Tidbits 3/31

• The Desert Sun - tickets to Clay's Pala, CA concert are now on sale.
• Bella Online - columnist's friend is a fan of Clay Aiken ...

  And she’s not. She likes music. She has CDs. She just doesn’t spend as much time as I do in music departments and on Amazon.com. However, our friendship works well – and occasionally there is cake! We also go to concerts together. Let’s see, there’s been Clay Aiken, Blue Man Group—later this year we will see Clay Aiken again, and Genesis in September.

• About.com has a small piece about the panic attacks Clay says he used to have. About.com has a full story on Clay's story here.
  

  Clay Aiken, pop singer and former American Idol contestant, began experiencing panic attacks after the death of his stepfather. The attacks increased during Aiken's quick rise to fame, particularly when he had to make a public appearance. After trying a number of medications, Aiken has found Paxil to be helpful in managing the attacks. Read more about Clay Aiken and Panic Disorder.

• Atlanta Journal Constitution - American Idol fashion notes - "Clay Aiken's prominent ears were camouflaged with a new hairstyle by "American Idol" hairstylist Dean Banowetz, who is often credited with the singer's phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the second season."
  
• Houston Press doesn't get why Clay is having a concert at the Houston Symphony... perhaps the responses say it best: "So what if Clay Aiken does not write for the power of an orchestra? It does not stop him from sounding beautiful singing with it. Here are some videos from his last tour. Judge for yourself."
  

  Note, the Symphony was speaking about being Clay Aiken’s back-up band. Is the Symphony really trying to tell me that Clay’s the same level of musical genius as Elvis Costello? And when did Clay Aiken write specifically for the power of a full orchestra? Hell, when did Clay Aiken write specifically for the power of an acoustic guitar? And, as an attorney, I think that, if Elvis Costello were to decide to sue for defamation, the Houston Symphony would be relegated to being his backing band.

• Chexxxy's - The Clay Aiken train is coming ... Summer Tour 2007.
• GFTCSA reminds us that TODAY is the last day to donate to The Bubel Aiken Foundation via Six Degrees.
• There Was A Man - run to get those Clay Aiken iTunes podcasts... (not so) hot off the "press"!

  I can barely comprehend this, but I do believe the ClayNation is falling down on the job. We have just yesterday discovered interview podcasts that are dated...ummm...Dec 11, 2006. Now that is a little embarrassing.
  
  In part one, he discusses "Here You Come Again". Dolly Parton was a great favorite of his mom's, so he grew up with her songs. He wanted to sing on AI during country week, but Michael Orland and Debra Byrd talked him out of it because they felt it had too much of a Broadway vibe. Something Simon Cowell kept harping on with him. He tells of how the song came to be an the album, and how it got changed to more ballad-like.
  
  In part two, he discusses "Broken Wings". His mother almost entered him for Star Search when he was eleven, and he was going to sing "Broken Wings". Seventeen years later, he finally gets to record it. Clay explains how he came up with the ethereal version on his album.
  
  In part three, Clay talks about the original songs on his album and how he came to choose them. "Lonely More More" Jaymes Foster, his executive producer wanted on the album because Clay helped write it. "Eveything I Have" was a favorite of all the females in Clay's life, "A Thousand Days" was a song that considered for his original song album. "These Open Arms" is Clay's favorite perhaps due to these poignant lyrics.
  
  In part four, he talks about blending his singing career with his work with children with disabilites, and his passion for he cause of inclusion.
  
  In part five, he talks about UNICEF, how he came to be an ambassador, and his work with the organization.