Tidbits 3/31

• antiMusic - new details about Clay's new CD (nothing we don't know already)
  
• American Chronicle interviews Debra Poneman, who was the editor of Chicken Soup for the American Idol Lover's Soul, now available at bookstores:

  Some of the proceeds from the sales of this book go to various charities. Can you tell us about them?
  
  Yes, as with all Chicken Soup books, a percentage goes to a charity or charities chosen by the authors. We chose three charities for this book: Ace Young´s High Roller´s With Heart that benefits the Children´s Hospital in Denver; Clay Aiken´s charity, The Bubel Aiken Foundation whose goal is to create an environment for children with disabilities where barriers are broken down and inclusion is embraced; and Idol Gives Back which raises money and awareness to benefit children and young people living in poverty in the US and Africa.
  

• After Elton- K-Lo and mention of new album -

  Kimberley Locke, "Fall"
  
  She was right behind Clay Aiken in the show’s second season, and American Idol invited Kimberley Locke to perform her new “Fall” single on Wednesday night. She’s slimmed down, but she still has that voice!
  
  Clay's back for more
  
  Speaking of Clay Aiken, check out the cover art for his upcoming, sophomore album, On My Way Here … and we’ve learned Claymates can’t take a joke…

• Quad City Times on the new American Idol video game -

  I tried four songs — “September,” “Save a Life,” “You’re Beautiful” and “It Ends Tonight.” As I sang, the words “Poor” and “Horrible” kept showing up on the screen. My friend sang like that little bore Clay Aiken and the game kept giving him props. I don’t get it.

• Something That Really Happened - Amazon.com confirms tracklisting for OMWH
• Carolina On My Mind - Clay nation abuzz with news of CD tracklisting -

  Clay Aiken often brags about the detective abilities of his fans, never more on display than this week's discoveries of the track list for his new CD, On My Way Here, as well as video and audio demos by songwriters.
  
  Some fans choose to remain "CD virgins." Not me -- I listen to every little snippet and link that comes along because I know these songs will be brand new when Clay sings them.
  
  Saturday morning a news story on the Ace Show Biz site confirmed the playlist CA fans had discovered through a music store a day earlier. From the track listing page, a click on more info takes the reader to OMWH's corner on Amazon.
  

American Idol "Chicken Soup" Co-Write Lauds Clay in Interview

Debra Poneman, co-author of the new American Idol "Chicken Soup" book, Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul, had lots of great things to say about Clay in an interview with Chris Attwood of Healthy, Wealthy & Wise.

Here are some of the Clay highlights from the interview:

Truthfully, it didn't take me more than two shows, and I was a full-fledged "Idol" fanatic. Of course, we went to the 'Idols Live' tour, the concert, that summer together. Then the next season, which was the Clay-Ruben season, my husband and daughter joined us to watch the show, and then whole family went to the concert the next summer, twice. This is actually another very cool thing; all along the way, I would always say to my kids, "I'm going to get to know those Idols personally.

[...]

Fast-forward to the end of Season Two, and what do I discover? Our dear mutual friend, Marci Shimoff, author of Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul, and, of course, now Happy for No Reason, I discovered that she was also a closet Idol-oholic. We started emailing each other back and forth every week our weekly reviews, complete with editorials. We swooned, "Did you just die when Clay sang "Bridge over Troubled Waters?"

[...]

CHRIS ATTWOOD: You said you were going to share the Law of Success that got Clay Aiken and Mandisa to risk everything, and the resulting miracles that came from that. Will you tell us that story?

DEBRA PONEMAN: Yes. I love Clay's story, but I have to tell you, Chris, the "Idol" fans on the phone are a little upset with you calling her Mandisa.

CHRIS ATTWOOD: Oh, dear! I'm in trouble now! Thank you. I'll never do it again, I promise.

DEBRA PONEMAN: That's okay. I forgive you, and actually, this is about forgiveness. I love the stories in the book. I'll tell you about each one separately, and how Clay and Mandisa demonstrated some powerful principles of success, specifically being true to yourself. You'll see. Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to read you an excerpt from Clay's story. I want everyone listening to see if they can see the principles at play here. Is that okay, Chris?

DEBRA PONEMAN: Again, Clay is talking about being in Atlanta on tour, and here goes. Remember, Clay is writing this. I just have to say it was so fun interviewing Clay, because he was on a cell phone when we were talking, and the call kept dropping. He kept having to call me back. Then he would say, "Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?"

I thought, "Oh, my gosh! I am saying 'Can you hear me now?' with Clay Aiken!" Anyway, so here are Clay's words: "As I'm signing autographs, a very petite, pretty girl walks up to me and says, "Your 'Invisible' video made such an impact on my life." I didn't want to argue with her, but I thought she must have gotten that confused with some other video I'd done. "

"I thought it couldn't have been 'Invisible.' That was just a self-congratulatory video of me singing on the stage in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard with a bunch of people cheering. There was no story line; there was nothing inspirational about it. How in the world could that video have impacted anybody?" "Are you sure you don't mean some other video?" I asked.

""No, I'm sure it was 'Invisible," she said. I asked her to please explain, and she did. "Well, Clay, I used to weigh about 200 pounds." She paused. "You look great, but what does that have to do with 'Invisible'?" "When I saw the girl on the stage with you in that video and you put your arm around her, it made me feel so much better about myself, because you had an overweight girl in your video, and you accepted her. "

"Because of that, I was finally able to accept myself. After that, my whole life changed, and I lost 90 pounds." Then it dawned on me what she was referring to. While we were making the video, the music director had pulled someone out of the audience and put her on the stage with me. She wasn't hugely overweight; she was just a healthy-looking girl, but I guess she didn't exactly fit the image of what people usually see on music videos. "

"She wasn't stick-thin or model-gorgeous, but I never thought anything of it. " "Thank you so much for sharing that with me," I said, but a simple thank you was hardly adequate for the gift that young lady had given me. Her words led me to the realization that you never know the one thing you do that is going to impact someone's life. I try to set the right example, but that day I realized that even things I would never think would make an impact do. "

"I never would have thought that video would have affected anybody in any kind of positive way, and lo and behold, it did. The person it affected most was me. I realized that from then on, I was going to have normal, average, everyday-looking people in all my videos. I literally had to fight with the people from my record label. They were not going to let me do it. "

"They said that the video wouldn't sell, but I wouldn't budge. When we made the video I told them I didn't want any anorexic-looking girls or model-perfect guys. If we did have beautiful people, I wanted the beautiful girl to be with the overweight guy, and the average-looking girl with the model guy. I wanted people to know it doesn't matter what you look like, that everyone is good enough. "

"I realized that's why "Idol" has the impact it does. You never see a contestant with that music-video look. It's about real people, and I think the reason why Season Two was so exciting is because not only were Ruben, Kimberly, and I all from out in the middle of nowhere, Podunk, but we were all extremely normal, average-looking people. We would have never gotten record contracts if it weren't for that show: Ruben being such a big guy; Kimberly, who was gorgeous, but a plus-size woman; and me. I was a dork, and I still am a dork. "

"We're all just normal people from down the street and around the block. The final realization I had that day in Atlanta is that it's not just people who are in the public eye who have an impact on others. You don't have to make a music video to make a difference in someone's life. You can be a bagger at a grocery store or a teller at a bank. You never know when something you do is going to impact someone's life without you even knowing it. "

"You don't have to be Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Kimberly Locke or any Idol. My fan in Atlanta is proof of that." That's Clay's story, and there are two very important principles that are in it. I'll bet your listeners picked them out. One is being true to yourself and standing up for what you believe, as he did to the producers of his video, even risking his career.

This wasn't done before, having everyday people in music videos. The second is that you don't have to be Clay Aiken to impact people's lives. Every single one of us has an impact on so many others, no matter what you do. Also, everyone has a gift to give. If you didn't have a gift to give, you wouldn't have come on the planet. Every one of us is a container for some purpose.

Clay's purpose is to sing. My purpose may be to be a mom and write inspirational books. Someone else's purpose might be to bag groceries. Whatever you do-and here's another important principle-do it with your whole heart. As Martin Luther King said, and I just heard this quote yesterday, "If your gift is to sweep floors, then sweep and sweep and sweep until the angels come down and say, 'Good job!'"

Clay's Chicken Soup Story Mentioned at American Idol Online

Most of us have heard about the new Chicken Soup For The American Idol Soul. But, and maybe I'm just behind the times here, did you know that Clay wrote a story for the book? AmericanIdol.com, in an article dated November 5 by Marnie, tells us about Clay's story concerning a woman who was inspired by the Invisible video. Clay also talked about this in his book, Learning To Sing, Hearing the Music in Your Life. According to Clay,

"I've always tried to remember that people are looking at what I say and do to find out what's valuable and important to me, and I've always tried to set the right example. But that day I realized that I can't know all the ways my actions may impact someone. I couldn't have imagined that video would have affected anyone in any kind of positive way, but, lo and behold, it had."

You can buy Chicken Soup For The American Idol Soul at your local bookstore or at www.amazon.com. And if you buy it at amazon.com, be sure to read the customer reviews. Everyone who left a review loved the book, even those who were skeptical. Sounds like a great item to include on your Christmas list to Santa!

Tidbits 11/30

• It's Clay's birthday ... mentions in the press:
• O.C. Register - "Clay Aiken, 29, tops today's list of celebrity birthdays"
  
• USA Today
  
• Associated Press wire story - "Singer Clay Aiken is 29." ... this story will show up everywhere.
  
• Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - a variation of the AP wire story
• Contra Costa Times
• Dallas Morning News
• Louisville Courier Journal
• StarPulse - "American Idol winner Clay Aiken (1978)"
• Columbus Dispatch
• Central Utah Daily Herald
• PennLive.com
• Christmas tour mentions:
• Philly Burbs -

  Clay Aiken State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, (732) 246-7469; www.statetheatrenj.org. 8 p.m. Thursday. Clay Aiken Christmas with the Chelsea Symphony Orchestra. $65 and $100.

• Post Tribune - Merrillville concert -

  The Star also will welcome Clay Aiken, who gained fame as a runner-up on "American Idol." Aiken sings festive fare at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22. Tickets are $45; 791-1234.

• Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - "Clay Aiken Christmas Show: Dec. 22; Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville; $45; 219-791-1234 or 312-559-1212."
  
• University of Nebraska Gateway -
  

  Dec. 21 - American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken performs live in concert for "Christmas in the Heartland" at the Orpheum Theater. The show begins at 8 p.m. For more information, visit omahaperformingarts.org.

• Citizens Voice -

  After a sold-out performance last year, “American Idol” star Clay Aiken returns to the F.M. Kirby Center for a 7 p.m. show Dec. 4. Backed by a full orchestra, Aiken is expected to punctuate the season with a holiday concert filled with audience favorites. There is no opening act and tickets are $40, $55 and $65.

• Times Herald Record -

  "Clay Aiken Christmas," Dec. 7, Palace Theatre, Albany. Also: Dec. 8, 8 p.m., Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, $41-$56.50.

• Rocky Mountain News - article mentions the new "American Idol" themed Chicken Soup book:

  With new editions of the ubiquitous Chicken Soup for the Soul books coming out all the time - including Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul, the Preteen's Soul, even the Dog Lover's Soul - this Soup seems to be getting awfully thin, indeed. The newest gruel is titled Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul. (Yep, you read that right.)
  
  It features goopy stories from Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken and assorted other crooners - all of which makes us yearn for a salty Simon Cowell. Oh yeah, and a strict diet of bread and water.

• Chicago Sun Times - article about BET's "Sunday Best", "a gospel version of 'American Idol'" -

  "She used to kid me that I was kind of like her Clay Aiken," Addison says with another laugh. "Whenever she did something, I was always on the same bill."

• MTV.com on Jordin Sparks' disappointing first week CD sales -

  It could also be that, as in past years, perhaps the winner is not the person who wears the crown at the end of the show, but someone standing in the shadows. That was certainly the case with now-faded runner-up Clay Aiken and 2006 fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry, who proved that winning isn't everything with the multiplatinum sales of the debut album from his band, Daughtry.
  

• Taking A Moment's Jemock on her St. Louis concert adventure ... being invited to share her Christmas story:

  I got notification that my story would be read on Monday, after I had left home for St. Louis. I didn’t even tell my travel buddies lyricAKP and farouche until we all arrived in St. Louis, because I had to be at the venue by 4:45 on Tuesday, and they’re kinda nosy and would have been all up in my koolaid about where I was going all dressed in black and whatnot. But I threatened them with some really bad fanfic if they told anybody, so they behaved.
  
  Anyhoo. I got to the Fox box office at the allotted time, and met up with two other ladies, HeyButterfly from the OFC and another nice lady from St. Louis (I don’t know her screen name). In a short while, Jamie came around to get us. She is the cutest thing I have ever seen, and has the southernest accent I’ve ever heard, which is saying something, what with me sounding like Gomer Pyle and all. She checked our email printouts and ID’s, and looked at mine and said “Hay! Yew’re tha go-go bewts!” Ha!
  

• There Was A Man - More joyful noise with Clay ... Clay's Christmas tour returns!

Tidbits 11/6

• Don't forget, Clay tapes "Holiday Celebrations on Ice" tonight at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
• Las Vegas Review Journal - "Clay Aiken will sing eight numbers -- and take a skating lesson from Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen, who's joined by such skaters as world medalist (and Las Vegas resident) Surya Bonaly, plus past world champs Todd Eldredge and Yuka Sato."
  
• American Idol website - a new poll asking who you'd like to see in a small venue is up. Vote for Clay!
• WNDU - Chicken Soup for the American Idol Lover's Soul launched -

  One example is of a girl who told Clay Aiken how much his "Invisible" video meant to her. Aiken was confused, because it just shows him singing in front of a cheering crowd. The girl told him she had weighed 200 pounds and she saw Aiken put his arm around an overweight girl in the video, accepting her as she was, and that changed her life.
  

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay to join world class skaters for Christmas celebration -

  World class skaters performing to eight holiday numbers sung by multi-platinum recording artist Clay Aiken promises to be spectacular and entertaining. Magical!
  

Tidbits 9/25

• The CH's Careless Whisper reports that Clay attended his 10th high school reunion in Raleigh recently -

  I got razzed today at work for being a "bad" Clay fan. Apparently, Clay attended his 10 year high school reunion over the weekend and when I was asked about it everyone was in shock that I didn't already know. Yeah, I was "outed" a long time ago. The daughter of a friend of my manager was at the reunion and said Clay was there, too. That's all I know. I didn't have time to check the board today and was wondering if I missed something. I'm glad that he was able to attend and I hope he had a good time.

• The Chicken Soup site has some more information about the new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul for the American Idol Lover. Several Clay stories are included in the collection of short (and true!) stories.
  
• Williamsport Community Arts Center's MySpace blog - and look who they quoted... CDD!

  THE RETURN OF CLAY
  Current mood: creative
  
  Magical Holiday Tour 2007: Williamsport, PA Christmas Show Confirmed
  
  Clay's return to the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, PA has been confirmed following months of rumblings that Clay was set to play another concert at the venue. Clay was last at the venue during last year's "Symphonic Christmas Tour".
  
  The show is scheduled for December 15 at 7:30 PM EST.
  
  ~~~~
  
  Dear Friends,
  
  As the House Manager of the Community Arts Center, I am so pleased to welcome Clay Aiken and his fans back to our beautiful venue. The entire staff of the CAC had such a wonderful experience with not only Mr. Aiken, but with his wonderful Claymates and Claymaniacs last year. I believe that myself and the rest of the staff were moved not only by his talent, but his kind and loving nature. Not only is he an very talented artist, but a gentleman as well!
  
  We really hope to see all of you again at the Community Arts Center on December 15, 2007. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns!
  
  Best Wishes,
  
  Lara Collins Breon
  
  House Manager

• Caller-Times - actress says she can't live without Clay's "Measure of a Man" -

  Desert island CDs: Clay Aiken's "Measure Of A Man," "Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic," Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears."

• Orlando Sentinel - sports article on "faking it" -

  "I don't read the paper."
  
  If you've read it once, you've read it 1,000 times. Or maybe not, since that would mean you read the paper.
  
  That's like admitting you listen to Clay Aiken or voted for Larry Craig. It's apparently worse if you're a sports figure. For them it's admitting you read your own reviews and can't handle the bad ones.

• ClaySpots looks back at 4 years of Clay Aiken and what's next for him -

  Aiken is at a crossroad in his career. He released a pop album in 2003, a Christmas album in 2004, and a covers album in 2006. He's toured nine times and he appears on countless TV shows. He's definitely a TV personality and as an entertainer he's garnering an excellent reputation as a live act who can sell tickets and put butts in the seat. So, what's next?
  
  Clay has told us that he's working on a new CD and he has said that they are aiming for a Spring 2008 release date. His last CD was filled with cover songs, apparently a mandate from Clive Davis. From what I understand, Clay fought hard to include four original songs on the CD and two songs available by download only, 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' and the incredibly plaintive, Aiken-penned 'Lover All Alone'.
  
  From some of Clay's remarks in his meet & greets during this last concert tour, it will be a CD of originals and, so far, he and RCA are on the same page.

Chicken Soup Previews "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul"

The editors at Chicken Soup are previewing their new book "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul". Compiled from various stories submitted by fans of American Idol, the book will hit bookshelves soon.

In a press release (PDF format), the published released this great story about Clay:

The Turn of a Page

My four-year-old son cuddled closer to me. It was afternoon nap time, and he had asked me to lie with him as he fell asleep. He always wanted me to be close while he slept. I was tired too. My husband’s random tirade the night before had made sleeping in that house impossible once again.

I had learned long ago that the only way to survive was to become invisible. I had learned to hide my real self away so that my husband’s angry words and actions no longer hurt me. After a while, I became invisible even to myself.

My son drifted off quickly. He hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before either. As his soft breath became even and I knew he was deep in the cherished peace of slumber, I saw a rare opportunity to temporarily bring myself out of the shadows.

I retrieved Clay Aiken’s autobiography from the bottom of a drawer where I had carefully hidden it. My husband had told me that I wasn’t allowed to read Clay’s book. He hadn’t given me a reason, but the less of a reason he had, the louder he yelled, and I knew not to argue.

As I opened the book, a wave of relief washed over me. I wasn’t completely invisible just yet. There was still a spark that gave me the confidence to defy orders—if only for a few precious moments. I sighed in silence and opened the book to a random page.

As I read Clay’s words that told of the abuse he and his mother had suffered at the hands of his biological father, I nearly stopped breathing. I began to tremble as he shared the account of the strength his mother had to find in order to leave the man who had oppressed her and her son for so long—and how that act of strength helped Clay to become the man that he grew into, that wonderful young man who has inspired millions with his own strong and gentle spirit.

I shut the book quietly so as not to wake my son, sleeping so innocently beside me. As he lay in the refuge of his dreams, I looked into his beautiful face. In that face, I saw two futures laid out before him, one dramatically different from the other. And in that moment, before his nap had ended, I had made up my mind. Like Clay’s mother, I would find the strength to make a better life for the two of us.

The next morning, while my husband still slept, I quietly and triumphantly packed a few of our belongings into my car. I buckled my son into his seat, took a deep breath, and started the journey toward the future that God intended us to have.

Several months after our escape, my son and I celebrated our newfound freedom by attending a Clay Aiken concert. Tears streamed down my face as I held my son’s hand and we watched Clay perform. But these were no longer tears of fear or sadness or hopelessness, but rather tears of gratitude—gratitude for this man who will never know how the turn of a page changed our lives forever.

Lexie Matthews

Reprinted by permission of Lexie Matthews. ©2007 Lexie Matthews.

Tidbits 5/3

WNYC has posted a photo of Clay visiting their studios last month to the WNYC Flickr page. Clay was interviewed by WNYC about his trip to Afghanistan with UNICEF.

• We posted in January about the editors of the Chicken Soup series seeking stories for their upcoming book Chicken Soup for the American Idol Lover's Soul. The CB's crafty1955 says a Clay essay by the CB's DixiPixi4Clay will be included in the book which is expected to be published soon. Congrats DixiPixi4Clay!
  
• Fayetteville Observer mentions Clay's Cary, NC concert coming up on Aug. 10:

  CLAY AIKEN: The “American Idol” singer performs with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra Aug. 10 at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary. Tickets go on sale Saturday and are $27.50 to $50. They are available at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 223-2900.

• Winston Salem News Journal also has a small tidbit about the Cary concert - "Clay Aiken with The Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 10, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 722-6400."
• ... and one more tour mention from the Warren, MI C&G Times - "The 20-plus headline acts include comedian George Lopez, alternative band Snow Patrol, Clay Aiken of “American Idol” fame and pop artist Donny Osmond."
  
• Blogcritics updates us on where contestants of AI2 are now-

  Not only have Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, and Kimberly Locke - first, second, and third place winners respectively - enjoyed success on the airwaves, but many other contestants have also gone on to great fame in music, stage, and television.
  

• And even more Rosie ...
• Long Island Press -

  Even in attempting to defend the discriminated, as in her bizarre hate triangle with Kelly Ripa and Clay Aiken, O’Donnell clumsily risked the American Idol star’s unsolicited public outing.

• Nothing here yet.