Wesley Autrey - Another Hero To Look Up To

Yes, this is off topic as pertains to Clay, but I felt it was important enough to include in CDD. And then again, maybe its not totally off topic. Keep reading.

As most of you are aware by now, Wesley Autrey is a New York man who risked his own life by jumping down into a subway trough to save the life of a film student. I have been overwhelmed by the bravery, selflessness, and humility of this man. Would I do what he did? I'd like to think so, but I don't know that I would. He deserves all the accolades that he is receiving right now. What an example for all of us (see last paragraph for how you can send a thank you to him.)

So why is this not totally off topic? I can't help but think of Clay when I see the characteristics of Mr. Altrey. True, Clay has never jumped into a subway rail to save someone. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if Clay would do that. Because just like Mr. Autrey, that's the kind of stuff Clay is made of. Clay is constantly and totally giving of himself to others. Whether he's overseas for UNICEF, interacting with children with disabilities, or singing an entire concert while struggling with vertigo, Clay is a selfless, humble, and, yes, a brave man. Going to Uganda and Indonesia was a brave act. I believe one week after Clay returned from Indonesia, there was another earthquake there. I'm sure he knew there could be more earthquakes when he went for UNICEF. And we all know the dangers in Uganda.

Heroes aren't all made of the exact same fabric, but they are heroes nonetheless. Mr. Altrey and Clay are examples we can all look up to. They make the world a much, much better place. They make a difference by acting, and that helps remind us of the importance of acting.

CBS has made it possible for you to send a thank you note to Wesley Autrey. If you would like to to do this, you can go to WCBSTV.com scroll down, and click on "email your thanks to New York's Subway Hero". There are also four wonderful videos you can watch.

Mr. Autrey and Clay, we cannot say thank you enough times for being the type of people that you are!

clayis' addition: Watch Mr. Autrey talk about his experience on The Late Show with David Letterman, courtesy CBS:

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

ConCLAYve Has Got It Right: What's Next For Clay

As you are probably aware of by now, we usually post blog links in our daily Tidbits post. However, this fantastic blog deserves a post on its own.

The ConCLAYve's CB nicely sums up what Clay should do next. I personally agree with every single word written here:

Here's what I'd like to see next for Clay after a well deserved bit of time off for another hour or so. What could he have been alluding to with his mention of a fresh start in 2007? (And I don't think it was just another New Year's reference, if things are going well than you don't need a fresh start.)

I hope he's reading scripts right now for the above mentioned TV appearances as well as a big sweeps performance on SNL where he parodies the crap out of all the absurdity from 2006.

I hope he's reviewing offers from Paul Smith, Kenneth Cole or another designer because Clay was meant to model designer suits.

I hope he and Eman are writing songs for soundtracks like The Kite Runner and some romantic comedy where maybe he has a small role as the leading guy's best buddy who ends up falling for the leading gal's best buddy. I'd like to see him with Ashley Judd, I think. And one huge screen kiss where she sucks on that bottom lip in a close up that results in the female portion of Clay Nation negotiating for overnight accommodations at every movie theater in North America.

Finally, I hope what's next is that he's ready to fulfill whatever obligation he has with RCA over the next 90 days or so and that what's REALLY next is the first day of his new career with a company that knows marketing this entertainment genius is a no brainer and a lucrative one at that. My dream for what's next is that RCA is his history and the next chapter is the world. If that isn't the case, the dream just became a nightmare.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Scans From Us Weekly's Big Idol Check Up

As promised, the new January 8 issue of Us Weekly is checking in on past American Idols. Clay has a big section dedicated to him. Thanks to Clay Aiken The Ideal Idol for the scan.

Warning: references to the gay allegations and Kelly Ripa/Rosie O'Donnell story, but they're just referencing it and not making any opinionated statements about these controversial 2006 newsmakers.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Last Chance To Vote In ChartAttack Readers' Poll

Chart Attack, "Your Canadian Music Source" has an annual readers' poll where you can vote for your favorite musicians. Clay is on the poll for "Best International Album Title". Voting closes This Sunday at midnight, so if you want to vote for Clay, you only have a matter of hours to do so.

Chart Attack says of Clay, "Clay Aiken's protective fans have helped push his Thousand Different Ways about 550 votes ahead of Snow Patrol's Open Your Eyes for the best international album title." Protective fans? Maybe loyal and supportive fans would be a better way to describe Clay's fans!

To enter the poll click here, then click on "enter poll" in the top left corner. You must answer all the questions in the poll...that was a hard one for me. Clay's question is the second one. You can take the poll more than once.

Let's see if we can start Clay off in 2007 as the winner of "Best International Album Title" in this canadian music poll!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 1/6

The Clayboard is debating whether Clay is holding something in his right hand or not in this photo taken at last month's Charlotte photo. Click on the version above to see a full sized version. To me, it's just a shadow.

• It's the last call for ChartAttack.ca's Readers Choice Poll 2006. Clay is nominated in the "Best International Album" category - "Clay Aiken's protective fans have helped push his Thousand Different Ways about 550 votes ahead of Snow Patrol's Open Your Eyes for the best international album title"... time to get voting Claymates! | More info about the poll here.
  
• The Globe and Mail (Canada) - article about Canadian politics mentions Clay... it's not all that good, but oh well -

  Ever wondered how federal environment minister suddenly became the "key" cabinet job? It only seems like yesterday that being named to that portfolio was the political equivalent of being Clay Aiken's backup singer or the understudy to Britney Spears' Brazilian waxer.

• More Clay/Kelly/Rosie mentions:
• Houston Voice
• New York Blade

• Bored? There Was A Man has some cute videos from the recent Christmas tour for you to check out... They also posted this nice slideshow (which I've borrowed and posted above). Recommended reading (or... actually, watching).
  
• Southern Girl's Friday feast.
• Taking A Moment - ROTFL... Jemock is an absolute riot - The "Clay Aiken Fan Slang Dictionary" - "1. fayeparker. To decorate; to accessorize; to make more attractive."
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

AD: Bubel Aiken Foundation 2007 Promotion

Here's my new ad for you to enjoy! Click on the thumbnail above to see the ad in its high resolution. Feel free to print, download and share amongst yourself. A credit to CDD would be appreciated.

Don't forget, all of CDD's ads are available in the Clay's Daily Double Gallery.

Donating to the Bubel Aiken Foundation is a great way to start off 2007.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Days Of Our Lives Ratings Go Up With Clay As Guest Star

Pattilynn at The Clayboard has given us some news that we love to hear! The episode of Days Of Our Lives with Clay as guest star has had its first 2.9 rating since July. Apparently fans of the show are crediting Clay's appearance for this ratings jump.

Pattilynn got her information from GBB at the Clackhouse. Here is that information as it relates to other soap operas and previous weeks ratings.

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Days Ratings for Clay's Episode!

Weekly Standing:
1. Y&R 4.3 (SAME)
2. B&B 3.1 (SAME)
3. GH 2.8 (+.1)
4. DOOL 2.7 (+.1)
5. ATWT 2.5 (+.1)
5. AMC 2.5 (+.1)
5, OLTL 2.5 (SAME)
8. GL 2.2 (SAME)
9. PSNS 1.7 (SAME)

Daily ratings:
Tue 12/26 2.9
Wed 12/27 2.6
Thu 12/28 2.6
Fri 12/29 2.7

To put this in perspective, Days hasn't had a 2.9 for a daily rating since July 31. Before that, the last 2.9 was in March. Now, to be fair, the Christmas episode is always a ratings grabber, but it's usually shown ON Christmas, not the day after when so many people are traveling and/or shopping.

Here are the last few weeks for comparison:

Dec 18-22
Monday 2.4
Tuesday 2.6
Wednesday 2.5
Thursday 2.7
Friday 2.7

Dec 11-15
Monday 2.5
Tuesday 2.5
Wednesday 2.6
Thursday 2.2
Friday 2.2

Dec 4-8
Monday 2.7
Tuesday 2.5
Wednesday 2.4
Thursday 2.5
Friday 2.4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think we all knew that a higher rating was a big possibility and now we have the proof. He has definitely proven to be a ratings grabber when he has appeared on other shows. It would be great to see more Clay appearances in 2007. My own personal favorite show for him to appear on would be, "Without A Trace." How about yours?

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Grand Rapids Symphony Member Says Great Things About Working With Clay

I love reading the good comments from people who aren't a Clay fan but meet him and are impressed with both his voice and the person he is. Flozie at The Clayboard had just that opportunity recently.

In a Clayboard thread, she says that she received a call from one of the symphony members in Grand Rapids who was calling new subscribers to encourage attendance. Here's what Flozie had to say about this symphony member and her comments about Clay and Jesse Vargas:

She was absolutely wonderful to talk with. She had high praise for Clay and his work ethic and his voice. She also had high praise for Jesse Vargas and how he had everything prepared for the Symphony. She is the one who Clay asked to define mercato. She also said that while he bantered and had fun with that that once he started to sing he was all business and was focused on the program. And boy can he sing she said. Asked me if I had followed him from the beginning and was I one who still had my hand up for the number of concerts. Said he was very easy to work with during rehearsals and a true professional and very nice guy!!

If truth be told, I believe there are many more people like this person who after working with Clay feel the same way, and I believe we will hear from more just like this 2007!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

ATDW Featured In New BMG Music Service Flyer

Clay is featured in a new BMG Music Service Flyer sent out to its members recently. The BMG Music Service allows customers to order CD's from the comforts of their home at a sharply discounted price.

Thanks to That's The Clay's WNYClayFan for the scans.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 1/5

• SheKnows.com is giving you the chance to win an autographed copy of ATDW. Enter the contest at their website. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, aged 18 and over. Hurry, the contest ends on January 7.
  
• Clay was mentioned on WE Channel's "Cinema Theapy", says the CB's angelcat4jc:

  It's called "Cinema Therapy" on the WE channel where they are showing "Coal Miner's Daughter" and the two hosts were talking who their favorite idol is after they showed a clip of Patsy Cline in the movie. The lady said her idol is Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks and the guy said his favorite idol is Clay Aiken.
  
  He didn't elaborate. They went on to talking about Rod Stewart and others.
  
  It really took me by surprise. I had to glance over at the TV real quick when I heard that!
  
  Thought that was cool!

• RIAA's Pressroom - In an article about the best of 2006, it says, "American Idol champs weren’t the only veterans of the popular TV show to have a big year...and Clay Aiken found 500,000 ways for his most recent offering, A Thousand Different Ways, to be certified Gold.
• Small Clay mention in today's Raleigh News & Observer courtesy the CB's C4Clay. The article talks about Cameron Village, an old shopping center in Raleigh. The N&O says: "the shopping center has reconfigured its look more times than Clay Aiken."
  
• Entertainment Weekly interviews Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell about the upcoming season of AI. Small Clay mention:'

  'Occasionally someone like Carrie Underwood or Fantasia walks in,'' Cowell says, ''and you just absolutely know [they] could win. This year, I think it's going to be more like season 1, not as obvious. I really hope that, actually.'' Which is not to say that the judges don't have a couple of early favorites. Jackson cryptically predicts the winner will be ''someone with curly hair,'' while Cowell is eyeing two strong contenders: ''One guy who stands out in the crowd and has what I call the likability factor. He's not what I would call the typical American Idol because he's different... but everyone liked him.'' (Actually, that didn't seem to hurt Ruben Studdard. Or Clay Aiken. Or even Taylor Hicks.) The other is ''one girl who's got an incredible voice... but not much personality at the moment.''
  

• Joplin Globe - how to be a better newspaper columnist -

  I[t] didn’t really hit the big time until I wrote a column about unattractive rock stars and compared Clay Aiken to a naked Ken doll. Outraged Aiken fans that obviously have a problem with eunuchs flooded the online version of the column with comments such as this one:
  
  “Lay off the comments about Clay Aiken. Sexy? ABSOLUTELY! By the way, how can you (a man) presume to determine what women consider sexy. You’re way off base on OCB (our collective boyfriend) as we call Clay. He’s so HOT, we don’t even mind sharing him! We just love this sweet genuine mama’s boy. He’s got the looks, moves, and talent — and knows how to make us MELT! Go to a concert, dude, and watch how he seduces the audience. He’s WHAT WOMEN WANT!”
  
  Re-reading those comments still sends shivers down my spine. There were so many comments that the following week I submitted to the will of the people and had a “hot off” with Clay. To the best of my ability, I recreated one of Clay’s iconic pictures and it ran in the paper next to the original. People were urged to vote online who was the hottest. I lost.
  

• GameZone: More AI - bored? You can now buy an updated version of the American Idol PC game, which features some Clay songs:

  For example, "Build Me Up Buttercup" was performed by Clay Aiken a few years ago, and is featured as one of the playable songs.
  

• 411Mania - not a fan of American Idol or Clay Aiken.
  
• Ripa/Clay/O'Donnell:
• Washington Blade
• Pride Source
• E! Online - some random Clay mention... I don't understand it, maybe you do.

• Nothing here yet.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

New Clay To Thud At!

If you've noticed, I've just changed the Clay photo that adorns our left sidebar... getting a bit tired of the "old Clay", so here's a "new Clay" for you to thud at.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

UNICEF Snowflake Lighting Video Up January 15

According to an email sent to the CB's WizofOzFan, UNICEF plans to add a clip from November's UNICEF Snowflake lighting in New York City on January 15. The clip will be viewable from UNICEFUSA.org. The stunning Snowflake, located at the corner of 5th Ave and 57th St. in NYC serves as a "beacon of hope" for children around the world. Clay helped light the Snowflake on November 18.

I emailed Unicef to ask about the Snowflake lighting video footage, since they show a video from the 2005 lighting on the website. I got back a very lovely (and timely) response:

Thank you for your interest in the UNICEF Snowflake. We plan on having a brief 2006 hoisting and lighting video on our website by January 15. Please visit www.unicefusa.org/snowflake to view it.

Happy New Year!

Michael

Michael J. Burlingame
Ambassador Program and Special Events

:) Love those Unicef folks!
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
333 East 38 Street
New York, NY 10016

For every child
Health, Education, Equality, Protection
ADVANCE HUMANITY

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

"A Thousand Days" Radio Single CD

RCA is now distributing "A Thousand Days", the new single, to radio stations nationwide with this gorgeous CD. If that was available in stores don't you think it would fly off the shelves like hot cakes? Unfortunately, this CD is only available to radio stations music programmers, so you won't be able to buy copies at your record store. However, as always, if you have the budget to do so, you can grab a copy off eBay.

Interestingly, the album version of ATD is 4 minutes 28 seconds, while this radio edit is 4 minutes 3 seconds. RCA announced last month that "A Thousand Days" will impact AC radio on January 15. Also, don't forget to check out a fan made ATD video posted to YouTube recently. Watch it here.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Fan Made "A Thousand Days" Video

We've been hearing word that ATD will be the new single and will begin impacting AC radio this month. However, don't count on RCA to make a video. But, who needs RCA when Dolphinfreak618 posted this gorgeous homemade ATD video to YouTube?

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 1/4

• Akron Beacon Journal - bold prediction for Clay in 2007... I agree with this one, with the exception of the second sentence!
  

  Former runner-up Clay Aiken will confound his management by attempting to make a record that doesn't suck.
  
  In the ensuing confusion, his record company will inadvertently out him, causing non-Claymates to heave a collective ``duh.''
  
  The album will top many year-end lists.
  

• Akron Beacon Journal - small Clay/AI2 voting controversy mention in a football article.
  

  If Ohio State Went on American Idol. Come on. Clay Aiken's fans sure didn't think the system was fair. Jennifer Hudson might take home an Oscar for Dreamgirls, but she didn't win thetop Idol prize. And would you want Ohio State's chances to be based on how well its fans could speed-dial?

• Westender (Canada): 2007 predictions... I'll take this as a compliment: S

  cientists hope a long spell of 30-below weather combined with aerial spraying might kill off existing Idol winners, but they fear that Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken are simply too well established.
  

• Bay Area Reporter calls ATDW one of the worst covers disc ever...
  
• Appleton Post Crescent - 5 things to obsess about; indirect mention of Clay's sexuality... I guess it's not THAT bad - "And what about Clay Aiken — is he or isn't he and why does anyone care?" | The Spoof (satire) - now, this one is nasty... don't look if you're too sensitive. | Austin Chronicle - another mention of this... again, nasty! | Hours.ca - as if we needed another one for today...
  
• More Kelly Ripa/Clay/Rosie... the new year isn't putting a stop to this... huh?
• About.com - "First, she chimed in regarding the clash between Kelly Ripa and Clay Aiken."
• There was a Clay mention on last night's episode of Friday Nights Light. It wasn't really nice, so I'm not going to into it here... more info about this at E! News.
  

• Carolina On My Mind: celebrating the new year with wisdom and Clay Aiken.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Clay Leaves Another Message On Brett's MySpace

The CB's aikensangel2549 spotted another one of Clay's comments on Brett's MySpace page. If you recall, Clay left messages on both Quiana's and Brett's MySpace pages last month.

The comment was actually posted on Christmas day and simply & eloquently reads:

It's really not Christmas without you.
Miss you.

c

Awww....

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

"Without You" Named #91 In Bill Lamb's Top 40 "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2006"

Clay has been in many end-of-the-year lists thus far, and here's another one to add. His song, "Without You", from A Thousand Different Ways is #91 in Bill Lamb's Top 40 "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2006". As Bill states, "This is admittedly a subjective list based on judgements of quality instead of sales figures or radio airplay...This list should be a great conversation starter and feel free to agree or disagree. Either way there is a lot of great pop music to be found here."

I agree with him that quality rather than radio play should be the main factor of whether a song makes a "top" list. He makes a good argument for this by saying, "For the first single from the album A Thousand Different Ways, Clay Aiken turned in a strong version of this pop classic, but it promptly sank with little support from pop radio." Sank to the bottom, maybe, but only because the radio stations didn't play it. But played or not, it was still a strong and beautiful song. In his initial review, Bill Lamb states that the pros of the song are:

The beauty and clarity of Clay Aiken's voice
Very nicely propulsive instrumental arrangement
The emotion is restored to this classic song

He also said,

The pure beauty in Aiken's voice is abundantly showcased here, and the arrangement gives a contemporary twist on the song. The mix is pleasantly propulsive and percussive which will sound great on pop radio. Mainstream pop radio should give this track a chance. Its popularity may surprise more than a few radio programmers.

How I wish radio stations would listen to him. Read the rest of the review by clicking on the above link or here.

Congratulations, Clay, on making the Top 100 Pop songs of the year!!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Jimmy Kimmel Calls Lopez "Clay Aiken of Dancing with The Stars"

Runner-up of the latest season is ABC's hit show Dancing With The Stars, Mario Lopez (far right) was categorized as the "Clay Aiken of Dancing With The Stars" by Jimmy Kimmel last night on his show.

What a fantastic mention!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Clay Drops To #22 on Lycos 50

For the holiday week at Lycos 50, Clay has dropped to #22 from #13 the week before. Clay had been at #12 or 13 for several weeks, so this drop of 9 spaces is a bit of a surprise. Clay has also been on the Lycos 50 for 183 weeks, or 3 years and 33 weeks!

Now that our holiday festivities are over, we'd better start doing our searching again and bring Clay back up on the list. Some things to search for, you ask? Clay Tour, Clay and ATDW, Clay Aiken pictures and videos, Clay and BAF, Clay Aiken Lyrics...just use your imagination and starting searching!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Clay Part of New UNICEF TV Campaign

UNICEF and the National Association of Broadcasters are announcing the release of new 15, 30 and 60 seconds PSA spots that will air on TV stations nationwide and in Canada.

Clay joined fellow UNICEF ambassadors Sarah Jessica Parker, Ralph Fiennes, Lucy Liu, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Tea Leoni, Susan Sarandon and Alyssa Milano recently to record the PSA.

Clay's last PSA announcement for UNICEF came 2 years ago this month following the devastating December 2004 tsunami in South-East Asia.

The press release notes:

The PSA aims to harness the influence and popularity of the UNICEF Ambassadors in raising awareness about the real issues that affect why kids are dying throughout the world.

Produced by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the 15, 20, 30, and 60 second PSAs offer disturbing statistics about child survival issues, such as the fact that a child is orphaned every 15 seconds. Additionally, the campaign demonstrates in concrete terms that these statistics can easily be overcome through the work of UNICEF. The PSA will be distributed to 600 network affiliates and 250 cable networks nationwide starting in early January and will air in advertising times that will be donated by the media.

The child survival PSA is endorsed by the Ad Council and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). NAB distributes PSAs to television stations nationwide on the third Friday of every month, from 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (ET). Additionally, the PSA will be on the NAB website for download.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 1/3

The CB's joycez is in the process of making this STUNNING cross-stitch of Clay's 2003 Rolling Stone cover. As you can see, it's not completely done, but it's looking great so far!

• ZeeNews (India) - another mention of Clay's AI5 makeover - "Former "American Idol" star Clay Aiken - who had a major makeover - was voted number one in the website`s favourite new look of the year poll, after fetching 33 per cent of the total votes."
• The CB's KELLY LOVES CLAYTON says Clay was mentioned on CBS' Still Standing:

  The mother walked into the house and said "OKAY are you ready to see Clay Aiken?" and the girl was like "no i cant...(somthing about homework) and the mom said "Okay well I cant go to a Clay Aiken show without a teenage girl, I'll look like a weirdo"
  

• Nothing here yet.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Two More Ripagate Mentions On End of the Year TV

OneSingerGal at The Clayboard has informed us of two more Clay/Kelly "hand over the mouth mentions" on two television shows "end of the year" news.

Anderson Cooper on CNN had celebrity goof-ups at the end of his 2006 overview show and this was mentioned. Doesn't appear that too big a deal was made out of it though.

Also on Inside Edition's weekend edition and their Monday show, Ripagate was mentioned in their list of celebrity scandals. OneSingerGal tells us that it "showed clip of Clay standing with Kelly, both smiling, while they introduce the dancers...then the hand over mouth clip, then a repeat of the Clay standing with Kelly clip.....Clay looked sooo happy in this clip....the voiceover was something like this - at least this scandal ended happily ! - ....showed the clips i just mentioned, then showed the clip of Clay at his house, saying how he and Kelly had talked, and all was fine with them."

If this is all the scandal they can come up with on Clay, then I do believe that all is well in Claynation. Not to mention that it keeps his name out there for the public to hear. And its great that the segment ended with Clay saying that all was fine between the two of them.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Clay's 2006 "Makeover" Still Making Waves

Clay's May 2006 makeover on American Idol is still making news.

On POPSUGAR.com, you can vote for your favourite celeb makeover of 2006. As of right now, Clay is fourth place, so get voting Claymates!

NewKerala.com is naming Clay's makeover as 2006's #1:

Clay Aiken named celeb who had best makeover in 2006

Washington, Jan 2: While we assumed that celebrities - Hollywood's so-called arbiters of style - had reached the pinnacle of fabulousness, 2006 showed us that some of our favourite celebs have raised the bar even higher with their makeovers last year.

Popsugar.com named the best and boldest celeb redos of the year.

Former "American Idol" star Clay Aiken - who had a major makeover - was voted number one in the website's favourite new look of the year poll, after fetching 33 per cent of the total votes.

Singer Ashley Simpson - who had plastic surgery, most significantly a nose job - came in second with 640 votes(25 per cent).

Third slot was taken by Janet Jackson, who lost a whopping 60 pounds in just a few short months.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Clay's New Year's Blog

Clay blogged today to wish us a Happy New Year. Clay said he was "blessed" to have such "amazing folks" like us and that he's looking forward to another amazing year with this "family".

Happy New Year Clay!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 1/2

• Christian Leuzzi, co-writer of "A Thousand Days" comments on the song:

  Christian has been working closely with Clay Aiken and his executive producer Jaymes Foster, sister of legendary producer David Foster.
  "A Thousand Days" was released on Clay Aiken's album "A Thousand Different Ways." The album debuted at #2 on Billboard's Top 200 albums the first week it was released. Christian wrote “A Thousand Days” specifically for Clay. Clay Aiken has performed Christian’s song on national television, including Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Martha Stewart Show.

• MSNBC on the pitfalls of reality TV - Anyone who's ever watched a reality show knows not all winners are deserving. "Amazing Race" fans will always gripe about Flo, Clay Aiken's Claymates don't think Ruben topped their "Idol," and just about every "Big Brother" winner is hated (see below)."
• Newsgasm 2007 predictions - "On Days of our Lives, following suit of Smokey Robinson and Clay Aiken, another Idol runner-up, Justin Guarini, will try to jump-start his career by performing his new single in Salem at Brady's Pub."
  
• New York Times - Us Weekly to publish update on idols (slightly negative)
• Top 40 Charts - Teen sensation edges ahead of Clay Aiken, Josh Groban on the website's holiday charts.
  

• ClaySpots - this is fabulous 2006 in review blog - very indepth and goes through each month individually. Recommended read.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

New Photos Show Clay Leaving LAX

We've found some new photos from mee2u showing Clay leaving LAX in Los Angeles the day after the American Music Awards this past November (November 22).

Please do not post these photos to the official fanclub.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 1/1

• Mediaweek - O'Donnell's antics driving up ratings.

You have to hand it to O'Donnell—she knows exactly what she is doing. Her antics have appeared in every entertainment magazine and New York City newspaper—and every story is one more press clip for The View. First there was the Kelly Ripa/Clay Aiken brouhaha, where, when Ripa reprimanded Aiken for putting his hand over her mouth, O'Donnell labeled Ripa "homophobic." Yup, O'Donnell knew the press would jump on that.

• Arizona Republic - "The People column mission is simple: have as much fun with celebrity personas as is possible without getting sued, fired or devoured by a pack of feral Clay Aiken fans."

• Southern Girl gives us her New Year's resolutions-- I'm sure #3 is something many of us have on our list: "Clean out and reorganize Clack"
• Carolina On My Mind marks the end of 2006 with some wonderful photo collages! Don't miss this blog!
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Dreamlarge's "Year In Review-2006" at YouTube a Must See

As 2006 has drawn to a close, we've seen many different ways that people have used to express their memories of Clay. However, today I have found one that absolutely took my breath away. "Year In Review-2006" by Dreamlarge and available for viewing at YouTube, is an amazing look at all things pertaining to Clay in 2006. She uses both videos and some of the best pictures available to remind you of such things as Clay's appearance on The Tonight Show, the CD signing at Virgin Megastore, the infamous Tyra kiss, and of course, the Christmas tour.

Set to William Joseph's "Within", the perfect song for this work, she moves through each video and picture at record speed, however not so quickly that you can't enjoy and savor each moment from this past year. You will want to watch this again and again. One viewing is just not enough to take it all in!

What an amazing piece of work about an absolutely amazing man. Thank you, Dreamlarge, for sharing this with us! And thank you, clack gatherers for the wonderful videos and pictures that were used to create this.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Clay Nation Bloggers Mark The End of An Eventful Year

As we wind down 2006, here are some year end thoughts from the Clay nation's blogs:

• There Was A Man - this is definitely one of the BEST blogs this year! Here's to looking forward to fresh start for 2007. I've chosen some of the best parts of the blog, but make sure you head on over to read the entire thing... it's magnificent!

  2006 is finally at an end. It's probably not a bad thing in the Clay fandom.
  
  The Ugly
  If we only knew how good we had it in 2005. Starting the year was rough because we weren't sure when we would hear from Clay again. We had been waiting on news of an album for almost a year. We knew that he had been recording, so we were still in wait mode. We actually didn't have to wait to long to hear from Clay because on Jan 17th he blogged with a quote from the bible -- Isaiah 51:7. "Do not fear the reproach of others, and do not be dismayed when they revile you." At that time we didn't really know what he meant, but we didn't have to wait long before the crap hit the fan. Clay had become a target of a nefarious character looking to capitalize on Clay's fame by spreading vile rumors and lies about him. Vile because Clay was made to look like some desperate loser when we all know he is anything but. The one really positive that came out of this MESS was that the fandom and Clay grew stronger. Our bond is deeper than ever. Clay has proven to be a man of strength and character, a man worthy of admiration and devotion. If the plan was to divide and conquer the fandom, it was a dismal failure. You had only to look at the "Circle the Wagon" thread at the Official Fan Club to see hundreds and hundreds of messages of support for Clay. We weren't going anywhere.
  
  The Look
  At the the AI Finale in May, Clay unveiled a new look. No more spikes, instead there was a head of dark long hair with bangs hanging into the eyes very reminiscent of a young Paul McCartney. It was a bit of a shock at first, but many grew to love it. One thing is for sure, the man got a lot of buzz from that 3-minute appearance where he sang "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me". Every media outlook and watercooler were buzzing about him the next day. Taylor who? The look changed somewhat throughout the rest of the year, the hair lightened and grew longer. The bangs were eventually discarded for a side part, but it suited Clay's more mature look. His body and face had filled out. Gone was the boy next door. Welcome to the hawt sexy man.
  
  The Humanitarian
  As always, charitable endeavors were a big part of Clay's year. I'm sure we don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes, but what we do know is pretty impressive. Clay continued his work with UNICEF raising money for children in the war-torn Middle East, and even lighting the UNICEF star in New York. The biggest honor this year had to be being named to serve a two-year term in the U.S. President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The committee acts in an advisory capacity to the U.S. President and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on matters relating to programs and services for persons with intellectual disabilities. Clay also took part in the "David Foster and Friends Charity Gala" which raised money for children of organ transplants. Clay and David Foster raised $1 million for two performances in the auction. Teacher Clay was in full evidence at Nazareth Elementary where the authors of "My Friend Mikayla" were honored by a reading by Clay, and then the young authors were treated to a limo ride back to school.
  
  The Comedian
  The man loves his Christmas music without a doubt, so while there was no actual Joyful Noise Tour complete with band and back-up singers, there were spot dates with symphony orchestras for the month of December--eighteen dates in all. Due to the short timeframe, these concerts were concentrated on the East Coast and Midwest to the dismay of the West Coast (and Texas) fans. The image of a guest singer with a symphony conjures up images up beautiful, reverent singing done in tails or at least a tux. Leave it to Clay to never do what you think he will do. Yes he sang, yes he looked good in a suit, but who knew he would be so funny. His banter sections were almost as long as the singing sections. He engaged and played off his audience poking fun at them and himself. The audience loved it, laughing uproariously throughout the show. He even introduced some rather bawdy humor. I think he converted a male fan or two with this show. This was a whole other side of Clay Aiken.
  
  The Future
  Here are waiting again once again to see what the future holds. The end of the year seems to have shades of much beginning 2006, this time with a bratty kid who feels a sense of entitlement bashing Clay in the media with the usual scum and bottom-feeders in on the frenzy. Clay as always holds himself above the fray with dignity. Perhaps we have come full circle, and good things are in store for 2007. Our resident astrologers hint that it should be good year. Clay left a year-end audio message at the Official Fan Club where he said he hopes we all are ready for a "fresh start in 2007". Yeah, I am.

• ... and more year end thoughts from Jemock at Taking A Moment... looks like she's decided to start predicting the future, like mamarose!

  2026 – A Year In Review
  
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  
  Raleigh, North Carolina. The ballustrade of the Governor’s Mansion is decked with festive boughs of holly, pine and collard greens. The famous Hall of Trees is alight with the twinkling of 350 frasier firs, decorated with ornaments sent from all fifty states—the ornaments now number in the thousands, according to Faye Parker, The First Mom and Secretary of the Interior (Decoration). She says “It’s such a blessing for Clayton to have such dedicated constituents. So many of these ornaments were made by hand and lovingly shipped here to the Governor’s Claymate Mansion. We appreciate each and every one, and even though I usually put the ugly ones on the backs of the trees, each one is a precious gift, and a reminder that not every Governor has his own paying fan club.”
  
  Mrs. Parker walks through the Mansion, pointing out all the gifts received from the fans. “This mosaic of Clayton, made from human hair and nail clippings, is a favorite of his. This framed document here is a fan’s checkbook register, and you can see how every single entry in here reflects a purchase of one of Clayton’s 15 cds, concert seats, fan club memberships, ebay auctions, psychological counseling, divorce proceedings, liquor store bills and merchandise purchases, all the way down to the zero balance you see here at the bottom. Most of the artwork in the Mansion is indeed from fans, although that fringed ottoman over there was MY idea.”
  
  Governor Aiken’s personal secretary, Clive, tells us that the Governor has pushed a few things around on his OFC calendar to give us a few minutes.
  
  “Hey there! I’m Clay Aiken!!” The Governor strides into the office with a hearty giggle and a firm (not clammy) handshake. “I’m always happy to take time for the Raleigh media! Especially since I bought all the television stations and newspapers about 19 years ago! HAHA!!”
  
  “Will there be anything else, Governor Aiken?” asks the timid Mr. Davis. “No, Clive, I think that’s all for now. You can go clean the bathrooms now, and then you can take a nap in your cryogenic chamber” “Oh THANK YOU Guv'nor Sir! THANK YOU! Thank you for the bathroom mandate!” said Mr. Davis. “Clive has been with me for a long time now,” said the Governor. “Ever since I took over RCA, he’s been really great to have around. He can put a mean spitshine on a shoe, let me tell you.”

• ConCLAYve - year end thoughts:

  September, 2006 saw the release of the new CD, a CD of covers (with four originals). The boards exploded with varying opinions about the CD, the song choices, the promotion, and Clay's appearances to promote the CD, but the one thing we all agreed on was that we were so happy to see him. Finally. At last.
  
  His fans flocked to his TV appearances, watched him light the UNICEF star, and attended his annual Christmas Tour, where he sang backed by a full symphony orchestra and where he did at least four shows riddled with vertigo. He didn't cancel, he didn't give a lackluster performance, in fact, this tour was the best I've ever heard Clay sing.
  
  I think all of the fans are looking forward to seeing what 2007 has in store for Clay and ourselves. A new year and a new start, for both of us. Bring it, Clay, we have your back, always and forever.
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Tidbits 12/31

• South Florida - Rosie O'Donnell's bad year... "trying to out Clay Aiken"
• More Kelly Ripa/Clay/O'Donnell:
• Canoe.ca
• Canoe.ca article 2
• Winnipeg Sun, Toronto Sun
  
• Miami Herald - Hicks debut fails to top Clay's 2003 entrance to the pop music world - "This puts Hicks behind first-week figures for other Idols Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood and even Daughtry"
• Miami Herald - what to do in Hawaii on this New Year's Eve - "throw yourself completely into Hawaiian culture like Clay Aiken did at Waikiki's only beachfront luau." (was this from the 2004 gala Clay attended in Hawaii??)
• Courier News Online - 2006 in review ... "Clay Aiken, whose tousled new look, unveiled on the "American Idol" finale, drew breathless comparisons to ... well, k.d. lang. He later tried to show Kelly Ripa who was boss by covering her mouth with his hand on "Regis and Kelly" so he could get a question in."
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible

Ready For Some Clay Resolutions?

Ah yes, the last day of the year is here, and its the day everyone starts writing up their New Year's resolutions. You know, those nasty little promises that we say we're gonna keep every year, like losing 10 pounds, starting to exercise, saving more money, but that we rarely keep for more than a week.

So have you started your list of resolutions yet? Or should I say your "claysolutions"! Tiggy52winkle at The Clayboard has started a thread where you can share your Clay resolutions and check out others that you might like to keep.

And to get you started, here is a list of my own that I wrote out 2 years ago. If you are really strong, maybe you can keep them. However, I have yet to keep a one! I mean, really now, who would want to!! So for your consideration, here are my 10 Claysolutions:

1. I will not spend so much time online *Clay* searching that I let the laundry pile up so high in the house I need a stepladder to reach the top.
2. In my thrill of the online hunt for everything Clay, I will not overlook going to the grocery store, causing us to have nothing but the crumbs on our table to eat.
3. I will not stay up until 3 a.m. every morning, reading every single Clay post, going to every single Clay website, and then staring aimlessly at my computer screen, hoping that something else *Clay* pops up for me to investigate.
4. I will not spend an hour on the internet in the mornings, even though I still have not finished getting ready for work, thus causing me to be late to work for the 19th day in a row (did I say 19th - I meant 91st).
5. I will not take more than my allotted work breaks each day to check my new clay messages. I'd hate to get fired, because I need my paycheck to buy anything and everything *Clay* (i.e., the great Clay nightshirt I sleep in every night now!!).
6. I will not spend all of my hard earned money on anything and everything *Clay* instead of using it to pay the bills that keep stacking up -- after all it is harder to keep up with everything *Clay* from debtor's prison.
7. I will not lose patience with my coworkers, friends, and family who just do not understand why I am so crazy about "this skinny kid" Clay Aiken. I will understand that they just are not educated in the finer things of life -- Clay obviously being the finer thing.
8. I will not make my 16-year-old son write 100 times, "I will not roll my eyes when my mom starts gushing over Clay again". However, I will continue to gush.
9. I will not make my friends sit down and listen to every single song Clay has ever sung, watch every single Clay video ever shown, and read every single online article about Clay that I have ever downloaded. I must understand that everyone does not share my extreme enthusiasm for Clay. (go figure)
10. I will not be too hard on myself when I break every single one of these resolutions on the first day after I make them, and on the second, and on the third, and on the fourth, and on the fifth........ After all, tomorrow is another Clay--I mean day!!!!

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible