Tidbits 2/6

• TVGuide.com - Clay is listed as #1 Best Male American Idol Audition

  1) Clay Aiken, "Always and Forever" | Watch on YouTube
  Clay looked like the elf from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, but he sounded like a superstar. The judges didn't know what to make of his dorky style mixed with his insanely good vocals. But they voted him through and Clay went on to sell millions of records. Frighteningly enough, he also became the object of affection for thousands of "Clay-mates."

  Watch Clay's audition at YouTube.
  
  
• Billboard.com - Merry Christmas With Love was #4 on the Top Christian Catalog Album list for the week of December 31, 2007.
• What Not To Sing - An interesting site found by Rainlover at The Clayboard. This is an American Idol database arranged by seasons of songs that each contestant sang. My favorite parts from the Season 2 page are bolded here:

  Through it all, though, Team Turmoil delivered a solid season of performances. Season Two owns the highest average approval rating of any so far, and it's the only one in which each of the Final 12 turned in at least one above-average rated performance. Aiken's 68.5 average rating led the way, with Locke, Studdard, and Trenyce also coming in (deservedly, we'd say) with 4-star averages. Even the four contestants who finished with 2-star figures – Clark, Demato, Grigsby, and Rasmusen – seem to us a slight cut above other seasons' also-rans.
  
  For what it's worth, we consider it a tossup between Studdard's "A Whole New World" and Locke's "New York State Of Mind" as the best of the season. Aiken earns a special achievement award for his twin triumphs in the Final 5; we have a feeling that his 93 average in a multi-song week will stand as the record for a very, very long time.

• American Idol Atlanta auditions brings out the talent. Clay auditioned in Atlanta for AI2 -
  
• Read Express - "'That's something I wish we'd done to Clay Aiken years ago,' Simon says."
• Austin 360 -

  Host Ryan Seacrest points out that three “American Idol” superstars — Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Hudson and Clay Aiken — have been discovered in Atlanta in past years.

• Rocky Mountain News - "Atlanta is no stranger to American Idol success. Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson all hailed from auditions there."
• Boston Now -

  It's the last of the five stops on the American Idol 2007 Audition Tour, taking place in Michael PS Hayes hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. It's actually the shows 3rd visit to Hotlanta, the city we have to blame for Clay Aiken.

• Curlio -

  American Idol went to Atlanta on their audition tour, trying for yet another success story from the city. That's where they found Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, and Jennifer Hudson. Ryan Seacrest is also from Atlanta, and his parents showed up at the auditions.

• Reality TV Magazine -

  The American Idol judges made their third trip to Atlanta as part of the American Idol 7 auditions. Atlanta was the audition city for previous American Idol standouts Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, and Jennifer Hudson.

• MSNBC -

  Joshua Jones also made it through, but probably won’t need to take more than a couple of days off from his job as a glass cutter. Though he sang well, the judges were disturbed by his “demonic” eyes and finally had him sing with his back to them. “It’s something we should have done to Clay Aiken years ago,” Simon said, though he still proved to be Jones’ lone no vote.

• Kennesaw State University's The Sentinel - "Yes, I will grant that Idol has produced some superstars namely- Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood- and if you really want to stretch it, Clay Aiken has had some staying power of his own."
• Access Atlanta - "In its first three seasons, 'Idol' mined plenty of great talent out of the local auditions, including former Norcross resident Tamyra Gray, Clay Aiken and Season 3 winner Fantasia."
  
• Lycos PR - press release for Lycos50 - Clay #6 this week.

• Something That Really Happened - getting tired of American Idol -

  I am a fan of American Idol. I really am. I love to watch new talent get the chance to shine. But, you know, tonight is the third time in the auditions that Simon has made a snide remark about Clay with the other judges laughing. It is really turning me off of American Idol. I am not going to want to watch the program if I have to listen to them slamming Clay Aiken every week.