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There are a few Clay mentions in a new ASCAP article about songwriter Desmond Child. Child co-wrote Clay's massive 2003 hit "Invisible".
Desmond Child is a hit machine. He's written or co-written successfully with a diverse array of artists, including Kiss, Ricky Martin, Joan Jett, Aerosmith, Hall and Oates, Iggy Pop, the Baha Men, Clay Aiken and many others. According to the Miami native, making it to the writing elite is as much about industry as it is inspiration.
A good song is useless if it doesn't find its way to the right artist. Child's knowledge of the people in the music business helps him match his material with marquee talent. He cites Clay Aiken's "Invisible" as an example: "You see somebody like Clay on TV and imagine 'Invisible' would be perfect for him, because his image is of the unassuming person. The song lyric goes 'If I were invisible — wait, I already am.' That says it all for Clay Aiken — even though it's ironic that he's one of the most famous people in America. It works perfectly because it captures the imagination of the audience."
Clay's mentioned in the May 25 issue of People Magazine. There's a small tidbit about Clay's shirt being auctioned off as part of the Kimberley Locke & Idol Friends charity auction at ClothesOffOurBack.org.
There are several awesome Clay mentions, including a full page photo of Clay, in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly (the new American Idol, Jordin Sparks is on the cover).
Until we get a scan, here's a description of the Clay mentions courtesy CV's Claydoh:
Hey! My DS subscribes to EW magazine and yesterday the regular issue came and a special EW issue called Your 2007 Idol Yearbook just came today. I was flipping through it and guess who appears on page 43? YUP! Our guy! THE WHOLE PAGE IS CLAY!!!!! The title is Ultimate Idol Evolution and they have 4 small pics of Clays different looks through the years. The audition pic....2002, AI tour pic........2003, Wango Tango pic.......2004 and AI6 finale for 2006. Then in the center of the page is a huge pic of current Clay (takes up the whole page) with points to all the different changes.
QUOTE #4.....Increased body mass. The skinny and gangly youngster first seen at auditions has bulked up and is now hardly what we'd call "Invisible".
Update 8:48 PM: The scan's been posted above... here's a transcript of what it says. Thanks to Clayarte for the scan and Claynadian2529 at the CB for the transcript:
Idol hopefuls can only dream of a transformation like this one. Originally awkward and meek, Clay has morphed into a slick singer who favors longer locks, fitted suits, grooming products, contact lenses, and covers of classic love ballads. To quote from the 1987 teen classic Can't Buy Me Love: He's gone from "totally geek to totally chic."
1. CONTACT LENSES Look, Ma - no glasses! Someone's stopped visiting LensCrafters.
2. LONGER HAIR It's a bit girly. But also kind of a mullet. Let's call it a gullet.
3. BRONZER Either the man had an insane chemical peel or he's using self-tanner.
4. INCREASED BODY MASS The skinny and gangly younster first seen at auditions has bulked up and is not hardly what we'd call "Invisible."
5. TAILORED SUIT He looks good in suits as long as they're not of the all-white variety (see 2003, at left).
Looks like RCA has set up an official YouTube channel for Clay ... check it out - Clay Aiken YouTube Channel!
Clay's "The Way" is featured in a commercial for WRAL-FM in Raleigh, says the CB's ncsupack88:
They were playing a promo of their "Best of the 80's, 90's and Today" and played clips from several artists. The only other one I remember was the song Thank You from Dido and then they say...and Clay Aiken and they play a clip of The Way. While that's all fine and dandy, I figured they would use a newer song seeing that The Way never got too far on their hit list. But promotion is promotion. This is the first time I've ever heard them include Clay in one of their promos of the music they play like this. So it's all good.
The News & Observer daily newspaper of Raleigh has posted another "spoof" cartoon by animator Grey Blackwell and this time, the cartoon focuses on Clay Aiken and other American Idol stars from North Carolina.
San Jose Mercury News ... viewer response about the American Idol finale: " I will never watch American Idol again. First Clay Aiken, now Melinda Doolittle. American Idol is not a singing, or even a performing competition. It is a popularity contest; thus the word IDOL."
Saskatoon Star Phoenix - random Clay mention in sports article ... "Then I'd probably get on Scott Niedermayer for his greying beard. 'Hey, Needs,' I'd say. 'You're looking like Taylor Hicks and playing like Clay Aiken.'"
CinemaBlend comments on Rosie O'Donnell's brief time at The View: "Her tenure on the show—can you believe it’s only been 8 months?—has been more YouTube-able than any other show on daytime, including that time Kelly Ripa tried to shush Clay Aiken."
CNN Headline News mentioned Clay this morning in a news piece about Rosie's departure from The View.
A bunch of Clay mentions in these articles about sagging American Idol ratings... the finale drew only 30.7 million viewers. In 2003, Clay and Ruben's finale drew 38 million viewers.
Associated Press wire courtesy CNN and ABC News - "This year's finale compares to the 30.3 million who watched in 2005, and 28.8 million in 2004. The showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard in 2003 attracted 38 million viewers, Nielsen said."
It's pretty much the same number of people who saw Carrie Underwood win in 2005 -- 30.3 million. It beats out the 28.8 million who saw Fantasia Barrino win in 2004, but doesn't come close to the juggernaut of 2003, when 38 million people tuned in to the Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken finale.
The numbers for Sparks were more in line with the victories of Carrie Underwood (30.3 million) and Fantasia (28.8 million). The peak for Idol came four years ago when 38.1 million watched Ruben Studdard edge Clay Aiken.
As American Idol has become more popular, it has become less and less relevant who wins. Sure, we haven’t heard much from Justin Guarini lately. But Season 2 showed us that a runner-up like Clay Aiken can become every bit as successful, if not more so, than the winner. His first album sold 613,000 copies in the first week alone, and his subsequent albums have also done very well. Clay has had his own TV Christmas special and won several American Music Association and Billboard awards. Losing to Ruben didn’t slow his career down in the slightest. Clay’s fellow non-winners have also had post-Idol success. Josh Gracin’s debut album went Gold. And Kimberley Locke has had two #1 songs.
Blogcritics on Jordin Spark's new single "This Is My Now"-
It’s not shocking that the song is a dud because Idol’s rich history of crap-tacular ballads is a painful and nearly criminal one. Take for example, “Flying Without Wings” by Rueben Studdard. Please. With predictable R&B production values and greeting card lyrics, it’s a natural for weddings and graduations. And that’s not a good thing, people. We already have a surplus of tooth rotting anthems like this thanks to Diane Warren, author of co-dependency classics like “How do I Live Without You” and “Because You Loved Me”. Still, I guess the song works on multiple levels for both Rueben and Clay. For Studdard, the “wings” in question could be buffalo, while Aiken’s could be fairy.
Sound Generator - "Sparks, who earns a recording contract with Sony BMG after the win, follows in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and the show's most successful export, Kelly Clarkson."
OC Register - "Most importantly, will Jordin be insistent on pursuing her musical desires, the way Kelly and Fantasia and (though he lost his latest battle) Clay Aiken have?"
Morris County Daily Record - "Season two's second-place finisher, Clay Aiken, proved more successful than the "Idol," Ruben Studdard. In 2004 he won Top 40 Male Artist of the Year."
How close were the results? Fox remains mum on this fact, but the good news is that it won’t make too much of a difference; Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken, Kimberly Locke, Elliott Yamin and others have proven that you don’t have to be the last singer standing to kick start your musical career.
In more "Idol" news, Entertainment Weekly has compiled its list of the top 10 "Idol" performances ever, and even though the magazine has early deadlines, we're pretty sure Jordin Sparks singing "This is My Now" wouldn't have shaken things up much. Carrie Underwood's "Alone" takes their No. 1 spot, followed by Kelly Clarkson's "Stuff Like That There," Clay Aiken's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Fantasia Barrino's "Summertime."
AOL TMZ - random Clay mention by a commenter at TMZ's post about George Clooney in Cannes, France: "No, not everybody wants to kiss George C., I'd rather kiss Clay Aiken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Pocono Record reminds us that many American Idol contestants do have formal training: "And most "Idol" singers who went on to have careers have had training. Clay Aiken began his musical training early and also studied movement and dramatic presentation."
The hodgepodge of Top 10 contestants, former winners, a somewhat random roster of entertainers, literally everything but the kitchen sink, ensured a circus-like atmosphere for Wednesday's American Idol Finale, sadly moving the key purpose of the results show to the back burner.
Carolina On My Mind gives us a walk down memory lane to the AI2 finale week and last year's very memorable AI5 finale.
The ConCLAYve's Michi tells us of her mother-in-law's passing and how she's using Clay's music to get through these tough times -
I have been listening to a lot of Clay Aiken. I have literally needed to in order to get through this week. His voice soothes me. I listen to the hauntingly beautiful “Lover All Alone” and my tears fall freely . I am comforted by “I Will Carry You” and it reminds me of “Red” because she was always there for everyone.
For the last few weeks, we have taken a trip down memory lane as we remembered American Idol 2 as it coincided with this year's American Idol. Through words, pictures, and videos, we relived the songs that Clay sang, like the beautiful Unchained Melody, the hip Mack the Knife, and his last song, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, with that last note that soared over everyone's head. We remembered both the good and bad judge's comments. Its a journey I like to relive time and time again.
Now, as this year's American Idol closes by crowning Jordin Sparks as the winner, I'd like to close our memories of American Idol 2 with some memorable pictures of Clay...some behind the scenes, some from the Ford skits. Some funny and others more serious. All that will put a smile on your face and help sear those memories in your heart. And as always, we must give Clay the credit for this journey that we've taken and say to him, "Clay, thanks for the memories."
Clay auditions in Charlotte and then heads to Atlanta, where he is told he is going to Hollywood.
Clay shows off his oversized ears and then shares a laugh with someone.
Is this a hard earned rest for Clay?...A little time for contemplation.
A man of many styles...Clay goes from an Alfalfa look...to more of a man about town look.
Clay looking for outfits..."Hey I like this shirt!"..."but are you kidding, you won't catch me dead in that outfit!"
It takes time to take care of that head of hair...first a soothing shampoo...then ironing the spikes to perfection!
Clay making faces..."Ewwwwwww, I don't care if olive oil will help my vocal chords, I'm not drinking this stuff" and "Nahhhh, I'll show you what I think of that comment!"
Ryan Seacrest mentioned Clay today on his E! News report, says the CV's Southern Belle:
Pigs are flying. Ryan S. just did a piece on E!News about successful second place winners of AI...showed the anomaly (Clay hugging Ruben) but also showed Clay in the the recent AMA suit (the one where he presented with Tori). Ryan said how successful he was singing-wise and how he was everywhere and doing a soap opera and ending the piece by saying Clay will be doing a nationwide tour this summer.
Do you have extra tour tickets that you cannot use? You can always try to sell those tickets, or you can donate them to "The Way We Make a Difference."
The Way We Make a Difference project began with Clay's first tour in 2004. It gives you the opportunity to donate tickets so that people with and without disabilities, who otherwise would not be able to, can see Clay in concert. The TWWMAD website states:
The Way We Make a Difference began with a simple idea - that of fostering the cause of inclusion with a donated concert ticket. Thanks to your support, over 3,150 people with and without disabilities have been able to experience the joy of attending a concert together. Some of the organizations we have worked with include Best Buddies, Special Olympics, YMCA, The Arc of the United States and Ronald McDonald houses.
In addition to tickets, you can also donate money toward the purchase of a ticket.
This project has put many happy smiles on lots of people's faces. And who wouldn't have a happy smile on their face while sharing in the excitement of seeing Clay in concert!
You can check out the thread on The Clayboard about this project or go to TWWMAD website for more information. An email address where you can write with questions is also on the website.
Thank you to those who work hard making this project happen. Making a difference in other people's lives not only puts a smile on their faces, but can put an even bigger one on ours. Just look at that big shining smile on Clay's face!
"Its important that I make a difference in some way. Its not necessarily how I make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do." Clay Aiken
AOL Television - AOL has a list of "Who Sells Who Doesn't" for idols from the last 4 years. Clay is one of the success stories, and they say about him: "IDOL SUCCESS: Clay Aiken | Season 2, Runner-Up - Over 4 million albums sold is nothing to sneaze at." Clay, Kelly, and Carrie are the top 3 idol sellers.
Detroit Free Press - Great Clay mentions when talking about the high-performance AI "losers":
But only two of the series' five previous winners have maintained "Idol"-level performing careers (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood), with other high achievers such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson outperforming those who beat them in their competitions.
and
BIGGER THAN THE WINNERS: Clay Aiken, above, finished second in "American Idol's" 2003 season to Ruben Studdard. Jennifer Hudson, center, lost in 2004. Chris Daughtry, right, was eliminated in 2006. All three have gone on to bigger careers than the winners in their "Idol" years.
And we have a slew of American Idol related mentions:
Aiken’s third album, “A Thousand Different Ways,” was released Sept. 19, 2006. Debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard chart, the album made Aiken the fourth artist ever to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5 and scan over 200,000 in the first week. A 20-date tour is planned for the summer across the U.S., which includes a stop on Aug. 11 at Biltmore Estate in Asheville.
iF Magazine comments on the AI finale... I wholeheartedly agree: "Oh yeah, Ruben Studdard, what happened to that guy? He looks good at least, but didn't Clay Aiken win that year? What no Clay Aiken? Ah shucks."
The Daily @ Washington University - article on runner-up Blake Lewis ... "Despite that, with flocks of adoring fans and new heartthrob status, Blake’s life will change regardless of whether or not he snagged the title. He will sign a recording contract anytime now, and will enjoy lucrative success…just like prior runners-up Diana DeGarmo and Clay Aiken."
E! News - ratings drop for American Idol finale ... note that they have their figures for Clay/Ruben's finale wrong ... about 38 million tuned in for that finale according to Reuters ("By comparison, the second-season "Idol" finale in May 2003, when Ruben Studdard was crowned the winner, stands as the most watched of any episode of the series, averaging 38.1 million viewers.") -
In the end, the Sparkettes couldn't touch the Soul Patrol or Clay Mates.
While the numbers easily trumped all competition for the night—second-place Lost averaged 13.7 million for its two-hour season ender—viewership was off nearly 20 percent from last year's finale, when a series-high 36.4 million viewers tuned in for Taylor Hicks' 124-minute coronation.
If the ratings hold (final numbers are expected later today), Wednesday's finale did manage to squeak by Carrie Underwood's 2005 win (30.3 million) and best Fantasia Barrino's 2004 triumph (28 million), but paled in comparison to the Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken faceoff in 2003 (34 million).
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - "With that said, everyone knows finishing second on Idol isn't too bad of a spot to be in. For example, there's the creepy Chris Daughtry who is a recording star and didn't finish as the winner of AI. Then there are the other examples such as Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, Kathryn McPhee and Justin Guarini ... er, wait scratch that last one."
"Dreamgirls" Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson comes to mind, as does runner-up Clay Aiken, who released his third album last year and has gone platinum four times. Fourth-place Chris Daughtry hit platinum twice with his debut album, which opened at No. 2 on Billboard in November.
Blake Lewis may have lost this week, but there are definitely a few second-place finishers in the history of American Idol who have outshone the winners of their seasons, including Clay Aiken and Katherine McPhee. Lately, third, fourth, and even fifth place gets an American Idol contestant a record deal.
The Idol title offers no guarantees of greatness. Taylor Hicks, last year's winner, hasn't captured the same attention as fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry. Second-season winner Ruben Studdard hasn't generated the buzz of runner-up Clay Aiken. Victor Fantasia appeared in a weepy TV movie of her life, while also-ran Jennifer Hudson jumped to the big screen and won an Oscar for Dreamgirls.
Since he won't trash Clarkson in public, he'll just rave about Carrie Underwood (aka the un-Kelly) like she cured cancer. And can someone remind him Clay Aiken did NOT win "Idol" -- Ruben Studdard did! Poor Rube! While he pointed out everyone from Chris Daughtry to Jennifer Hudson (what no Carmen Rasmussen?!), Clive forgot to mention the Velvet Teddy Bear himself.
Davis is also apparently very pleased with last year's finalist, Chris Daughtry, who may not have made it to the winner's circle but whose album has left Taylor Hicks' in the dust this year. For that, he apparently got a pass from the finale, which included four of the five previous "Idol" winners, but not successful also-rans like Daughtry and Clay Aiken. (Ex-"Idol" Fantasia Barrino, the no-show, is currently starring in Broadway's "The Color Purple.")
Chicago Tribune - "No one except his rabid fans will accuse Blake of having the vocal chops of, say, Clay Aiken, but even this old-school rap fanatic had to admit that Blake held his own during their raucous cover of Fresh's classic hip-hop track 'The Show.'"
SF Gate - "Season Four winner Carrie Underwood's debut has sold 5.4 million copies. Clay Aiken, who finished second to Ruben Studdard in 2003, has released three discs and sold a total of 4.5 million units."
Louisville Courier - Journal - "Studdard finished 130,000 votes -- less than 1 percent of the overall total -- ahead of runner-up Clay Aiken, which prompted "Idol" fans to criticize Fox for its voting methods."
Seattle Times - "Close observers of the show know that losing can be just as lucrative as winning. Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry all went on to successes in the entertainment field after getting bumped out of the competition."
Clay Aiken, runner-up to Ruben Studdard in the second season of ``American Idol,'' has sold nearly twice as many albums as Studdard: 4.77 million to 2.44 million.
Blake Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Melinda Doolittle, Sanjaya Malakar, Carrie Underwood, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken and other familiar "American Idol" faces have donated to a charity auction being organized by former finalist Kimberley Locke and the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation.
Arkansas Times - Clay mention in Ruben Studdard's tour info.
Clay was just mentioned by RCA head Clive Davis moments ago on American Idol's finale now airing on the East Coast. Clive was on stage talking about the successes of American Idols and mentioned Kelly, Clay and Fantasia before presenting Carrie Underwood the RIAA certification for 6 times platinum for her debut album Some Hearts. Congrats Carrie!
Here's some interesting news...apparently Dancing With The Stars had higher ratings than American Idol on Tuesday night. Although we may never know for sure, its nice to think that maybe a multitude of Clay fans tuning in to watch Clay helped pull DWTS ahead of AI.
Posted by Dancermom on the CV...
From the CH:
QUOTE "Notacanuck" Drudge Report
QUOTE MAY SWEEPS UPSET: ABC DANCE SHOW BEATS 'IDOL' IN OVERNIGHTS Wed May 23 2007 09:08:03 ET
FOX and wunderkind Simon Fuller hit with a historic TV upset Tuesday night -- after ABC's 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' competition pulled in higher ratings than 'AMERICAN IDOL'!
DANCING scored a 16.5 rating/25 share to IDOL 16.3/25, in what network insiders are calling a 'photo-finish'.
"Our results show is tonight," explains an confident FOX executive, "we'll see who is left standing on the stage."
The upset comes as the nation's top-rated show experienced viewership erosion late in the season, at one point, falling more than 15% from a year ago.
AOL Music - AOL Music has compiled their list of the top 20 AI songs. Clay's Bridge Over Troubled Waters came in as #7. They say, "7. Clay Aiken, 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters' -- How'd he get a choir on stage? Regardless, Clay's unique rendition of the Simon & Garfunkel tune was truly inspiring."
IdolHeadEd.com has a fantastic recap of what Clay's been up to since being runner-up in AI2 4 years ago -
Season 2: Clay Aiken
The transformation from nerd to chic will go down as the ultimate American Idol makeover. That, in addition to his voice, continues to drive many a Claymate crazy even 4 years later....
Perhaps the giddiness is on hold until Wednesday's two-hour results extravaganza (which, after all, will likely include some form of Sanjaya, unlike Tuesday's show), the show that last year delivered jaw-dropping amounts of both the random (Meat Loaf? Prince?) and the insane (a Clay Aiken wannabe? Also, Clay Aiken's hairstyle?). Or perhaps it's decided to just not show up at all.
Face it: Men have fared poorly in the AI cosmos, the biggest success to date being cultural oddity Clay Aiken - if he didn't exist, Martin Short would have created him - and even Clay came in second. Blake is just a full-figured Clay.
Entertainment Weekly comments on the first single for whoever wins Idol tonight and mentions TITN -
Why not just drop the last ''w'' in the song title and call it ''This Is My No''?
Ugh!
As far as I'm concerned, it would be prudent to toss both Blake and Jordin's renditions of this so-called song directly into the same musical landfill where Katharine McPhee's ''My Destiny,'' Bo Bice's ''Long Long Road,'' and Clay Aiken's ''This Is the Night'' are quietly decomposing.
New Jersey Star Ledger - "Clay Aiken, who lost on a night when producers underestimated the number of votes that would be cast and the phone banks got swamped."
What's America's dirty little secret? We think coming in second (or, heck, third or fourth) is a-okay. American Idol "loser" Clay Aiken has outsold victor Ruben Studdard. President Bush moved into the White House. And last night's show seemed designed to accentuate loserdom, from Paula Abdul's wishy-washy yet oddly appropriate concluding statement ("You know how it goes, they all end up winners, as you will see") to Chris Daughtry's live performance of the pack-your-bags-bro-you're-outta-here song "Home." Failures, stand proud: You run this country.
Zap2it.tv - "Well, first we have to watch the previously booted contestants dance one more time and Jimmy Kimmel plug his fake DVD (with an assist from Clay Aiken) and those final interviews."
The Trades - "A final Dance Along at Home with Jimmy, this time with them trying to tout a DVD of the same name, including a clever cameo by Clay Aiken.
Entertainment Weekly - "The Jimmy Kimmel serial nightmare ended on a high note, even though there was something rotten in the state of Clay Aiken's hair."
TV Blend - "Even Clay Aiken shows up for a jokey segment to remind us that ‘Dancing with the Stars” truly is just like ‘American Idol’….for your feet. "
iVillage - "The best part about this was a cameo appearance by Clay Aiken. If there's one thing about DWTS that I love, it's that you never truly know who's going to come out of the woodwork."
The “special bonus” of Guillermo’s Moustache Magic offered with it has Clay Aiken promoting it. Tom Bergeron points out that this is not a real DVD, in case we’re gullible tonight.
A few caps from Dancing With The Stars tonight. Clay did a skit with Kimmel. Download the video cap at SendSpace or watch the YouTube cap below. Once again, thanks to the amazing gerwhisp for the caps!
Bried recap for west coast-ers from the CB's VoiceOfHeaven:
Clay was doing some promotion for a product to get a shiny, beautiful, unique, etc mustache just like Guillermo's lol.
he presents pictures of himself singing at concerts. and then he says that with a mustache, his singing has become soooo much better, and then he presents the same pictures with him with a mustache.
I'm sure you remembered last year at this time as well as we did here at CDD. Let's take a trip down memory lane ... take a look at this clip we found at YouTube:
Clay Aiken: Second-season runner-up Aiken is the second-highest-selling "American Idol" veteran and tops the album-sales list for nonwinners, even outselling Season-2 winner Ruben Studdard by almost double (approximately 4.5 million to 2.4 million, respectively). Aiken has also garnered three Billboard Music Awards and one American Music Award. He has a special set of extra rabid devotees who call themselves "Claymates."
Lycos 50 - Clay remains at #10 for the week ending May 19. The caption under his name is "Humanitarian Work". 203 weeks and counting. Keep those searches up!
MTV News - In an article called "'American Idol' Video Timeline: Five Seasons In Five Minutes (Or 2,500 Words)", Clay is mentioned under the Season 2 summary as follows:
By casting Ruben, Clay, Kimberley and Frenchie, "AI2" broadened America's definition of "pop star image." Fans ate it up. However, by voting on voice over looks, the season ended up being fairly predictable, where the singer who deserved to go home each week did. The final Ruben/Clay showdown was a tight race (one that Seacrest called a "photo finish") and although Studdard was the victor, Aiken ultimately wiped the floor with him in record sales.
There are lots of articles about this year's American Idol finale between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis that mention Clay:
AOL Television - Listed as one of the reasons that this year's American Idol failed, along with a picture of Clay and Ruben, is (scroll down on website page):
No Name Appeal: Clay and Ruben. Kelly and Justin. Just saying the names makes us feel nostalgic. Blake and Jordin? Not so much.
It would take a miracle (20 million phone calls) for Blake Lewis to win this, and it would be interesting if he does. But if he fails, all he has to remember is that Ruben Studdard won the title but Clay Aiken, who came in second, made all the money.
My San Antonio - "But Clay Aiken, the Season 2 runner-up, and Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth last year, actually put out hotter CDs than the winners of their seasons."
WNBC: "Clay Aiken, who finished second to Ruben Studdard in 2003, has released three discs and sold a total of 4.5 million units."
Chicago Tribune - "“I don’t think a final between Blake and Jordin is reminding anyone of those classic ‘Idol’ finals between Kelly [Clarkson] and Justin [Guarini] or Ruben [Studdard] vs. Clay Aiken.”"
Hartford Courant - "The successes of past non-winners, from Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson to Clay Aiken, shows them there's a future even if they don't get the most votes tonight (likewise, the faltering this year of Taylor Hicks' debut album indicates there's no guaranteed super-stardom for a winner)."
SouthFlorida.com - "Some of Idol's greatest success stories -- Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry from last season -- have been also-rans."
Clay Aiken, season two runner-up, experienced brief fame among the adult easy listening crowd, making him the third most successful former contestant of the show, but have you even heard his name in the last two years? Probably not, because nobody cares anymore.
Part of the reason Fox 8 has done so well with the show over the years has been local interest, with previous seasons including such performers as Raleigh native Clay Aiken, High Point native Fantasia Barrino, and last year’s triple-punch of North Carolinians Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry.
Foxes on Idol recalls last year's Clay Aiken spectacular on the AI5 season finale --
Other highlights included an appearance by Clay Aiken, who totally floored poor Michael Sandecki (the “winner” of the Golden Idol award for best impersonation), and a neat medley of Burt Bacharach songs featuring the top 12. Prince also made an appearance that night, along with Al Jarreau, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Meatloaf, and Dionne Warwick.
TV Guide host calls Clay Aiken "insanely popular" ... she got that right! -
Of the six seasons to date, which do you think was the hardest to call? Rosanna: I think the hardest was Ruben and Clay, because Clay was insanely popular — and still is. People weren't sure which way that was going to go.
Some years, I have a strong feeling who is going to win. Ruben Studdard against Clay Aiken, and I was going for the big guy all the way. Last year, I knew Katharine McPhee didn't stand a chance. But this year, I'm really confused. Jordin has a great smile, a gorgeous voice and a sweet personality (well, when she's not sniping about Rose Royce), but Blake is just so cool and charismatic and adventurous in what he does.
But only two of the series' five previous winners have maintained Idol-level performing careers (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood), with other high achievers such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson outperforming those who beat them in their competitions.
Note to Blake and Jordin fans: They're both young, talented, and poised for lucrative pop careers, but neither of their voices has dominated the competition -- not like the Kellys, Clays and Fantasias of yore.
New York City Village Voice - article about New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music -
Some students specialize in engineering, some in business, and the rest—about a third—are performer-producers who gain training in how to record themselves in a multimillion-dollar studio so that they leave with full-length albums upon graduation. And if the final goal isn't already clear, a wall of photos at the fifth-floor offices at 194 Mercer Street makes the point: There's Davis with Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana. Davis with Annie Lennox and Rod Stewart. Davis handing a gold record to American Idol standout Clay Aiken.
A few mentions of Clay's Dancing With The Stars appearance TONIGHT -
May 22, 2007...This is the night for the AI6 Final 2 to show America one more time just how good they are and why they should win. This is the night they hope to save their best for last. And speaking of "this is the night"...anyone remember hearing that song for the first time on Tuesday, May 20, 2003? Little did we know how many copies that song would sell or that it was the beginning of a career for Clay that has been much more than that of a singer, but also that of an entertainer, actor, and humanitarian. And little did Clay know that his fans, the Claymates, would from that day on become arguably the most devoted fans a celebrity has ever had.
It was a showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. The whole country was buzzing over who would win. That night, the first song was the original song that was chosen for each finalist by the show, and that was "This Is The Night" for Clay. Clay walked out looking so handsome in that dark suit. And he didn't disappoint as he began to sing. That voice just soared when he sang the chorus. He added those deep knee bends that I've come to love! I remember when he finished the song, he let out a big sigh and had a big smile on his face, as though he was thinking, "Whoo, I did it, I did okay!" Well, he did more than okay. And that song has grown to have so much meaning today. It was the beginning of many great things to come.
The second song was to be a Beatles song. Clay chose "Here, There, and Everywhere", which has always been a personal favorite of mine since I was a kid. Clay was sitting on a stool accompanied by a harp. He sang a simple, pure version. He just let his gorgeous voice and the words compliment each other. Nothing fancy was necessary. When you have a voice like Clay and are singing a song like that, that's all you need for something spectacular. And when he sang "there" the first time, going down to that low note, I could feel it in my toes. Just beautiful.
Finally, the last song was a song of Clay's choice. He chose "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", a Simon and Garfunkel song which again, I always loved growing up. I remember being so nervous during this song. The judges were not jumping up and down over his first two songs. I really wanted this one to knock their socks off. I'll never forget Clay walking out on stage, just calmly, slowly walking out on stage up to the microphone. And the choir moving with the music. And then out came that voice...smooth, deep, pure, mellow. When he went down to those low notes, it sent shock waves through me. I asked my son to help me come up with words to describe those low notes, and my son, teenager that he is, said, "Deep? Full? Manly? Hunka hunka? I want a chunk of that?" Well, he was being silly, but I think he might have something there! And the only thing that tops those notes is that to-die-for glory note at the end. I remember listening to BOTW over and over and over again. I don't think any of us could get enough of that song! Paula was right when she said, "You sent chills down us, Clay", and Simon was also right when he said, "I think that song could win you the competition".... coulda woulda shoulda. But the difference in the votes was so miniscule, that I think he was a winner...the winner in my book.
Though, as we all know and still hurt over, Clay didn't win the title of American Idol on the show, but he went on to show us what a true American Idol is, and he continues to show us to this day. And what is that? Well, here are some quotes from Clay that pretty much sum it all up:
Clay's on his definition of an Americal Idol: "American celebrities have an amazing amount of influence on the way America thinks, feels, and acts. I think that such an influence should be used in the most positive way possible."
And:
"Someone with a talent that leaves a mark on American society and inspires people to think, feel, love, act."
"I enjoy singing and that's what I'm here to do. I know I'm not a model; I'm not going to be. I'm not the best lookin' person here, and that's fine. That's not what it's about to me."
On the pressures of being in the public eye: "...as long as you're living right, then you don't have to worry about what people see."
"It's not the money. It's not the fame. It's the influence."
"It's important that I make a difference in some way. If it's performing and touching someone that way, that's great; if it's being a teacher and helping some kid understand something, that's even better..."
"One of the first things I'm gonna do is set up a foundation. Since I'm not going to be teaching for a while, I'd still like to stay connected and use this platform to bring attention to autism awareness and to individuals with disabilities."
"What comes out of this is what God wants to happen."
I think Clay hit the nail right on the head as to what an American Idol is...what he wanted to be in his life. And he continues to stand by those very words he spoke four years ago. Clay was a winner, is a winner, always will be a winner. He is definitely our American Idol.
