Tidbits 8/17

The Palm Beach Post continues with part 3 of 4 with the profiles of Florida area Claymates. Today's featured Claymate is Deby Arnett:

What she likes about him: “The first thing that grabbed me was that voice. He’s very charming, so funny, and he seems like such a decent person. He’s stayed true to who he is, and he hasn’t allowed everything to change him. He’s the whole package.”

Furthest she’s traveled to see Clay: Last fall she and a friend, “my tour buddy” went to Los Angeles to see him on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and wound up seeing him in a last-minute mini-concert. “I can’t think of anyone else I would travel to see.”

But wait! There’s more!: “I admire him. He does more than just sing. He started a children’s charity, taught autistic children, he’s an ambassador for UNICEF. He’s on the President’s committee for people with intellectual disabilities.

• Access Hollywood, MSNBC - Jordin Sparks signs with Jive Records -

  Jordin is the first artist to sign with the Zomba Label Group – all past “Idol” winners and runners-up have signed with the RCA Label Group’s J (Fantasia, Ruben Studdard), Arista (Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks) or RCA (Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken) labels.

• Tour mentions:
• Miami Herald - "CALLING ALL CLAY-MATES: 2003's American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken croons at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; Ticketmaster or box office at 800-572-8471; $20-$100."
  
• St. Petersburg Times/TampaBay.com -

  Clay Aiken: As the runner-up to FOX TV's second American Idol, Clay Aiken wowed television audiences back in 2003. He released his debut album, The Measure of a Man, which sold 613,000 copies, in October 2003. Last September, the North Carolina-born singer released his latest album entitled A Thousand Different Ways. 8 p.m.; $55.50-$75.50; Morsani Hall, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa. Call 229-7827.

• Kane County Chronicle - Christmas concert in Waukegan, IL - "CLAY AIKEN, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29, Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. Tickets: $68-$83."
• T.C. Palm - "Vocalist Clay Aiken performs, with orchestra, Saturday at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, and Sunday at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando."
• Palm Beach Daily News -

  Country orchestra: Clay Aiken will perform with orchestra at 8 p.m., Saturday, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Tickets $20 - $100. Call 832-7469.

• Sarasota Herald Tribune -

  Clay Aiken
  
  Favorite from season 2 of "American Idol." 8 p.m. Fri. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. $55.50-$75.50. (800) 955-1045.
  

• "Idol: The Musical" calls it quits -
  
• Reality TV World -

  Idol: The Musical -- "a satirical musical comedy" that followed a delusional Clay Aiken fan base consisting of soon-to-be high-school graduates -- closed on Monday after only one regular performance, Reuters reported Tuesday.

• Major League Baseball - random Clay mention in this baseball article - "Giants manager Bruce Bochy yanked Barry Bonds from a game on Tuesday after Bonds pursued a gap shot with all the enthusiasm of a Chris Daughtry fan trapped at a Clay Aiken concert."
• Canon City Daily Record ... another random mention:

  I went to my share of games at the old Mile High and have been to many at Invesco Field and, I gotta tell you, Mile High Stadium games make games at Invesco feel like Clay Aiken concerts.

• Thailand Island Packet - random mention of "a light purple Clay Aiken hoodie"

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay Aiken smoking hot in Atlanta, begins final Florida leg of summer tour -

  Hotlanta lived up to its nickname as Clay Aiken & Co. performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in sweltering triple-digit temperatures with a heat index through the roof at Chastain Park Amphitheater Wednesday night.
  
  Although 4,000 seats were sold, many season subscribers stayed home due to the oppressive weather and an orange air quality code. The estimated 3,000 in attendance, nevertheless, were rewarded with an entertaining evening of beautiful singing and hilarious banter from Clay and the musicians onstage.