Tidbits 6/27

• TampaBay.com - This story, A Clean Start For Violinist Stewart Kitts, by John Fleming, Times Performing Arts Critic, is about an exceptional concertmaster violinist who lost everything to a crack cocaine habit. He is recovering from this habit, and the story says,

  He played in the pit for a Camelot tour. He was concertmaster for The Nutcracker at Ruth Eckerd Hall. He played for Smokey Robinson, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Clay Aiken, Mannheim Steamroller and Bernadette Peters.

• newsjournal-online - The article, about weekend best bets says:

  Bandshell Live!, a Friday summer concert series, will feature the Beu Sisters in concert at the outdoor venue at 8 p.m. today.....They also opened a 2004 tour by "American Idol" stars Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken.

• WLKY.com - An article entitled 'American idol Comes to Louisville' says, "Thousands of Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken wannabes will descend on the River City when Fox's "American Idol" hosts auditions in Louisville next month."
• Phoenix New Times Music - American idol: Entertainment or Evil? by Serene Dominic has this to say about Clay and his fans:

  The "in your face" shelf life of most Idol grads is two years after the show. That's all we tolerated of Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, Mario Vazquez, and Katherine McPhee even without the ability to vote them off with anything but our indifference....The big exceptions have been Clay Aiken, whose Claymates still won't listen to reason after five years...

  I'll quote the lyrics from Clay's song "Ashes" in response to the statement, "Claymates still won't listen to reason...":

  Looking back I can see
  How the voice of reason
  Kept reminding me
  I was never good enough somehow
  Try and remind me now

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 1/12

• Carolina Newswire - In an article entitled, Clay Aiken Premiers His New Smile On Broadway, Clay's dentist tells a little about giving Clay his "new smile".

  Clay contacted me right after he landed a booking on the Jimmy Kimmel show,” said Dr. Stanley. “It was only five days before his appearance and he really wanted a new smile before the show.”

  And Clay says:

  “It was a great experience. Dr. Stanley fit me in at the very last-minute and provided me with a wonderful new smile,” said Clay. “It was really more of a spa experience than a dental appointment. Although I live in Raleigh, I know that Dr. Stanley has a program for out-of-town patients who want to come in for a long weekend and go home with a beautiful new smile.”

• Florida Sun Sentinel - American Idol article ...

  Idol is so influential, winning isn't essential. Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth behind Hicks, sold 2.5 million copies of his self-titled album in 2007. Only Josh Groban, the High School Musical 2 soundtrack, the Eagles and Alicia Keys had greater sales.
  
  Then there's Clay Aiken and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.

• MTV.ca - music history:

  In 2004...American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken donated 20-thousand dollars to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and performed during halftime at a men's basketball game there.

• Actress Archives - Katharine McPhee leaves RCA Records:

  But it's not like AI has lost all of its star-making luster. Sony-BMG still has nine contenders in its stables, including Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Blake Lewis, Fantasia, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, and Kelly Clarkson.

• New York Daily News - Katharine McPhee ....

  The BMG group still counts eight "AI" contenders on its roster, including Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry (both of whom delivered top 10 albums in 2007), Blake Lewis (with one album), Fantasia (with three), Jordin Sparks (working on her second), and Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson (both working on their fourth albums).

• And more on Katharine McPhee being dropped by RCA -
• The Celebrity Cafe | The Celebrity Cafe alternate article - "The NY Daily News reports other American Idol members, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, Blake Lewis, Clay Aiken, and Kelly Clarkson, will all still continue on BMG's "major leagues" roster."
• FOX News -

  According to the Daily News, the BMG group still counts eight "Idols" on its roster, including Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry (both of whom delivered top 10 albums in 2007), Blake Lewis (with one album), Fantasia (with three), Jordin Sparks (working on her second) and Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson (both working on their fourth albums).
  

• San Antonio Express News - AI returns!

  Consider the cream of the crop from previous seasons:
  
  "Kelly Clarkson turned into a great superstar; Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, amazing; Fantasia, amazing; Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice, amazing."

• USA Today - looking back at 6 seasons of American Idol:

  But by now, Idol has a history and a heritage. Clay and Ruben, Kelly and Carrie, Taylor and Fantasia, even Sanjaya need no introduction, nor even a last name.
  
  Best season: Simon: Season 1, 2 (because of the Clay-Ruben competition)
  
  Best performance by a finalist:
  Paula: Fantasia, Summertime; Carrie Underwood, Alone by Heart; Blake Lewis, beatboxing to Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name; Clay Aiken, Bridge Over Troubled Water
  
  Worst performance by a finalist:
  Paula: Clay Aiken, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting; LaKisha Jones, Stayin' Alive.
  
  Contestant with best personality:
  Randy: Kelly, Fantasia, Carrie, Clay and Ruben
  

• Press release via Earth Times - survey seeks to find out why southerners perform so well on "American Idol" -

  -- Season 2 - Winner, Ruben Studdard, from Birmingham, Ala., beat Clay Aiken from Raleigh, N.C. Five of the other 12 finalists were from Southern states. (Total Southerners in final 12:7).

• USA Today idol article quotes a Variety editor... he is entitled to his opinion, even though we complete disagree -

  He says the competition should steer clear of quirky singers such as Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, who hasn't been able to match the sales of his multiplatinum first album. "Because of Clay Aiken they've always said don't judge a book by its cover. But they've wound up with singers really locked into a single style who don't have the varied skills they're looking for" in the record business.
  

• Nothing here yet
  

Tidbits 1/10

• Reality TV World - Katharine McPhee dropped by RCA Records, following Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard who were also dropped by Sony BMG recently -

  Given all the recent Idol activity, EW reported it "double-checked" and confirmed that Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken and third-season champ Fantasia Barrino's deals are still intact with an RCA Music Group representative.
  

• Glendale Star - Clay mention in sports article -

  Nevertheless, it will be nice to see rabid football fans like Clay Aiken and Amarosa from “The Apprentice” in attendance, while someone who actually writes about the local NFL team sits on his couch. Really, I’m not bitter.
  

• The State News - American Idol in need of "makeover" -

  It’s that time of year again. The new season of the hit Fox reality show “American Idol” is set to debut Jan. 15.
  
  The reality powerhouse that spawned the careers of contestants like Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood will begin its seventh season of the popular search for the next best thing in pop music.
  
  Am I the only one that’s ready for a change?
  
  It became taboo that contestants like Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry didn’t even need to win to gain fan following and record deals — while winners like Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks grappled to find that hit song. Ironically, both are no longer on J Records, the label that usually houses the new Idol winners.

• Neighborhood Star -

  In addition to his work with a host of chamber and philharmonic orchestras, Johnston has shared the stage with pop performers such as the Dixie Chicks, Manhattan Transfer, Clay Aiken and Smokey Robinson.
  

• College Times -

  "The straw that broke the camel's back was the 'String Quartet Tribute to Clay Aiken,'" Gorfain said. "That was the moment where I just said 'You know what? We don't want to be associated with this anymore.'

• 23/6 - politics article ... "Trust me. Crying is not weakness. We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world several times over. Even Clay Aiken would look tough if his finger had access to The Button."
• Florida Sun Sentinel via New York Times - reality TV show "transformations" -

  In all reality contests there will be hammy flourishes that make viewers snicker, like the pouty "model mouth" mocked by Ben Stiller in Zoolander and Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback. On the nicer side, there's always a chance for a chrysalis moment, a Clay Aiken-esque transformation.

• Nothing here today
  

Tidbits 7/6

• CBS will rebroadcast the first season of Clay's favorite show, Jericho, beginning tonight! Make sure you check your local listings (it's airing at 9 PM in most areas) and tune in.
  
• Tour mentions:
• Tour mention on the the local FOX affiliate in Houston, reports the CB's kleewolf -

  This morning FOX news show mention Clay at the Houston Symphony tonight.
  And the entertainment reporter said " I did not know he has sold 5 million records?"
  
  Just now they mention him again at News at Noon, saying "Clay with the Houston Symphony tonight at 9:00".
  

• NewsOK.com -

  TULSA — Former "American Idol” contestant Clay Aiken will perform with the Brady Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. Saturday at Brady Theater, 105 W Brady St. For more information, call (918) 582-7239 or go online to www.bradytheater.com.

• Northwest Herald (Christmas tour mention)
  
• Philly Burbs - Katharine McPhee article mentions Clay:

  It didn't help that she chose generic dance-pop songs for her self-titled RCA debut CD. With a voice as powerful as hers, she should have gone for greatness as Clay Aiken did with his debut.

• Pennsylvania Times Leader - "Idol: The Musical" article ...

  When “Idol: The Musical” hit the stage in New York, Clay Aiken wasn’t there in person. But there was a bust of Raleigh’s hometown “American Idol” star on stage -- and someone singing “Burnin’ Hunk o’ Clay” to it.

• TV Squad... interpret what you will from the Houston Chronicle interview, but the folks over at TV Squad and SyFyPortal think Clay has taken credit for saving "Jericho" ... I think it's clear in Clay's blogs that Clay said he was part of the large effort at getting the show back on CBS.

Clay is in Meadowbrook's program for this summer concert season. He will be making a stop at the Gilford, NH venue on July 25, his first time back in Gilford since the 2005 Jukebox Tour.

Thanks to tsunamimommy at the CB for the scan.

• Carolina On My Mind - fireworks mark tour opener

  Following nine straight days of rain, the storm clouds parted and Frisco, TX, successfully celebrated the Fourth of July on a clear night and in grand style with a soccer match, an outdoor concert by Clay Aiken, and, by all accounts, a stupendous fireworks finale.
  

Tidbits 6/5

Another Clay mention in the Canadian press. This is from yesterday's National Post.

• A few more mentions of Clay's visit to Canada last week & this past weekend:
• CBC - "Greenway was working at il Giardino, an upscale Vancouver restaurant, Thursday night when famed music producer David Foster and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken walked in."
• Vancouver Sun - "In between, Greenway performed at a David Foster Foundation event in Calgary with American Idol graduate Clay Aiken, and sang Saturday night at a Toronto Royal Ontario Museum benefit, her boss Il Giardino manager Bobby Copiak said."
• Small Clay mention in Nick Magazine, a poster at RHT reports -

  I don't have it in front of me, and I know it's a children's magazine but hey, kids grow up.
  
  There are 4 idol (non-winner) pictures that you have to match up. Clay's match up blurb is People magazine's most loved idol ever and another survey about him being the best idol ever. Very nice to see him ANYWHERE!

• Clay down to #9 this week at the Lycos50 from last week's #7.
  
• 411Mania - not all American Idols go on to successful careers -

  Outside of Clarkson and Underwood, you have the few "fringe" successes such as Clay Aiken, Fantasia, or that Sanjaya freak who either have an odd cult following or just sacrifice any credibility they could have ever had in the name of a few more minutes of press. Sparks has the phenom factor about her in that she's 17, but I can't see that lasting long enough to guarantee a lasting career.

• CHUD - AI5 runner-up Katharine McPhee enters the world of acting - "After having lost American Idol, Clay Aiken style (I lost, but I'm loved!), Katherine McPhee is doing what any Southern California resident aspires to - acting. "
• Asbury Park Press - 2007 Toms Riverfest canceled. Clay opened his Jukebox Tour 2005 at this festival - "Over the past two summers, Toms River Fest featured such artists as Hilary Duff, LeAnn Rimes, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Meat Loaf and Maroon 5."

• Nothing here 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 3/18

• The News Tribune/Fort Worth Star Telegram - are Idols "oversinging" it? (I think this critic needs to wash his ears out and actually listen to Clay, Kelly & Katharine's CD's... they are NOT oversinging anything!)

  Frequently, music fans tell me that this “oversinging stuff“ is all in my head: “What do you mean Christina Aguilera was no good at the Grammys? She sounded great!” is the kind of response I get, suggesting that not only is the phenomenon approaching epidemic levels and poisoning people’s ears, it’s leading them to believe that impossibly contorted vocal performances – Katharine McPhee’s single “Over It,” the whole of Kelly Clarkson’s “Thankful,” Clay Aiken’s discography to date – are the new gold standard.

• News Advance - American Idol & democracy ...

  Last Tuesday night, I joined most of the rest of the planet (or at least the U.S.) and tuned in for the first time. I knew about "American Idol" alums like Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood and Fantasia (would she have won if her name was Gloria or Maureen?), because the pop culture machine wouldn't allow me to ignore them.

• London Free Press - Rosie O'Donnell gives The View record ratings. "This season, she has spouted bigoted remarks at Asians, trashed Donald Trump, and mocked Miss USA Tara Conner for seeking treatment for alcoholism. She also outed Clay Aiken and dubbed fellow morning talker Kelly Ripa a homophobe."
• Sunday Gazette-Mail - "Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken finished first and second in season two. Though Aiken was runner-up, he was arguably the more famous of the two. His third album, “A Thousand Different Ways,” was released in September and debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard chart".

• There Was A Man - remembering Clay's AI2 Top 11 performance - "Somewhere Out There"
  

Tidbits 3/2

• Zap2it.com - Listing their most memorable Idol moments, Simon referenced Tamyra Gray's surprising elimination, Randy the transformation of Clay Aiken, Ken Warwick celebrated last finale's meeting between Aiken and the deluded Aiken wannabe, while Cecile Frot-Coutaz remembered the first time Kelly sang "Respect."
• The Trades - interview with Katharine McPhee -

  Q: Clay Aiken seems to be all over television, and I think everybody knows about Jennifer Hudson's Oscar. Would they have been able achieve these accomplishments if they had been tied to the first place contract?
  
  A: I don't know if they would have. I guess I would say no. I definitely don't think the Oscar for Jennifer Hudson. I think that was something that she got because she was right for it and deserved it.

• Foxes on Idol - "American Idol promotes fierce competition among fan bases. For example, even today, I regularly get mail from Clay Aiken fans who are still out to prove he was the American Idol of all times."
• Denver Post - article on David Foster... Clay mentioned:

  Interestingly, David Foster, who has composed songs and produced albums for the likes of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli and Clay Aiken, also is an advocate for organ donation; his David Foster Foundation has raised millions for the families of children in need of organ transplants.

• Raleigh News & Observer article mentions the BAF gala being held in Raleigh on Mar. 31... they always have to put some sinister spin onto their article, don't they? Clay's multi-platinum days aren't over... selling 500k copies of a covers album with next to no label support is remarkable!
  

  Raleigh's hometown "American Idol" star has never been a critical favorite, and it's hard to imagine he ever will be. Aiken's multiplatinum days seem over (last year's "A Thousand Different Ways" was his first album to sell fewer than 1 million copies), and he has weathered a storm of personal-life rumors. None of which matters a whit to Aiken's beyond-rabid following of "Claymates," who are some of the most feverishly loyal fans in the music business.
  
  To his credit, Aiken is still using his clout to do good works. This show is a high-priced charity gala for his Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which works with special-needs kids.
  

• National Ledger on Rosie O'Donnell's weird antics the past 6 months...
• We Love Celebs - another Rosie O'Donnell/Clay mention.
  
• Anti Music - random Clay mention.
• Southern Voice - more trash from this crappy website about Clay and his fake for-fun "Build A Scandal" contest. At least this reader has it right:

  Dish is right, Aiken not only is taking the high road but Aiken’s message was on his fan site to his fans. A site where you pay to be a member. You neglected to mention that. That shows you the level of obsession that his haters-stalkers-gossip mongers have with him. They pay a fee to be on his fan club board. They immediately notified one of the internet tabloids most obsessed with trashing Aiken.

• Charlotte Observer - random Clay mention in sports article.

• Carolina On My Mind - March memories with Clay Aiken ... AI2 wildcard round.
  

TIdbits 2/15

• Progressive U - An article about American Idol being more popular than politics says, "Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Katherine McPhee, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson? These people have all received stardom and then some (keep in mind not all of them were the first place winners either.)"
• WSOCtv.com - For the first time since its inaugural season, "American Idol" will hold a competition without any contestants from North Carolina...Fantasia Barrino of High Point won the 2004 competition, while Raleigh's Clay Aiken was the 2003 runner-up.
• Raleigh News & Observer - Same article as above
• Los Angeles Times - AI article ... "It certainly is no longer necessary to win “American Idol” to become a star; losers from past top 12’s have gone on to produce bestselling albums (Clay Aiken), receive Oscar nods (Jennifer Hudson) and hold microphones on red carpets (Kellie Pickler)."
• Buzzle.com - another AI article... "Even a second place finish can make a career, as evidenced by season two winner Clay Aikens moderate success."
• FOX 30 Online - nicknames already popping up for AI6 contestants -

  Phil Stacey's fans have even already given themselves a nickname. Just like Clay Aiken had the “Clay-mates”, and Taylor Hicks had the “Soul Patrol”, Phil now has the “Phil-natics”.
  

• Reality TV World - poor representation for Southern "Idols" on AI6 ... top 24 revealed last night:

  Although the South has traditionally been a hot bed of American Idol talent -- former Idol finalists Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice, and Taylor Hicks all came from Alabama and Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, and Bucky Covington are all from North Carolina -- only a handful of Idol's sixth season semifinalists are from the southern part of the United States and neither Alabama or North Carolina are represented in this year's semifinals.

• Reality TV Magazine ... this is so similar to the preceding article, it makes us wonder whether someone plagiarized:

  Another Southern state which is typically well represented in the American Idol top twenty-four was also shut out. North Carolina has produced the likes of Fantasia Barrino, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, and Bucky Covington, but the state doesn’t have a single contestant in the top twenty-four for American Idol

• Blogcritics - AI article ... "Only those who were truly talented or unique enough can overcome obscurity — people like Clay Aiken and Bo Bice, neither of whom was featured at all during the early auditions."
• Los Angeles Times - article about a band called "Altar Boyz" and how one of the members is a "Clay Aiken type" (anyone care to tell me if this is in a good or bad sense?)
  
• Reality TV Magazine has also picked up the story about a possible "American Idol All Stars" special.
  
• ZNet - Celebs attacted to the power of Africa -

  Before the end of the year [2006], the continent somehow managed to attract the interest of big name stars – and therefore big media – beginning with Bono, then Clay Aiken, Jessica Simpson, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, George Clooney and a few others.

• Box Office Prophets - some random Clay mention in a music article.
• Since no one else is reporting this, this is probably just a typo. The Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram says Clay is on Leno tonight.... they probably got confused with last night's Kimmel appearance.
  

• Nothing here today
  

Tidbits 2/13

TIME TO GET TO WORK CLAYMATES!
AmericanIdol.com wants to know which idol "has the most powerful voice?"
Click here to cast your vote!

• Clay drops to #22 on the Lycos50 this week. Keep searching for Clay on Lycos, everyone!
  
• The CB's Khrystah says she spotted Clay on E!'s show 10 Ways to Superstardom on StarTV here in Canada:
  

  I Couldn't sleep last night so I was flipping around the dial and at around 2am ET I stopped on Star! TV which airs a ton of E! stuff here in :claynadian A Show called "10 Ways to Superstardom" was just beginning and since I was bored and there was nothing else on, I figured I'd just leave it on while I tried to get to sleep.
  
  Well, didn't I just wake right up when Clay suddenly appeared on the TV!!! :lol
  
  Can't remember anything about the show other than seeing Clay 3 or 4 times. I believe he was included in #7 or #8 on the list (which was to be "geek" which is now considered "chic").
  
  They never mentioned him by name, but they did show 3 or 4 VERY short clips of him (along with many other "nerds" (their term not mine) ). From what I can remember, they showed 2 or 3 clips from the Invisible video, and the last clip was Glasses Clay and I *think* it may have been the Disneyland clip (?) it went by so fast I barely had time to register the outfit/look he was wearing (glasses, green/white striped shirt and short hair).

  
  
• NorthJersey.com - In an article about Constantine Maroulis, it says, "Like some other "American Idol" contestants who technically lost (Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken), Maroulis' career has had a kind of radioactive half-life."
• Knox News - The article "Morrow: 'Idol' needs to pick it up already", says, "In that 24 will be our new Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia or Clay Aiken, maybe."
• Gamespot News - "Game companies appear eager to get into the American Idol craze that has spawned millions of Clay Aiken wannabes across the country."
• The Washington Times - "If you wanted to take the positive point of view, you could say that Miss McPhee crushed season one loser Justin Guarini (57,000 in first-week sales) and season three loser Diana DeGarmo (47,000 in first week sales). However, the most recent "Idol" runner-up, Bo Bice, sold 225,000 copies of "The Real Thing" when it debuted in December 2005. That's not even getting into the 613,000 in first-week sales for Clay Aiken's 2003 debut, 'Measure of a Man.'"
• ZeroPaid - Torrent sites cashing in on the success of Hollywood stars... illegally...

  After opening the Pirate Bay website, type a search query in the box and press ENTER. We'll use the ever talented Clay Aiken as our test case.
  
  You'll see a variety of Clay Aiken material to choose from. We'll select Clay Aiken Clips.
  
  This will bring to you where the tracker download is located. The tracker is what will help the client server keep track of the seeders and leechers in the swarm and thus download the file or files. In the interest of legality, I am not going to download the Clay Aiken video clips here as shown in the picture, nor from anywhere else EVER for that matter, but rather will download a tracker from legaltorrents.com instead. So we'll pretend I clicked on "Download This Torrent," but in reality I clicked on another tracker instead.

• TV Guide - in an interview with TV Guide, AI2 contestant Kimberley Caldwell had some nice things to say about Clay:

  The reason people have been so successful on Idol is because they're original, they don't look and conform like everybody else. Ruben Studdard is not the typical American Idol, and neither is Clay Aiken....

• Sign On San Diego - why American Idol is so successful... AWESOME mention!
  

  It's also about the pure joy of watching talent trump everything, whether it is the heartbreaking “Solitaire” turning the sweetly awkward Clay Aiken into a star, or the voices of gifted dreamers turning a money-grubbing, ratings-hogging TV beast into something beautiful.

• E! Online- comedian Dane Cook jokes about Kelly Clarkson's song "Since U Been Gone"...

  Having no trouble in the popularity department in funnyman Dane Cook. Numerous girls flock to his table, trying to pick up a joke—or something. But apparently all the comedian can think about is an American Idol winner. “I’ve been singing Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since U Been Gone,’ ” he says. “It’s stuck in my cerebellum, and it won’t escape.” Cheer up Dane, it could be worse. At least it's not Clay Aiken's "Invisible."

• Courier Journal - more on Clay's "Build A Scandal" contest... wonderful press for Clay.

• Taking A Moment's Jemock has a wonderful idea for Valentine's with Clay... ROTFL!!!

  I have an idea on how we can all tell Clay how much we love him this Valentine’s Day. He can’t have a box of chocolate because, well, basically it would kill him. So here’s what everybody should do. Go out and buy the biggest box of chocolates you can find, something approximately the size of a funeral arrangement. Then, eat all the chocolate. Dump the paper wrappers in the floor, and find your digital camera. Hold the camera out at arm’s length, and snap your picture. Think about Clay and smile real big, or go with a sultry, seductive look. Take your camera down to Wal-Mart and have a 16 x 20 print made. Run back home and using the box as a template, cut out your picture so that it fits inside the box. Glue it in there so it won’t come out if it gets slung across the room when Clay opens it and is overcome with love or something.

  
  
• Southern Girl - TV alerts for Jimmy Kimmel and FOX Morning Show with Mike and Juliet.
  

Tidbits 2/8

The Raleigh News & Observer has found a cool website called MapMuse.com that allows you to "map" American Idol contestants... "Type in "Raleigh, N.C." and a map appears with Clay Aiken's name." ... check it out here.

• Blender Magazine has a list of the "hottest women (and men) of American Idol"... Clay comes in at #3 on the list after Kelly Clarkson and Katharine McPhee.
• Clay Aiken The Ideal Idol - best Clay Aiken hairstyle? You vote!
  
• Zap2it.tv - poor first week numbers for AI5 runner-up Katharine McPhee... "That's not even getting into the 613,000 in first week sales for Clay Aiken's 2003 debut 'Measure of a Man.'"
• Variety Music - another Katharine McPhee article...

  Among the five "Idol" second-place finishers, McPhee is squarely in the middle of first week sales: Clay Aiken's "Measure of a Man" (613,000 sold) and Bo Bice's "The Real Thing" (227,000) have opened ahead of her; Justin Guarini's self-titled album (57,000) and Diana DeGarmo's "Blue Skies" (47,000) sold fewer copies.

• Rolling Stone - Katharine McPhee CD review...

  If American Idol were a right-wing agenda, cornballs like Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks would be Bush and Cheney, and Katharine McPhee would be an affable centrist: a little more square than you'd like, but not hopeless.
  

• Yahoo press release for the Yahoo/UNICEF UpClose promotion Clay participated in last week...

  Clay Aiken kicked off the campaign on January 30th with the question: “What can we do to get more Americans committed to supporting programs that help children?”, which received close to 6,000 answers from the Yahoo! Answers community.
  
  “We all need to work together to help the world’s children survive,” said UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken. “Online communities such as Yahoo! Answers give us a powerful forum to talk about the challenges UNICEF faces and discuss new solutions for saving kids’ lives.”

• Trans World News - AI6 article...

  While American Idol has obviously made big names for artists like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino and Taylor Hicks it is often the train-wreck auditions that bring out the biggest audiences. As the "Idol" sensation has taken hold of the U.S. it has also become a staple in several other countries.

• Channel One - just what is American Idol?? "Clay Aiken called it “boot camp” for the entertainment world."
• Denton Record Chronicle - runner-ups sometimes 'win' on AI --

  But losers have had their cake, too: Jennifer Hudson, who lost in the third season, was recently nominated for an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls. Several others used the exposure to garner record deals with some releasing best-selling albums, including second season runner-up Clay Aiken and the fifth season’s Chris Daughtry.

• Des Moines Register - AI article...

  You can spin off a Kelly Clarkson, a Clay Aiken, a Carrie Underwood and have them find their own particular pop niche with whatever backing musicians suit them for the occasion. Or you can have a finalist like Chris Daughtry return to his band and pull them up with him.
  

• Daily Targum - negative Clay mention, AI article... "So remember what show was responsible for subjecting us to Clay Aiken and the countless butchering of American pop classics."
  
• Seacoast Online/Portsmouth Herald - article about a talent/singing contest...

  Contestants covered songs by artists like Bonnie Raitt and Candlebox, and American Idols Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood. S Students gathered on the mezzanine to take in the two-hour show.

• Richmond Times Dispatch - music and the Super Bowl... how about an American Idol for Super Bowl 2008???

  They're easy to malign, but I would argue that among Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Fantasia, Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, there are a lot of demographics and musical styles being hit and obviously, people watch the show.
  

• Roanoke Times - photo caption contest winner... a photo of two women staring at a very ugly cake... "Those idiots at the bakery sent the Ryan Seacrest/Clay Aiken cake topper!"
• Cinematic Happenings - random Clay/Kelly Clarkson mention in this gaming article.
• Newsday - article about some comic cracking weird Clay jokes... I don't even get it! "I was on the Clay Aiken diet. That's where you pop in a Clay Aiken CD and try to keep food down."

• There Was A Man on Clay's GMA visit last week... some nice photos and a YouTube video cap.
  

Tidbits 2/7

The CB's Khrystah posted this stunning graphic/wallpaper by an unknown designer. If you made this beautiful creation, header on over to the CB to reveal yourself! You can also leave a comment on this post and I will credit you here and let Khrystah know.

Update: designer found... we've been informed that Katt45 is the designer of this beautiful masterpiece!

• Clayton Claniac at The Clayboard - "It was announced on WRAL-TV this morning that Lynda Loveland (Clay's favorite news anchor - and interviewer!) just gave birth to a baby girl! Congratulations, Linda!"
• Idol Star TV: Give Clay some votes in this poll -- "Who's Your Favorite All-Time American Idol Contestant?"
  
• WRAL.com - Lynda Loveland's blog at WRAL.com says, "Most Memorable Assignments: Definitely, Clay Aiken. I interviewed him before he went to Los Angeles to compete on "American Idol." I've followed him the whole way, even going to L.A. during the show's finals. It's amazing how far he's come!"
• Late Night TV Page lists Clay's Feb. 14 Jimmy Kimmel appearance. -- "We 2/14: Clay Aiken, Gabrielle Union, Madeleine Peyroux"
• Los Angeles Times, The Envelope - will Carrie Underwood win the Grammy for "Best New Artist"? Some industry experts think so...

  No "Idol" stars have ever been nominated for this award, not even notables Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. Clarkson has been embraced by Grammy voters since -- indeed, she won Grammys last year for best pop album ("Breakaway") and female pop vocal performance ("Since U Been Gone") -- but it took a while for her to get the mainstream pop music industry to recognize her as a serious artist.
  

• Blogcritics - AI6 recap...

  Ashlyn Carr made it into the American Idol history books with her audition. A very pretty, fresh faced girl, Ashlyn has a very unique voice. However, like Clay Aiken used to do before he corrected it, Ashlyn makes awful faces when she sings, scrunching her nose and looking like she's angry.

• Variety - Katharine McPhee sees lukewarm first week CD sales...

  Among the five second-place finishers, McPhee is squarely in the middle of first week sales: Clay Aiken's "Measure of a Man" (613,000 sold) and Bo Bice's "The Real Thing" (227,000) have opened ahead of her; Justin Guarini's self-titled album (57,000) and Diana DeGarmo's "Blue Skies" (47,000) sold fewer.
  

• Southern Illinois University Daily Egyptian - (negative) mention in Katharine McPhee CD review.

• Nothing here today.
  

Tidbits 2/6

The editors of popular photo sharing website WebShots have included a Clay photo from greeneyedrobin in their editor's choice gallery called "Stars of Reality TV". The photo above is featured on page 2.

• New York Times - very nice mention in a review of Katharine McPhee's new album...

  “American Idol” is reliable, but it’s not predictable: the show’s most successful winners and losers are a diverse bunch. Kelly Clarkson has perfected bubble-gum rock, and Carrie Underwood has established herself as one of America’s favorite country singers. Fantasia Barrino and Ruben Studdard have had some success on the R&B charts, and Jennifer Hudson may get a chance to overtake them both. Taylor Hicks has his soul-man act, and Chris Daughtry is looking more and more like a bona-fide rock star. And need we even mention Clay Aiken? We need not.
  

• Vegas Pop - In an article about Simon Fuller masterminding Michael Jackson's comeback, it says, "In addition, he promotes and manages such 'American Idol' stars as Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Stoddard and Clay Aiken in addition to being the longtime manager of Annie Lennox and the now solo careers of Emma 'Baby Spice' Bunton and Mrs. Beckham."
• The Mercury News - In an article about Chris Daughtry, Clay's success is mentioned:

  The real chance for victory occurs when the alumni try their luck on the record charts. Just ask Ruben Studdard, the Season 2 champ who to this day fights comparisons to runner-up Clay Aiken, who has registered the more successful recording career.

• Verizon PR about some pre-Grammy Clive Davis party they will be carrying to their subscribers... small Clay mention in a footnote about RCA Records.
• Yahoo PR - about the UNICEF UpClose campaign...

  Clay Aiken kicked off the campaign on January 30^th with the question: “What can we do to get more Americans committed to supporting programs that help children?”, which received close to 6,000 answers from the Yahoo! Answers community.

• In related news, Clay's UNICEF page has been updated with info about the UpClose campaign...

  In early 2007, Clay Aiken is participating in UNICEF UpClose, an awareness-building campaign powered by Yahoo! Answers. The UpClose program is a new forum for discussing the challenges facing the world's most vulnerable children. He asked: "UNICEF is working for the survival of children worldwide. What can we do to get more Americans committed to the cause?"
  

• Today's Caregiver Magazine PR - mention of their annual conference... Clay was a keynote speaker at their 2004 conference ... "Prior Fearless Caregiver keynotes have included Clay Aiken, Debbie Reynolds, Della Reese, Leeza Gibbons and the late Robert Urich."
• Houston Chronicle - Kimberley Locke returns with new single, CD. "The season-three Idol alum, who finished just behind Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, is making bigger waves than her former finalists. And for all the right reasons, I might add."
  
• Foxes on Idol - near record ratings for AI -

  The reason all this is even possible is because American Idol is posting staggering ratings numbers. The premiere of season 6 came within a hair of matching the Ruben/Clay finale of season 2! Fox executives are still lighting stogies over their good fortune. For fans of the show, this is great news… and not so great.

• Lycos50 - for some unknown reason this week's list isn't loading up on my browser, but I've been told Clay came in at #16 this week.

• Carolina On My Mind - oh, this post is all over the place... everything from Clay's UNICEF campaign to a history of what is being called "Web 2.0"... but that's why we love Carolina's blog so much... check it out today!