Tidbits 7/16

• Access Atlanta crunches American Idol winning single sales numbers -

  My numbers-obsessed friend Ken Barnes at USA Today posted the total sales of the various coronation songs here.. Given that back in 2002-03, most sales were CDs and now they are all downloads means a bit of an oranges to apples situation but Clay Aiken is at the top (and he didn’t even win!), followed by Kelly, Carrie and Ruben. Taylor is fifth but David Cook’s “This is My Time” will probably lapse it in a couple of weeks.
  

• Mullet Wrapper - Taylor Hicks follows idol footsteps to Broadway - "Fantasia Barrino starred in The Color Purple, while Clay Aiken nabbed a recent role in Spamalot."
• The Liberty Papers on why American Idol democracy doesn't exactly work -

  How have the results turned out? Well, not so stellar. Of all the American Idol alumni who are releasing records, the top two sellers are Idol winners, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. The next two highest on the list, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry, are non-winners. Being from different seasons than the above two, one can’t claim that they were “overshadowed” by the winner’s success. Following these two, in 5th and 6th place, are season 2 and 3 winners, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia. Given the length of time between their seasons and now, one can be sure that their album sales won’t climb much in the future– unlike Daughtry above them, who is still on an upward path in his career. In the case of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, Aiken– who finished runner-up to Studdard– has sold over 2 million more albums and his follow-up albums have peaked far higher on the charts than Studdard’s non-debut albums.
  

• Washington Post -

  Washington Post music critic J. Freedom du Lac is online every Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET to talk about the latest on the music scene: alternative, country, alt-country, pop, hyphy, harp-rock, reggae, reggaeton, R and B and whatever it is that Clay Aiken does.
  

• Clay's appeal for Somalia:
  • Something That Really Happened -

    Clay Aiken has been blogging about his recent trip to Somalia. So far, he has posted two blogs. The situation is dire. My heart goes out to the children. Here are some excerpts from the blogs, but be sure to click on the links for the blogs to read the rest of what he has to say as well as to see more pictures:

  • FlippinBirds
  • The ConCLAYve -

    UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken is continuing his work to promote support for the children of Somalia, following his recent trip to the northwestern region of Somaliland.
    
    In a blog entitled Somalia: Keep spreading the word, Aiken thanks donors for raising $50,000 for Somalia's children in the last six days, and challenges UNICEF supporters to take action in advocating for children.

  • There Was A Man -

    In light of Clay Aiken's recent trip to Somaliland on behalf of UNICEF, I would like to feature a 2005 documentary of Somaliland produced by BBC journalist Simon Reeve. Somaliland is a breakaway state that no one in the world recognizes as a legitimate land.

    
    

Tidbits 7/11

• Parade.com press release - a survey of summer pop culture -

  Speaking of American Idol, respondents' favorite AI songbird is Kelly Clarkson, who won with 53% of the vote when pitted against Carrie Underwood (47%). Chris Daughtry (51%) is the better rocker by a hair when compared to current champ David Cook (49%), and the better balladeer award goes to Clay Aiken (84%) over David Archuleta (16%). The clear winner in the soulful category is newly married Ruben Studdard (85%), who triumphed over Fantasia (15%).
  

• The Windy Citizen - random mention ... sports -

  Over at Bleed Cubbie Blue, commentors had plenty of ideas, but the best was probably Tom Selleck as Bob Brenly and Clay Aiken as Len Casper (even though that's somewhat unfair to Len). Now we just have to figure out who would play Pat Hughes and Ron Santo.

• Kennebec Journal - article about Neil Sedaka -

  Last fall, the Lincoln Center in New York City hosted a concert honoring him and his career. Guests included the Captain and Tennille -- the 70s duo that had a hit with "Love Will Keep Us Together" -- Natalie Cole, Connie Frances and "American Idol" champ Clay Aiken.

• Clay Aiken returns from UNICEF trip to Somalia - Something That Really Happened, The ConCLAYve, There Was A Man
  

Tidbits 6/27

• TampaBay.com - This story, A Clean Start For Violinist Stewart Kitts, by John Fleming, Times Performing Arts Critic, is about an exceptional concertmaster violinist who lost everything to a crack cocaine habit. He is recovering from this habit, and the story says,

  He played in the pit for a Camelot tour. He was concertmaster for The Nutcracker at Ruth Eckerd Hall. He played for Smokey Robinson, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Clay Aiken, Mannheim Steamroller and Bernadette Peters.

• newsjournal-online - The article, about weekend best bets says:

  Bandshell Live!, a Friday summer concert series, will feature the Beu Sisters in concert at the outdoor venue at 8 p.m. today.....They also opened a 2004 tour by "American Idol" stars Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken.

• WLKY.com - An article entitled 'American idol Comes to Louisville' says, "Thousands of Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken wannabes will descend on the River City when Fox's "American Idol" hosts auditions in Louisville next month."
• Phoenix New Times Music - American idol: Entertainment or Evil? by Serene Dominic has this to say about Clay and his fans:

  The "in your face" shelf life of most Idol grads is two years after the show. That's all we tolerated of Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, Mario Vazquez, and Katherine McPhee even without the ability to vote them off with anything but our indifference....The big exceptions have been Clay Aiken, whose Claymates still won't listen to reason after five years...

  I'll quote the lyrics from Clay's song "Ashes" in response to the statement, "Claymates still won't listen to reason...":

  Looking back I can see
  How the voice of reason
  Kept reminding me
  I was never good enough somehow
  Try and remind me now

Tidbits 5/28

• Clay's OMWH is #4 this week on HitPredictor, -'The "Hit Predictor" chart ranks the songs that tested the best in R&R's listener surveys (based on songs rated by promosquad.com members).'

  HitPredictor - Mainstream AC
  New releases that tested with hit potential prior to airplay, updated each Monday.
  
  BDS TW / Song Title / Label / Artist / HitPredictor Score [Note: BDS TW refers to This Week's R&R AC chart ranking, determined by # of spins]
  1 Love Song Epic Sara Bareilles 84.70
  3 Lost Reprise Michael Buble 82.50
  30 New Cinderella EMI Steven Curtis Chapman 81.40
  35 New On My Way Here RMG Clay Aiken 80.20

• Desert News - mention of the Independent Tour - "When Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson came to town during another concert, I reviewed the show and said I felt Clay had the better set. Well, the hate emails came in, and I even got three death threats."
• Foxes on Idol - Idol Watch -

  After a respectable start, Clay Aiken’s fourth album, On My Way Here, took a hit this week, selling just over 20,000 copies and dropping from #4 to #18 on the Billboard 200. The album came in at #6 on Top Digital Albums and #6 on Top Internet Albums. Obviously, the Claymates can only carry their man so far, and if sales are any reflection, their numbers appear to be dwindling. It’s too bad, because this is a solid effort on Clay’s part and has some really, really nice tracks that are both melodic and meaningful. This is the album he should have released third, that’s for sure.

• Philadelphia Weekly - Neil Diamond achieves chart success -

  Weirdly, Diamond never achieved tremendous sales with the sparkly stuff that’s occupied his discography over the last 40-plus years. Home Before Dark is his first ever chart-topping album. In fact, it entered the Billboard charts at No. 1, knocking down both Mariah and Clay Aiken as the first unexpected breakout of the summer. Not bad for a guy who’s been recording since before the Jurassic era.

• The ConCLAYve brings up some interesting points about how singles are selected for albums -

  I’m really curious as to how a record label selects a first single. In some situations the choice seems obvious, such as cases where a song is part of another medium such as a movie soundtrack or a television backdrop song. In other cases, what criteria is most important in this important selections? Other schools of thought are that the second single is the one to drive an album.
  
  I ask this question because of the current choice of single for Clay Aiken’s incredible album called On My Way Here. There are so many possibilities for a single choice from that album, many which are radio friendly and which also would raise an eyebrow or two from those who associate Clay with ballads.

Amazon Presents Clay's "List of Music You Should Hear"

Amazon.com is sponsoring a page where Clay lists "music you should hear". Some of the tracks Clay mentioned by name include:

• "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman from the album, This Moment - “I've been a fan of his as long as I can remember. It's great that he's getting airplay on mainstream radio with this song.”
• "Fall" by Kimberly Locke from the album, Based On A True Story - “We did American Idol together and I think she is just awesome all around.”
• "Everything" by Michael Buble from the album, Call Me Irresponsible – “A wonderful singer, just a classic.”
• "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles from the album, Little Voice - “That's one of those great catchy songs that you just seem to hear everywhere and can't get out of your head.”
• "Because of You" by Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson from the album, Reba Duets – “What's not to like? Two powerhouses together on a great song."

The page also has a short bio about Clay:

When Clay began the search for songs to record for Aiken’s first album of original material since his 2003 chart-topping debut, Measure Of A Man, he fell in love with a song written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan “Alias” Tedder called “On My Way Here.” The message of the lyrics — how the lessons we learn while growing up shape us into who we become as adults — struck such a deep chord with Aiken that it wound up inspiring the theme (and title) of his new collection, On My Way Here

Tidbits 4/4

• Playbill's National Magazine has the "It Takes Two" article about Clay (that was in the Spamalot Playbill) in their March 31 magazine. Clay is also mentioned on the cover as "Idol no More". You should be able to find one at a bookstore in your area.
• Florida Times Union - Josh Gracin giving free concert in Florida tonight -

  Meanwhile, Josh Gracin plays a free concert tonight at The Jacksonville Landing. Gracin came in fourth in Idol's second season (the Ruben Studdard/Clay Aiken year.) Stacey was in the Navy during his Idol days; Gracin was in the Marines. Gracin got out soon afterward, and his self-titled debut album went to No. 2 on the country charts. His second CD, We Weren't Crazy, was released this week.

• Crossville Chronicle - AI transforms "some average American" into stars -

  Maybe it is just nice to see that some average American can become America's next biggest star. Just look at what the vehicle known as American Idol has done for Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson, just to name a few.

• USA Today grades the Idols -

  Clay Aiken
  
  •Evaluation: Ruben Studdard's runner-up enjoyed huge popularity initially with early singles and debut album Measure of a Man, but sales have steadily fallen. While mainstream support has eroded, Claymates remain ferociously loyal, and the geeky popster's odd projects and antics keep him in the headlines (a memoir, Spamalot role, in-flight tiff).
  
  •Needs to improve: In his easy-listening niche, he'll always be second banana to Barry Manilow unless his songs and performances vastly sharpen. A new album arrives May 6
  
  Sales: A+*
  Airplay: C-
  Artistic merit: C-
  Celebrity value: B+
  Overall: B-
  *Grade predates alarming dropoff

• Anew and Afresh - Wednesday wanderings includes updates on new album
  

Tidbits 3/30

• About.com - Clay Aiken ready to release new album -

  With the upcoming album On My Way Here, due in stores May 6, 2008, Clay Aiken fans will get what they've been looking for a long time, an album of original material. His last album, A Thousand Different Ways, disappointed many fans due to the fact it was loaded with covers of popular love songs. The albums sales were lackluster, and, with the assistance of producer Mark "Kipper" Eldridge, Aiken has decided to head in a different direction this time out.
  
  On his official web site, Clay Aiken discusses how a song from OneRepublic's leader Ryan Tedder set the tone for his new album. The song deals with the shaping of our adult lives by lessons we learn growing up. "“I thought if we could find songs along those lines, that deal with my life over the past five years and what I’ve learned from my experiences, it would be a great concept for an album." Check out the link below at AOL Music where Clay discusses working with his producer.
  

• Amazon.com - The listing of tracks for On My Way Here are now up at amazon.com. No snippets yet.
  
  
  
  
• For those who are inclined to vote, here are a few polls for you to vote in:
  
  
  • Votenumber1.com - Vote here for your favorite past American Idol. The top four vote-getters are now up at their site. Here are the poll results as of Sunday afternoon:
    
    Chris Daughtry - 27.69%
    Clay Aiken - 25.11%
    Carry Underwood - 24.07%
    Kelly Clarkston - 23.13%
    
    Note that though Clay is in 2nd place, behind Chris by just over 2%, he is listed as #4 on the voting list. You can vote once per day per computer. Only about 4.5% separates all 4 idols.
    
    
  • American Idol Music.com - "Whose your fav?" asks this poll at American Idol Music. Note that you have to scroll down inside the poll box to the last idol, who is Clay. He does not show on the screen until you poll down. Right now he has a huge lead with about 67% of the vote. Still a little extra cushion doesn't hurt, so get those votes in!
    
• Lycos 50 - Don't forget to search for Clay at Lycos 50. Clay dropped from #3 to #6 this past week. Let's keep searching and move him back up!
• Louisville Courier Journal - not really sure where this comes from ... but, "Will someone please finish one of these Joplin movies before rumors start flying that Clay Aiken and/or Bucky Covington will be playing the troubled legend?"

• The ConCLAYve asks why it took 5 whole years for RCA to get a new original album out from Clay -

  Clay Aiken is releasing a highly anticipated album of original material on May 6th. The album called “On My Way Here” is produced by Grammy award winner, Kipper who is best known for his work with Sting and Chris Botti. The core fandom and likely even the casual fans who first met Clay on American Idol five years ago have been waiting for an album like this for a long time. It is an album that reflects Clay and his journey. It is an album where he had more control over song choice and sound. So, why did it take so long to get this album? Well, to understand that, first let me tell you a story.

Tidbits 3/24

• Orlando Sentinel reviews Spamalot -

  The show became known as the nucleus of all things Python -- the annoying French people, the killer rabbits, the Knights Who Say Ni!
  
  On Broadway, it has also become a hotbed of creative casting. As King Arthur, actor Tim Curry was succeeded by, among various Broadway notables, Simon Russell Beale, the reigning king of high-toned British theater. (People said he was a riot.) And David Hyde Pierce, who played Sir Robin, handed down his mantle to Clay Aiken.
  

• AZCentral.com - Clay Aiken ready to launch new album -

  Clay Aiken new CD arrives in May
  Billboard.com
  Mar. 24, 2008 03:20 PM
  NEW YORK - Just as his stint starring in the Broadway hit "Spamalot" concludes, Clay Aiken will return with his first album of entirely new material since 2003's "Measure of a Man."
  
  Due May 6, Aiken's "On My Way Here" was produced by Kipper, best known for his work with Sting and Chris Botti. The album will likely include the title track and a song called "Ashes," but no other details about the project have yet been made available.

• Access Atlanta - Claymates, rejoyce! New album from Clay dropping in May -

  * And yes, here’s the new Clay Aiken cover. His album “On My Way Here” is out May 6. Here’s modest info from Billboard.com, Claymates!:
  
  Aiken’s “On My Way Here” was produced by Kipper, best known for his work with Sting and Chris Botti. The album will likely include the title track and a song called “Ashes,” but no other details about the project have yet been made available.
  
  Let’s just hope he doesn’t rely too much on covers and focuses on some original stuff to build his own portfolio.
  

• AntiMusic - Clay to release new album in May -

  American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken will soon be able to judge the measure of his fans devotion when he releases his first album consisting of all new material in five years. Who are we kidding? If we know anything about Aiken's rabid fans, then we know that the five year wait has probably only made them more hungry for new material from the pop star.
  
  Very few details about the effort are known, but according to reports, the new album titled, "On My Way Here," is set to hit stores on May 6th and is being produced by Kipper (Sting and Chris Botti). The CD will also reportedly include the title track and a song called "Ashes".
  

• Broadway.com - Bradley Dean ready to join Spamalot -

  Dean joins a cast that includes Jonathan Hadary, Hannah Waddingham, Clay Aiken, Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, David Hibbard and Brad Oscar.

• Manchester Evening News - Kelly Clarkson ready to make fourth album, as Clay readies fourth album for May release -

  She is, in fact, the first Idol contestant to make it this far (season two runner-up, Clay Aiken's `fourth' was in fact a four-track EP of Christmas songs) and is over two million sales clear of her nearest Idol rival, season four winner Carrie Underwood.
  

• Calgary Sun - stars flock to TV sitcoms -

  Paris Hilton (pre-incarceration) marked time on Veronica Mars, The O.C. and George Lopez; American Idol runnerup Clay Aiken appeared on Scrubs, and late last summer Britney's ex, Kevin Federline, made some chat room waves of his own after it was announced he landed a recurring role on One Tree Hill.
  

• American Idol commentary mentions Clay:
• Yahoo! Music - American Idol looking to re-instate the "wildcard"? Well, kinda-

  Yes, the last-gasp policy that once rescued Clay Aiken from premature obscurity may now save another gone-too-soon singer. See, according to rampant messageboard postings across this great Interweb of ours, five semi-finalists who failed to make the top 10 will return to the American Idol stage for the April 9th Idol Gives Back charity special....on which they will battle for a wild-card slot on this summer's American Idol concert tour!
  

• Chicago Tribune - David Archuleta a favorite to win AI-

  David Archuleta
  
  This baby-faced, 17-year-old singer is cuter than a basket of puppies — puppies made of rainbows! Whether or not he wins, he could be the next Clay Aiken — a talented belter with a rabid fan base. But as the judges have said, he needs to take a few risks and venture outside his sweet-and-safe comfort zone. How about trying something just a little more rock ’n’ roll?

• TV Envy -

  American Idol (FOX, 9pm): ”Kimberley Locke performs ‘Fall’ and one of the 10 is sent home.” I just recently saw Locke diss Clay Aiken on Perez Hilton’s show. I’m liking her more and more every day.

• The New York Observer - Kimberley Locke on American Idol this Wednesday-

  Kimberley Locke’s on Idol (Fox, 9 p.m.). Who’s Kimberley Locke? She’s the one who came in third place behind Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard in the 2003 incarnation of the show. Oh, right … Nope, still nothing.
  

• Nothing here today
  

Tidbits 3/18

• NYC Official City Guide:

  You might also want to make note of two newsworthy Broadway debuts: Clay Aiken, currently starting as Sir Robin in Spamalot, and Mario Lopez, who joins the cast of A Chorus Line in the role of Zach on April 15th.

• Seattlepi.com: In a blog called Ear Candy with Travis Hay is an article called "30 things you likely don't know about Ear Candy". Clay is mentioned as follows:

  15. Albums in my record collection I won't ever own up to owning: Ethel Merman's disco album, Ashleee Simpson's "Autobiography" and Clay Aiken's "Measure of a Man."

• The Buffalo News Entertainment - In "Idol Thoughts: Handicapping The Finalists", Clay has a couple of mentions:

  Season One’s Kelly Clarkson and Season Four’s Carrie Underwood, arguably the best “Idol” singers so far, made it big, and the hotly contested Ruben Studdard- Clay Aiken finals raised “Idol” buzz to new heights....And also-rans have done well. Aiken plays Sir Robin in “Spamalot” on Broadway, Jennifer Hudson collected a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Dreamgirls,” and Chris Daughtry’s first album was the fastest-selling debut rock album ever.

Tidbits 2/21

• Parade Magazine - the Bubel Aiken Foundation will receive $1000 for its participation in the recent America's Giving Challenge.
• More Clay mentions in American Idol commentary:
• OC Register -

  And it's not just the winners. Diana DeGarmo was a veteran TV actress and performer. Clay Aiken recorded three demo albums. Katharine McPhee was a successful stage actress and singer. Ace Young opened for Brian McKnight and New Edition.

• Rolling Stone ... "4. Alexandréa Lushington needs to adjust her sassy meter to somewhere between Danny Noriega and Clay Aiken." One commenter notes,

  Clay AIken would Kill this group, He knew how to play the game and played it to perfection. In 5 years this group will be forgotten, as quickly as Season 6,

• Bradenton Herald -

  More than 28 million viewers watch "American Idol" each week, according to Nielsen ratings. In the past, the show has churned out stars such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood.

• Smyrna Clayton Sun Times -

  Archuleta made the top 24, as did fellow 17-year-old Colton Berry, while Leming, and Baines were sent home. Baines, however, is one of 10 alternates; if any of the top 24 has to bow out of the competition, he could be invited back to Hollywood. Clay Aiken, runner-up from Season 2, was an alternate.

• Access Atlanta / Atlanta Journal Constitution - Idol sales report ... tiny Clay mention for ATDW.... sitting at 523k.
  
• North Texas Daily -

  I don't know if I can stomach any more awful singing from this show. While I've enjoyed the musical styles of Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood, I think this season might produce the likes of Clay Aiken, Fantasia or Taylor Hicks.
  

• Newsday interviews David Morse, who played in "Disturbia" and "The Green Mile", and is now on Broadway -

  For crying out loud, Clay Aiken's over here in "Spamalot," and when he , that alley is filled with screaming people. Y'know, we've got plenty of people outside our stage door each night who are excited and want autographs, but that kind of mob mentality ... there are people who live with that every single day, that kind of crush wherever you go. That's not a way I want to live a life.

• Boston College - BC Heights - random mention ...

  The Somerville Theatre is not your typical alternative concert venue. But then, the Magnetic Fields are anything but typical. I took my seat (at an altitude that makes the stage swirl) in the cramped balcony and awkwardly positioned myself for a long wait. The seats filled up with hipsters, and I was seated next to a 30-something couple that seemed out of place. I knew I was in for a fun evening when the gentleman explained to his wife and I, "See, all the cheap seats fill up with cool people. I bet all of these 'kids' despise Clay Aiken and his lot." An odd choice, but right you are, sir.

• Lycos press release about the Lycos50 -

  The Lycos 50(TM) Top 10 Search Terms for the Week Ending Feb. 16, 2008: 1) Valentine 6) Britney Spears 2) Poker 7) Paris Hilton 3) Clay Aiken 8) Pamela Anderson 4) YouTube 9) Pokemon 5) Naruto 10) Disney
  

Tidbits 1/31

• Great Clay mention on Ellen today - From the CB's maidenfreckledpaleface -

  Haven't seen this anywhere on here ----- I'm not usually home to see Ellen but yesterday she did a game with 2 audience members---they had to guess different "grammy nominated" artists from her descriptions of them.
  
  One player had to guess Chris Daughtery --- Ellen's clue was something like "he didn't win American Idol, but he's done really well any way..."
  and the player automatically blurted out "Clay Aiken" (pretty enthusiastically I might add) She never did get the correct answer -- I think it was on the tip of her tongue after a couple more clues, but we all know what happens once you've thought of Clay, the train just sort of derails!!!!
  

• Los Angeles Times comments on American Idol -

  “Every season’s first episode brings a lurch to the stomach. We see these 24 unformed, rough talents and the question looms heavy in the ether: is there a Kelly Clarkson among this crowd? Can the next Clay Aiken be hanging over that railing before us?

• Buddy TV - American Idol top 24 partially leaked -

  Carly Smithson (formerly Carly Hennesy): This is the tattooed Irish lady. She tried out a couple of seasons ago, but was expelled due to visa issues. She recorded an album for RCA that sold very poorly in the U.S. One of the songwriters on her album has also written songs for Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken.

• Bluff County Newspapers - post-Christmas shopping spree! "The book has made me laugh out loud as Kathy meets her Clay Aiken-obsessed roommate and relives the Friday night keg parties. "
• Burlington Free Press - random mention ... sports ... "And your coach, Bill "Sacks, Lies and Videotape" Belichick, makes Tom Coughlin look like Clay Aiken."
  
• MTV - Clay tired of questions about his personal life -

  Former "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken, who has faced questions about his sexuality since entering the spotlight more than four years ago, recently told New York magazine that not only is he sick of answering questions about his preferences, he's tired of thinking about something that he simply doesn't have time for.

• Buddy TV - American Idol winners fade quickly, except Kelly, Carrie, Chris and Clay -

  The judges have been doing this for six-plus years now, and aside from the money, they have no real reason to get out of bed. Look at the track record: Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are the only two winners with any sort of legitimate career. Losers Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry are the next closest.

• Nothing here today
  

Tidbits 1/8

• Manchester Evening News interviews Kelly Clarkson -

  She is, in fact, the first Idol contestant to make it this far (season two runner-up, Clay Aiken's `fourth' was in fact a four-track EP of Christmas songs) and is over two million sales clear of her nearest Idol rival, season four winner Carrie Underwood.

• Arizona Daily Star - internet users searching for Clay Aiken on Lycos -

  On the lighter side in the subcategories, the most-searched-for male of 2007 was Clay Aiken. Britney Spears earned top billing among women. "Dancing with the Stars" was the hottest show on television, and Green Day drew the most interest in the music category.

• BloggingStocks - American Idol Taylor Hicks loses record contract -

  For those keeping score at home, that's two male winners in six seasons, both of whom are struggling for relevance. Other male runners up (most notably Chris Daughtry and Clay Aiken) have enjoyed better success than their rivals who supposedly earned more votes from Idol viewers.

• BloggingStocks on what AI can teach you about "solar stocks" -

  Each industry has its stars: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken -- as determined by album sales -- for American Idol, First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), Sunpower (NASDAQ: SPWR) and MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR) -- as determined by stock performance

• Anew and Afresh - Clay looking mighty fine at Golfing For Inclusion event in Florida

Tidbits 12/13

LBFCA - Clay Aiken is the "Jingle Jazz Man!"
Check out the Broads' hilarious adaptation of Clay's Jazzy Christmas medley

• On NBC's Today Show - Heartsaiken4ca posted the following Clay mention at The Clayboard:

  My friend called tonight to tell me she saw a young boy, about 6 or 8, sing on the Today Show today. They compared him to Frank Sinatra and Clay Aiken and even showed a side-by-side picture of Clay and Frank.

• Reality TV World - disappointing sales figures for Blake Lewis -

  Clay Aiken's October 2003 debut "Measure of a Man" remains the highest-selling Idol runner-up debut. It moved 613,000 copies and dropped at No. 1 on The Billboard 200.
  

• USA Today - new Christmas classics include "Mary, Did You Know" -

  Nashville songwriter Buddy Greene says his 1992 Christmas song, Mary, Did You Know?, which he wrote with Mark Lowry, accounts for "the vast majority" of his songwriting income.
  
  Greene recently searched for the song on iTunes and found approximately 150 versions, including covers by Kenny Rogers, Natalie Cole, Reba McEntire and Clay Aiken. "At that point, I figured I'd better quit counting my blessings."
  

• New York Post - American Idol CD sales down, down... way down:

  Hicks, winner of "Idol" season 5, sold 298,000 copies of his debut in its opening week, but just under 700,000 copies in total, according to Nielsen SoundScan. McPhee, the runner-up, sold 116,000 copies of her debut album in its first week and just 362,000 copies overall.
  
  That's a far cry from the debut of original "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, who has sold over 3 million copies, or the 2005 debut of season four champ Carrie Underwood, whose "Some Hearts," has sold close to 6 million copies. And, season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken has sold 3 million copies of his debut.
  

• Washington Post - Clay Aiken to join cast of "Spamalot" -

  Former "American Idol" star Clay Aiken joins the Broadway cast next month, and limited premium seats at the National are priced at more than $175. (When did that Broadway habit migrate our way?) That's the Rialto, and it hardly kills the savvy joy of "Spamalot."

• E! Online - another Spamalot mention ...

  At the same time, I was told Ms. Ramirez had expressed some reservations about American Idol wannabe and Broadway virgin Clay Aiken joining the cast in January as Sir Robin. Aiken’s gig runs from Jan. 18 to May 4. The role was originated by David Hyde Pierce.

• Daily Press on Chicken Soup for the American Idol Lover's Soul -

  "Chicken Soup for the 'American Idol' Soul" (HCI, $14.95). This installment of the popular series also features stories from "American Idol" producers and fans as well as other contestants, including Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken.

• Scranton Times Tribune - local musician passes away ... "He started the Lee Vincent Orchestra in 1946, and still helped book musicians for performers until his death. Members of his band played alongside Clay Aiken on Dec. 4."
• Wilkes Barres Times Leader ... another article about Lee Vincent's passing -

  Most recently, Thomas talked with Vincent because the Lee Vincent Orchestra backed Clay Aiken during his performance at the Kirby Center on Dec. 4.
  

• Christmas tour mentions:
• Southtown Star
• Akron Beacon Journal

• Nothing here today
  

Tidbits 12/6

• Massachusetts Republican - Clay prepares for another Christmas show -

  When Clay Aiken's record company proposed the idea of recording a Christmas album, he was hesitant at first.
  
  "My first response was that I would love to do one, but not just yet," said Aiken, who is bringing his Christmas in the Heartland tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday.
  
  "I had just released my first album and thought we should give it a year, with another album in between," said the popular "American Idol" finalist.
  
  But as powerful record companies often do, they prevailed.
  
  "They were very adamant in feeling that this was the time to do it, and it did work out well," said the singer, whose voice thrilled millions of Americans who watched the performer rise to the top on year two of "American Idol."
  
  And, so, on Nov. 16, 2004, RCA Records released Aiken's "Merry Christmas With Love," which set a record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and tied Celine Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of Billboard magazine. The album went on to sell more than 1 million copies in six weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004.

• Broadcasting & Cable - not sure where they got the idea Clay has won a Golden Globe, in this article about Grammy nominations which came out today -

  The list of Idol alumni who have turned their music into gold continues to grow, and it includes multiple Grammy winners Kelly Clarkson and Underwood, Oscar and Golden Globes winner Jennifer Hudson and Clay Aiken.
  

• Christmas tour mentions:
• Hartford Courant -

  Two former "American Idol" contestants perform at Connecticut casinos this Sunday in 7 p.m. shows: Clay Aiken at Mohegan Sun and Chris Daughtry at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
  
  Aiken performs "Christmas in the Heartland," a show featuring classic holiday favorites and selections from his album, "Merry Christmas With Love" as a part of his fourth annual Christmas tour. The show is at the Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or www.mohegansun.com.

• Philadelphia Inquirer -

  State Theatre Center For The Arts
  453 Northampton St., Easton; 610-252-3132. www.statetheatre.org. Jimmy Sturr Holiday Spectacular. $31-$38. 12/8 3 pm. Clay Aiken Christmas Show. $65-$100. 12/12 8 pm.

• Philiadelphia Inquirer - another article ...

  Acts from the Blind Boys of Alabama to Clay Aiken will put their own spin on the music of the season in coming weeks, but it's doubtful any of them will match the rowdiness of Marah's annual TLA Christmas show, which takes place tomorrow. Tidings of joy might not seem to jibe with the bar-band grit of the typical Marah song, but guitarist Serge Bielanko says he and his brother, Dave, "have been Christmas freaks since we were little kids."
  

• Albany Times Union has a rehashed version of the Houston Chronicle interview from this summer.

  "I'm never going to be, and I'm fine with that. We all must embrace our inner dork," he said in July.
  
  Aiken, who brings his Christmas show Friday to Palace Theatre, has still managed a successful post-"American Idol" career as the soundtrack of choice for enthusiastic grandmothers.
  
  "People always come up to me and say, 'My grandmother's your biggest fan,' " said Aiken, who just turned 29. "There's a misconception among these ladies that I'm cool and hip and now. And they think that by liking me, it makes them cool and hip and now.

• Fairfield University Mirror - "American Idol Clay Aiken will be at Mohegan Sun on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35."
  
• Ohio.com - Idol show outshines its stars - Jordin Sparks ...
  

  It's all very professional and solidly constructed, and Sparks' voice sounds fine throughout, but just as Clay Aiken's Measure of A Man seemed devoid of any actual Clay-ness, Jordin Sparks could have been made any of a 1,000 decent singers.

• Boston College - BC Heights - review of Blake Lewis' debut CD... not sure what they mean by "untouched on the shelves" when Clay's album sales are in excess of 4.5 million.
  

  Blake lets the music come naturally, skillfully utilizing contemporary elements to showcase his best assets. Despite these two tracks, Audio Day Dream will probably be left dusty and untouched on the shelves of Best Buy, next to those of predecessors Justin Guarini and Clay Aiken.

• NOW Toronto - random mention in review of Peter Pan show.
• Georgetown Independent - another not very good mention: "After a few generically up-tempo offerings to get your toes tapping, the album vomits up an atrocity of a ballad entitled "Top of the Hill" that makes Clay Aiken's most saccharine shite seem urbane by comparison. "

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Tidbits 11/1

A new billboard with Clay 's photo is gracing the Las Vegas skyline tonight, as the countdown to the taping of NBC's Holiday Celebrations on Ice hits the home stretch. The special TV Christmas special, with Clay being the exclusive music guest, will be taped at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday November 6. NBC will air the special on Christmas day.

• Access Hollywood had a 2 second blurb about Clay on "5th Grader" during today's show. Cap is available at SendSpace courtesy gerwhisp.
  
• Reality TV World - Carrie Underwood posts impressive first week sales, but fails to surpass Clay's 613K:

  Due to "Carnival Ride's" first-week success, Underwood became the first former Idol champ to post a debut sales week of more than 500,000 copies and was also the first to have his or her second album outsell their debut, according to Daily Variety. (American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, remains Idol's all-time debut week sales champ. "Measure of a Man," his 2003 debut album, sold 613,000 copies in its first week of release.)
  

• Niagara Gazette - Clay mention in Chris Daughtry article -
  

  Davis is, of course, is the head of RCA Records and one of music’s legendary record executives. He’s had huge success in signing other “Idol” winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Fantasia Burrino. He certainly must have recognized that the groundswell of support for Daughtry — and the publicity that surrounded his departure from the “Idol” competition — made the singer a hot commodity.
  

• Clay joins Spamalot:
• Broadway World -

  Break a leg to Clay Aiken as he prepares to join the Broadway company of Spamalot. Actually, I hear that putting new actors into Spamalot is quite easy. They just push them on stage and tell them to just repeat everything the audience yells out.
  

• Christmas tour mentions:
  
• Poughkeepsie Journal - They call Clay a heartthrob!! Also here is info about purchasing tickets:

  American Idol heartthrob Clay Aiken will perform at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie Dec. 8, with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic.
  
  Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday and cost $56.50 for gold circle seats and $47 and $41 for reserved seats. Tickets can be purchased at the Civic Center box office, 14 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie; and Ticketmaster, which can be reached at 845-454-3388 and www.ticketmaster.com.

• Akron Beacon Journal -

  Also on the holiday concert trail is Clay Aiken, whose 2004 holiday album was given the more creative title Merry Christmas With Love. The American Idol runner-up (as he apparently will be forever known, even as we collectively forget the guy to whom he lost) will be playing at Cleveland's Playhouse Square on Dec. 17, backed by a 45-piece orchestra.

• Citizen's Voice
  
• FemmeFan.com - fiddler shared the stage with Clay -

  Fiddle player Jennifer Spingola has been trained in classical music on both violin and piano. She tours with Dee Snider of Twister Sister fame on his Van Helsing's Curse production. She has shared the stage with legendary guitarist Steve Vai and former American Idols Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson.

• Southern Girl - Clay on "5th Grader"
  

The Votes Are In for USA Today's Ultimate Idol and Clay Finishes 3rd

For most of the summer, readers of USA Today's Idol Chatter Blog have been voting for their favorite Idol in their Revisionist Idol contest. USA Today announced the winner of the contest along with the order of the remaining idols. Coming in first and second place were Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Clay's ranking was 3rd.

USA Today says about the ranking system:

Voters were asked to choose their favorite 10 Idols from a list of 15 and rank them in order. First place votes received 10 points, second place got 9, down to 1 point for a 10th place vote.

The top four winners in the rankings also have had the most sales of their CD's. Clay's Measure of a Man has sold about 2.8 million.

USA Today also mentions as a side note to the article that in the revisionist votes, four of the idols who did not win their seasons would have won according to these votes...Bo Bice, Eliott Yamin, Melinda Doolittle, and Clay Aiken.

Tidbits 10/5

• Entertainment Tonight - their story about Clay's appearance at Jenna Bush's book launch earlier this week is the most emailed story today ... who says that Clay mania has died down?
  
• ESPN - nice Clay reference in sports article -

  Neither Clay Aiken nor Chris Daughtry won "American Idol," and yet I'd say platinum records are pretty good spoils. If I could score that kind of spoilage by finishing second (or fifth) in my main league, I'd be rich by now.
  

• Idol Stalker - Its Clay Aiken Day again on Idolstalker.com and some of the fans have sent in YouTube videos of Clay. One video is called Let's Do The Time Warp and the other, Footloose. Also sent in was Clay's Entertainment Tonight interview and a picture of Clay.
• TUSKmag.com - Chris Daughtry joins American Idol elite -

  As leader of the band that bears his name, he cut a debut album late last year that’s hit No. 1 for two weeks on Billboard, joining fellow “Idol" alumnae Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken -- all of them either winners or first runners-up -- in that pantheon.

• Salt Lake Deseret News on "scary ... extreme fans" -

  A few years ago, I reviewed the Kelly Clarkson/Clay Aiken concert in what used to be the Delta Center (now the EnergySolutions Arena). I wrote that Clay put on a better show than Kelly.
  
  Oh, man, did that open the floodgates. Kelly Clarkson fans bombarded me with e-mails. Even fans who didn't attend the show took me to task. "I've seen her before and know you are wrong" is an example of the e-mails I received.

• Christmas tour mentions:
• Wichita Eagle
• Times Herald-Record
• Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
• Lowell Sun - former AI2 contestant headlines "Circus 2.0" show -

  The pert, petite headliner, was one of the top 30 contestants in American Idol's second season that produced winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken.
  

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay ready to make big appearance on "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"
• Clayigraphy - Clay Aiken Christmas tour brings out Christmas memories -

  So Clay has announced his latest contest! And we should all write down our favorite holiday memories in 20 sentences or less and then submit them. The winners will then be invited to present their special and unique memories on stage during his upcoming Holiday tour.

Tidbits 8/14

• WRAL - the coolest places in and around Raleigh ... Clay's house is listed... but WRAL seems to have forgotten that Clay already gave their Lynda Loveland a tour of his house last year:

  Where Should We Go Next? Tell Us
  
  We’ve scoped out some more architectural and decorative gems, but we want you to tell us where we should knock next. Shoot us an e-mail and we’ll do our best to take Knock, Knock’s camera and crew inside.
  
  Here's some of our viewer suggestions to date: The Mormon temple in Apex, The Umstead hotel in Cary, homes on Lakeview Drive in Raleigh, River Mill condos off Falls of the Neuse, the American Tobacco complex, Gimghoul Castle in Chapel Hill, 318 E. Davie St. in Raleigh, and Clay Aiken's house in Wake County. Keep the ideas coming.
  

• Well, it appears "Idol: The Musical" is more popular than ever... after it was cancelled on its opening night:
• Reuters wire story -

  A musical inspired by the hit reality television show "American Idol" has been voted off the stage in New York -- closing one day after officially opening off Broadway.

• CBC.ca -

  It may be a television blockbuster but an off-Broadway musical inspired by hit TV singing contest American Idol hasn't won any fans.
  
  Sunday's opening night of Idol: The Musical was also its closing night.
  
  Dubbed a "satirical musical comedy," Idol: The Musical told the story of an eclectic band of high schoolers who are united by their passion for American Idol and devotion to past runner-up Clay Aiken. The misfits are delighted when they hear the pop crooner is set to visit their town during an Idol tour.
  
  The musical was scrapped following 47 preview performances and one regular show.

• New Yorker Magazine -

  Voted Off: An American Idol–themed, Clay Aiken–worshipping Off Broadway musical leaves the stage today after just one night at the 45th Street Theater. Producer Todd Ellis cites a “lack of advance ticket sales, a lack of positive feedback from audience members and critics and a lack of sustainable financial resources.” So apart from those things, it was a smashing success.
  

• More... but no Clay mentions: BBC News, ABC News Australia
  
• Ohio State University's The Lantern interviews AI6 idols -

  Since 2002, "American Idol" has been responsible for majority of the hits on the radio. From season one winner Kelly Clarkson dominating the charts, to Carrie Underwood, to even Clay Aiken.

• Naples News - another AI article -

  And you can’t get more famous than the contestants on "American Idol." Still a ratings juggernaut after six seasons, the show has created one legitimate star, (Kelly Clarkson) a handful of surprising success stories (Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson) and a fair share of flashes in the pan (Justin Guarini, anyone?).
  

• Livingston Daily - singer lists Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson as influences -

  Aside from Bennett, Mentley listed singers Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Judy Garland and Josh Groban among her other musical influences.
  
  ...
  
  Favorite singers: Judy Garland, Josh Groban, Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken. "They all have such powerful, rich voices," according to Mentley.
  

• New York Daily News - the "Kelly Ripa" fiasco from last year surfaces again... isn't it time to give it a rest??? -

  Hottie Enrique Iglesias was in NYC yesterday to guest-host "Live With Regis and Kelly" alongside Ms. Ripa. We're betting this more than makes up for the Clay Aiken incident.

• Carolina On My Mind - tour hits an emotional week in NC; Claymates continue sharing clack, reports through the so-called "Aiken network" (love the sound of that!)
  

Tidbits 8/9

• Concert mentions:
• Tampa Bay Observer - "Clay Aiken: Aug. 17, Morsani Hall, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.; $55.50-$75.50 (B) or (F)"
• Bradenton Herald
• University of Georgia, Red & Black
  
• National Ledger - mention of the LA Greek Theatre auction Clay donated some items to.The funds being raised are helping rebuild LA's fire destroyed Griffith Park -

  GGD were followed by other acts, including Tony Bennett, Clay Aiken and Los Lonely Boys, in setting up concerts to aid the wounded park.

• York News Times - nice Clay mention in this article about Pat Benatar ... "She was our American Idol long before Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken were even born."
• St. Louis Post Dispatch - American Idol tour article...

  Watching new champ Jordin Sparks and runner-up Blake Lewis duke it out proved to be considerably less interesting than Ruben Studdard vs. Clay Aiken or Carrie Underwood vs. Bo Bice.

• Charleston Post Courier - AI auditions... "The show, which made its debut in June 2002, has fostered the careers of several previously unknown talents, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry."
  
• Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram - article about an AI2 top 32 semifinalist... mentions being in the same group as Clay during AI2 - "Fuentes was in the top 32 semifinalists of season 2 of American Idol. Her semifinalist group of eight included season winner Ruben Studdard, as well as Clay Aiken and Kimberley Locke, who came in second and third."
  

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Kelly Clarkson Spotted at LA Concert

Kelly Clarkson was spotted showing Clay her support at Clay's Los Angeles show last night. Reports indicate she was seated in a box seat about half way up. The photo above was taken backstage.

In July 2006, Clay and Ruben attended Kelly's show in Raleigh and spent some time afterwards at Clay's house... it's nice to see the two former tour-mates are still in touch!