Tidbits 5/1

Blast from the past - check out WRAL's gallery of Clay's return to Raleigh with the Independent Tour in March 2004.

• Northern Star - In an article entitled "Reality Shows and Politics Shouldn't Mix", there is a Clay mention: "If a television audience votes to select a candidate for president, then, perhaps, they will elect that candidate into office. How far away will the American people be from electing Clay Aiken as commander in chief?"
• Lycos 50 - We have double the good news for Clay this week. Clay moved up to #9 for the week ending April 27 from #12 last week on Lycos 50. In addition, Clay has been on the Lycos 50 list for 200 weeks!! That sound you hear is a standing ovation for our guy from Clay fans all over the country! And the words under Clay's name?..."Summer Tour"!!
• Waco Tribune-Herald - In an article by Catherine Atkinson entitled "We need heroes other than celebrities", she does mention some celebrities who are heroes: "That’s not to say no celebrity is worth at least some of our admiration. I’m impressed that Lucy Liu is a UNICEF ambassador, along with Clay Aiken, Alyssa Milano and Liv Tyler. And celebrities were out in force to raise money after Hurricane Katrina."
• PhillyBurbs.com - Idol runner-ups find success ...

  Pick the right music, the right producer, the right agent, the right acting role and a fallen Idol can surpass the success of their season’s winner — as in platinum chart-toppers Chris Daughtry (Season 5), Clay Aiken (Season 2), and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (Season 3).

• Telegram.com - article about former AI2 semi-finalist mentions the fact she was in Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard's season.
• Philidelphia Inquirer says Annie Lennox's rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Waters performed on last week's Idol Gives Back show was better than Clay.... uh.... I'll take Clay's version any day!

  Last Wednesday, all we had was the satisfaction of seeing Annie Lennox kick some Clay Aiken butt with her spellbinding cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Also, was it the dress or is Kelly Clarkson turning into Mama Cass?
  

• More Rosie O'Donnell mentions:
• Connecticut Post - "Plus, she picked on my beloved Kelly Ripa, assailing her as a homophobe after the "Live" co-host made a good-natured jibe at pop star Clay Aiken."
• Delco Times - "Her episode with Kelly Ripa is another case in point. Ripa's response of "I don't know where that hand has been" as she pushed away the hand Clay Aiken put over her mouth in a "keep quiet" gesture had nothing to do with Aiken's alleged homosexuality."
  

• Nothing here today