riversend22 Posts New Florida Photos

The Clayboard's riversend22 has posted some fabulous concert shots from Clay's 4 concerts in Florida. Check all of them out at the Clayboard.

The Perfect Ending Landing - Claymates Fly Home With Clay ... (well, kind of)

Some lucky Claymates lucked out when they found out that they were flying back to North Carolina on the Delta Airlines same flight as Clay. Now there's a ticket money can't buy!

Clayversity's Cindydoe and NCClayFan fill us in:

Clay was on our flight home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Where is that hyperventilate emoticon when you need it??? As we sat on the plane, NCClayfan had just said to me, "As long as that door is open, there is still hope." 10 seconds later, there he is! Of course, we didn't say anything, but he had to notice the difference in cabin pressure as the three of us gasped for breath at the same time.

I'm sure I'll have a bruise on my arm and leg tomorrow from the two Mary Ann's. He sat 4 rows behind us and across the isle with Jamie. He was in the window seat. We did not turn around to stare, that was hard ya'll!

When the stewardess came with drinks, we jokingly and quietly asked her if we could have Clay Aiken's cup. She said, "So that was him! I thought it looked like him!" Hee..
We wondered if he would be at baggage check, what should we say to him, if anything. We decided we would get off the plane as usual and give him his privacy. But, we did write a note on our Delta napkin:
It read:

Thanks for the tour, it was " Off the Chain!"

We got off the plane and asked the stewardess if she would give it him, she said she would. We got to where he couldn't see us, and peeped though a tiny window and watched as he stood in the door of the plane and read "our" note.

Yes, we are 12 years old!

He was wearing cargo shorts(shock, I know) and a white polo shirt, and clean fluffy hair.

That was certainly the icing on our sweet cake of a weekend!!!

One ticket to see Clay Aiken -- $100.00
4 days of CLAY in Florida -- Over $1000.00
CLAY AIKEN on your return flight home -- PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was on our plane....He was on our plane.....

We breathed the same air for 2 hours.......

PERFECT ENDING TO A PERFECT TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My heart is still racing.
I kid you not, I looked left toward cindy to I say, 'As long as that doors open, there's still a chance." I looked back towards that door and THERE HE WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I gasped so deep my chest hurts.

I was looking out the tiny peep hole giving a play by play, "He's in the doorway. She handeded it him. He's reading it" After he read it he looked up and I am pretty sure I saw a smile. He held the note in his hand as he went over to claim his bag that was on a rolling cart beside the plane. As he headed out to the awaiting car, he still had it in his hand.

Tidbits 8/13

• Florida is bracing for a quadruple dose of Clay Aiken, as the 2007 Summer tour enters its home stretch. The Sun Sentinel republished a Houston Chronicle interview from last month in advance of Clay mania in Florida -

  Bringing dorky back
  Singer Clay Aiken of American Idol fame will perform with orchestra at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Tickets are $10 to $100. Call 561-832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org
  

• Nice find from the CB's ClaysMyMidlifeCrisis - a photo of Clay with venue security during his Christmas tour stop in Wilke Barres last year. It just dawned on me how long his hair was back then ... (click the photo on the right to enlarge).
  
• Short blip about Clay and California Claymates in USA Today, says the CB's claymate11. The "Clay Aiken fanclub" being referred to in the article is a group of fans who held their Pala pre-concert meet up at Tori Spelling's inn before Clay's concert at the Pala Casino Starlight on August 3 (see the invitation on the right):

  • 

  On page 2D of today's issue of USA Today there is an article on Tori Spelling's new reality TV show. In the article is this quote "What will be shown this season is Spelling becoming ordained and performing a @#%$ wedding , the arrival of the Clay Aiken Fan Club (but no appearance by Aiken)" Her show is on Oxygen and is called Tori and Dean: In Love. She plays the hostess of a B & B. Did anyone else catch this mention? What fan club is going to be featured?
  

• CBS Showbuzz - you don't have to win Idol to find success -

  Constantine Maroulis finished sixth place on Season 4 of "American Idol." To some, that might not be the greatest showing, but former Idols are proving again and again that you don't have to win to be a star.
  
  Chris Daughtry from Season 5 is enjoying immense success with his band, Jennifer Hudson from Season 3 won and Oscar for her role in "Dreamgirls" and Season 2's Clay Aiken is a household name.

• "Idol: The Musical" is calling it quits. The show has officially closed in New York -
• Playbill News -

  The Aug. 12 opening night of Idol: The Musical Ð based on the fan worship of former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken Ð was also the show's closing night.
  
  The new musical, which began previews July 5, has closed. A press statement issued Aug. 13 reads, "Todd Ellis, the producer of Idol: The Musical, has chosen to close the show due to a lack of advance ticket sales, a lack of positive feedback from audience members and critics, and a lack of sustainable financial resources."

• Broadway World - "Idol: The Musical, which began previews on July 7th and opened August 12th at the 45th Street Theatre, has announced that it has closed due to poor ticket sales."
• NJ.com -

  Based on a concept by producer Todd Ellis, who premiered the show earlier at the Syracuse Civic Theatre he runs in upstate New York, "Idol: The Musical" regards a group of high school misfits who worship Clay Aiken, the singer of "American Idol" fame.

• Backstage.com -

  Idol: The Musical aspires to be The Full Monty for the Gen Y crowd — a look at a group of small-town misfits, who see in American Idol winner Clay Aiken a hero and role model.
  

• There Was A Man - Clay plays to 3000 strong crowd in Asheville