Tidbits 7/20

• San Diego Weekly Reader - celebrity riders -

  Wherever Clay Aiken performs, his dressing room requirements include a basket of green apples (“preferably Granny Smith”), a jar of applesauce, a case of room temperature water (“anything but Evian”), and – big surprise – a loaf of white bread. In addition, “One meal must be prepared for Clay that does not have the following in it: nuts, mushrooms, coffee, mint, chocolate and shellfish…this truly is very, very serious.” Finally, he wants a 6-pack of Mountain Dew (“caffeine free”) and four containers of yogurt (“fruit on the bottom, please”

• Dallas Morning News - comments from an editor of Learning to Sing: "I edited an inspirational autobiography by pop singer Clay Aiken."
• Reuters India talks to Cathy Dennis, who co-wrote "I Will Carry You" -

  She also signed with "American Idol" producer 19 Entertainment, delivering hits for Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken.

• San Francisco Chronicle - the road to Idol success isn't an easy one to follow -

  And for the extremely rare few that survive the whole ordeal - Hollywood week, Simon Cowell, the embarrassing song and dance routines for the sponsors, the whims of voters, the demanding "American Idols Live!" tour - true success will most likely still lie out of reach. For every Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Clay Aiken, there are countless other high-ranking finalists who have long been relegated to rehab, singing at county fairs and the butt of pop culture trivia jokes (Hello, Sanjaya!).

• Lycos50 press release - Clay #3 on this week's list
• Mullet Wrapper - Taylor Hicks stars in Broadway - "Fantasia Barrino starred in The Color Purple, while Clay Aiken nabbed a recent role in Spamalot."
• Lake County News Sun - Josh Gracin performs at county fair -

  Grayslake "Idol": Country singer Josh Gracin, who made it to the Top 4 in season two of "American Idol" (with Clay Aiken, Kimberly Locke and Ruben Studdard), will perform July 26 with opening act Ashton Shepherd.
  

• There Was A Man - montage for the "Olympic Dream"
• There Was A Man - Clay calls for attention to Somalia on his UNICEF fact-finding mission