Tidbits 9/5

• The producers of Saturday Night Live are working to release a CD compilation which MAY feature Clay's performances of "Invisible" and "The Way" on SNL back in 2004.... nothing confirmed yet, according to this Billboard.biz article.

  The first "Saturday Night Live" CD of live performances in nearly 10 years will be sold exclusively at Target retail stores, Billboard.biz has learned.
  
  Priced at $13.98, "Live From SNL! Music Performances From Saturday Night Live" will become available nationwide Sept. 9. Culled from the show's last four seasons (2003/04 - 2006/07), the 11-track compilation features performances by Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Foo Fighters and others. Distributed by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the CD is produced by Broadway Video Entertainment and NBC Universal Video, Music & Product Development.
  
  While the upcoming "Live From SNL! Music Performances From Saturday Night Live" focuses on rock performances, Hill says NBC Universal is already eyeing separate pop and R&B/hip-hop SNL compilations. A DVD component is also in the works.
  

• Harness Link - (non Clay) ... racing horse "Aiken for Clay" -

  Aiken For Clay was the first of the fillies to reach the winners circle in NYSS action when Jimmy Morrill, Jr. drive her to a 2:00:1 victory over Chippawa Street (Ray Schnittker) in the second race on the Tuesday card. Owned by Libfeld, Katz & Goldband , Aiken For Clay is a daughter of Conway Hall.

• dBusinessNews - Raleigh's Stanley Dentistry launches new website... (they gave Clay some teeth cleaning earlier this year... see the May 2007 Kimmel appearance to see Clay show off his new teeth) -

  Dr. Bobbi Stanley was chosen as the “2007 Best Cosmetic Dentist in Western Wake County” and has performed “smile makeovers” on several well-known celebrities including “American Idol”, Clay Aiken.

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• Taking A Moment - The question we all want answers to ... Where is Clay?

  Is he recording the new cd? He might be in the studio right now, with his mouth pressed up against a microphone, breathing hot and heavy, wailing away with his eyes closed and his head thrown back and his mouth open so that anybody off the street could gawk at his tonsils if they wanted to, and some people might want to do that really bad, and there's nothing wrong with that and it's NOT unnatural and it's no reason to shun somebody or call them names like "weirdo" or "freak" so just back off, buddy. I have a tongue scraper and I know how to use it.

• The ConCLAYve on the problem with radio and why it's a dying format -

  And the songs? I asked my teenage daughter the other day as she assaulted the inside of my car with a Top 40 station "Do all male singers on the radio whine their songs?" Nan says that the women all sing in this kind of whispery voice as if they are trying out for a 1-900 line.
  
  But here's the deal. Audience listening has dropped 30% and that means people aren't listening at all, not just station hopping. It's because, in addition to internet available music and portable music via ipods and mp3s, people are probably sick of the same old crap.

Tidbits 8/23

• Clay blogged yesterday after reading that Raleigh News & Observer article which suggests Clay should run for U.S. senate...
  
• The Insider is asking "Who Would You Like to See on 'Dancing with the Stars?'" in its poll today. Vote for Clay by texting in Clay's name, your name, city and state to 55888.
  
• Harness Link - Non Clay related... update on the horse "Aiken for Clay" - "Aiken For Clay and local fan favorite Jim Morrill Jr. scored their second straight victory when four divisions of the $165,920 New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies invaded Batavia Downs on Wednesday evening."
  
• Desert Morning News - Jacob Luttrell performing at charity event - "Also performing is soulful Jacob Luttrell, who has been a background singer for Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, John Mayer and Fergie."
• Carrboro Citizen... another politics article; mentions that spoof from the Independent Weekly last week -

  Please, someone — anyone — sign up to run against Liddy Dole. The situation got urgent this week when Public Policy Polling announced that they had run out of possible contenders to poll folks about. Last week, they ran the numbers on N.C. Democratic Party chair Jerry Meek and then threatened to hoist Clay Aiken’s name up the flagpole. (The Independent Weekly, it should be noted, was way ahead of them with a recent parody of an Aiken campaign platform in the music section.)
  

• Taking A Moment gives us "HOW TO ELECT CLAY AIKEN US SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA, IN 31 EASY STEPS" ... this list is so funny!

  1. Wait until Clay turns 30.
  
  7. Watch Clay's appearances on "So You Think You Can Filibuster" on FOX on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 PM CST.
  
  9. Wait for his number to appear on the screen. Cry shamlessly when he does the woobly fingers and mouths "pulleeeze."
  
  10. Using three cellular phones, a computer auto-dialer and two landlines, dial 1-800-SEN-AIKEN. Repeat.
  
  13. Cuss because you only got through seven times, even though you dialed AT LEAST 8 gablillion times.
  
  20. Vote.
  
  21. Vote again.
  
  22. Get arrested for voter fraud.

• There Was A Man - the Clay nation describe their handshakes with Clay ... "A Handshake to Remember" -

  Clay has always had a special connection with his fans. One of the things that he does to thank them for their support is the handshake line (sometimes called The Bus Line) after his concerts unless circumstances prevent it. One line this summer was over 1000 people long. It might be a quick touch, but it's become a tradition for fans to wait after the concert. It's just one more thing that strengthens the bond between Clay and his fans.

• Chexxxy's Pearls - Clay's special connection with his fans ... the bus line walk
  

Tidbits 8/5

This is a marketing technique I have never heard of... some people apparently have been receiving these Clay post cards from the Houston symphony, AFTER his concert there last month. CDD's J4Clay reports that they were distributed after the show at the venue as well.

• TwinCities.com - review of the American Idol concert... 2007 AI6 top 10 lacks a "breakout star" like Clay -

  It's unfortunate if 2007's group marks the beginning of the end for the franchise. Sure, the season lacked a breakout star like Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood or even Clay Aiken. (Believe it or not, I spotted one woman at the show wearing a "Where's Clay?" shirt.) But the 10 finalists on hand Saturday night proved to be a varied and mostly entertaining bunch.
  

• Harness Link - the horse "Aiken For Clay" won the Vernon Downs race yesterday! Cool!
• Charleston Post Courier - poker is like "Surviving a Clay Aiken concert." Uh....right
• O.C. Register - obviously this reviewer didn't like Clay's concert. I personally don't see the point of his review - he talks about his mother and makes a number of comparisons to Barry Manilow.
  

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay's west coast special moments
  

Tidbits 6/30

4 Days to Go!
While we probably won't see Clay chomping down on a Krispy Kreme donut this time around, the 2007 An Evening with Clay Aiken Summer Tour kicks off in less than 4 days! 4... count them with just one set of fingers!

• Men's News Daily - nice plug for the summer tour ... most importantly, this is listed at MEN'S News Daily... wow!

  This week, pop singer Clay Aiken will launch a six-week tour in Dallas, Texas. He'll perform with local symphony orchestras in each city as he supports his latest album, "A Thousand Different Ways." The 20-city tour wraps up on August 19 in Orlando, Florida.
  

• Reminding us that "Idol: The Musical" based on the obsession with Clay Aiken, opens in NYC on July 5 for a summer long stint at the 45th Street Theater:
• Raleigh Chronicle -

  A musical comedy called "Idol: The Musical" about Clay Aiken fans will start its first show next week on July 5th at the 45th Street Theatre near Times Square in New York City and will run through August 25th.

• Though this is not really Clay related - Remember the horse "Aiken for Clay" we told you about in yesterday's Tidbits post? Looks like he finished the race in third in a race in NJ, according to Standardbred Canada -

  The Ron Gurfein-trained daughter of Yankee Glide – Victory Slide led at every station through panels of :28.1, :56.2 and 1:25.1 en route to the four-length win over race favourite Classical Mary (Ron Pierce). Third went to Aiken For Clay (Brian Sears).

• Concert listings:
• TC Palm
• LiveNation North Carolina Myspace - Clay's August 10 Cary concert is listed at this site. Scroll down to see the listing.

• Nothing here yet
  

Tidbits 6/29

The Genesee Theater in Waukegan, IL is already promoting Clay's November 29 Christmas concert there... this was sent our to venue members by email today. Thanks to the CB's LUVclay26 for the cap.

• We have a bunch of tour mentions today... the summer tour kicks off in 5 days:
• Kane County Chronicle (Christmas tour)
  
• Northwest Herald (Christmas tour)
• Post-Tribune (Christmas tour)
• Winston-Salem Journal Relish Now urges North Carolinians to audition for American Idol 7 -

  For the second year in a row, there are no auditions in North Carolina, but there are three in the Southeast: Miami, Atlanta and Charleston, S.C. Local talent will have to make a trip to audition, and I hope that some of you give it a try: Think how boring season six was with no Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken or Fantasia Barrino representing the state.

• Columbus Dispatch - Clay article mentions "Idol: The Musical" and upcoming summer concert in Columbus -
  

  When Idol: The Musical hits the stage in New York next month, Clay Aiken won't be there.
  
  But there will be a bust of Raleigh's hometown American Idol star onstage, and someone singing Burnin' Hunk o' Clay to it.
  
  Clay Aiken will appear in person July 21 for a Picnic With the Pops concert with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on the lawn of Chemical Abstracts Service, 2540 Olentangy River Rd. Call 614-228-8600.

• Looks like the horse "Aiken for Clay" is racing tonight at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey... this guy has been mentioned in the press a few times in the past year... very cool name, huh?
  

• Nothing here yet.