Entertainment Weekly Includes Clay in Top 3 Idol Performances List

The Raleigh Chronicle reports that Entertainment Weekly has included Clay's AI2 performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at #3 on their list of top American Idol performances.

The list appears in the special edition of EW, with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks on the cover (on newsstands now!).

Here's part what the Raleigh Chronicle said:

In a special American Idol bonus edition of Entertainment Weekly (issue #937) on sale in June, Raleigh native Clay Aiken was listed as having one of the top song performances ever on the amazingly successful American Idol TV show.

In an article entitled "Best (and Worst) Idol Performances Ever", Aiken was listed at number three in the "Best" category with his performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" on May 20, 2003 during the show's second season.

In a pull-out quote with a picture of Aiken, the magazine spoke about that special performance where "backed by a gospel choir, Clay Aiken delivered a version of Simon & Garfunkel's number one hit that managed to be both over the top and expertly scaled."

In the special issue, Aiken was also named as having the biggest change in appearance since beginning on American Idol.

In a full page photo story, the magazine says that out of all the contestants, Aiken had the "ultimate Idol evolution" and went from "totally geek to totally chic" with his current look that includes longer hair, tailored suits, and contact lenses instead of glasses.

Tidbits 6/9

Great promotion for Clay's summer tour over at AOL Kids/KOL. "Clay Aiken's fans call themselves 'Claymates,' and you might call yourself that too after seeing him perform in concert this summer. Will this former runner-up on American Idol be at a city near you?"

• National Post comments on Clay in Toronto last week for the opening of the Royal Ontario Museum's new "Crystal" -

  The celebs crammed into the Crystal last week, and our man tagged and bagged 'em. Among the obvious names: Brian Mulroney, Peter and Melanie Munk, G-G Michaelle Jean, and Hilary and Galen Weston. More surprising: Clay Aiken and Eric Benet, the latter being the ex-squeeze of Halle Berry.

• And a few more Tour mentions for today:
• Flint Journal & MLive.com Idol Chatter blog - "July 23: Second-season runner-up Clay Aiken performs at Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Heights."
• TC Palm

• Idle Wandering on why Clay is "da man"... "Lots of folks think of Clay Aiken as a rube or a wimp. Watch this and you may change your mind. Look at the eyes at the end."
  

Orlando Concert Sells Out

Clay's August 19 concert at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, FL is the first official sellout of the 2007 Summer tour, according to this posted spotted by the CH's dancermom2 outside the venue!

Woohoo! It's going to be a hot summer with Clay!

Update 6/9: OK... maybe not. At last check, Ticketmaster is still offering tickets

Tour Pre-Party Coordinators...Ways To Promote The Bubel Aiken Foundation At Your Party

Its almost Tour Time! And we all know that means that there will be concert pre-parties all over the country as fans gather to enjoy Clay in concert again. Well, Mamarose10 at The Clayboard has posted a letter from Aron Hall at BAF which gives some great ideas to promote BAF at your party, including a surprise! Check out Aron's letter below, and let's use some of the ideas at our parties around the country!

Pre-concert Party Coordinators,

We are extremely grateful for your generosity and commitment to giving all children the opportunity to live life to the fullest. Because of your leadership the Foundation is supported on so many occasions throughout the year. It is once again tour time and many of you have asked how you can help promote TBAF at your Pre-concert Parties. On behalf of our children, I would like to thank you for your support. To help you make a difference, we have compiled a few suggestions on ways to help and a little surprise.

Our Friend Mikayla
Our Friend Mikayla is the story of a child with severe developmental disabilities who finds friendship with her peers. The book was written and illustrated by third-grade students at the Lower Nazareth Elementary School, Nazareth, PA. It is an honest portrayal of the children’s first reactions to Mikayla, their barriers to acceptance and finally the true friendship they formed with her.

When Mikayla’s family moved to Pennsylvania four years ago, the idea of full inclusion for a child with severe developmental disabilities was relatively new. Yet in keeping with their personal philosophy, they requested that Mikayla be included in a regular first grade class. What they found was that Mikayla’s classmates accepted Mikayla and began to see her as “just like them.” Their relationship with Mikayla and their journey to acceptance inspired the book.

The children have dedicated Our Friend Mikayla to “all people with disabilities and their friends.” When they chose the dedication, one of the children realized that might mean they were dedicating the book to everyone in the world.

You may consider displaying “Our Friend Mikayla” and giving party attendees the opportunity to order it on The Bubel/Aiken Foundation website, www.bubelaiken.org.

Wrapping for Inclusion
It is never to0 early to begin planning for our 4th annual holiday gift-wrapping awareness campaign and fundraiser, Wrapping for Inclusion. WFI will take place in shopping malls and stores across the country November through December. TBAF volunteers will wrap gifts in exchange for donations to the Foundation. Your party could be a time to spread the word about this opportunity to volunteer in your community. If you have an established WFI team, you can recruit additional volunteers. If you do not have a team in your area, use this opportunity to find out who is interested.

This is also a great time to collect wrapping paper for the event. Encourage participants to bring rolls of wrapping paper in exchange for a prize.

TBAF Flyers
A one-page flyer with the TBAF mission is available for download at our website at www.bubelaiken.org. Please see the downloadable forms page.

Beta Alpha
Many of you are already members of a Beta Alpha chapter. Make sure to spread the word to those that may not be a part of your team. Beta Alpha chapters have come together to raise funds and build awareness for full inclusion. Beta Alpha volunteers are dedicated, proactive, giving individuals committed to giving children with disabilities a fully included life.

Change for Change
In our country today there is approximately $10.5 Billion in loose change out of circulation. By encouraging participants to bring their “change” you will allow the Foundation to further its mission to provide children with special needs the opportunities to have access to recreational programs in their communities, which will allow them to be included in activities where all children can learn and play and have fun!

Contact us by June 20, 2007 to order a “Change for Change” box. We ask that you convert your change to check or money order and forward it to the Foundation’s address.

Please expect to receive 10 of the new TBAF plastic bracelets for your Pre-concert Party. Feel free to be creative in the way you choose to use them.

In addition, we think you will be eager to receive a little surprise. Each Pre-Concert Party coordinator will be sent a Clay Aiken-autographed Our Friend Mikayla book to raise funds for TBAF at their party. We look forward to seeing all of the creative ways you use the book to raise funds to further the foundation’s mission. To request the autographed copy of Our Friend Mikayla for your Pre-concert Party, please email us your contact information, party date, and location. Proceeds raised from your party should be received by the Foundation no later than 2 weeks after your party date.

The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is proud to be the guiding force for inclusion of individuals with disabilities across the nation. Because of your support, programs to further the mission of TBAF have gone forth. The vision is to expand these programs nationwide and the is why continued support is necessary

For the past four summers, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation has implemented its Summer Camp Program, Let’s ALL Play, at YMCAs across the country. Let’s ALL Play gives children with and without disabilities the same summer camp experience with their peers. Let’s continue to work together to reach our goal of supporting 100 Let’s All Play camps in 2008.

Sincerely,
The TBAF Staff—Jerry, Kristy, and Aron

Letter From Jerry Aiken, BAF's Executive Director, Up AT BAF Website

Most of you know that Jerry Aiken, Clay's uncle, was named Executive Director of The Bubel Aiken Foundation recently. You can read CDD's earlier article concerning this and see the great qualifications that Mr. Aiken has for this position.

At The Bubel Aiken Foundation's website, a letter from Jerry Aiken has been posted for us to read. This letter tells us of us goals for and commitment to BAF. One of the amazing things, as you can read below, is that his goal is for BAF to have 100 summer camps in 2008! This is an amazing goal, and he has issued what he calls the "100 for 1 Million Challenge" in this regard.

Read for yourself what Jerry Aiken has in mind for The Bubel Aiken Foundation, and let's begin to think of what we can do to volunteer and help BAF achieve this goal.

The Executive Director Letter

First of all let me say that it is my pleasure to work for The Bubel/Aiken Foundation in support of creating communities where ALL children can learn, live, and play together. In my short tenure it has been extremely rewarding to experience first hand the personal commitment and passion of individuals involved with the foundation. As you already know, it is the cause that we support and the great people behind the cause that will help us achieve our goals. Beyond sponsorships and donations, I must also comment on the volunteer effort that underpins TBAF. To all of you that volunteer your time as well as your money, I hope you truly understand how important your efforts are for the Foundation. To you I give my most sincere thanks. My personal commitment to the Foundation, our sponsors, donors, and volunteers is to serve all stakeholders as best possible and champion initiatives which support the mission of inclusion.

TBAF, with your help has made significant strides during the last few years. As a Foundation we have an effective inclusive summer camp program entitled “Let’s All Play.” Our Friend Mikayla, written and illustrated by the 3rd grade class in Lower Nazareth Elementary, has been well received. The Federal and State Farm grants have generated excellent initial work for a K–12 inclusive curriculum and work with Johns Hopkins University has highlighted interesting potential for helping to bridge the educational gap that exists for many students with special needs and their peers. All in all, great progress, but still much to do. I feel most importantly we have to challenge ourselves as to how we can touch the lives of more kids!

Awareness, awareness, awareness is a major challenge for the Foundation. Through awareness we can connect more minds and hearts with our mission. I talk with many individuals across the country and most all know of Clay Aiken but have not heard of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation—this is our challenge. Increasing awareness of the Foundation will expand our donor support providing additional funds benefiting more kids So with your help, I am challenging us collectively to spread the word about TBAF so that we can increase the number of donors.

We would like to set a goal of supporting 100 “Let’s All Play” camps in 2008. That means we need your help to raise an additional $1 Million this year!!!

This is a sizeable challenge which will require everyone to speak out on behalf of the Foundation, our mission and goals. There is nothing magic about 100 camps: it is a goal for all of us to connect with, and increasing the number of summer camps by any quantity will help to move us closer to our goal of inclusive communities.

I plan to use this medium to continue communications about Foundation initiatives and I will be randomly calling volunteers during the days ahead seeking ideas and guidance. Together we can and will continue to make a difference in the lives of kids of all abilities.

Stay tuned for more regarding our “100 for 1 Million” challenge, and please continue your support and excellent work!

I look forward to working with all. Thanks and God Bless!

Jerry Aiken
Executive Director

Clay on Kelly Clarkson in ELLE

Clay had some nice things to say about his former Independent Tour touring buddy Kelly Clarkson in a new ELLE article (Clay is mentioned on page 2) about Clarkson and her post-American Idol success.

"She is the most popular pop vocalist in the country," echoes Clay Aiken, a friend and former touring partner. "And to be that girl and not mind being photographed with your hair messed up—that is something. Can you name any other singer who would dare do that? I mean, please."

"Her new album is a real departure. It's a risk," Aiken says. "Kelly is one of those people who really knows who she is. For better or worse, she is her own woman."

Taping Date for NBC Christmas Special Announced

Taping for the NBC Christmas Special, in which Clay will perform on, have been announced. This information was found on a Kurt Browning fan website. The figure skater will appear on the show, called "Holiday Celebrations on Ice".

Holiday Celebration on Ice
Nov. 6, 2007
Orleans Arena
Las Vegas, NV
Guests: Clay Aiken
TV Date: 12/25/07, 2:30-4:30PM EST, NBC

As noted, the show airs Christmas day on NBC.

Tidbits 6/8

• Tour mentions:
• Desert Sun
• Wall Street Journal - really random Clay mention in this article about baseball & sports in general.

  What would you do if Bonds was sitting on 754 or 755 and you had tickets? Go to the game? Sell the tickets? Throw them away?
  The question brings to mind for me Jackie Robinson's first game, on April 15, 1947, when 5,000 seats were vacant at Ebbets Field. We can only speculate as to why so many people stayed away that day, but surely some of them were casting a silent vote against integration. I'm not comparing Bonds to Robinson (I'd sooner compare Clay Aiken to Frank Sinatra), but if Bonds sets or breaks the record on the road, I wonder if he'll face empty seats.

• Taking A Moment addresses the tensions at the official fanclub message board with this funny skit:

  I see that there's been some kind of razz battle going on over at the OFC message board. First of all, it wasn't me. Second of all, it wasn't me. I've been sitting here, minding my own business, studying my Sunday School lesson, humming KumBahYa and thinking of ways to make this a better world to live in.
  
  Ok, not really. I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a skit using Clay and The Riches.

Clay Thanks His "Angels"; Returns from Paris Trip

Update 6/9: the "American actress" Clay talks about is Cameron Diaz. She was confirmed to be at the same hotel Clay was on June 6.

Clay blogged today to thank us for getting his favorite show, "Jericho", back on the airwaves. "UNBELIEVABLE", he notes. Earlier this week, CBS reversed its decision to cancel the show by ordering 7 episodes of it as a mid-season replacement.

Clay also updated us on some other events in his life... since we're not allowed to quote the blog, here's a quick synopsis of what he said:

• Clay's been visiting Paris and mentioned how nice the city was... he says it's been nice walking around the city completely unnoticed for a change
  
• Clay was met with a scum of photographers outside his hotel, only to find out that they were camped out for a "famous" American actress. Clay says he met this unnamed person during his promotional tour for ATDW.
  
• Tour rehearsals start next week... Clay can't wait to see us
• Jaymes Foster-Levy and Clay are close to finding a producer for Clay's third album. Clive Davis and RCA have been very supportive, reports Clay
• Clay's passport, which he lost last week in Calgary, has been found!
• Seeing how successful we were in getting "Jericho" back on the air, Clay wants his own show with CBS
  

Official Fanclub Message Board Shut Down "Until Further Notice"

A statement posted on the homepage of the official fanclub says the fanclub message board has been shut down "until further notice" due to some internal tension between members. We aren't sure of which specific incident or incidents led to this.

06/07/07 : Important Information Regarding OFC Message Board
By Team Clay

Due to reports of extensive unrest and disrespect amongst members that has been carrying on for several weeks, the Official Fan Club Message Board will be shut down until further notice. Please note that should tensions continue on other areas of the fan club, severe consequences may occur. If you try to log in to the board you should see a message reading, "Sorry, the board is unavailable at the moment. We will be back soon..."

We appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Frisco, TX Concert Ad

This advertisement for Clay's July 4 concert in Frisco, TX ran in a newspaper called "The Pitch". The newspaper is mailed out to soccer enthusiasts in North Texas. Clay will be performing after an afternoon soccer match at Pizza Hut Park as part of the Frisco Freedom Fest.

Thanks to EmeraldEyes at the CH for the scan!

Tidbits 6/7

Clay on the homepage of the Houston Symphony. Clay performs with the symphony in Houston on July 6. The concert is also listed at the website for the George R. Brown Convention Center... but they have their date wrong!

• Daily Herald - Al Gore & Clay Aiken share the same "runner-up" status-

  More than 1,100 fans, some of whom wait for more than eight hours, wind through the aisles of the Borders State Street store in Chicago. They can hardly believe their good fortune to be in the presence of Al Gore.
  
  Several employees speculate that the Gore crowd probably surpasses the horde that gathered for “American Idol” star Clay Aiken (another famous runner-up).

• Nothing here today
  

CBS Confirms: "Jericho" Back for 7 Episode Sophomore Season

After CBS was swamped with emails, calls and almost 120,000 online signatures and a 25 ton package of nuts delivered to CBS headquarters in New York, the network has taken the rare and unusual step of bringing a canceled TV show back onto its primetime lineup. CBS confirms that Clay's favorite show, "Jericho" will return next year as a mid-season replacement with a 7 episode run.

A job well done to Clay and the countless Claymates who took part in this effort! The power of the Clay nation cannot be underestimated!

June 6, 2007
To the Fans of Jericho:

Wow!

Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.

As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of “Jericho” for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more “Jericho,” we will need more viewers.

A loyal and passionate community has clearly formed around the show. But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we make the show available.



We will count on you to rally around the show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy, intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks.

At this time, I cannot tell you the specific date or time period that “Jericho” will return to our schedule. However, in the interim, we are working on several initiatives to help introduce the show to new audiences. This includes re-broadcasting “Jericho” on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips from these episodes across the CBS Audience Network (online), releasing the first season DVD on September 25 and continuing the story of Jericho in the digital world until the new episodes return. We will let you know specifics when we have them so you can pass them on.

On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of “Jericho” in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference.

Sincerely,

Nina Tassler

President, CBS Entertainment

P.S. Please stop sending us nuts

Tidbits 6/6

• Lycos PR about their Lycos50 ranking... Clay came in #9 this week. " The LYCOS 50(TM) Top 10 Search Terms for the Week Ending June 1, 2007: 1) Paris Hilton 6) Britney Spears 2) Naruto 7) Pamela Anderson 3) MySpace 8) YouTube 4) Pokemon 9) Clay Aiken 5) WWE 10) RuneScape"
• Arizona Republic highlights some new summer TV ... really random Clay mention, but not too bad-

  Ice Road Truckers | Premieres 10 p.m. June 17 on the History Channel. | What: Tough, bearded men drive big rigs over frozen lakes in Canada. | Why we care: These dudes are so macho they make Dog the Bounty Hunter look like Clay Aiken. | Why we don't: I won't say anything mean, for fear they might read this.
  

• A few tour listings today:
• Columbia Free Times
• Detroit News - Freedom Hill concert ... "In addition, the lineup features current favorites such as Crow and Clay Aiken."
• TC Palm

• Carolina On My Mind on the possibility of Clay's favorite show, Jericho, being rescued and given a 7 episode 2nd season. What caused CBS to rethink their decision? CNN and the AP are reporting that a big (and we mean big as in 25 tonnes) package of peanuts delivered to CBS headquarters in New York made TV execs rethink their choices. The peanuts are a reference to the last line spoken on the season finale which aired last month - "Nuts!"
  

  Thinking his first love, "Jericho," had been axed, Clay Aiken blogged to his fans that he has entered into a "rebound relationship" with a new favorite TV show,"The Riches." Meanwhile, entertainment pundits are reporting that "Jericho" is on the verge of mid-season revival, and preliminary rejoicing is hitting the aisles of Cyberspace.
  

Chicken Soup Previews "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul"

The editors at Chicken Soup are previewing their new book "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul". Compiled from various stories submitted by fans of American Idol, the book will hit bookshelves soon.

In a press release (PDF format), the published released this great story about Clay:

The Turn of a Page

My four-year-old son cuddled closer to me. It was afternoon nap time, and he had asked me to lie with him as he fell asleep. He always wanted me to be close while he slept. I was tired too. My husband’s random tirade the night before had made sleeping in that house impossible once again.

I had learned long ago that the only way to survive was to become invisible. I had learned to hide my real self away so that my husband’s angry words and actions no longer hurt me. After a while, I became invisible even to myself.

My son drifted off quickly. He hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before either. As his soft breath became even and I knew he was deep in the cherished peace of slumber, I saw a rare opportunity to temporarily bring myself out of the shadows.

I retrieved Clay Aiken’s autobiography from the bottom of a drawer where I had carefully hidden it. My husband had told me that I wasn’t allowed to read Clay’s book. He hadn’t given me a reason, but the less of a reason he had, the louder he yelled, and I knew not to argue.

As I opened the book, a wave of relief washed over me. I wasn’t completely invisible just yet. There was still a spark that gave me the confidence to defy orders—if only for a few precious moments. I sighed in silence and opened the book to a random page.

As I read Clay’s words that told of the abuse he and his mother had suffered at the hands of his biological father, I nearly stopped breathing. I began to tremble as he shared the account of the strength his mother had to find in order to leave the man who had oppressed her and her son for so long—and how that act of strength helped Clay to become the man that he grew into, that wonderful young man who has inspired millions with his own strong and gentle spirit.

I shut the book quietly so as not to wake my son, sleeping so innocently beside me. As he lay in the refuge of his dreams, I looked into his beautiful face. In that face, I saw two futures laid out before him, one dramatically different from the other. And in that moment, before his nap had ended, I had made up my mind. Like Clay’s mother, I would find the strength to make a better life for the two of us.

The next morning, while my husband still slept, I quietly and triumphantly packed a few of our belongings into my car. I buckled my son into his seat, took a deep breath, and started the journey toward the future that God intended us to have.

Several months after our escape, my son and I celebrated our newfound freedom by attending a Clay Aiken concert. Tears streamed down my face as I held my son’s hand and we watched Clay perform. But these were no longer tears of fear or sadness or hopelessness, but rather tears of gratitude—gratitude for this man who will never know how the turn of a page changed our lives forever.

Lexie Matthews

Reprinted by permission of Lexie Matthews. ©2007 Lexie Matthews.

Bid Price Climbing Higher on Clay's Shirt In "Clothes Off Our Back" Auction

In case you haven't been keeping up with "Kimberly Locke and Idol Friends" Clothes Off Our Back Charity Auction, check out the price on Clay's shirt as of today. It is now at $3,000 and sure to climb even higher before the ending date of June 15.

If you are just itching to win that gorgeous shirt that Clay wore on American Idol, start searching under your sofa cushions and in the bottom of your purse for loose change and send your bid over there in the next 9 days. After that, you're out of luck. Now, wouldn't that shirt look pretty nice hanging in your closet?

Jericho To Be Rescued As A Midseason Replacement?

Rumor has it that after the relentless rallying by fans, including Clay Aiken himself, CBS is considering the possibility of bring back its action thriller "Jericho" as a midseason replacement.

Apparently, CBS is considering options and thinking about bringing the show back for 8 episodes next season.

Here's the report from a blog called Seriously? OMG! WTF?:

I am so happy CBS is realizing they made a mistake replacing Jericho with a real bomb Kid Nation, which I am still not sure will make it to air. And if it does, I doubt it will survive more than two weeks on the air. So why not just bring back Jericho then! I swear not since Fox announced that they were bringing back Family Guy have I been so happy!!! Ironically enough Clay Aiken blogged yesterday that he forgave CBS for canceling Jericho, looks like he needed to wait 24 hours before posting that apology!

Clay Going to Paris & Loses Passport (Again)?

A Canadian tabloid appearing in the Calgary Sun says Clay lost his passport during last week's visit to Canada. If true, this would not be the first time Clay has lost his passport while outside the country. He lost it the first time during his 2004 vacation to Great Britain and Ireland.

There's also a little bit about Clay flying off to Paris. At this point, we don't know why Clay is jetting off to Paris, but we will keep you updated if new information comes in.

On his way from Vancouver to Calgary for a private function involving David Foster and some local celebrity friends, Mr. Aiken lost his passport.

Tidbits 6/5

Another Clay mention in the Canadian press. This is from yesterday's National Post.

• A few more mentions of Clay's visit to Canada last week & this past weekend:
• CBC - "Greenway was working at il Giardino, an upscale Vancouver restaurant, Thursday night when famed music producer David Foster and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken walked in."
• Vancouver Sun - "In between, Greenway performed at a David Foster Foundation event in Calgary with American Idol graduate Clay Aiken, and sang Saturday night at a Toronto Royal Ontario Museum benefit, her boss Il Giardino manager Bobby Copiak said."
• Small Clay mention in Nick Magazine, a poster at RHT reports -

  I don't have it in front of me, and I know it's a children's magazine but hey, kids grow up.
  
  There are 4 idol (non-winner) pictures that you have to match up. Clay's match up blurb is People magazine's most loved idol ever and another survey about him being the best idol ever. Very nice to see him ANYWHERE!

• Clay down to #9 this week at the Lycos50 from last week's #7.
  
• 411Mania - not all American Idols go on to successful careers -

  Outside of Clarkson and Underwood, you have the few "fringe" successes such as Clay Aiken, Fantasia, or that Sanjaya freak who either have an odd cult following or just sacrifice any credibility they could have ever had in the name of a few more minutes of press. Sparks has the phenom factor about her in that she's 17, but I can't see that lasting long enough to guarantee a lasting career.

• CHUD - AI5 runner-up Katharine McPhee enters the world of acting - "After having lost American Idol, Clay Aiken style (I lost, but I'm loved!), Katherine McPhee is doing what any Southern California resident aspires to - acting. "
• Asbury Park Press - 2007 Toms Riverfest canceled. Clay opened his Jukebox Tour 2005 at this festival - "Over the past two summers, Toms River Fest featured such artists as Hilary Duff, LeAnn Rimes, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Meat Loaf and Maroon 5."

• Nothing here today.
  

Clay Forgives CBS After "Jericho" Cancellation

Clay blogged a few minutes ago to tell us that he's getting over his "depression" after CBS canceled his favorite show, "Jericho". Clay says he is now watching a "dark comedy" called "The Riches". You can download episodes of this show off iTunes or watch it on the FX Network Mondays at 10.

He adds that he is excited to see us this summer.

Tidbits 6/4

• Hampton Roads interviews Chris Daughtry about his post-Idol success:

  "It took me about two days to get over it," Daughtry said as he was preparing for his concert tour. "I was like, 'You know what? Keep going with it and move on.' Next thing you know, Clive Davis wanted to meet with me, and the rest is history."
  
  Davis is, of course, the head of RCA Records and one of music's legendary record executives. He has had huge success in signing other "Idol" winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Fantasia Barrino.
  

• Newsday suggests some possible replacements for Rosie O'Donnell on The View... um... I don't think this is going to happen any day soon... and "adorable"??? Maybe I'll keep my mouth shut:

  Kelly Ripa. The adorable sidekick to Regis Philbin has juggled multiple TV gigs at once. What's one more? (O'Donnell once got into a spat with her for comments on "The View" about Ripa's reaction to Clay Aiken putting his hand over Ripa's mouth.)

• WebWeaver's World - "Oh gawd, what shall I write about today?"
  

Reported Glimpses of Clay at Toronto Museum Concert

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According to a post from The Clayboard, Jennifer at LBFCA was at the Toronto concert Saturday night and got several glimpses of Clay. Here is that report from Jennifer:

posted at LBFCA by Jennifer
I just wanted to let you know that yes, indeed, he was there. But as Mr. Fosters guest. Not as a participating artist. We went to T.O. to catch a glimpse of a couple of other artists that we like and were quite satisfied with the view. It was a "first come first serve" type of show and you ended up where you were squished in. There were mostly 'adults' in the crowd as this was the opening of, what I would call an artistic museum, that has such things as an African display and History from around the world. The building itself is absolutely incredible. Anyway we were treated with several glimpses of the man himself standing in the wings. Laughing and joking with Mr. Foster and several other "important" musical types. Casually yet very classy looking in a black dress shirt (open at the neck) *sigh* and black slacks. YUM! Oh, and for those of you that are wondering .. the hair was flat and nicely styled. He ran his fingers through it several times. I guess I was supposed to be watching and listening to who was on the stage in front of me but Im not sure I could even tell you who was there during the times Mr. Beautiful was visible. Anywho .. he was relaxed and happy and obviously in a good mood. He had those around him laughing at all times. Hope this helps! *wink*

Great report! Thanks Jennifer. We'll be on the lookout for any more news that may become available, including pictures from last night!

---

Update 4:26 PM: a report in Canadian media from the National Post confirms that Clay was indeed at the concert Saturday night as a guest. He apparently met up with Mark Shekter, a songwriter/producer who produced the concert.

what was stranger still was the appearance of the most spiritual and fabulous of American Idols, Clay Aiken.

If you blinked, you woulda missed him, but he was, indeed, there for a few split-secs!

Aiken, my spies report, flew in to Toronto on Saturday morning with uberproducer David Foster, after having conquered Vancouver during a singsong coinciding there with the West Coast's visit of The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Idol checked out the staging, watched the rehearsals with Foster and at the same time fit in a meeting with Mark Shekter, who was exec-producing the concert at the ROM on Saturday night.

"He also talked to Jann Arden," my source reports, adding that he ran for the airport just as soon as he could that afternoon.

And so?

So, partly this is possibly the only opportunity for me to mention the serieux architect Daniel Libeskind and the hair-challenged choirboy Aiken in the same sentence. And partly, maybe, to make the case that there could not be a more appropriate pop star to stand in as metaphor for the new museum wing.

The not-ordinary Michael Lee-Chin addition -- which has been called "daring" but also, in recent days, been compared to Dante's Inferno -- is like, Clay, an acquired taste. Quite clearly. Like Clay, it's also been likened to kitsch, but like him, too, it's at least got people talking.

CTV also ran a story today about Clay in Calgary:

Within 12 hours of her impromptu performance, Greenway was in Calgary performing with Beverley Mahood and former American Idol finalist Clay Aiken -- who was with Foster at the restaurant the night before -- at a David Foster Foundation event on Friday.

New Photo From Calgary Herald - Clay in Calgary

Click to enlarge.

The Calgary Herald published new photos today of Clay's 1 day visit to Calgary, AB, Canada this past Friday. Clay performed at a backyard party held at the home of Brett Wilson. Wilson is co-chair for the 2007 David Foster Foundation gala which will be in Calgary this year.

Many thanks to the CB's zippy888 for the scan.

Tidbits 6/3

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel on AI6 top 3 contestant Melinda Doolittle -

  She'll do fine, just as other also-rans such as Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry have. I would rather have any of their careers than those of Idols Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino or Taylor Hicks.
  

• A few mentions of the summer tour:
• WFAA-TV:

  If you've been thinking it's time to take your many talents out of the closet and trot them onstage, you could have that opportunity at Frisco Freedom Fest on July 4. Of course, you'll have to be willing to do this for free, but you could say you (sorta) shared a stage with Clay Aiken, who'll perform as part of the evening's festivities.

• Fosters.com
• Grand Rapids Press - "American Idol star Clay Aiken on July 23 and Sheryl Crow on Aug. 1."

• Carolina On My Mind comments on the Claynadian frenzy that has overtaken the Clay nation the past few days. The photo to the right (taken by the CB's RedBay) was from last night's opening of the new Royal Ontario Museum where Clay was rumored to be performing. In there end, there was no Clay.
  

  In response to a trail of hints and rumors that Clay Aiken would possibly be a surprise guest performer with David Foster Saturday night, fans descended in droves from various parts of Canada to attend the Royal Ontario Museum's "A World of Possibilities" concert in Toronto.
  
  Alas, there was no Clay on the program. However, this impromptu response to the possibility will go down in CA fandom history right alongside such wishful/waiting/watching occasions as the multiple page refreshes of the "Raleigh Dotcert," the correspondent's dinner during which fans were glued to C-Span for hours hoping for a glimpse of the back of the singer's head, and the SpongeBob marathon viewing for intermittent sightings.