Tidbits 7/19

• Clay said at last night's M&G in Syracuse that his appearance on FOX's Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader will be taped sometime in August. He says he doesn't know when it will air.
  
• Clay mention on The View, reports the CB's angelcat4jc -

  Paula Abdul is the co-host and she was asked about whether all the winners deserved to win. She said when it came down to the finals, the right person won. But then she said sometimes the record label doesn't support the winner and Joy said in Season two Ruben Studdard didn't sell as much as Clay Aiken. Paula said yea, Clay Aiken sold more albums than Ruben. Then Barbara starts talking about Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson.
  

• LiveDaily's review of the AI6 concert in Glendale, AZ -

  It's unclear whether [Idol winner Jordin] Sparks will be as successful as former Idols Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson, but at 17 she has the poise, grace and talent of someone 10 years older.

• Concert listings:
• Tampa Tribune
• Nashua Union Leader -

  Nashua Symphony Orchestra will provide the musical backdrop for Clay Aiken when the pop singer visits the picturesque Lakes Region for an 8 p.m. concert Wednesday, July 25, at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford.
  
  "Meadowbrook contacted us and invited us to perform with Clay Aiken," said Caroline Mardiasmenos, spokeswoman for the orchestra.
  
  As the runner-up in Fox TV’s second "American Idol" singing competition, Aiken garnered scores of fans -- or devoted "Claymates" -- in 2003 with his Southern charm, easygoing demeanor and bright voice.

• NC Times - holding our own Idol competition - "The perpetually No. 1-rated show has launched the singing careers of Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Elliot Yamin and Clay Aiken, among others, and the summer auditions around the country draw upwards of 100,000 people in each city."
• AntiMusic - uh... I better keep my mouth shut on this one -

  It was a pretty dead day for real music news but children's entertainment had some hefty headlines with a reported leak of the ending to the final Harry Potter book (he falls in love with Clay Aiken)

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay kicks off New York dates. Carolina Clay posted this review of Clay's concert from a MALE concertgoer who had "cheap balcony seat"... cool!

  I DEFINITELY enjoyed the show. And, he is a FUNNY guy! Those comments about the plane incident and the 'hand over the mouth of a yakkity woman" were priceless!! It seemed to me that Clay and the two girls really, REALLY enjoy doing the show. It was loose, relaxed, and just plain fun.
  
  The singing was wonderful. loved hearing those big notes again -- and in person for the first time! The fact that he covers just about any genre you can think of was also great fun. The TV themes -- Michael Jackson and Madonna??? Unbelievable! He did some GREAT MJ singing there.
  
  I just wish the boy would get the beat into his feet! If he had done the moonwalk on those MJ songs, that place would have come crashing down! The screams and noise -- I thought Elvis had just appeared on stage!
  
  All in all, a GREAT time! I really enjoyed it and definitely hope he comes through here with the Christmas show! I'm kicking myself NOW for not seeing it the last time!