Cookie Tells All!

"The world's biggest Claymate", Cookie, who appeared on The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet last Thursday with Clay shared her experience today:

Hi Everyone,
I have been inundated with e-mails and phone calls. Now I have
just a very minute idea of what Clay goes through.
I want to let you know
that last night is the first nights' sleep I've gotten for a week. It
would have taken a bomb right outside our window to have awaken me! I
am still trying to recover today! :sleep

Many of you have been so very supportive and I want to thank
you for that.
All I can tell you is that it was just beyond imagination! Clay
was just so kind and we sure had a lot of fun. One of the biggest
things I worried about was them asking me trivia questions. I'm
better at promotion than trivia. So what did they do but present me
with my biggest fear against the man himself. :yow The only little contact
I had with him after coming inside off camera was while he was
waiting to go back on stage. I leaned over and said " Clay you've
gotta help me with this..I'm not so good at trivia". He looked at me
and said "I'm not helping you..you probably know more than I do about
me". Now doesn't that sound like Clay!! I thought I'm in deep do-do
here. But as it turned out we have lots of fun and ladies he is just
so wonderful. He even let me pull him down to my level to kiss him on
the cheek :bigkiss when he first walked out. I think he was a little nervous
as he do not know just what to expect. But after he realized I was
not gonna jump his bones he relaxed and had fun.

He did have lots of
make-up on so I was not able to see those cute freckles but the eyes
say it all! The new teeth are not quite set yet..they seemed to stand
out a little from the gums..I think that is why he runs his tongue
over them so much..takes a lot to get used to. I have a cap on one
front tooth that I've had for a long time and it still feels funny.

I was happy share my pride and joy--the Claymobile--with the man himself. I was a bit disappointed that he can't "drive a stick"...but perhaps this will inspire him to learn? The line to teach him starts behind me!!!

As far as the trip goes I never even expected anything beyond
him just coming out to see the car. Being involved in 2 segments
gave me plenty of one on one with OMC. He is tall and as you can see
from us standing together playing the game I looked like a peanut.
I am not sure if he truly wants to see the vacation pics. If that happens, great. Whatever happens, I have had my day..more than I could have ever hoped
for.

As far as the car goes and my mention of a donation...I have
made arrangements to see that the foundation gets it when I'm
finished with it if it's in good condition!! We do take pretty good
care of "her" so who knows the foundation could possible make a
little money!

Well I guess that pretty well tell you everything. All I can say
is thanks for being so supportive. You are a great group of Clay Fan
friends and I only hope that one day you all will have an opportunity
to gaze into the baby greens. It is an experience beyond heaven!!
Hugs to all of you..Cookie

Tidbits 2/24

• Faye Parker, Clay's mom, is walking for Cystic Fibrosis. Go to Faye's "Great Strides" home page if you would like to donate toward her fundraising goal of $1500. Good luck Faye!
• Tiffers66 at The Clayboard tells us of a Clay mention in the movie "Scary Movie 4": "It's in Scary Movie 4 in one of the deleted scenes. One of the main characters is trying to get to Chingy (a rap star) but there's too many fans in the way so the girl says "Look it's Clay Aiken!" and all the fans go running to find Clay."
• The Republican - Short Clay mention in this Idol-related article ... "Past participants who have become successful recording artists include Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood."
• Topix.com - quotes Clay from Us Weekly ...

  'I'm so jealous, because I was considered the most successful 'Idol' loser, and now I'm not. Jennifer Hudson has won a Golden Globe. ... Now I'm second place again.'
  
  - Clay Aiken in Us Weekly

• This is one of the saddest things 19E has done yet... "Idol boot camp" for kids between the ages of 12 and 15... uhh....
• E! News - "Idol Camp will cost aspiring Kelly Clarksons and Clay Aikens $2,900 for a 10-day session, four of which will take place this summer at a private school in Massachusetts."
• XMF (blog) - "For just $2090, 700 "lucky" children can be pushed by their showbiz parents into a "non-competitive" (yeah, right) boot camp for aspiring Clay Aiken and Will Youngs."
• Newsday - American Idol's biggest showstoppers - "Season 2: Clay Aiken, "Solitaire" - He aced this Neil Sedaka song."
• Microsoft XBox.com - random Clay mention in this gaming article ... "So if you want to fight to Clay Aiken, you can plug in your Zune or other MP3 device and give someone an Icon style beatdown while jamming to an Idol."

• Nothing here yet today.
  

Exciting New Fundraiser For The Bubel Aiken Foundation

We have exciting news from Aron Hall with The Bubel Aiken Foundation. There is a new fundraiser sponsored by "Six Degrees" where the top six fundraisers will receive matching funds up to $10,000 from Kevin Bacon. Here is Aron's message:

Hey, folks! Time to direct the passion again for a great cause. Six Degrees.org is sponsoring a donation-drive contest that could end up with TBAF receiving up to $10,000 in matching grants if we end up in the top 6 charities by March 31. Only one donation will be counted per person no matter the size of the donation. This is an exciting, easy way for us to receive more funds to further the mission to create communities where ALL children can learn, live, and play together. Visit our Approved Fundraiser page at www.bubelaiken.org in order to click on the badge that will credit TBAF. Thanks!

Aron Hall
VP of External Affairs

As of the writing of this article, BAF is ranked at #7 with $3,040 in donations. But no doubt, knowing Clay fans, we can get them much higher than that with our generous donations! Remember though, only one donation counts per person. Once you give, you can't plan to give again next week and expect it to count.

The Approved Fundraiser page at BAF gives you more information about Six Degrees and this fundraiser:

Six Degrees is social networking with a social conscience. Through this web site, you can learn about and support the charities of celebrities and your friends, as well as fundraise for the causes close to your heart. The Foundation could receive a matching grant of up to $10,000. The six badges that have the most number of donations between January 18th and March 31st at 11:59pm ET will get a matching grant from Kevin Bacon. Multiple donations from a single individual to the same Six Degrees Charity Badge will only be counted once.

You can donate by clicking on the BAF badge at the above page or by clicking on this: Six Degree Donation Page.

To keep track of where BAF ranks, go to TOP TEN

To hear Kevin Bacon's message, go to KEVIN BACON.

Let's work to make this a successful fundraiser for TBAF. I believe we can get them up to the #1 ranking!!

Tidbits 2/23

People Magazine's StarTracks featuring a photo of Clay making his guest co-hosting appearance on Mike & Juliet yesterday. What a wonderful shot of Clay!

• A bunch of American Idol related articles today:
• Newsday Interactive - best American Idol performance? VOTE FOR CLAY'S SOLITAIRE... click here!
  
• Associated Content - "Season 2 and 5 favorites Josh Gracin, Chris Daughtry and Clay Aiken, have all seen a great deal of success, after being voted off the show. So, all was not lost... but any means."
• Denver Post - "The show that launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken has changed how the music industry ticks."
• Casino Gambling Web -

  American Idol will see Jennifer Lopez singing on its April 11th show and it might bring her back into the pop culture limelight. The show launched the careers of several stars that are now household names, even if we wish we could forget a couple of them, like Clay Aiken or Justin Pernini, is it?

• Wichita Eagle -

  Also, Ryan went out of his way to say that Sanjaya Malakar (who I nominate for an emergency Clay Aiken makeover) was among the top four male vote-getters. What was his purpose in dropping that tidbit when he didn't reveal the statistical standings of any of the other contestants?

• WMC TV Memphis - Kimberley Locke ...

  As for American Idol, Locke was second runner-up in a season of fierce competition between her, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.

• WTOC TV - "American idol has paved the way for many singers Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Carrie Underwood just to name a few."
• There was a Clay mention on an airing of The Travel Channel's No Reservations, says the CB's fancynails4:

  My husband love's Anthony's show. It is called No Reservations and shown on The Travel Channel. Anthony travels the world exploring local and traditional foods of different nations. Some of the eating experiences can be downright disgusting! (Almost 'Fear Factor'-type spreads) LOL But Anthony is always very entertaining. (He also owns a restaurant in midtown Manhattan) Periodically, On Demand has some of his past shows to watch, as you please! One of the new additions is his travels to Japan. My husband told me Anthony mentioned Clay and played back the segment for me. The segment had two local male comedians taking Anthony around a Times Square-like section to sample local foods. On a wall outside one of the popular restaurants are very large posters of men and women with similar hair-cuts. Very cute ones, I thought. Sort of shaggy with a little spiking. Anthony asks the comedians who are all those people. The guys tell him they are 'very famous celebrities'. Anthony replies: "That's some scary hair. Looks like Clay Aiken was made Emperor of fashion and passed styling regs (regulations) mandating fluffy 'dos." We both got a laugh out of it!!

• Rolling Stone - mentions of "Learning To Sing" in this article about a radio commentator. "A hardcover edition of Clay Aiken's memoir, Learning to Sing, is propped on a ledge across the room."
• MySpace.com/Kreativvairbrushin - Not only does Kreativv Airbrushin, the artist who created Clay and Jimmy's shirts for the show, have pictures of them wearing the shirts at his myspace, but he also has "Without You" playing in the background! Give him some hits!
• Amazon.com - Has a book called "Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide". There are four mentions of Clay in a chapter on American Idol. Go to The Clayboard to read each of these mentions.

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay shines as co-host of The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet.

Remembering Back: A Post By Someone Who Knew Clay Before American Idol

This was posted on my home group, The Aiken Breakin' Broads, and I thought you might like to read this. Apparently this person posted this not long after American Idol was over. To read these great things said by someone who knew Clay way back when is absolutely wonderful. Clay was, is, and no doubt always will be a kind, caring, loving, funny, spiritual kind of guy. This just solidifies that fact.

Enjoy this great article. It sure did put a big smile on my face!

POST FROM 2003 BY SOMEONE WHO KNEW CLAY IN RALEIGH BEFORE AI
(From the site: Fans Of Reality TV)

This guy knew Clay from when he was "Clayton" - and I enjoyed reading his posts and since most of us here are hungry for any info on Clay - Voila...

This is what he posted when everyone had just watched Oprah and saying they thought Clay looked "tired"... (I cut out all the questions and posts from others - so it might read a bit choppy)

ncsuncsu
18/M/US
Jun 10 2003 11:46AM

"Clay just isn't wearing all that goopy make up you are used to seeing him with. I know the guy and in "real life" his eyelashes are as pale as corn silks. They are freaky pale, they almost glow! I think the show had plastered a ton of goop on him. He isn't letting them mess with him so much now, he looks more like himself. Come on ladies - you know you look tired until you put on make up. Same deal with Clayton.

He just got back from the beach. He isn't overly tired. he is a very very very high energy guy.

I haven't taked to him in months. He is a great guy and serious Christian. Everyone in Raleigh is SO happy for him.

Clayton was wild and crazy when he worked at the Y. He never stopped moving. He always wanted to make the kids laugh, and would do anything to get a laugh. They did a lot of dumb skits all the time. I can't really remember any of them specifically. He just kept moving all day. but I guess that was why he was so popular. He never hurt any one's feelings. And he NEVER talked about himself. He would always ask about YOU!

He is just like you see him on tv. As nice as he can be. And full of fun."

He also talked about Clay being "girl-crazy".

"I know Gonzo from AE Finley. He is kinda the opposite of gay. He is a little girl crazy. No woman is safe around him -- he is always hugging on them, or putting his arm around them. He is VERY friendly around girls. he likes to flirt with all girls too.

But the only ones he goes out with are the really nice ones. The ones who are not fakers. But I'm sure he is gonna be fighting them off after he gets through with the tour. Girls seem 10 million times more attracted to him than they were last fall here in Raleigh.

I talked to a girl who went out with him a couple of times last year. She is desperate to hook up with him now. i just hope she isn't after his money. A lot of chicks don't really go for guys who are teachers, since they don't get paid too much around here. They chase the investment bankers...

Like Suzanne L. said...girls were not exactly falling over him back then.

Clay wants to get married someday and have kids. He loves women - trust me!"

He (the poster) goes to North Carolina State University by the way - hence his member name. Somehow I was not surprised in learning how he (Clay) is around girls - he reminds me of nearly all my male friends - I like learning about all sides of Clay's personality - just goes to show he really is a regular guy (who just happens to have an amazing voice and a great heart - a love for helping others) (and away I go - drifting into the clouds again... )

Video of Juliet Interviewing Clay After American Idol 2 At Clack Unlimited

A video of Juliet interviewing Clay in 2003 after American Idol 2 is available at Clack Unlimited for your viewing pleasure. Juliet worked for the show, Pulse, at the time.

Juliet, who along with her cohost Mike, welcomed Clay as a cohost on their show on Thursday, interviews both Clay and Ruben in the video and tells much about their journey to the American Idol finals. In addition to interviews with and news about Clay, there is also footage of Ruben winning the competition. But it is definitely worth watching this great video of Clay being interviewed by the person who he would later cohost a morning talk show with!

Run over to Clack Unlimited and download and watch this walk down memory lane with Clay being interviewed by Juliet!!

Tour Coming This Summer?

Clay told a lady this morning while appearing on the Morning Show with Mike & Juliet that he has "something" planned for this summer. Here's to hoping that this will be a Summer TOUR!

Clay Soars To #16 on Lycos 50

On the heels of his Jimmy Kimmel appearance last week and the Morning Show appearance this morning, Clay has soared 6 spots to #16 on the Lycos50 this week.

Claymates - please do your part and continue searching for Clay at Lycos.com.

Tidbits 2/22

• Some TV appearance mentions today:
  
• Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - Clay on Entertainment Tonight tonight.
• Baltimore Sun (Mike & Juliet)
• NY Daily News (Mike & Juliet)
  
• Oregon Daily Emerald - "Invisible" a 'creepy' song?

  I made a remark about Clay Aiken's song lyrics being creepy. Do I really have to defend that assumption? OK, I realize believing a song that reads "If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room," is creepy totally depends on your perspective.

• The Whit Online - AI article ... "Clay Aiken, runner-up to Ruben Studdard from season two, still towers over Studdard with the release of his third pop album, "A Thousand Different Ways." In September 2006, the album debuted at number two and has gold record status."
• Bogus Gold - another article showcasing the success of AI runner-ups: "Clay Aiken didn't win in Season Two and he's the one consistently making the most money on tour. "
• Press Enterprise - a bit of American Idol history:

  2003: Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken will likely forever be linked because of their performances in season two. Although Studdard won, Aiken has had a more successful post-'Idol' career. When Studdard's first single, "Flying Without Wings," debuted at No. 2, he was outdone by Aiken's chart-topping "This Is the Night." Studdard's debut album, "Soulful," went platinum, selling more than 1.8 million copies. His latest album, "The Return," has not come close to that success.
  

• More Clay mentions in AI6 related articles:
• Steel Kaleidoscopes - Clay Aiken sets the bar for AI6 contestants. "Tough song to sing, especially since Clay Aiken set the bar for Eric Carmen classic in Season 2."
• RotoRob- sports article... random Clay mention.
  

• Nothing here today.
  

ET To Feature "Morning Show" Appearance Tonight

Don't forget Entertainment Tonight will broadcast behind-the-scenes footage from this morning's appearance on The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet on their show TONIGHT. Check local listings.

Update: no Clay on the show today... hmmm...

"Clay Day" With The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet

Clay appeared on this Morning's Morning Show Mike and Juliet Show. Although I haven't personally watched it yet, I've seen clips and it looked great.

Our friends at ClackUnlimited.com have all the caps now available. And that's fantastic since this new show doesn't air in every market. Bigappleforclay also taped a short clip of Clay leaving the studios in New York which you can download at SendSpace. Mike & Juliet's website also has some clips up for you to enjoy. And, as always, you can check out the Clayboard discussion thread for all the nitty-gritty details on the appearance.

Yahoo News also posted this cute photo of Clay giving a kiss to co-host Juliet... awww...


... and last, but not least - some screencaps (and yes, that last one is of Clay dancing with Juliet at a nightclub last night... I guess the rumor that Mike & Juliet dragged Clay to a nightclub is real!):

REMINDER: Clay Co-Hosts on Mike & Juliet Show - Thursday, Feb. 22

We've been looking forward to this for at least a couple of weeks now. And now CDD wants to remind you not to miss the best co-host in the business. Clay will be co-hosting on Thursday, February 22, on the Mike and Juliet Show. Check their website for the time and station in your area.

From the previews I've seen, this should be a really fun show...hands down better than other shows he has co-hosted! Be sure to set your video player and plant yourself in front of your television set, because there is no telling what shenanigans you'll miss if you don't! They're liable to jump through hoops for you, or maybe give you a piece of their hand, er, I mean mind!

Can't wait to see it! How about you?

2004 BAF Project Highlighted

The CB's ClaysMyMidlifeCrisis has found a nice article McMains Children's Developmental Center's website about a project the Bubel Aiken Foundation helped fund in 2004. Although this isn't really new, it's another example of how Clay and the Bubel Aiken Foundations are changing lives each and every day.

Clay Aiken Grant Brings Wheelchair Swing to Center | 5/1/2004

Her vision become reality when 12-year-old Brooke Arnold and her physical therapist, Ashley Knecht, wrote a grant to the Bubel/Aiken Foundation for a wheelchair accessible swing for the Center. They were one of 25 recipients across the country of the Clay Aiken ABLE to SERVE grants offered to encourage children with disabilities to play and carry out projects for the National and Global Youth Service Day on April 16-18.

The $1,000 grant helped pay for the new swing which has ramps that allow people who use wheelchairs to swing without having to be taken out of their chairs. Brooke got the idea from a summer camp she attended where there was a similar swing, but she could not find any like it in Baton Rouge.

Ashley Knecht is thrilled with the new swing, and says that “it promotes the independence of children who use wheelchairs.”

Bubel/Aiken Foundation founders Clay Aiken, 25-year-old recording artist and 2003 American Idol runner-up, and Diane Bubel, mother of an autistic child, hope the foundation will create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities inclusion can bring.

According to Boundless Playgrounds, a national, non-profit organization that specializes in accessible playgrounds, five million children in the United States are unable to enjoy playgrounds because of a disability.

Together, Ashley and Brooke have helped to foster inclusion, independence, and fun for others who use wheelchairs.

Jimmy & Clay In New Issue of Star Magazine

The CB's ellenpoppy says Clay's Jimmy Kimmel appearance was mentioned in the new issue of Star Magazine:

Those of us at the Kimmel taping last week saw Clay and Jimmy take pictures during commercials. One of those pictures has ended up in the new Star magazine (bald Britney on cover). It's in the "Normal/Not Normal" section. To my amazement, the magazine has declared their actions "Normal". I didn't purchase the magazine, just looked at it quickly, and the publicists don't have their copies up here yet for me to look at, so this is from memory... the caption read something like "Who knew Clay Aiken and Jimmy Kimmel were such good friends that they'd wear each other's pictures on their shirts?" and included a couple more sentences, mentioning that Clay had been on Jimmy's show. It was a fun mention, nothing at all snarky about it. Good sized picture, and the two of them looked good, grinning at the camera.

I'll go ahead and bring over my comment from CH, although I know many won't agree with me. Please don't bash me for this, because I DO have a right to my opinion. It was SO GOOD to see a picture of him in one of these magazines--which many people DO read--that was just a normal, fun mention, no smear, no pot shots, nothing nasty, just something reminding people he's still out there, still making appearances, still making the talk show rounds. People who missed his appearance won't even know that he didn't sing, so as far as they're concerned, he likely was on the Kimmel show to sing.

I know these magazines are usually trash, but they do get seen by plenty of people, and there are many times when they show celebrities in a casual feature--and it wouldn't hurt Clay to be seen more often in these pages, so that people who think he's disappeared can be reminded that he's still around. I'd love to see pictures of him from the Steven Curtis Chapman appearance make the rounds.

Tidbits 2/21

The CB's 1inNebraska4Clay has re-written her 2006 photo essay called "Clay Changes" ... make sure you head over to the CB to check out a revised 2007 version... very nice!

• Let's begin with another dose of AI related articles...
• Blogcritics - Chris Sleigh the Clay Aiken of AI6? "I think that, similar to how he felt about Clay Aiken years ago, Simon knows that the guy can sing, but he sure as hell doesn't fit the American Idol mold."
• Blogcritics -

  Regardless of whether one of my front-runners wins the title or not, I agree with Nigel. During our teleconference he said, "I think this is going to be a great season where there isn’t a Kelly Pickler, a Carrie Underwood, or a Clay Aiken, that you know is going to really steal everybody’s votes."

• Beacon News - "At this point in the competition, the group of semifinalists can forge an identity for themselves and help spring a music career even if they aren't the winner -- such as former contestants Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Clay Aiken."
• Foxes on Idol panel critiques last night's performances on Idol:

  Tyler: I've heard a lot of people compare Rudy to Clay Aiken, and they said the same about Top 24 reject Patrick Hall. Much like Patrick, Rudy had a good, yet problematic first performance. His cheesy dancing, cheesier demeanor, and uber-cheesy rendition of a classic rock song compromised the impressive vocals. Along with performing so early in the show, he could also share Patrick's fate. Vocals: 20. Performance: 8. Other: 4. TOTAL: 32.
  
  Kathy: While I agree the song choice was kinda cheesy and dated, I did like Rudy’s voice. He’s very strong in his upper register and has a Steve Perry-like sound. I’d like to see him tackle a Journey ballad in the future (“Faithfully”, perhaps?). He seemed comfortable and confident, but if he wants to move on, he needs to lose the Clay Aiken facial expressions.
  

• Yesterday's sports article from ABC is now being carried by ESPN (also owned partly by Disney).
• Smoky Mountain News on Clay's acting debut, 16 years ago:

  While directing a production of “1776” about 16 years ago, Mann found himself frustrated trying to position an actor on stage who didn’t seem to be interested in his role. The actor turned out to be none other than American Idol sensation Clay Aiken.

• This is probably more interesting to us here at CDD and our fellow blogger... Webweaver offers some tips on using the new version of Blogger.
• Idle Wandering - there's no beating Clay when it comes to "I Could Not Ask For More" ...

  Tonight on American Idol some guy named Phil sang "I Could Not Ask for More." Not a good idea, unless you can sing it better than Clay did. Simon said Phil's performance didn't match up to someone who had sung it previously, and bit his tongue before the words "Clay Aiken" came out of his mouth.

• Too Much - shopping with Clay over the loudspeaker.

Clay Mention in New Us Weekly

CDD visitor Jocelyn says Clay's GMA joke about Jennifer Hudson being more successful than him now was mentioned in the new Feb. 26 issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.

In "US" mag issue 628 02/26/07 on Loose Talk
"I'm so jealous, because I was considered the most successful Idol loser, and now I'm not. Jennifer Hudson has won a Golden Globe .... Now I'm second place again."
Clay Aiken

Mike & Juliet ... Dragging Clay To A Kareoke Bar?

COUNTDOWN TO MIKE & JULIET - 2 DAYS

Thursday's appearance on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet (Syndicated on most FOX stations) should prove to be another interesting one. Whether it has any chance of beating the kind of ha-ha funny that emerged from last week's laugh-out-loud appearance with Kimmel is still to be seen, but this quick blurb on today's show gives me hope (from the CB's lsdollylovesclay):

Oh my, they're saying Clay doesn't know it, but they're going to drag him to a Karaoke Bar Wednesday night...LOL....they're also gushing that their promo made YouTube...they seem very excited about his appearance!!!

More info & YouTube promo clip... click here

Tidbits 2/20

• A few AI articles from here and there...
• Daily News Journal - "The show has already launched the careers of Hicks, who was last year's winner, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, among others."
• Forbes - "But uncounted votes could easily change the results of the show, especially in close contests. In 2003, in the show's second season, winner Ruben Studdard beat runner-up Clay Aiken by about 130,000 votes of 24 million cast--a 0.5% margin."
• Post Chronicle -

  Even though I prefer the current format over the Pre-Season 4 format, the biggest thing I've missed in the semi's is the wild card round. There's always someone who falls through the cracks (and that has happened a LOT this season); let's not forget Clay Aiken wasn't originally voted in.

• 19 Entertainment PR for second season of American Idol Extra... season premieres on the FOX Reality Channel on Mar. 15. Maybe a Clay sighting?
  
• ABC - carrying on the torch in Las Vegas...
  

  Why hasn't America produced a big-time, schmaltzy, over-the-top male crooner in the past 40 years? Once Newton and Jones pass away, who's left to carry the torch? Clay Aiken? Somebody needs to get Harry Connick Jr. on the phone, pump him with some Botox, give him some sparkly jumpsuits and showgirls and tell him to get a Vegas act together.

• The Press Enterprise - "2003: Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken will likely forever be linked because of their performances in season two. Although Studdard won, Aiken has had a more successful post-'Idol' career. When Studdard's first single, "Flying Without Wings," debuted at No. 2, he was outdone by Aiken's chart-topping "This Is the Night."

• Nothing here yet
  

Clay's Scrapbook Volume 3 - A Treat From the Salamanders

The Salamanders have been at it again. Famous for their Clay scrapbooks and other silly Clay creations, they have now presented us with their newest scrapbook, Clay's "Scrapbook Volume 3". Whether you are new to their clever creations or have seen them all, you will love Scrapbook Volume 3.

Just to whet your appetite:


Some Jukebox Tour Memories


What Clay's doing when he's not blogging!!

And there's LOTS more where those came from. So head over to Scrapbook Volume 3 and be prepared to laugh yourself silly. Then check the Clackhouse link at the end of the scrapbook and relive the Salamander's other fun Clay stories. It'll brighten your day!

New Target Version of ATDW Includes Bonus Cut?

Apparently, a new version of A Thousand Different Ways now on sale at some Target stores include the bonus track "If You Don't Know Me by Now" physically on the CD. Last fall, this track was offered as a bonus download to K-Mart customers.

More information was posted by the CB's WNYClayfan, but we cannot verify its source so this report has not been 100% verified. Some members of the CB who have visited Target in the past few days report seeing the "old" normal copy of ATDW on sale.

The Target version of ATDW not only now inlcudes -- and ADVERTISES -- the "bonus" cut If You Don't Know Me By Now, but has an orange sticker plastered across the bottom of the CD cover drawing attention to the fact that there are "4 original songs" on the CD (i.e., it's NOT just a covers album).

Tidbits 2/19

• New Jersey Star Ledger - AI article -

  So getting oodles of early screen time helps. It was impossible to watch the early episodes of season four without seeing either or both Carrie Underwood and Constantine Maroulis, and Clay Aiken was a prominent figure in the season two Hollywood round.

• Pro Sound Web - article about some sound editing tool used for Clay on ATDW...
• Foxes on Idol - long running Idol debate continues:

  Critics of American Idol have long argued that performers who emerge from this show are somehow “manufactured”. Idol fans counter by pointing out that since public support of an artist is what determines whether or not he or she is going to be successful, there is nothing wrong with the public participating in the actual discovery of a star of the future. They point to the success of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry, and others as evidence to support this theory. This debate, however, is as old as the genre, and it is unlikely that it will end any time soon.
  

• Carolina On My Mind - blog about Kimmel appearance...

  What a day for the Clay Nation -- the steady stream of reports to message boards as fans progressed from an afternoon waiting in line to the evening taping and, finally, the airing of the show. Loads of fun, even for this gal who almost missed the main event!
  

More Goodies From Last Week's Chapman Concert Appearance

We have some more goodies to share with you from last week's surprise Clay appearance at Steven Curtis Chapman's Greensboro, NC concert.

• A Greensboro radio station mentioned the appearance on air and posted the photo you see above to their website. Here's more information from the CB's claybug71:

  I'm listening to the local Christian station here and they have mentioned the Winter Jam several times and talked about Clay's appearance with SCC. They just said he appeared on stage and sang TGA with him. The guy did say that there would be photos on their website later today. I'll keep checking. Also, another local station (the one that doesn't ever say anything great about Clay) talked about it. My friend told me about that. She said they just mentioned it and a girl called in that was there. She said she was so excited when he came out that she fell off her chair. LOL!! Hate I missed hearing that. Anyway, I'll let you know when I see any pictures.

• Also, if you haven't seen the video of Clay performing yet, it's now available on YouTube:

Tidbits 2/18

WELCOME HOME BRETT!
We were delighted to hear last night that Clay's brother Brett Parker made it home safely after his tour of duty with the U.S. Marines in Iraq!

• Kane County Daily Herald - AI6 contestant Leslie Hunt vying for Idol crown ... "On the line is a chance to enter the next round of competition and possibly join the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken in the ranks of pop stardom."
• The DePaulia -what's wrong with American Idol:

  These days, "American Idol" (or "Karaoke Superstars," as I like to call it) has vocalists sing obnoxious pop songs that everyone knows they didn’t write. It is impossible to deny that singers like Clay Aiken or Carrie Underwood have impressive voices, but to put them on par with real songwriters or musicians would be ludicrous. Not only do the winners of the show hit it big, runners-up have been topping the charts as well.

• The Flint Journal - In an article about one of the Top 24 American Idol finalists, it says, "But winning isn't everything. Viewer favorites such as Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry,...have enjoyed success greater than the people who beat them."
• Daily Herald - Yet another American Idol article says, "On the line is a chance to enter the next round of competition and possibly join the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken in the ranks of pop stardom."
• The Naperville Sun - And another AI article says, "At this point in the competition, the group of semifinalists can forge an identity for themselves and help spring a music career even if they aren't the winner - such as former contestants Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Clay Aiken."
• Blogcritics - article about rock band ABBA mentions Clay ... "This actually caused me to squirm in a way not at all unlike that of a teenage girl at a Clay Aiken (or back then, Shaun Cassidy) concert."
  

• Southern Girl - Britney Spears shaves her head and enters rehab, Clay sings a love song to Jimmy Kimmel... uh, no comment on the first one from us here at CDD :) ...
• A few blogs about Clay's surprise appearance with Steven Curtis Chapman last week...
  
• Southern Girl
• ClaySpots
  

Clay Shares The Stage With Steven Curtis Chapman

According to Cats4Clay at Clayversity, and posted at The Clayboard, Clay showed up at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert on Thursday night and then joined him on the stage to sing "The Great Adventure".

Here is Cats4Clays post:

Please forgive me if this has already been posted, but I have a Clay sighting!!!!! My son is at a Christian concert in Greensboro (at least I think it's Greensboro), and Steven Curtis-Chapman is one of the artists performing. Well, my son just called me from the concert to say that Clay came out on stage and sang "The Great Adventure" with Steven. My son said to tell all the CV people that Clay looked and sounded great -- and that he was wearing a blazer and jeans. My son said that he had left me a message on the answering machine at home with as much of the song as he could get. I'm going to listen now. Oh my gosh!!!!!!!

Here's another post from cats4clay...

I just listened to the message. You can make out that it's Clay, but it's very fuzzy. What I could make out were all of the screams for our boyfriend!!!!! My son said the audience was going crazy!!!!! eeeeeeeee!!!!!

Just one more tiny little piece of information from my son. He just called and said that the concert just ended, and at the end they said, "Let's hear it one more time for Clay Aiken," and he said the crowd went crazy again. I really love hearing that!!!

For those of you who aren't aware, "The Great Adventure" is a song that Clay sang on his demo CD that he made before he was on American Idol and is one of his favorite songs. For him to sing it with Steven Curtis Chapman must have been wonderful!

It is our understanding that over 16,500 people were at the concert and heard Clay sing. More than likely, most of those were teenagers. What a great opportunity for that many people to hear him sing. One blogger had this to say about Clay:

Well, Chapman rocked the crowd, as he's apt to do. And about 2/3rds of the way through his set he did something that had been joked about once or twice already by the performers, but I don't think anybody took them seriously. But, it happened: Clay Aiken walked onstage and started singing! Yes, the Clay Aiken! How they kept that one under wraps - and in Greensboro of all places - I've no idea. Anyway the crowd was already having a great time but bringing Aiken out just intensified the electricity of the place. Rounding out the night was Jeremy Camp, which was the first time I'd ever heard him perform (I've probably heard all the others at least twice before) but I liked him a lot.

To download a video of Clay singing with Steven, go to this link at Sendspace or to Megaupload. To hear Clay sing his version of "The Great Adventure, go to Clack Unlimited.

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clayis' update 2/18: We have a first hand account from The Knight Shift:

Well, Chapman rocked the crowd, as he's apt to do. And about 2/3rds of the way through his set he did something that had been joked about once or twice already by the performers, but I don't think anybody took them seriously. But, it happened: Clay Aiken walked onstage and started singing! Yes, the Clay Aiken! How they kept that one under wraps - and in Greensboro of all places - I've no idea. Anyway the crowd was already having a great time but bringing Aiken out just intensified the electricity of the place. Rounding out the night was Jeremy Camp, which was the first time I'd ever heard him perform (I've probably heard all the others at least twice before) but I liked him a lot.