Tidbits 1/13

• Toledo Blade on Clay's post-AI success -

  The wildly successful Clay Aiken, who ultimately finished in second place behind Ruben Studdard in Season 2, was cut early, and then brought back for the wild card round. Since his time on Idol, he has released four albums, has gone on twice as many tours, and has seen remarkable commercial success
  

• Looks like that interesting Newsweek interview is getting a lot of attention from the media:
• Anorak - "CLAY Aiken, singer, is in conversation with Newsweek magazine. Dim the lights, soften the focus and coat with syrup:"
• Akron Beacon Journal -

  Irked Aiken. Newsweek.com interviewed singer Clay Aiken about his upcoming role in Spamalot and other topics. The mag learned that Aiken hasn't watched American Idol since Season Four, that until three months ago ''I thought Monty Python was a person'' and that he's a bit careless when selecting socks in the morning.
  
  But some topics were off limits.
  
  Asked about his dispute with a woman on an airplane flight, he said, ''I'm not going to talk about it.''
  
  Asked about his set-to with Kelly Ripa, he said, ''I'm not going to discuss it.''
  
  Asked then what he wanted to talk about, he said, ''I think we're done.''
  
  It wasn't done, but it didn't get any more pleasant. Asked what he did for fun, Aiken said, ''I watch the news. I read news magazines, but I'm reconsidering that now.''
  

• 2Snaps.tv -

  During an interview with NEWSWEEK to promote his run in Broadway's Spamalot, Clay Aiken refused to answer questions about some his recent headline grabbing antics.
  
  When asked about the incident a few months back where he fought with woman on a plane, Aiken responded "I'm not going to talk about it," and the proceeded to tell the interviewer that he thought he was talking to NEWSWEEK and not the National Enquirer, further stating that he would "hate to have a job where I had to be rude to people."

• Monsters & Critics -

  Clay Aiken was interviewed by Newsweek about making his Broadway debut in Spamalot, and things went bad very fast.
  
  The interview started normal, but when the interviewer started asking about his public imbroglios, Clay channeled his old mentor, Simon Cowell.

• HollyScoop -

  Clay Aiken has changed a lot since the cute little dork with a makeover who won over our hearts during Idol. But now, he's got a lot to say if you cross him, and it ain't too nice.
  
  Clay did an interview with Newsweek, and the reporter started out by asking Clay how rehearsals were going for Spamalot. But when she started in on his personal life, Clay went all diva on her.
  

• The Huffington Post -

  Newsweek has a "web exclusive" interview with "American Idol" runner idol runner up Clay Aiken to promote his appearance in the Broadway production of "Spamalot". But some of the questions proved stunningly awkward. An excerpt:

• Lo Hudson Journal News - Ruben Studdard article -

  Representing the 205 with class, the soft-spoken Stud upset the Manilow-esque Clay Aiken in the final. Unlike the previous year, when Clarkson was pretty much expected to defeat Justin Guarini, the show had its first controversy involving the voting for the final two contestants.
  
  After Studdard barely made a blip on the music radar with “Sorry 2004,” the years that followed—from a professional standpoint—could be described as “Sorrier 2005” and “Sorriest 2006.” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Sorry.) Perhaps it was backlash from the Claymates, poor marketing or mismatched songwriting, but whatever the reason, it seemed that Studdard’s newsmaking was limited to stories involving lawsuits and lost weight.

• Charlotte Observer - American Idol looking to turn things around after poor season 6 showing -

  Last season's crop of finalists -- typified by the weak-throated but well-Mohawked Sanjaya Malakar -- were widely considered to be deficient in appeal, compared with the breakout personalities of other years like Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler, Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken.

• E! Online - Katharine McPhee dumped by Sony BMG -

  It's only partly surprising, since Idol number twos often do better than winners. (Hello, Clay Aiken; goodbye, Ruben Studdard.) In a way, of course, McPhee did do better than winner Taylor Hicks—he was dumped by BMG before she was.

• Cleveland Plain Dealer - American Idol's most infamous controversies -

  Season two: There are claims that millions of votes were dropped because the phone system was overloaded for the final between winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken. Studdard's margin of victory is 130,000 votes.

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay helps raise money for Inclusion, begins "Spamalot" rehearsals in New York -

  After last weekend's Golfing for Inclusion fundraiser in Palm Beach, FL, Clay Aiken headed back to New York City to rehearse for his Jan. 18 debut as Sir Robin in the Broadway show "Spamalot."
  

• ClaySpots comments on the Newsweek interview and how respected newsmagazines are becoming a breeding ground for tabloid fodder -

  Clay Aiken gave an on-line interview to Ramin Setoodeh from Newsweek on Friday, January 11th. Here was an opportunity for a respected news magazine to do a good interview with one of the most fascinating and controversial celebrities around. Why fascinating? Because he's not a one dimensional, a one-size-fits-all, so to speak, celebrity. Why controversial? Because everything he does gets noticed and commented on. Fall asleep on a plane and get in a bro-ha-ha with an attacking passenger? Covered in over 500 newspapers, news sites, tabloid rags, and TV shows, including CNN Headline News.
  
  [...]
  
  I'll shut up now. I just wish that respected news magazines would write with a little more respect for their readers. We're not stupid and we'd like the style and method of writing to reflect the intelligence of the readers. I just wish that reporters would do their job with integrity and to the best of their ability instead of pandering to the lowest common denominator

• All That Is Clay Aiken addresses another major problem in the blogosphere...

  I said that when I set up my blog about Clay Aiken, that I would only post good news about Clay. This is not one of those posts. There has been such wonderful things happening with Clay as of late that I hate to post the words I have thrown together, BUT this has been really bothering me.
  
  I have been trying to understand the thought processes of many bloggers.
  I know; pot meet kettle. I understand my own thoughts, but others is another question.
  
  My blog is a Clay Aiken blog as you can see. Daily, I Google or do a search on Lycos for anything Clay Aiken. I have noticed that there are many blogs out there with the name Clay Aiken in them. I will read the blog and it has NOTHING to do with Clay. These are just for hits. It makes their blog look like it is not worth reading if they don’t throw Clay’s name in there. Yes, I like to read his name, but I would like there to be something that will tie his name to the subject matter.
  
  Another thing I have noticed - No matter what the subject of Clay is in the blog - many CANNOT resist throwing in an innuendo or two. It can be an article of Clay being on a UNICEF trip in Mexico, his Spamalot Broadway appearance in January, or his singing on the Capitol One Holiday on Ice special. The first annual "Golfing for Inclusion" tournament was held at the Mirasol Country Club in Palm Beach, FL on January 7th 2008. It was a hit. Of course there had to be a blog or two throwing the innuendos left and right. There was no evidence that the writers of these blogs were even there!

• Chexxxy's Pearls - setting the record straight about Clay Aiken ... "Clay Aiken for Dummies" -

  Impersonating Clay Aiken online has been going on for almost 5 years. Some people first met him in chatrooms, in anonymous postings and instant messaging with faceless strangers who spoof and role play Clay Aiken online. There was and still is fan fiction and slash written about him and he has been paired with everything from Simon Cowell to Mrs Beasley and everything in between. I think the only one he hasn't had a fictional relationship with is Lassie, although I might have missed that one.

Tidbits 9/8

LBFCA has part 2 of their "He's Not That Innocent" photo/video essay series... don't miss it! It's making me miss the summer tour already and it hasn't even been a whole month since it's ended yet.

• From Clayversity - Clay was voted the "Biggest Gossip" in his high school class. Hmmm, why does that not surprise me? He talks a lot and faster than the speed of sound, so he could sure tell a lot of gossip just in one day!! SIDE NOTE: Notice that he was wearing stripes even back then!!!
• National Ledger - In an article entitled, "American Idol Tour Flops" by Jim Roberts, he states that

  A source tells Usmagazine.com, “It has been tough this time but the star power just wasn’t as big as other seasons where people really wanted to see a Kelly Clarkson or a Clay Aiken or a Fantasia...

• About.com - New Neil Sedaka article mentions Clay -

  The songwriter behind Clay Aiken's "Solitaire," the Captain and Tenille's "Love Will Keep Us Together," and Connie Francis' "Where The Boys Are" is also the early-Sixties teen idol behind the mic on "Calendar Girl," "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," and, eventually, "Laughter In The Rain." Find out all about Brill Building legend and pop idol Neil Sedaka here in my new profile.

• Here's a new blog I found today... it's called Clay - The Man. They have some awesome Clay photos, graphs and YouTube clips you can spend hours enjoying.
  
• ClaySpots - post about that wonderful Dianne Austin/ElitesTV review of Clay's LA concert from yesterday
• Carolina On My Mind gives us some wonderful news -

  It's hard to believe, but this cookie crumb-covered toddler is trying to promote me to the rank of "grandmother."
  
  Daughter Jennifer is expecting a son in October. She is currently in the hospital for cautionary monitoring with doctor's orders for complete bed rest, so the grandson's birth may be rescheduled from October 10 to late September. Our family is on stand-by in several states for the blessed event.

• Clayigraphy's Chardonnay invited to post on LBFCA -

  So anyway, it happened exactly like this...
  
  Out of the blue.. The Broads' people called up MY people and asked them if they thought I might be interested in putting together a little sumpin' for one of their Main Pages.
  
  My people responded back with a "She would be happy to, but with one stipulation"... that they would shuffle through all of their files and come up with one or two of the most amazing and broadliest Broads they could find to assist me with it.
  
  And you know what? They did!
  
  He's Not That Innocent... (Part 1)
  He's Not That Innocent... (Part 2)

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."
  

• Nothing here yet
  

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 7/19

• Clay said at last night's M&G in Syracuse that his appearance on FOX's Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader will be taped sometime in August. He says he doesn't know when it will air.
  
• Clay mention on The View, reports the CB's angelcat4jc -

  Paula Abdul is the co-host and she was asked about whether all the winners deserved to win. She said when it came down to the finals, the right person won. But then she said sometimes the record label doesn't support the winner and Joy said in Season two Ruben Studdard didn't sell as much as Clay Aiken. Paula said yea, Clay Aiken sold more albums than Ruben. Then Barbara starts talking about Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson.
  

• LiveDaily's review of the AI6 concert in Glendale, AZ -

  It's unclear whether [Idol winner Jordin] Sparks will be as successful as former Idols Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson, but at 17 she has the poise, grace and talent of someone 10 years older.

• Concert listings:
• Tampa Tribune
• Nashua Union Leader -

  Nashua Symphony Orchestra will provide the musical backdrop for Clay Aiken when the pop singer visits the picturesque Lakes Region for an 8 p.m. concert Wednesday, July 25, at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford.
  
  "Meadowbrook contacted us and invited us to perform with Clay Aiken," said Caroline Mardiasmenos, spokeswoman for the orchestra.
  
  As the runner-up in Fox TV’s second "American Idol" singing competition, Aiken garnered scores of fans -- or devoted "Claymates" -- in 2003 with his Southern charm, easygoing demeanor and bright voice.

• NC Times - holding our own Idol competition - "The perpetually No. 1-rated show has launched the singing careers of Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Elliot Yamin and Clay Aiken, among others, and the summer auditions around the country draw upwards of 100,000 people in each city."
• AntiMusic - uh... I better keep my mouth shut on this one -

  It was a pretty dead day for real music news but children's entertainment had some hefty headlines with a reported leak of the ending to the final Harry Potter book (he falls in love with Clay Aiken)

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay kicks off New York dates. Carolina Clay posted this review of Clay's concert from a MALE concertgoer who had "cheap balcony seat"... cool!

  I DEFINITELY enjoyed the show. And, he is a FUNNY guy! Those comments about the plane incident and the 'hand over the mouth of a yakkity woman" were priceless!! It seemed to me that Clay and the two girls really, REALLY enjoy doing the show. It was loose, relaxed, and just plain fun.
  
  The singing was wonderful. loved hearing those big notes again -- and in person for the first time! The fact that he covers just about any genre you can think of was also great fun. The TV themes -- Michael Jackson and Madonna??? Unbelievable! He did some GREAT MJ singing there.
  
  I just wish the boy would get the beat into his feet! If he had done the moonwalk on those MJ songs, that place would have come crashing down! The screams and noise -- I thought Elvis had just appeared on stage!
  
  All in all, a GREAT time! I really enjoyed it and definitely hope he comes through here with the Christmas show! I'm kicking myself NOW for not seeing it the last time!

Tidbits 7/11

We told you yesterday about Clay being the 4th most searched for term on Yahoo. Today, he is the 2nd most searched for person over at MSN.com. Wow!

• Houston Press - American Idol tour ready to hit Houston -

  Yep, Idol's the new punk rock. How better to capture rock and roll's death throes than rocking a Clay Aiken album? What better way to flip off the atrophying societal standards of good taste and talent-based achievement than feigning earnest appreciation for that William Hung or, soon enough, Sanjaya CD? Somebody buys those things, by the millions no less. You might even already have a copy in your house, in the closet next to the ironic trucker hats and the Big Mouth Billy Bass.

• Tour concert listings:
• San Diego City Beat
• T.C. Palm
• And if you need more plane incident lies from the media ... do a search for Clay at Google News.
  

• Nothing here yet today.
  

Tidbits 6/2

• Vancouver Sun recaps Clay's performance for Gov. Schwarzenegger and Premier Campbell in Vancouver on Thursday:

  CLAY AIKEN, the American Idol super-graduate, stole the show by singing at Arnold Schwarzenegger's appearance at the Stanley Park Pavilion Thursday. With Premier Gordon Campbell humming along, the California governor preached the green-way mantra other politicos have suddenly taken to heart. But a far older theme -- a star is born --played later when Aiken dined with homegrown music-biz biggie David Foster at Umberto Menghi's Il Giardino restaurant.
  

• Reality TV World - In an article about a dispute between Kelly Clarkson and Clive Davis, Clive said:

  "Contrary to popular belief, that's what album sales are really all about -- new hit songs," said Davis during the finale. "Everyone in American Idol must toast [those] much too often underappreciated professional songwriters, those who have greatly enhanced the American Idol album franchise. Right from the very beginning, by writing No. 1 hit songs for Clay Aiken, through 'Since U Been Gone'.. 'Breakaway,' for Kelly Clarkson's huge 'Breakaway' album..."

• Inquirer.net-Philippines - Several Clay comments in this article about the AI6 finale:

  The “final-final” telecast of the “American Idol” used to pull in as many as 38 million viewers (during the Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken square-off)....We submit that the Ruben-Clay finale scored a record-setting viewership because the two surviving finalists were so evenly matched in terms of talent....Now that the 2007 “American Idol” season has run its course, music buffs are surveying the field, and have noted that winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks have been eclipsed by their runners-up (Katharine McPhee and Chris Daughtry for Hicks, Clay Aiken for Studdard).

• Syracuse Post Standard - high school staging "Idol" musical based on Clay Aiken and his fans -

  Further imagine such elements mixing in a story on the social effects of Clay Aiken and you pretty much have a fix on "Idol: The Musical."
  
  "Idol" is about an improbable group of high school seniors, evidently bound together by their worshipful devotion to "American Idol" second season second-placer Clay Aiken.

• Tour mentions:
• Fayetteville Observer - "Clay Aiken will perform with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Aug. 10. Tickets are $27.50 to $50."
• TC Palm

• Nothing here yet
  

Tidbits 5/29

This looks like a "new" photo from Clay's appearance on The View last September. He is being flanked by Angela and Quiana. Thanks to OneSingerGal at the CB for uncovering this at Slide.com.

• Small Clay Aiken concert mention in the San Diego Union Tribune ... click on the thumbnail to the right to read it. Thanks to the CB's LUVClay26 for the scan.
  
• Clay Aikenology group @ MySpace - really cute story about Clay being "in" the delivery room with a Claymate as she gave birth...
  

  Clay Aiken 'with' me in the delivery room - As luck would have it, one of my best friends went into labor on Mother's Day. The baby was already five days late for her own birth, a trait definitely genetically inhereited from the mother. We planned, and packed, and rehearsed. I was to be one of her coaches in the delivery room along with her boyfriend. She had her stereo with some Clay music on it, and a prepacked bag with other goodies in it.
  
  The midwife came in,looked, and said "It's time to push!" We were relieved to hear that.
  Two hours later, with Mr. Boyfriend and myself looking on, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She kept asking if her baby was ok. The little baby girl had a bit of trouble breathing, but that was mainly due to having to push and kick her way out into the world, listening to Clay Aiken sing for her. All of us were crying.

• Pegasus News - some band I have never even heard of being cooler than Clay? What? How's that even possible?

  Futuresoul Soundclash Go see this show because FSS' Clay Pendergrass is way cooler than Clay Aiken. That's right, bring it Clay Aiken fans, we're not afraid of you.
  

• OC Register - Idol finale ratings slightly higher than previously announced:

  Because Jordin Sparks' coronation as the sixth "American Idol" winner didn't come until after 10 p.m., "Idol" viewership was adjusted from 29.5 million in fast national figures to 30.7 million in the final national (live plus same-day viewership) tally.
  
  While those numbers dominated the night and added an extra bit of relish to Fox's already preordained May sweeps victory, they were still off rather dramatically from last season's "American Idol" finale. When Taylor Hicks topped Katharine McPhee, the two-hour show averaged 36.4 million viewers.
  
  Fox said last year's finale was the network's most-watched night of entertainment programming ever, though it wasn't even the most viewed "Idol" finale ever. The 2003 showdown between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken was broken into an hour-long preshow and an hour-long finale, with that second hour drawing 38 million.

• Arizona Republic - disappointed with Idol finale ...

  I was disappointed with the finale. In previous years, there were so many surprises and silly guilty-pleasure skits, like showing Paula and Simon on a date, and Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken in the boxing ring. This year, the finale reminded me of Idol Gives Back all over again. They didn't even splurge for the confetti or choir singers. What was up with that? Are you as upset as I am? Hey, we should start a "Bring back the confetti" petition for next year.

• Caroll County Times - best AI performances:

  3. "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Clay Aiken, Season 2.
  
  I love any songs backed by an inexplicable gospel choir.

• Student Operated Press questions why we are so addicted to talent contests -

  This week on AI, voters picked a new winner. With far more votes than in any American Presidential Election that I know of, over 70 millions viewers voted and Jordin Sparks won over Blake Lewis. Two very different singers appealing to different fans. In fact, the last 4 or 5 finalists will do well. Remember Clay Aiken or Chris Daughtry?

• AskMen.com - article about Mizuo Peck... "Mizuo appeared in Clay Aiken 'The Way' music video."
  

• The ConCLAYve - Newsweek is another example of crappy journalism - But approximately two and a half years ago, Newsweek reported a story about Clay Aiken and cited gawker.com as a source. That's right, gawker, the gossip site which uses this disclaimer: "Gawker is a gossip site. The site publishes both rumors and conjecture, in addition to accurately reported information. Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies; the site's proprietors do not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site's content. Links to content on and quotation of material from other Gawker sites are not the responsibility of Gawker Media.

Tidbits 5/27

• A few Clay mentions over at Fred Bronson's Billboard Chart Beat -
  
• First up is this one Billboard Chart Beat about Avril Lavigne's new single -

  "Girlfriend" is the first No. 1 on the RCA label since Clay Aiken's "This Is the Night" occupied the penthouse in June-July 2003. Lavigne is the first solo female to have a No. 1 on RCA since Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" held sway for two weeks in October 2002. "Girlfriend" is the first non-Idol No. 1 for RCA since Christina Aguilera's "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" topped the chart for four weeks in October-November 2000.

• And this one is a Billboard Chart Beat Chat about the successes of American Idol contestants -

  Season Two
  "Measure of a Man," Clay Aiken, No. 1 (2003)
  "Soulful," Ruben Studdard, No. 1 (2003)
  "One Love," Kimberley Locke, No. 16 (2004)
  "Josh Gracin," Josh Gracin, No. 11 (2004)
  

• Pittsburgh Post Gazette - AI article ...

  Jordin is talented and lovely -- I'm happy for her. But Blake never stood a chance with "This is My Now" -- how could he beatbox and jazz up a sappy, dull pop song? Oh well. We all know second place is just as good as first when it comes to "American Idol" -- just look at Clay Aiken and Katharine McPhee, or even fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry. But as a Blaker Girl, I'm bummed the hip beatboxer doesn't pull off the underdog victory.
  

• A few mentions of the summer tour:
  
• Sun Sentinel
  
• Foster's Online

• The ConCLAYve - Buzz disappears from American Idol finale -

  the American Idol finale seemed like an afterthought. There was no buzz. I kind of feel badly for Jordin Sparks, she will need some serious manufactured buzz in order to have a successful album.
  
  This year's AI finale was more like that televised Yule Log film loop that you turn on at Christmas. Contrast this year with last year when a simple hint that Clay Aiken might be performing set off a frenzy on the entertainment shows. When he did appear in the infamous segment with fan and wannabe Michael Sandecki, the buzz Clay created lasted for a week after, nearly eclipsed the actual winner's moment and completely overshadowed the fact that Prince performed later.
  

Tidbits 5/25

• A bunch of Clay mentions in these articles about sagging American Idol ratings... the finale drew only 30.7 million viewers. In 2003, Clay and Ruben's finale drew 38 million viewers.
• Associated Press wire courtesy CNN and ABC News - "This year's finale compares to the 30.3 million who watched in 2005, and 28.8 million in 2004. The showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard in 2003 attracted 38 million viewers, Nielsen said."
• ABC-TV Sacramento via AP -

  It's pretty much the same number of people who saw Carrie Underwood win in 2005 -- 30.3 million. It beats out the 28.8 million who saw Fantasia Barrino win in 2004, but doesn't come close to the juggernaut of 2003, when 38 million people tuned in to the Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken finale.

• Orlando Sentinel -

  The numbers for Sparks were more in line with the victories of Carrie Underwood (30.3 million) and Fantasia (28.8 million). The peak for Idol came four years ago when 38.1 million watched Ruben Studdard edge Clay Aiken.
  

• And some more American Idol mentions:
• Foxes on Idol -
  

  As American Idol has become more popular, it has become less and less relevant who wins. Sure, we haven’t heard much from Justin Guarini lately. But Season 2 showed us that a runner-up like Clay Aiken can become every bit as successful, if not more so, than the winner. His first album sold 613,000 copies in the first week alone, and his subsequent albums have also done very well. Clay has had his own TV Christmas special and won several American Music Association and Billboard awards. Losing to Ruben didn’t slow his career down in the slightest. Clay’s fellow non-winners have also had post-Idol success. Josh Gracin’s debut album went Gold. And Kimberley Locke has had two #1 songs.

• Blogcritics on Jordin Spark's new single "This Is My Now"-

  It’s not shocking that the song is a dud because Idol’s rich history of crap-tacular ballads is a painful and nearly criminal one. Take for example, “Flying Without Wings” by Rueben Studdard. Please. With predictable R&B production values and greeting card lyrics, it’s a natural for weddings and graduations. And that’s not a good thing, people. We already have a surplus of tooth rotting anthems like this thanks to Diane Warren, author of co-dependency classics like “How do I Live Without You” and “Because You Loved Me”. Still, I guess the song works on multiple levels for both Rueben and Clay. For Studdard, the “wings” in question could be buffalo, while Aiken’s could be fairy.

• Sound Generator - "Sparks, who earns a recording contract with Sony BMG after the win, follows in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and the show's most successful export, Kelly Clarkson."
• OC Register - "Most importantly, will Jordin be insistent on pursuing her musical desires, the way Kelly and Fantasia and (though he lost his latest battle) Clay Aiken have?"
• Morris County Daily Record - "Season two's second-place finisher, Clay Aiken, proved more successful than the "Idol," Ruben Studdard. In 2004 he won Top 40 Male Artist of the Year."
• Richmond.com -

  How close were the results? Fox remains mum on this fact, but the good news is that it won’t make too much of a difference; Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken, Kimberly Locke, Elliott Yamin and others have proven that you don’t have to be the last singer standing to kick start your musical career.

• Detroit News -

  In more "Idol" news, Entertainment Weekly has compiled its list of the top 10 "Idol" performances ever, and even though the magazine has early deadlines, we're pretty sure Jordin Sparks singing "This is My Now" wouldn't have shaken things up much. Carrie Underwood's "Alone" takes their No. 1 spot, followed by Kelly Clarkson's "Stuff Like That There," Clay Aiken's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Fantasia Barrino's "Summertime."

• AOL TMZ - random Clay mention by a commenter at TMZ's post about George Clooney in Cannes, France: "No, not everybody wants to kiss George C., I'd rather kiss Clay Aiken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
• Pocono Record reminds us that many American Idol contestants do have formal training: "And most "Idol" singers who went on to have careers have had training. Clay Aiken began his musical training early and also studied movement and dramatic presentation."
  
• The Weekly - Clay concert listing
• Baseball Toaster ... random mention: "Clay Aiken's evil twin, Tyler Clippard, makes his Yankee Stadium debut tonight. "

• Carolina On My Mind - American Idol finale a flop:

  The hodgepodge of Top 10 contestants, former winners, a somewhat random roster of entertainers, literally everything but the kitchen sink, ensured a circus-like atmosphere for Wednesday's American Idol Finale, sadly moving the key purpose of the results show to the back burner.

• Carolina On My Mind gives us a walk down memory lane to the AI2 finale week and last year's very memorable AI5 finale.
• The ConCLAYve's Michi tells us of her mother-in-law's passing and how she's using Clay's music to get through these tough times -

  I have been listening to a lot of Clay Aiken. I have literally needed to in order to get through this week. His voice soothes me. I listen to the hauntingly beautiful “Lover All Alone” and my tears fall freely . I am comforted by “I Will Carry You” and it reminds me of “Red” because she was always there for everyone.
  

Clive Davis Mentions Clay on AI Finale

Clay was just mentioned by RCA head Clive Davis moments ago on American Idol's finale now airing on the East Coast. Clive was on stage talking about the successes of American Idols and mentioned Kelly, Clay and Fantasia before presenting Carrie Underwood the RIAA certification for 6 times platinum for her debut album Some Hearts. Congrats Carrie!

Tidbits 5/22

Great Clay mention at MSN Music. It reads:

American Idol Alumni Association

Clay Aiken: Second-season runner-up Aiken is the second-highest-selling "American Idol" veteran and tops the album-sales list for nonwinners, even outselling Season-2 winner Ruben Studdard by almost double (approximately 4.5 million to 2.4 million, respectively). Aiken has also garnered three Billboard Music Awards and one American Music Award. He has a special set of extra rabid devotees who call themselves "Claymates."

• VOTE for Clay & Ruben at AmericanIdol.com.
  
• Lycos 50 - Clay remains at #10 for the week ending May 19. The caption under his name is "Humanitarian Work". 203 weeks and counting. Keep those searches up!
• MTV News - In an article called "'American Idol' Video Timeline: Five Seasons In Five Minutes (Or 2,500 Words)", Clay is mentioned under the Season 2 summary as follows:

  By casting Ruben, Clay, Kimberley and Frenchie, "AI2" broadened America's definition of "pop star image." Fans ate it up. However, by voting on voice over looks, the season ended up being fairly predictable, where the singer who deserved to go home each week did. The final Ruben/Clay showdown was a tight race (one that Seacrest called a "photo finish") and although Studdard was the victor, Aiken ultimately wiped the floor with him in record sales.

  There are lots of articles about this year's American Idol finale between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis that mention Clay:
  
  
• AOL Television - Listed as one of the reasons that this year's American Idol failed, along with a picture of Clay and Ruben, is (scroll down on website page):

  No Name Appeal: Clay and Ruben. Kelly and Justin. Just saying the names makes us feel nostalgic. Blake and Jordin? Not so much.

• The Modesto Bee -

  It would take a miracle (20 million phone calls) for Blake Lewis to win this, and it would be interesting if he does. But if he fails, all he has to remember is that Ruben Studdard won the title but Clay Aiken, who came in second, made all the money.

• My San Antonio - "But Clay Aiken, the Season 2 runner-up, and Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth last year, actually put out hotter CDs than the winners of their seasons."
• WNBC: "Clay Aiken, who finished second to Ruben Studdard in 2003, has released three discs and sold a total of 4.5 million units."
• Chicago Tribune - "“I don’t think a final between Blake and Jordin is reminding anyone of those classic ‘Idol’ finals between Kelly [Clarkson] and Justin [Guarini] or Ruben [Studdard] vs. Clay Aiken.”"
• Hartford Courant - "The successes of past non-winners, from Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson to Clay Aiken, shows them there's a future even if they don't get the most votes tonight (likewise, the faltering this year of Taylor Hicks' debut album indicates there's no guaranteed super-stardom for a winner)."
• SouthFlorida.com - "Some of Idol's greatest success stories -- Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry from last season -- have been also-rans."
• Daily Vanguard -

  Clay Aiken, season two runner-up, experienced brief fame among the adult easy listening crowd, making him the third most successful former contestant of the show, but have you even heard his name in the last two years? Probably not, because nobody cares anymore.

• Winston Salem Journal -

  Part of the reason Fox 8 has done so well with the show over the years has been local interest, with previous seasons including such performers as Raleigh native Clay Aiken, High Point native Fantasia Barrino, and last year’s triple-punch of North Carolinians Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry.

• Foxes on Idol recalls last year's Clay Aiken spectacular on the AI5 season finale --

  Other highlights included an appearance by Clay Aiken, who totally floored poor Michael Sandecki (the “winner” of the Golden Idol award for best impersonation), and a neat medley of Burt Bacharach songs featuring the top 12. Prince also made an appearance that night, along with Al Jarreau, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Meatloaf, and Dionne Warwick.

• TV Guide host calls Clay Aiken "insanely popular" ... she got that right! -

  Of the six seasons to date, which do you think was the hardest to call?
  Rosanna: I think the hardest was Ruben and Clay, because Clay was insanely popular — and still is. People weren't sure which way that was going to go.

• Arizona Republic -

  Some years, I have a strong feeling who is going to win. Ruben Studdard against Clay Aiken, and I was going for the big guy all the way. Last year, I knew Katharine McPhee didn't stand a chance. But this year, I'm really confused. Jordin has a great smile, a gorgeous voice and a sweet personality (well, when she's not sniping about Rose Royce), but Blake is just so cool and charismatic and adventurous in what he does.

• TampaBay.com -

  But only two of the series' five previous winners have maintained Idol-level performing careers (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood), with other high achievers such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson outperforming those who beat them in their competitions.

• Detroit Free Press -

  Note to Blake and Jordin fans: They're both young, talented, and poised for lucrative pop careers, but neither of their voices has dominated the competition -- not like the Kellys, Clays and Fantasias of yore.

• New York City Village Voice - article about New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music -

  Some students specialize in engineering, some in business, and the rest—about a third—are performer-producers who gain training in how to record themselves in a multimillion-dollar studio so that they leave with full-length albums upon graduation. And if the final goal isn't already clear, a wall of photos at the fifth-floor offices at 194 Mercer Street makes the point: There's Davis with Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana. Davis with Annie Lennox and Rod Stewart. Davis handing a gold record to American Idol standout Clay Aiken.

• A few mentions of Clay's Dancing With The Stars appearance TONIGHT -
  
• The ConCLAYve
• Something That Really Happened
  

American Idol 2 - Remembering Clay's Performances - Top 3

This week on American Idol 6, the Top 3 performers, Jordan, Melinda, and Blake, were featured. At this point in the season, the best singers are usually left. And that was definitely the case in Season 2. Clay, Kimberly, and Ruben. For me, at that time, I did not realize there was this massive group of online fans who were voting for Clay. So I remember being scared that Clay could be voted off since Kim and Ruben were both really good singers. I remember being absolutely sick at my stomach that whole night and then for the results show!

As was the case this week, Season 2's Top 3 sang three songs that evening. The first song they drew from a hat, the second song the judges chose, and the third song they chose for themselves.

Clay's first song that he drew out of the hat was Vincent. I personally was not happy that he had to sing Vincent. In my mind it was not the most exciting song in the world, but I knew Clay could make it great. We all remember the Vincent fiasco. After the fact, we found out that Clay was asked to add a verse about one hour before the show. He was given one hour to change up the song and get it right. Of course, we were not told that at the time. Looking back at the video, Clay handled this like a pro. At the time he sang it, I knew there was a spot in the song where he stopped singing, but I thought that was just the way it was arranged. And his ending of the song was fantastic. What he did to compensate for the memory lapse was nothing short of amazing. He never let on, and he found a way to come back in and end the song without stumbling over the words. Of course, the judges had to mention the forgotten part without saying that a verse was added at the last minute, and Clay handled that like a pro as well. Clay talks with Linda Loveland about the forgotten words on a video at YouTube. Check it out and see what Clay has to say.

The judges chose "Mack The Knife" for Clay's second song. I about jumped out of my seat when I heard that. I knew that Clay could knock that one right out of the ballpark and into the next county! And he did. To this day, that is still one of my favorite songs of Clay. He was so cool, so hip, the outfit was awesome, and the finger snapping still gets me every time! I still get chills listening to him sing that song and striking that pose when he hit the last note! Randy gave Clay a standing ovation, Paula thought Clay was ultra cool, and Simon said it was brilliant and amazing. For once, all 3 judges got this one right! Check out the video below for a "blast from the past"!



Clay's final song was "Unchained Melody", which is one of my very favorites ever. Clay chose this because it is his mom's favorite song. Again, this is one song that absolutely sends chills down me every time I hear Clay sing it. That high note toward the end, the deep knee bends, the passion and emotion he puts into every word. This is Clay at his best. Once again, the judges all had good things to say, well, maybe Simon's wasn't all that good. But Clay showed that he definitely deserved to be in the final 2, and of course America voted him in the following night.

Here is a video of Clay singing Unchained Melody to make your day!



If you want to download Clay singing any of the AI2 songs, head over to Clack Unlimited's American Idol 2 Solo Performances. You can also download the judges comments, group songs, and the results shows there.

CLAY GOING HOME DURING TOP 3 WEEK - PICTURE MEMORIES

Tidbits 5/16

Clay wins another The Insider poll. Thanks to the CB's gerwhisp for this cap from last night's show.

• TV Guide confirms that Jericho, Clay's favorite show, has been cancelled by CBS.
  
• Entertainment Weekly - An an article called "Sparks Will Fly" about the top 3 American Idols vieing for the top 2 spots, Clay is mentioned as follows:

  If Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Elliott Yamin, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Vonzell Solomon, Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo, Jasmine Trias, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, and, yes, even Nikki McKibbin all managed to avoid duplicating their performances up to and including top-three week, how come Jordin and Melinda could not?

  ...and...

  I'm thinking a Blake-Melinda finale could be the most nail-biting episode Idol has seen since the Ruben-Clay showdown of 2003.

• Salt Lake City Weekly - This editorial called "Idol In Chief" says, "Presidential candidates could learn a thing or two from American Idol about rocking the vote", and uses Clay as an example:

  Like political candidates, Idol contestants can’t stand still. They have to evolve over the course of the season, enlist the audience in their quest to be all they can be. At heart, it’s yet another makeover show, most clearly demonstrated by Clay Aiken’s amazing transformation, in mere weeks, from four-eyed, pale-skinned, carrot-topped geek to two-eyed, bronzer-toned, carrot-topped geek with a hell of a pair of lungs on him.

• Lycos Top 50 - Clay dropped one, from #9 last week to #10 for the week ending May 5. Under Clay's name, it says, "Raised over $180,000 for children". What a great thing for Lycos to put under his name!
• Asbury Park Press - Clay mention in another article about the return of soft rock with Donny Osmond and Neil Sedaka.
• PhillyBurbs.com - runner-ups find success despite losing Idol title -

  In the grand history of AI, fabulous singers always get the boot and go on to modest or better success in the real world. We’ve lost Tamyra Gray, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, John Peter Lewis, and Eliott Yamin. One of these two girls is going home tonight, but which one?

• Daily Trojan predicts the winner of AI6 -

  Jordin should be the runner-up (and could still have a successful career as such like past second-place finalists Katharine McPhee and Clay Aiken). Although Melinda deserves to win more, Jordin will most likely end up as this season's American Idol.

• Charlotte Observer - Idol Thoughts - few Clay mentions in their AI blog:

  With shows like "Idol," that's important: If I'm recalling correctly, my mom still has a videotape containing some of Clay Aiken's Season 2 highlights. This year's show has offered only a few isolated contenders, including LaKisha's "I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," from the semifinals.
  
  and.... on Barry Gibb's reaction to Jordin's "To Love Somebody" which Clay also sang in Season 2:
  
  "I know a couple hundred people have sung this song, but I haven't heard a greater version than Jordin's," he said. (What, he wasn't familiar with the Clay Aiken version from Season Two, which was, to my mind, at least as good?)

• University of California, Los Angeles - UCLA has a profile of Simon Renshaw, Clay's manager ... the profile labels Clay as a "pop culture phenomenon"
  
• BlabberMouth.net ... music article:

  For example, Clay Aiken has a nice voice but is a bit trendy and may not end up being a megastar [that] stands the test of time. I always say, "If you can live without hearing a certain singer ever again then he or she is forgettable."

• Carolina On My Mind shares with us some thoughts about the summer tour and Clay's Yahoo Music interview
  

Tidbits 5/14

There Was A Man - The Climmel ... together again:

I was visiting my dad for a few days, and when I arrived home I found out that Clay was scheduled for a visit on Jimmy Kimmel. It was a short notice visit which I find are the best kind. I hate waiting with anticipation for weeks on end like a kid waiting for Christmas. Clay was a last minute booking taking the place of Cameron Diaz who appeared on Leno that night instead. Leno has an earlier timeslot and better ratings, so I can't really blame Cameron, but I have to say that Jimmy is much funnier than Leno. I flipped channels between Leno and Letterman waiting for Kimmel to come on and I was really surprised at how bad Leno was at interviewing/talking to his guests. It was felt so totally scripted, whereas Jimmy scripted or not just seems more engaged. Anyway, Cameron pre-taped her segment to be aired at a later date before the show with Clay. It worked out all around. I always enjoy Clay's Kimmel visits because the have a chemistry together, and Clay seems more relaxed than some of his other talk show appearances.

• SignOnSanDiego.com asks readers who should go an who should stay on Idol ... one reader comments: "Melinda and Jordin would make an excellent finale; too close to call and reminiscent of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard."
• About.com - American Idol ... "Winning is not always necessary to kick off a musical career with a bang - just ask runners-up Clay Aiken, Bo Bice, and Katharine McPhee. With that in mind, I ask my first question."
• NorthJersey.com interviews Bo Bice -

  But Bice is one of the most nota-ble male singers to come out of the competition; only Clay Aiken and Daughtry have joined him on the top 40 Billboard chart, though Bice's album has sold far fewer copies than theirs.

• ABS-CBN News - post-Idol success not only for winners & runner-ups anymore ...

  The CD from [AI5 finalist] Paris [Bennett] brings to seven the number of Idol finalists from last year who have recorded their own albums. This is great. Market interest in the contestants was once focused solely on the winner and the runner-up. Think Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. Or only on the winner. That’s why nobody remembers Diana DeGarmo who lost to Fantasia two years ago.

• Nothing here today, but check out There Was A Man's post ... see above.
  

Clay Video and Interview at ETOnline

Today, Clay was at the ET set to talk about his UNICEF trip and his rooting for Sanjaya Malakar on AI6. But, in addition to Clay being on TV, this information can also be found at ETOnline.

Get ready for lots of surprises when you see Clay both on TV and online. First, the beard is gone. He must have shaved it off right when he got back home!! For some fans, this will be a time of rejoicing. For others, like myself, I am already missing the beard. But as I've said before, I love the Clay under the beard more, so all is well!

Coming as no surprise are the great things Clay has to say about his trip to Afghanistan. He reiterated again the hospitality of the people there, but also said that he was nervous about his safety there. He said that he and Diane Sawyer wanted to get together to eat, but they could not leave their respective hotels, even though they were only about a mile apart. Watch the video to hear more things Clay has to say about his trip there.

One more thing...what may shock many people is that Clay was actually rooting for Sanjaya Malakar and even hoped he would win AI6!! Now, I find myself cheering and whooping it up to hear him say that, because I was rooting for Sanjaya myself. As Clay said, you gotta love a guy who has the courage to get up before millions of people with a mohawk!! Seems our guy has been watching AI more than he might admit to!

Be sure to check out the interview, video, and picture of Clay at ETOnline. In fact, I think I'm on my way to watch it again!

American Idol 2 - Remembering Clay's Performances - Top 7

With all the excitement last week over Clay's UNICEF trip and the $100,000/10 Days Appeal, I did not put my weekly American Idol 2 article in CDD. That was Week 8, and Clay sang "At This Moment" and was the first to sing. Of course, he did a great job. I love Lionel Richie's comment, "I'm still in awe that all of that is coming out of that body!...Who is that guy, I don't know, who are you?" And he thought Clay pulled it off with power and conviction and did a great job. While Randy and Paula weren't crazy about the song choice, Simon shocked us all and thought it was perfect and on the money. Who would have thought!! And Clay was safe for another week.

This week on AI6, the Top 7 sang country songs. Country is not my personal favorite genre, but I actually enjoyed the country singing of Jordin and Melinda, and Phil shocked us with a really good rendition of his song.

But now, let's get to the good stuff. Top 7, April 15, 2003. Clay comes on stage looking long and lean in a blue t-shirt and suit and knocks the stuffing out of "Tell Her About It". I remember when I first heard him start singing this back in '03, I thought to myself, "No Clay, not another slow ballad. Do something with a little more jive!" So I was thrilled when he broke into the chorus at a faster pace. Of course, slow ballad or a song with a quicker pace, that voice is still golden.

As for the judges, Randy said Clay did his thing...Smokey Robinson said that he proved that he could sing anything...Paula said she loved his great voice but wanted him to let loose and dance a little bit more...and then there's Simon with his back handed compliment. "Clay don't take this the wrong way, but I prefer you when I shut my eyes." He wants Clay to calm down "that weird thing you do with your face" and said it was a compliment because he sounds great. Well, I "forced" myself to watch the video of Clay singing this song several times (tough job, but someone has to do it!), and I didn't myself see any "weird things". All I saw were those gorgeous dreamy eyes and that face which is always full of emotion when Clay sings. And, of course, we found out the next night that America loves Clay with their eyes open, and he once again was safe. Safer than any of us realized at the time. Clay got the majority of the votes every week of Idol.

If you want to download Clay singing any of the AI2 songs, head over to Clack Unlimited's American Idol 2 Solo Performances. You can also download the judges comments, group songs, and the results shows there.

Next week, we'll look at The Top 6 from 2003.

Clay Calls Idol a "Drug", Reveals Plans of New Album in New People Interview

People Magazine has published a new interview with Clay conducted last week at the Champions of Change TBAF gala. in the interview Clay says he's planning another album "soon". While this is certainly good news, I think it comes without saying that Clay's definition of "soon" is not exactly the same as ours. ;)

Here's an excerpt:

Have you been keeping up with this season's American Idol?
It's the first year I haven't watched it.

Why is that?
Just don't want to. Too much stress for me. I don't know, I just always get stressed out when I watch it.

Do you have a new album in the works?
We are going to be going out on tour this summer. And we're actually looking into making another album pretty soon. This time we're going to do something more creative. And so I'm excited about that, 'cause I'm looking forward to having a little more free reign than I've had in the past. Each time I've done an album, I've had a little more creative control over what happens.

What would you recommend to Idol contestants about making the most of their fame?
I think that where I am today is a direct result of God's plan to put me in each place in my life. Find something that you are passionate about that gives back to your community. I think there's a misconception that really upsets me when people say, "If you're in the public eye you have an obligation to let me know when you're gettin' married, who you're gettin' married to and who you're dating." That's bull. But you do have an obligation to be a role model. From the beginning, I realize I got this only because God wanted me to be here. I think anybody who has any microphone to use who doesn't use it for the benefit of those around him is remiss.

The founder of EddieTheDawg.org who started the Six Degrees TBAF fundraiser was also contacted by People last week:

And I know you are having a great time with it! Until something became public, it was inappropriate for me to discuss it on the boards, but here is a little side blip to add to the People Magazine coverage of the Gala and Clay.

About a week or so ago, the New York People office contacted me to get in touch with whoever was running the Gala facility setup. She had one of my press releases that talked about the Gala and the SixDegrees.org competition. She had been out to the EddieTheDawg.org Website and asked me a few questions, and then she told me they were covering the Gala and she wanted to know if there was going to be a red carpet area for press. That would have been fun, I think! She said they were wanting to have a one-on-one with Clay and cover the Gala. I was not certain at that time if the one-on-one was already arranged. I gave her the contact information for TBAF and let her know that Aron Hall was the place to start.

The next day an assigned correspondent, Constance Richards, called me. She had gotten my contact information from NY. She had visited awAikening.org and was particularly interested in a feature I had on the home page entitled "What's New With Clay Aiken UNICEF Ambassador" -- so we briefly talked about Clay's humanitarian interests and I told her I would send her the links from any official Websites such as TBAF and UNICEF and the contact information for these organizations so she can complete her legwork. Yes...as I suspected from the first contact in NY, this was to be coverage of humanitarian Clay and anything else he mentioned during the interview.

Constance then sent me an email which I passed onto Aron. I was particularly pleased that Constance was assigned to this story, because I sensed from the beginning she would write an interesting and perhaps revealing and personal piece. In her email she said the one-on-one was already setup, and that she was to write about the Gala, TBAF and "other charitable endeavors." She needed TBAF to "enable People Mag. to cover the event and shine light on Clay's involvement with these worthy causes." She had not realized that Clay was a UNICEF Ambassador, which struck her in that she commented, "We hear about Angelina Jolie, why not Clay?"

To which I replied, "Well, you have that right!"

She has written much more than is online in the above article, so I am hoping there will be more, perhaps in the print publication or as future articles. If I hear anything that I can mention, I will let you know.

I have a lot of media visiting EddieTheDawg.org because it supports several celebrities and many foundations. I worked with People Magazine a bit during the AI Season 5 Live Tour when they spent days with the Yamin family and covered our Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation events in Richmond and Los Angeles. But they were a different group than the people who usually cover Clay, and Constance has never covered Clay before, usually she covers NC and SC. The person usually covering this beat was out on assignment and it was apparently important to NY that the Gala was covered.

The only other thing to add here is that she interviewed Clay upstairs I believe between dinner and the show. She did not come with a photographer. She was able to stay to watch all of the show -- how could she leave that early! -- and then she had only a few hours to meet her editorial deadline before driving home.

She and I talked while we were both enroute back home Sunday afternoon. She enjoyed the show, she loves what TBAF is all about, and I think her experience was wonderful. Isn't it always.