleigh News & Observer
• USA Today: "Clay has devoted considerable charitable efforts to this cause, so it's not a random celebrity appointment. Interesting ..."
• *Looking around innocently* - AskMen.com says Claymates have crashed into AskMen.com's Poll on the Top 49 Men of 2006 since we told you about it last month... (hey.. nothing wrong with supporting our boyfriend, right?)
• DailyCamera has a small Clay mention in an article about AI5 finalist Ace Young.
• We failed to mention that Clay was on Monday's Inside Edition. In a piece about the Best TV Moments of 2006, they showed Clay's AI5 Finale appearance with Michael Sandecki. More info at CB.
• York Daily Record announced the South Central PA Fans for Clay Aiken's CD release party.
• Clay fanclub's homepage now has a banner link to the BAF at the very bottom of the page.
  

• A few blogs about Clay's presidential appointment (I love the sound of that!!):
• Idle-wandering
• Southern Girl
• Something That Really Happened
• Taking A Moment
• There Was A Man
• Casper Lives
• LBFCA - in their signiture style, a fantastic photo essay!
  
• Lyrichord's Music Musings -- Bobby Darin & Clay - "It's been a few decades since Bobby Darin proved he was a great singer and master entertainer with his re-interpretation of "Mack the Knife," perhaps it's time for Clay Aiken to do the same with classics of his own."
• Marhaven - a blog about those lucious new photos.
• Jemock @ Taking A Moment puts his signiture style on these photos - cute post -

  Is that Clay Aiken???? Where the heck are all the undershirts? Is that chest hair I see? Can we get a closeup, please? Where did all the bling come from? Does that thumb ring feel funky? Why is he wearing two necklaces? What happened to the bracelet from the cover photo shoot pictures?

• ...one last "new photos" blog- Chexxy's.
  
• pandarose @ Something That Really Happened can't believe it's only 2 weeks 'till ATDW drops!!! (eeee....)
• Southern Girl on the CD Release party PR that was issued today.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Countdown to September 19 and ATDW Release! - DAY 13

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Clay to Be Appointed to President Bush's Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities

President George Bush intends to appoint Clay as one of several people to be Members of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. According to a Personnel Announcement from the White House:

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate eight individuals, designate two individuals and appoint thirteen individuals to serve in his Administration.

Clay is listed amount several people as follows:

The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities:

Dallas Rob Sweezy, of Virginia, and upon appointment designate Chair, for an additional two year term expiring May 11, 2008.
Clayton Aiken, of North Carolina
Stephen Bird, of Virginia
Valerie Billmire, of Utah
James Boles, of New York
Stephanie Brown, of Florida
William J. Edwards, of California
Brian J. Kelly, of California
Mary Margaret Pucci, of Illinois
Linda Hampton Starnes, of Florida
Stephen Henry Suroveic, of Pennsylvania
William E. Tienken, of Illinois

I don't know when I've ever been so proud of Clay. No doubt he will be a huge asset to this Committee. He has already made great strides via the Bubel Aiken Foundation in the inclusion of children with disabilities. This is just another opportunity for him to spread the word about the important and much needed work that is being done in this regard.

Congratulations Clay!

clayis' update: WRAL mentioned this on their newscast today. Download is available at Clack Unlimited. PLEASE RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE AS... NO STREAMING!!!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Claynadians - Order from Amazon.ca TOMORROW

A reminder that Claynadians are asked to order 1 (or more) copy of A Thousand Different Ways via Amazon.ca tomorrow- September 6!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Tidbits 9/5

• Three Friends: Countdown to ATDW begins
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

Countdown to September 19 and ATDW Release! - DAY 14

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible

New Photos Should Come With Health Warning - We're Not Kidding

If these don't kill you, I don't know what will...As Southern Girl said: "Clay Aiken is trying to kill me dead." These gorgeous shots were discovered by the CV's Starhorse on the Associated Press' website. They were taken recently in Santa Monica, CA. 'Nuff said, on with the pictures.

Click to enlarge.









Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, American Idol, Invisible