Celebrity Educational Activism: Spotlight on Clay Aiken

From Edupinion.com

These are difficult times for K–12 education, with the economy and state budget cuts jeopardizing what were already severely compromised programs. Although active parent communities can help keep some offerings afloat, few have the financial resources to effect change on a larger scale.

Many celebrities, however, include education in their philanthropic activism. A relatively recent newcomer to this arena is former American Idol singer Clay Aiken, who has been unusually active in furthering educational missions. As he explains on his website, "My music career has allowed me to do the same thing I was doing before—work with kids. It has just given me a bigger stage, so I can enact change on a grander scale."

Before Idol, Aiken was pursuing a degree in special education and tutored a boy with autism. After successfully launching his singing career, Aiken quickly formed the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which "serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with special needs and the world around them" through inclusion and other programs. The foundation has been awarded grants to "create, test and launch a national model for an innovative K–12 Inclusive Service Learning curriculum which teaches social and life skills to children of all abilities while helping to dispel stereotypes and stigmas about disabilities."

From 2006 to 2008, Aiken served on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Since 2004, he has also served as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, enabling "all children in the world to obtain a primary education" and helping children who have survived disasters, live in deplorable conditions, and must have education restored quickly. "School provides stability and hope when little else can," Aiken explains on his website. "Just to have someplace safe and meaningful to go can mean so much to children in tragic circumstances."

Through the generosity and activism of celebrities like Clay Aiken, important aspects of and initiatives in education can progress. As our schools continue to struggle with shoestring budgets, assistance from celebrities and others with the wherewithal to effect change and galvanize people into action may increasingly be key to the survival of important educational programs.

Tidbits 9/19

• Broadway.com reported this morning that Clay Aiken will return to the scene of his triumphant Broadway debut. They went on to say that his debut in Spamalot earlier this year was met with wild enthusiasm from both his fans and the NY press.

Clay's return to Spamalot is also mentioned in other online publications:

• Playbill.com:

  "American Idol" finalist and new dad Clay Aiken returns to the Broadway company of Monty Python's Spamalot at the Shubert Theatre Sept. 19.
  
  Aiken, who played a Jan. 18-May 4 stint in the Tony-winning musical, reprises his role as Sir Robin through Jan. 4, 2009.

• Theatermania.com - With a picture of Clay at "A Tale of Two Cities", a Theater Mania also says:

  Recording superstar and former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken, who returns tonight to Monty Python's Spamalot as Sir Robin, came out for the show.

  
  
• Recordnet.com - In an article about a comedy competition in San Francisco, there is a Clay mention:

  In this "American Idol" world, for a while it was looking like the runner-ups were becoming more famous than the winners (read: Chris Daughtry and Clay Aiken).

• Collegeonline.com - In this article, Mike Super, a magician who won the title of "The Phenomenon" on the NBC show of the same name, makes this statement:

  "Being named the top magician in the world makes me the Kelly Clarkson of magic," Super said. "If I had come in second place, I'd be Clay Aiken."

  
  

Tidbits 9/11

• Fredericksburg.com - Reference to Clay:

  STAFFORD POOCH IS NO. 2 BY THE NUMBERS
  
  Semi-finalist Andrew and trainer Laurie Williams came in second in the contest for "Greatest American Dog"...
  
  ...She doesn't know if she'll get any prize for being runner-up. But, with all the attention and support she's received as a result of the program, she said sometimes it works out just as well to come in second.
  
  "It's kind of a Ruben Studdard," she said, referring to the American Idol contestant. "He won, but Clay Aiken got the better recording contract."
  

• The Northerner - Even in the presidential elections Clay gets mentions:...
  
  

  It seems every year the presidential election is one step closer to being nothing more than an Olympic-sized popularity contest, with voters choosing candidates like American Idol chose its Rubin Studdard (even if everyone believes Clay Aiken should have won).

  
  
  
• USA Today - Emmys, Josh Groban will salute TV theme songs
  
  Does this sound familiar???
  
  LOS ANGELES — It's the story of a man named Groban, who is singing ).
  TV theme songs we all know. In a musical tribute, singer Josh Groban will perform bits of memorable themes at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC (Sept. 21, 8
  Wonder where they got the idea, LOL...
  
  
• From Jesben and Lilred at The Clayboard, we learn that Clay was a clue during jeorpardy:
  
  From Jesben:

  Under the heading, "Celebrities' Original Names" - they gave the original, the contestants had to identify them as they are known now.
  
  CLAYTON HOLMES GRISSOM
  
  I answered. My husband said, "Who?" The lady in the middle got it right away (she won tonight.)
  
  Along with Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Tony Orlando, Roman Polanski and Tom Cruise.

  From Lilred:

  The clue read "American Idol HEARTTHROB Clayton Holmes Grissom"

  And the answer, obviously is "Clayton Holmes Aiken"!

Tidbits 9/02

• Heartsaiken4ca at The Clayboard tells us that a Clay mention will be in the September 8 issue of People Magazine. In an article entitled American Idol's New Judge, it says that "it says that new judge Kara DioGuardl...has written songs for former Idols Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken." Various online articles have mentioned this same thing.
• ASCASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) has the song "Lover All Alone" listed in two places on its website.
  #1 ASCAP Site - "Works Written By"-Has Clay's name as "Aiken, Clayton Holmes".
  #2 ASCAP Site - This is listed by "title" of the song.
  
  Also at ASCAP, and found by Rainlover at The Clayboard, is a listing of a song called "Ooh Boy" that says "Performers: Clay Aiken". We need to keep our eye on that one!
  
• From claystheword at The Clayboard: There was a small mention of Clay on Jerry Lewis' telethon. Neil Sedaka was a guest and he sang. Tony Orlando, who was one of the hosts, said "and Clay Aiken reprised Solitaire."

Clay Sighting At Raleigh Area Restaurant

Yes, Clay fans, we have a Clay sighting!! And of all things, it was found in the most remote of places....someone's blog who isn't even a fan!! I'm in the dark as to how people are able to find such things! But I'm glad they did!

I found this tidbit at The Clayboard, and it was originally at Clayversity and The Ideal Idol. The blog is called "The Wyatt Times" and is just a typical family blog, until you get to the part about Clay:

After church, we went to Smithfields BBQ, and guess who was there? Clay Aiken. He was sitting outside in the shade with a couple people, not drawing any attention to himself. It was kind of fun to see someone famous, even if it was just an American Idol guy.

Then a friend commented back to her something nice:

How cool was it that you saw Clay Aiken at Smithfields? Was that the one in Morrisville or Rocky Mount?

Its obvious from her comment that she's not a Clay fan, but I thought her comments and her friend's comments were very nice about it being "fun" and "cool" to see Clay. And, of course, its great to know that Clay is enjoying his time off with friend and family.

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 5/24

• American Idol:
  
  • The New York Times - "Similarly, in 2003, he announced that only 130,000 votes separated the winner, Ruben Studdard, from the runner-up, Clay Aiken."
  • The Morning Call -

    But the matchup between Cook and Archuleta evidently proved irresistible. In fact, the two-hour episode was the third-most-watched ''Idol'' finale, after the 2006 showdown between Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee (36.4 million) and the 2003 face-off between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken (38.1 million).
    

  • The Ontarion / University of Guelph -

    Allowing American Idol to have an ideal balance between skill and the element of luck within popularity, argues Amegashie.
    
    When it comes to the issue of winning, Amegashie said it doesn't even matter in American Idol since contestants such as Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson have been able to make careers even though they have fell short of first place.
    

  • New York Post - Popwrap -

    Ruben Studdard couldn't do it, Taylor Hicks couldn't do it, even runner-ups Bo Bice and Clay Aiken have had trouble hitting the highs of their female counterparts (check out Clay's recent sales figures if you don't believe me).

  • eFluxMedia -

    The two-hour show marked the third most watched episode of the competition, after the 2006 battle between Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, with 36.4 million viewers, and the 2003 showdown between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, with 38.1 million viewers.

  • CentralOhio.com -

    This is the first time since Ruben Studdard that an “Idol” won that I’d actually been rooting for since the show’s beginning. All I can surmise is that America knew Cook would have a bit more buying power then Mr. Archuleta once their albums dropped. But, hey, this may ultimately end up just like the Aiken/Ruben Showdown of 2003, in which Clay wiped the floor with Ruben in terms of CD sales. Let’s hope things turn out better for the newly crowned rocker.

  • Chattah Box - "It was the third-most-watched American Idol finale behind the 2006 finale between Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, as well as the 2003 finale between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken."
  • The Oklahoman -

    Other contestants find success
    Rocker Chris Daughtry, a fifth-season finalist, was one of last year's top-selling artists. Clay Aiken's fourth album, "On My Way Here,” last week debuted at No. 4, and earlier this year, the second season runner-up joined the Broadway cast of "Spamalot.”

  • Washington Post - "Next in line is '03, when more than 34 million tuned in to see whether Clay Aiken or Ruben Studdard would become Idol 2, following Kelly Clarkson. "
  • Roanoke Times - both Davids are winners on Idol -

    Wednesday night's battle of the Davids may have been the most watched "American Idol" finale since the 2003 showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.
    
    I wasn't a Clay fan, but I just knew he'd be crowned the next Idol. From where I sat all season, he was indisputably the fan favorite ... wasn't he?
    

• Vernon Morning Star - review of OMWH -

  A male Celine Dion. Is that enough, and can I go now, please? Yawn.
  
  All right, this is weird enough that perhaps something can be gained by listening to and reviewing the new disc by Clay Aiken, former Idol finalist. Was he a winner? I don’t remember, or care, but he’s still here, so here we go.
  
  First of all, the previous Dion reference is serious. I’ll stick by it. Aiken can’t rock out, and don’t let any “Claymates” tell you any different.
  
  The very existence of such fans should be evidence of wimpiness, but count for something — at least until they hit puberty.
  
  OK, enough, enough. The guy can sing.
  
  [...]
  
  His vocal is clear, precise and compelling on this song, although he doesn’t exactly draw any lines. Aiken, like Dion, could very well have a career doing Vegas — singing, that is.
  
  Everything is kept light and easy on this album — there’s not even a hint of extremity. Perhaps it’s just as well, because the music is so slack that it’s blander than bland, a whiter shade of pale, indeed! (My apologies to Procol Harum!)
  
  Aiken does rise to the pablum/funk bounce on Everything I Don’t Need and gives it some type of gusto but there’s clearly not enough jam to throw down to.
  
  And so it’s black to strings and schmaltz on the obviously titled The Real Me. This is one of the supposedly inspirational, deep, love ballads that cause the heart to soar. Not!
  
  Aiken, who displays that odd vibrato again, needs better material. If not better, maybe different.

Tidbits 5/21

Yahoo OMG asks: "Carrie Underwood was recently named the favorite "Idol." Besides the country crooner, who's your fave?"
VOTE NOW

• David Cook wins American Idol -
  • OC Register - "Looking at their futures in "Idol" terms, where Cook seems the next Chris Daughtry, Archuleta would seem likely to be the next Clay Aiken."
    
  • CBS ShowBuzz / AP wire -
    

    During the 2003 finale, "American Idol" ran into math trouble when Seacrest twice announced incorrect numbers for the close vote between winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken. The first incorrect figure - 13,000 - was displayed on the TelePrompTer; the second - 1,300 - was written on a card given Seacrest.
    

  • The Improper -

    But Archuleta is sure to get a solid career start out of the show as well, just like Clay Aiken before him.
    
    Other idols, both winners and also-rans have had varying degrees of success. Although Clay Aiken lost to Idol winner Ruben Studdard, the boyish, and some insist gay, Aiken has had success both recording and on Broadway.
    

  • College OTR - Penn State -

    David Archuletta: Next Clay Aiken?
    
    Tonight is the season finale of American Idol 56 or whatever it is and it is down between David Archuletta and David Cook. Both are big tools, but the young, pristine David Archuletta is quite the character. Only 17 years old, I don't see how this greasy haired, yet-to-hit puberty kid is so popular. He sings all of these ballad songs and most likely is going to win American Idol because of his popularity. But I ain't buyin it.
    

  • Reuters -

    The "Davids" duel is the first time two male contestants have competed for the "Idol" title since Ruben Studdard defeated Clay Aiken in the show's second season in 2003.

  • TV Squad -

    Ruben Studdard vs. Clay Aiken (2003) - This was a real showdown. Just like last night's finale with the Davids, Ruben and Clay couldn't have been more different from each other. Ruben had a gospel background and the man never, ever missed a note. Never! But Clay was the comeback kid. He started out as a super-nerdy contestant with a shockingly spectacular voice and ended up as only a slightly-nerdy/Barry Manilow-style contestant. It was hard to watch Clay sing because of his corny facial expressions, and perhaps that was what caused him to lose (that, or the fact that the state of Indiana didn't get to vote). This was one of the best showdowns because it was not obvious who would win. Either man would have made a fine American Idol. It came down to 130,000 votes between the two, with Ruben barely on top. There's still controversy over this finale because of alleged technical problems with voting that night. In summary, this was and probably still is the best American Idol finale (unless David Cook pulls out the upset tonight).

  • Idolator - "Archuleta's magic is a more fragile thing, one that requires a royal handle in order that he may some day walk with cartoon animals. Yes, he may wind up a resentful queen like Clay Aiken."
  • Los Angeles Times, The Envelope -

    Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken has enjoyed commercial success if not critical acclaim. Although he has won three Billboard awards and was fan choice at the 2003 American Music Awards, he has yet to pick up any Grammy nods. Will his first new studio album in five years -– the recently released "On My Way Here" -– change that?

  • Post Bulletin - ""You don't have to win this to be a big star," he said. "Look at the year Clay Aiken finished second, and he's a much bigger star than Ruben Studdard, who won it.""
  • Associated Content -

    Everyone's a winner on American Idol. This has been true of the show from day one. Take Clay Aiken as an example, he was the runner up during season two of American Idol and he now has a great career. He lost to Ruben Studdard during the second season of the show and has actually done better than Ruben has.

  • Crosswalk.com - Live blogging the AI7 finale -

    Laura Mac says: Well, I hope the fans of Clay Aiken and Josh Groban and any other diveauxs (that's the plural of the male version of "diva," mind you) are happy now. 'Cause their next member is about to join the ranks. And in three years, The Archuleta will be hawking his CDs on QVC. Mark my words.

  • Los Angeles Times -

    Archuleta, on the other hand, went deep inside tonight, completely focusing on those ridiculously short performances, letting the world slip away. When he started to sing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," selected for him by Clive Davis, it seemed slightly ridiculous. One of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's most stentorian ballads, a favorite of Clay Aiken when he wanted to pull out his big gospel notes, the song expresses the despair of a tired, endangered lover, not a 17-year-old kid who murmurs "gosh!" when surrounded by cheerleaders.

  • Entertainment Weekly -

    During the first ad break, the Davids came in for a hug — and not even the bro kind! — and then Debbie the stage manager had them wave to the audience as the Idol band played them off the stage with a fairly random rock riff they thankfully avoided the rest of the night. Nigel trundled over to what I first thought was the row of ex-Idols but turned out to be the seat of one Clive Davis, and gave the golden-eared music guru a thumbs up. As in, "Thank you, Clive, for choosing two songs so perfectly suited to their respective singers that you may have single-handedly elevated this ratings-challenged season into the Ruben/Clay stratosphere."
    
    [...]
    
    the chipmunk from Utah had to tackle a song that Clay Aiken had so memorably soared through way back in season two. (And, I'm sorry, but I've got to link to this rendition as well.)

  • Huffington Post - "This sets a boxing theme for the night, which is amusing. It certainly wouldn't have worked for Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken but it works here."
  • Entertainment Weekly -

    Or, alternatively, as the round in which Clive Davis continues his ongoing love affair with Elton John's ''Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me,'' the same song he chose for Bo Bice on top-three night in Idol's fourth season. Seriously, Clive, I know it's a pretty ballad, but after spending almost six decades in the music business, don't you know a few thousand great songs that you haven't already foisted onto an Idol contestant? (And maybe one that hasn't been covered on the show by Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, and Jasmine Trias, as well?)

  • Long Beach Press Telegram -

    "I think it's going to be the smallest margin of victory in `Idol' history," Justin said. "It's the first time we've seen two guys go head-to-head since Clay (Aiken) and Ruben (Studdard) and that was very close. Like in season two, their differences make the competition that much more exciting."

  • Federal News Radio -

    Do they speculate whether David or David will be the next American Idol? Are they happy (or ignorant) of how much weight Ruben has lost and what really happened to Clay? Or do they talk about how much money they are going to pledge to PBS?

  • The New Straits Times -

    The first time was in Season 2 when Ruben Studdard met Clay Aiken. David Cook is one of only three American Idol finalists who has never been in either the bottom three or bottom two.

  • Detroit News -

    Archuleta and Cook were seen as the most evenly matched final two since "Idol's" second season, when Clay Aiken went head-to-head with eventual winner Ruben Studdard.

  • Detroit Free Press -

    Post-fight: The show runs long to keep viewers from flipping to the “Dancing With the Stars” finale. Finally, some dirty fighting. Season two winner Ruben Studdard shows up to sing “Celebrate Me Home,” this season’s ballad for kicked-off contestants. Ruben reminds everyone why he beat Clay Aiken.

  • Philly.com - "And the thing is, we don't want him to suffer the jinx of Clay Aiken - that other big cornball belter - who's done okay but will forever be remembered as an "also ran.""
  • Zap2it.tv -David A's DLTSGDOM not as good as Clay's
    

    Singer: DAVID ARCHULETA
    Song: "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
    My Take: Bono's tough, but Little David's challenge is also monumental since he's got to conquer both Elton John and Clay Aiken. The Claymates will be glad to hear me say that as solid as Archuleta is, he lacks the revelatory quality that Clay brought to this one. I'm a cold-hearted man, but Clay stirred something in me.

  • USA Today - Regie Hamm's song "Time of My Life" is this season's American Idol winner's song. Hamm also co-wrote "Something About Us" on Clay's new disc "On My Way Here" -

    Born in Nashville, Hamm traveled the country with his Pentecostal preacher father and played drums in the family band. He wrote his first song at age 9. Influenced by Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, Merle Haggard, Randy Newman and the Gershwins, he switched to piano and enjoyed some success writing and recording. On Thursday, his gospel/country Starlight EP hits iTunes. He co-wrote Something About Us, which is on Clay Aiken's new CD. (Attention, conspiracy theorists: Hamm also co-wrote the ballad In the Name of God with Scott Krippayne, who co-wrote 2007's winning Idol song.)
    

• Seattle Pi - article about AI6 runner-up Blake Lewis -

  When it was released in December, "Audio Day Dream" popped at the No.10 position on the Billboard charts, selling more copies than the debuts of two "Idol" runners-up (Justin Guarini and Diana DeGarmo) but fewer than others (Clay Aiken, Bo Bice, Katharine McPhee). Since then it has dropped to 166th, with sales hitting a plateau around 284,000 copies.

• Marketing Vox - Carrie Underwood, Clay and David Archuleta most popular Idol contestants on the internet -

  Popularity Contest
  
  The most popular American Idol contestant, according to Hey! Nielsen's online panel, is Carrie Underwood, followed by Clay Aiken and David Archuleta - Season 7's most popular contestant.

• Dayton Daily News - OMWH review -

  Clay Aiken: ON MY WAY HERE
  
  If Neil Diamond was just getting started today, he’d probably be Clay Aiken. Which isn’t necessarily a compliment to either of them.
  
  Aiken’s newest album finds the former Idol-man still caught up in a strange sort of puppyish earnestness and inescapable preference for songs about his feelings (typical line: “Has anybody else but me / ever felt this way before?” Gosh, d’ya think?).
  
  You almaost have to feel sorry for somebody who gets more irritating the harder he tries to please — but then again, considering that Aiken has found a way to turn his drippy style into a pretty profitable career, maybe not. Key to success: Make older women want to hug you!
  
  To which point, it’s a bit surprising that a few cuts from “On My Way Here” punch up the pop-rock a bit. And it’s even more surprising that it’s the uptempo cuts with a little edge (note: little) are the ones on which he sounds most assured, at ease and in command of his material. “Ashes” and “Falling” work particularly well on that score, the latter turning out to be a darn good song for anybody — even Clay Aiken.

• Voice of America - Clay charts with 4th studio album -

  Clay Aiken earns his fourth Top 5 debut, coming in at Number 4 with his fourth album On My Way Here. Its title track, co-written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, is the album's first single.

• Mediacaster Magazine - article about Vancouver news personality -

  Broadcaster and speaker Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson is a rising talent on the Vancouver entertainment scene. She has hosted the locally produced series The Big Picture, Retro and Coffee Shop Girl, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in show business, from Clay Aiken to Dog the Bounty Hunter.

• Beaver County Times & Allegheny - review of the new Indiana Jones flick -

  Poor Shia LaBeouf (“Transformers”), who Spielberg seems to have hired due to the boyish 21-year-old actor’s appeal to teen girls, proves out of his league fighting next to Ford’s rugged character. In early scenes, LaBeouf rides a motorcycle and wears a black leather jacket, making him look about as dangerous as Clay Aiken.

• Nothing here today
  

Tidbits 5/20

Clay's interview with Kiwibox.com

• Reuters -

  Other former contestants who have capitalized on their fame include Chris Daughtry, who has a successful recording career; Jennifer Hudson, who won an Oscar for the movie "Dreamgirls"; Fantasia Barrino, who starred in "The Color Purple" on Broadway; Clay Aiken, who appeared in "Spamalot" on Broadway; Taylor Hicks, due to appear in "Grease" on Broadway, and Tamyra Gray, currently appearing in "Rent" on Broadway.

• Press of Atlantic City -

  For the first time since Ruben Studdard beat out Clay Aiken in Season 2, the finale will be a mano-a-mano contest pitting Utah teen David Archuleta against Missouri rocker David Cook.

• Associated Content - David Archuleta to sing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me"?

  Rumor also has it that David Archuleta will be singing Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." I like this song choice. It's more upbeat than the slow inspirational ballads he likes to sing. The song is not too "big" for him, and it will give him a chance to show a lighter side. My only concern is the Clay Aiken comparisons that could potentially follow.

• phillyBurbs -

  So, what does Idol have to show for itself on the cusp of tonight’s finale? Well, on the one hand, we have a younger, less talented, more robotic Clay Aiken who will have a difficult time finding radio play in the real world and who will probably be racing cars with Malcom in the Middle in five years’ time. On the other hand, we have the producers’ great white hope for the New Daughtry, who has a very nice voice but picks really crappy songs when left to his own devices. And who has come to be a one-trick-pony over the past few weeks.

• Grand Rapids Press -

  "Archuleta seems robotic to me, like a Stepford Son," said DeSelms, adding his voice is unquestionably solid. "It's like the only album of Clay Aiken's I would listen to is his Christmas album, because I like Christmas music. I don't know that I would listen to a David Archuleta album."

• KCCI - "But a second-place finish doesn't necessarily signal defeat. The runner-up usually gets a shot at a record deal, too, and in the case of singers like Clay Aiken, goes on to great success."
• Reality TV Magazine -

  Hicks is just the latest in a line of American Idol participants to score a gig on Broadway, post-Idol. Fantasia Barrino starred in The Color Purple, while Clay Aiken nabbed a recent role in Spamalot. Diana DeGarmo had a run in Hairspray, and Constantine Maroulis got a Broadway gig in The Wedding Singer.

• Kansas City Star -

  Archuleta’s career path seems pre-ordained. After proving himself to be strong balladeer of romantic and inspirational songs (and not much else), he looks headed for a career that resembles Clay Aiken’s and Josh Groban’s.

• MidWest Voices of the Kansas City Star -

  David Cook, the heartthrob of Blue Springs, is about to make a ton of money -- even if he doesn't win "American Idol" tonight. Maybe especially if he doesn't win.
  
  Cook could follow in the footsteps of other musicians who didn't win the ultimate title, but still have done well in the industry. They include Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry.

• New Jersey Star Ledger -

  Meanwhile, David Cook was unexpectedly pulling off a brilliant Clay Aiken impression, complete with an outstanding makeover and a consistent streak of giving the most -- and sometimes only -- memorable performance each week.

• OC Register -

  The season that started in January with the usual assortment of horrendous auditions and promising newcomers has winnowed down the talent until we are left with the first all-male finale since Ruben Studdard beat Clay Aiken in the second season.

• Montreal Gazette -

  Then there were two on American Idol (Fox, CTV - 8 p.m.): David vs. David, Cook vs. Archuleta, man vs. boy, the rocker vs. the balladeer.
  
  Some music critics are saying the final may be the most intriguing karaoke showdown since Clay Aiken faced Ruben Studdard. Potentially even greater, though, since Aiken and Studdard were both balladeers. "Archie," as David A.'s detractors call him, and David C. couldn't be more different.

• Calgary Herald -

  And so, it has come to this on A merican Idol: David vs. David, Cook vs. Archuleta, the 25-year-old vs. the 17-year-old, man vs. boy, the rocker vs. the balladeer.
  
  Music critics - well, some of them, anyway - are saying the final has the potential to be the most intriguing karaoke showdown since Clay Aiken faced Ruben Studdard five years ago to this day (May 20, 2003).

• Daily Vanguard -

  Regular comparisons between Cook and former American Idol contestant turned wildly successful frontman Chris Daughtry all seem appropriate and are telling of what trajectory Cook's career could take. (Archuleta is more reminiscent of the apparently still popular, but easy-listening Clay Aiken.)

• Philly.com -

  Saving David A.
  
  I haven't forgotten the Davids, the latest rivals to divide the two "Idol"-watchers in our household.
  
  My younger son, whose fondness for David Archuleta appears to be as deep as his early (and ongoing) devotion to Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks, doesn't care to talk about my preference for David Cook.

• Detroit Free Press -

  Winner: Broadway musicals, which have become a career opportunity for "Idol" alums like Fantasia, Clay Aiken, LaKisha Jones and (soon in the "Grease" revival) Taylor Hicks. Most likely to join the list next is Syesha Mercado, who was practically dragged to the exit by the judges and flown to a "Rent" audition.

• Desert News -

  But there was some controversy over the voting, which would later see the voting procedures changed, Studdard went up against the super-popular Clay Aiken. Aiken, surpassed in sales by only Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, has become the most successful male and most successful runner-up in "Idol" history, and he made his Broadway debut this year in "Spamalot."

• Desert News - "Clay Aiken, Season 2 — Starring in Monty Python's Spamalot."
• Austin360.com -

  The Associated Press believes the contestants are to blame, calling them “good but not memorable.”
  
  We have to agree. Where’s the Sanjaya? The Clay Aiken? The Fantasia? You get the idea.

• Daily Herald -

  For the most part, the six previous "Idol" champions have been embarrassments. Attempts to launch Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks as established talents have flopped, and what records they sell -- along with Clay Aiken and other "Idol" also-rans -- have largely been due to "Idol's" own self-promotion. Jennifer Hudson might have an Oscar, but ask yourself, would you go out and buy an album by her on the day it was released?

• Hartford Courant -

  The action moves to the larger Nokia Theatre in Hollywood for the final performances by the finalists on "American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.), pitting young David Archuleta against Midwestern rocker David Cook in the first all-male finale since Ruben Studdard vs. Clay Aiken in Season 2 — and the first all-David finale. The winner will be announced Wednesday.

• meeVee -

  Some observers say rocker Cook would be better off if he loses to teen ballad singer Archuleta, because then Archuleta would have to spend the next year singing whatever crap the "Idol" brain trust puts on his plate, while Cook would be free to craft his own career, a la Daughtry and Clay Aiken. The two previous male "Idol" winners, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks, haven't exactly lit a fire artistically or on the charts compared to those two also-rans.

• USA Today -

  Archuleta and Cook are locked into the tightest sing-off since Season 2's Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard bout, Idol's most-watched finale and the only other to feature two male finalists.
  

• Belleville News-Democrat -

  But few rose to cult favorites, and none of them had the “it” factor – positive or negative – of former contestants such as Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Kellie Pickler or Fantasia Barrino.

• Orlando Sentinel -

  How do you like those insights? It isn't always about winning, is it? And we have the fine examples of Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler to remind us that the "Idol" crown isn't everything.

• BuddyTV -

  Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken has sold nearly 5 million albums with his four records, while that year's winner, Ruben Studdard, is at just under 3 million with three albums. Head-to-head, Clay's debut album outsold Ruben's by nearly one million copies. Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks sold just over 700,000 copies of debut album, which doesn't even put him in the top 10 for American Idol contestant record sales.
  

• Foxes on Idol - Clay Aiken charts with new album -

  Clay Aiken’s fourth album, On My Way Here, hit the Billboard charts this week. The CD, which is Clay’s first album of original material since Measure of a Man, sold 94,000 copies and debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, #3 on Top Digital Albums, and #1 on Top Internet Albums.

• redOrbit - Taylor Hicks going to Broadway -

  The Alabama-born crooner's run ends Sept. 7. He'll be the latest "Idol" to hit Broadway, following runs by season-three winner Fantasia Barrino ("The Color Purple") and a host of also-rans including Clay Aiken ("Spamalot"), Diana DeGarmo ("Hairspray") and Constantine Maroulis ("The Wedding Singer").

• Something That Really Happened - some thoughts on OMWH -

  After spending the last two weeks listening to Clay Aiken's new album "On My Way Here", I can truthfully say that I am still very impressed with it. His vocals are stunning. The production features and showcases it beautifully. The songs are varied in tempo and style... and are just really great songs in of themselves. Truly a very enjoyable album.

Rachael Ray Gives a Great Interview To Clay Today on Her Show

As an interviewer, Rachael Ray gave Clay one of the best interviews he's had in a while. There was no cooking of macaroni and cheese or pineapple salad...there was no singing from the new CD, however, Rachel was able to squeeze in lots of questions in the 10 minutes or so that she talked with Clay.

The audience was fairly quiet, which means there weren't very many Clay fans there. However, when the audience was on camera, they really seemed to be enjoying Clay. Rachel covered all the best of topics...AI2, Spamalot,Clay's fans, Clay's new CD, and UNICEF. It was a fun lighthearted interview.

At Rachael Ray's online site, you can watch a portion of the show as well as see Clay answer questions from the fans. You can also download the entire show at Clack Unlimited.

In addition, SmittenwithClay from The Clayboard has taken on the tedious and much appreciated task of transcribing the entire show for us. Wow, what an awesome thing to do!! Here is the transcript of the show:

Rachel Ray Transcript:

Rachel: ya gotta calm it down, your gonna wanna keep on cheering for our first guest. American idol is probably the most watched show on the planet, and definitely one of the most talked about contestants is this guy.
voice over: From teacher to double platinum selling singer in less than a year we all know him from American Idol, of course Im talking about Clay Aiken. Clays got an army of dedicated fans that follow his every move. Theyre known of course as the claymates. With a stint on broadway in the show spamalot, a best selling book and his work with unicef and other charities, Clay has been very busy, but not to busy to debut a brand new album On My Way Here.
Rachel: please welcome Clay Aiken. I told you you were going to want to save some of your hooting and your hollering for him, and I mean, isnt it amazing, has it really been 5 years.
Clay: Oh yes
Rachel: 5 years since the American Idol.
Clay: and I feel so old.
Rachel: You? Im like, it feels like wasnt that last Thursday?
Clay: Ill be in like a grocery store, something like that, or on a plane and a parent will come up to me with there with their 7 year old, and the mother will go "oh my goodness do you know who that is?" to the kid and Ill be like "yeah..no, they dont, they were 2 when I was on idol". They have no clue, I feel like a grandpa now to these little kids.
When I was there we were still singing to tracks ya know, singing to tapes and we had like three cameras and a set about the size of this little area right here and now its like this huge production. Its really gotten so big now.
Rachel: yeah its a whole different world now, you forget how the look of the show has changed.
Clay: yeah, kelly clarkson and I used to joke with newer contestants about how they have a band, and we had a tape we had to sing to. We were such the guinea pigs, and we had nothing, we had to walk 10 miles to school in the snow ya know, and they get all these perks.
Rachel: it is, its a tough...but you dont realize that as a viewer, cause its such an intimate experience, and you get so involved with the people, and certainly for you, that must have been life changing when you saw how the fans, your fans especially..they are..theyre literally

Clay: they must be confused! I mean really though
Rachel: Its fabulous though, the devotion and the loyalty
Clay: yeah they are, absolutely wonderful. And obviously we wouldnt be here without that, but I never quite understand exactly why theyre interested ya know.
Rachel: its overwhelming still
Clay: it is, I mean..I grew up in, you didnt show pictures of me as a kid thank you jesus, but I used to be, I know its hard to believe now the stunning specimen that I am now, but I used to be this really geeky kid...wait a second, I think I still am. I mean, nobody even knew my name at that point, and now people are screaming it, its really odd.
Rachel: so you were just wrapping up in spamalot. You just finished your run, a hugely successful, very well loved by the audience and the critics alike, which doesnt happen a lot. I love that show, how much fun did you have?

Clay: ya know, I didnt expect that I would, not that I didnt expect I would have fun, I figured it would be fun, but I didnt expect it to be as amazing as it was. And its one of those shows thats different every night. Theres a scene where I fall dead on the floor and i get to watch this one scene, and I would still laugh every single night at how funny it is cause the actors and everyone on the show is so great, that they change things up, they changed things up on me, and I just got to the point, I finished two weeks ago, and I just got to the point that I was finally getting used to it, finally comfortable, and then they told me to leave. So I was just finally figuring out my part.
Rachel: so, how was New York City for you though? I mean you seem like such a lovely, kind of small town person at heart, how was working and living in New York City
Clay: very different. Very Very different. I thought that it would scare me to death, and it did scare me, but not to death, but the nice thing is that things are open. like, thats crazy. And back home in North Carolina.
Rachel: and they deliver anything
Clay: everything! food, its great since I cant cook, ya know, some of us cant even pour cereal, I was able to actually have food brought to me at any hour of the day, and if I couldnt I could walk down the street. Im not running away from New York City when I leave it now, Im just running to North Carolina, cause I actually enjoyed myself.
Rachel: You know what, I wanted to ask you, New Yorkers, they can be really warm people to right?
Clay: yeah, they can, ya know what thats another thing that scared me, I was afraid that people were going to be...but honestly some of the nicest people Ive ever met, I mean I really..I really was mostly in contact with the people I work with, but many of them have been in New York for years and years, and everyone I came in contact with, its really been a great experience.
Rachel: see, New Yorkers can be sweethearts to
Clay: ya talk kind of funny
Rachel: Oh WE talk funny? You dont have no accent at all.
Clay: I dont have an accent are you kidding me? I had some cousins who came up to visit and (rich NC accent) they talk just like this, and all the people who came and met them thought they were joking when they talked, cause they just really talked country. So I dont have an accent compared to them. Now people over here are laughing 'you think I have an accent'? She's like 'yes!'
Rachel: well, it may be news to you, but just a little, just a smidge, just a smattering of an accent.
Clay: ok
Rachel: but its lovely! So I want you to tell everybody a little bit about the new album, this is the new album, first of all great shot on the cover.
Clay: oh lots of airbrushing
Rachel: Its not that much! im looking at you, it looks just like you.
Clay: who knows! my hair color changes every third day, theres no way to tell..I think its all grey at this point
Rachel: me to, I havent looked in awhile but Im guessing.
Clay: its the first time weve been able to do new stuff in 5 years now, we did an album of new stuff right after idol, and then we did a christmas album and something else, so we did our best to try to find songs that said something, and over 5 years of getting older, and hopefully wiser and more mature, ya know I think you learn more about yourself through experiencing things then you do with being told something, ya know my mom used to tell me a whole bunch of stuff when I was a kid and I never listened to her and now ive learned through experiences what she says is kinda true. And this kinda talks about that, the title song On My Way Here talks about experiences make you who you are.
Rachel: so, its not so much a coming of age thing but, aging well.
Clay: Aging well, oh my god I never thought Id be saying I was aging, but I am.
Rachel: we all have to, but your doing it very well, and very successful. Its all going really well now. Before I let Clay go though, I dont know if you guys know how much he does with unicef and charities, can you talk a little bit about that.
Clay: yeah, I got hooked up with unicef right after idol actually I was a teacher before idol and they have ambassadors that work in different areas, and they needed someone to talk about education around the countries, so they sent me a number of places and this picture is actually in uganda, where I witnessed children in situations of a 20 year war, and I went to afghanistan last year and watched unicef programs in afghanistan and saw the things they are doing in schools there to kind of help rebuild that country, so its been an amazing opportunity. and the organization, I think a lot of people realize that, i mean they know the name, but I dont think you know exactly what it does, I mean it works in 156 countries all around the world, I mean they save more childrens lives in the world then any other organization, and its true because its the most successful.
Rachel: now we'll make sure we have a link up on our site to unicef cause it is an organization we should all be involved in I think. So I commend you on your great work and your success. Ya know Clay isnt just a nice guy and he came by to say hello but he is a very generous sort, he brought cd's for everybody. We'll see if he can let a few more fall off the truck, we'll give a few away online.

Tidbits 5/4

• New York Post - Clay says AI is getting too slick -

  May 4, 2008 -- Clay Aiken doesn't have time to watch "American Idol." But the season two runner-up says that even if he did, it wouldn't be on his must-watch TV list.
  
  "I would never in any way negate the fact that it's put me where I am," says Aiken, who will wrap his Broadway run in "Spamalot" on Sunday and drop his fourth album ("On My Way Here") on Tuesday. "But I miss the innocence of 'Idol' of seasons one, two and three."
  
  That innocence, he says, was expressed in the raw, unpolished look and lack of experience of the kids who were competing.
  
  [...]
  
  Aiken says it bothered him when he heard that one of this year's contestants - Carly Smithson - already had a record deal. And that another, frontrunner David Archuleta, won the junior version of "Star Search." Says Aiken, "After Fantasia left, and after Kelly [Clarkson] won her two Grammys, I feel like it's been a little more polished, not the boy and girl next door that America wanted to help."

• Clay Aiken ready to release new CD -
• Edmonton Journal -

  There's a heap of top-shelf recordings slated to go public in the coming weeks, from Def Leppard and Clay Aiken to Motley Crue and Elvis Costello.
  

• Spectator Online - the face of the music industry is changing:

  “I think in the digital age, the download culture probably has a bigger affect on the popular music world, the Clay Aiken generation,” said Byron Wilson, an employee at Belltown’s punk record store, Singles Going Steady.

• WABC - Clay ends run on Spamalot.
  
• On My Way Here is making a splash everywhere. Take a look at this ad on Pogo.com:
  

Tidbits 4/28

• Broadway.com - Steve Rosen returns to Broadway:

  Rosen returns to a cast headed by Jonathan Hadary as King Arthur and Hannah Waddingham as the Lady of the Lake. They are joined by American Idol star Clay Aiken, Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, David Hibbard and Bradley Dean.

• Playbill -

  Rosen joins a cast that currently includes Jonathan Hadary as King Arthur and Hannah Waddingham as The Lady of the Lake with "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken, Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, David Hibbard and Bradley Dean.

• Just Jared - Clay fan has seen him in Spamalot over 40 times - "A devoted Clay Aiken fan has been seen in the Spamalot audience more than 40 times. When an actor asked her why she was so into Clay, she told him, “He is the Savior.”"
• TMZ via New York Daily News -

  Clay Aiken has a fan who really really likes him. Gatecrasher says that this fan has seen "Spamalot" more than 40 times, gets to the stage door every morning at 9:30 am, and calls him the "Savior."
  

• phillyBurbs.com - predictions for American Idol ... in 2013:

  David Archuleta is serving 20 years for vehicular manslaughter and possession of illegal narcotics with intent to distribute. Before his arrest, he had patronized Carly’s tattoo parlor on several occasions (Archu’s body art: a bleeding “American Idol” logo, Clay Aiken’s face, and a tiny unicorn).

• TV Grapewine - Clay: my private life isn't your business -

  AMERICAN IDOL
  Former American Idol runner-up, Clay Aiken, was quoted in USMagazine.com that no one cares whether he is gay or not. He tells the magazine that the public doesn’t want that type of stuff “pushed in their faces.” No, he doesn’t address the issue but says that it was hard for him when the blogging started. His new album, “On My Way,” is due out May 6. Hey Clay, great way to get the press without divulging anything!
  

• All Headline News -

  Clay Aiken's personal life is personal, the "American Idol" season two finalist asserts.
  
  Aiken, 29, does not need to answer questions about his private life, particularly his sexual preference, as he doesn't think it's necessary.
  
  He tells Access Hollywood in an interview with Billy Bush, "I think for the most part... people who are living in Omaha or in Charlotte or wherever, they don't want stuff like that pushed in their face."
  
  "I don't think that that's necessary, and that's also not what I'm here for."

• GoErie.com - is "American Idol" stuck in "idle"? -

  It's unlikely that the producers who saw the very pretty Kelly Clarkson triumph over the even prettier Justin Guarini that first summer ever envisioned anything like the tuneful but less-photogenic showdown between Season 2 finalists Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken.

• Nothing here yet
  

Tidbits 4/22

Clay and Tyra Banks are featured in today's People Magazine StarTracks. Tyra recently visited Clay on the set of Spamalot to tape a special segment for her Tyra Banks Show. An air date has not been set yet. The same photo is also featured at JustJared.com.

• antiMusic - Clay makes the rounds on late night shows to promote new album -

  f you're a bit underwhelmed by the current crop of American Idols, an old favorite is returning to your television screen and you won't have to put up with Paula to watch. Which favorite is it? It's the guy who's fans sent over dozens emails to let us know that their hero was going to be back on TV. That's right, it's Clay Aiken and he's going on a late night TV blitz to promote his new album.
  
  Claymates will make a run on record retailers on May 6th, when Aiken's new album, 'On My Way Here,' is released and the following week he'll make two late night appearances to promote it.
  
  First up, he'll head over to Burbank to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 12th and then he'll make an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show on May 15th. We received conflicting information from the fans that wrote in about the Kimmel appearance. Some said Clay was performing and others said he wasn't. So we fired off an email to the show's publicist and she confirmed that "Clay Aiken is booked for an interview" only. The musical guest on that night will be Dierks Bentley.
  

• American Idol mentions:
• All Headline News -

  While judge Simon Cowell often chastises contestants for sounding "too Broadway," all six will have to pull out the big numbers for the Broadway themed show. Despite Cowell's remarks, many former "American Idol" contestants have gone on to have successful runs on Broadway, including Fantasia and Clay Aiken.

• Deseret News on Carmen Rasmusen's thorn with American Idol -

  Rasmusen's April 18 column gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how "Idol" works. She wrote of one experience waiting to consult the show's vocal coach while Clay Aiken was being coached.
  
  "I could hear him going over and over his song, dissecting it. Finally, after about 30 minutes, the door opened. It was my turn. I walked in and sang my song about three times before being dismissed. Hardly the personal one-on-one attention Aiken had just received."

• Courier Post Online -

  But who cares about costing an innocent bystanders hundreds of dollars? In the 2003 "American Idol" finale, 130,000 votes separated winner Ruben Studdard from the runner-up, Clay Aiken. A few days later, a phone company in the Midwest said it had received 240,000 misdialed calls during voting.

• Philadelphia Inquirer -

  It's unlikely that the producers who saw the very pretty Kelly Clarkson triumph over the even prettier Justin Guarini that first summer ever envisioned anything like the tuneful but less-photogenic showdown between Season 2 finalists Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, much less the Season 5 victory of Taylor Hicks, a twitchy, gray-haired Alabamian whose personality charmed millions but who's been eating the dust of fourth-place contestant Chris Daughtry ever since.

• The Campus Press - Idols ... where they are now: "Clay Aiken, the runner up on season two of American Idol has been singing and dancing his way on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot, which tells the story of King Arthur and his knights of the round table."
• antiMusic - random mention:

  You see the Ozzy track was playing on my iTunes when I clicked over to Pendulum's Myspace and one of their songs started autoplaying. It was a strange mix, but actually worked. Maybe we'll start a new online crazy with Myspace/iTunes antimash-ups? We're gonna go try Iron Maiden and Clay Aiken right now.
  

• Nothing here yet
  

Tidbits 4/11

AmericanIdol.com asks - "Whose elimination was more shocking than that of Michael?"
Vote for Clay!

• 
• PR NewsWire has an audio/podcast report about Clay's new album. Click "Play Now" under "Entertainment Round-Up for Week of April 11, 2008". - "Clay Aiken to Release Brand-New Album, On My Way Here, on May 6th 2008 "
  
• OK! Magazine - "Clay Aiken: 'I Haven't Watched Idol in Four Years'":

  One-time American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken has found his niche now that he’s playing Sir Robin in the Tony-winning musical Monty Python’s Spamalot.
  
  [...]
  
  Though none of the American Idol judges have been able to see his performance because they’re not allowed to travel while the show is taping, Clay certainly acknowledges that the show made him the star he is today.
  
  “Being able to make a career out of something that used to be a hobby is a big difference,” the former special education teacher says.
  
  Still, the season two runner-up doesn’t tune in to root for his favorites. “I haven’t watched it in four years,” he admits.
  

• Argus Leader - where the American Idols are now:

  Clay Aiken: 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).

• Raleigh News & Observer - how Raleigh & Spamalot are related -

  Spamalot/Raleigh connections
  
  Raleigh and Camelot may have nothing in common. But "Spamalot" is practically a sister city.
  
  Raleigh native Clay Aiken made his Broadway debut as Sir Robin this year. He's scheduled to remain in the role through May.

• Clay was mentioned briefly on E! News last night ... about his AI2 transformation ... SendSpace cap via gerwhisp.

• Carolina On My Mind - The buzz is getting started around "On My Way Here" -

  In Clay Cyberspace, heads are spinning from the stupendous buzz swirling in the media and online about On My Way Here and the singer's appearance at Planet Hollywood. All this activity parallels another point Yaknelle made in her "cliff notes" course on viral advertising:
  
  "The big viral marketing is really done by professionals. I think in the last few days we have seen some really important moments. The ad in Playbill, the single preview, the iTune pre-sale and bonus cut, the webisodes, QVC and the Insider, for example. I really hope Clay gets some prime TV exposure."

• Anew and Afresh - Clay Aiken "looking good" on new RCA PR photos
• Anew and Afresh - Clay leaves his "mark" (literally) on New York City
  
• All That Is Clay Aiken - RCA's official biography for OMWH
  

American Idol Extra Interview: Video

A YouTube cap of Clay's American Idol Extra interview is up. The piece, mostly about Spamalot, aired last night on the FOX Reality Channel:

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