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A full list of upcoming events is also available at the CDD Claytracker.
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Attention all Claynadians! Entertainment Tonight Canada will go behind the scenes with Clay at Days of our Lives on tomorrow (December 21) night's show.
ET Canada airs at 7:30 PM in most regions on Global.
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
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-clayisouridol
CDD
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
Woohoo! The Grand Rapids Press published this truely delightful review of Clay's Grand Rapids concert, which was held before a sold out crowd last night:
Claymates everywhere slept easy Tuesday night.
Diehard fans of Clay Aiken go online each night their "American Idol" favorite has a concert to listen to that evening's pirated, cell-phone recording. They need to know if their guy hit the high note of his encore, "All Is Well."
He did.
Aiken was a hoot and a holler, full of Southern charm, telling stories, cracking jokes, bantering with the audience.
He also sings rather well.
But beyond the songs, it's the whole package -- the easy grin, the down-home demeanor, the good ol' boy charm -- that made the former special-education teacher from North Carolina the kind of celebrity who makes headlines just by clapping his hand over Kelly Ripa's mouth.
Amen!
Days of our Lives star Stephen Nichols wrote about Clay on his TV Guide blog. Clay appears on the popular NBC daytime soap on Tuesday December 26.
TV Guide also has an exclusive sneak peak at the episode on their website. Don't forget to check that out!
Coming up: in their newfound bliss, Steve surprises Kayla with tickets to a Clay Aiken concert, but Steve’s reading of the Christmas story at the hospital runs late, so he and Kayla miss the concert. Steve runs into Clay on his way out and talks him into doing a private Christmas concert. There were so many people at the studio who are fans of Clay — the excitement was palpable. Josh Taylor said he was a big fan, and Clay’s best friend and roommate, Christy, is a huge fan of Days, so I asked Josh if he could introduce Christy to the rest of the cast. He was happy to do it. Clay was very gracious, taking photos and signing autographs.
This DOOL appearance has even made news down-under in Australia. The Clayboard's hnspice posted the scan (seen above) from the latest issue of Australia's TV Soap magazine.
We've also found a recap of Clay's appearance courtesy a blog called Prevuze. Apparently, this episode will air 1 day early in some places in Canada, due to Canada's post Christmas "boxing day"
Kayla tells him Hope can take care of herself. Patch says he has a surprise. A special present. He holds up two tickets to the upcoming Clay Akin concert.Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
"OK," says Kayla, "And what's the special present? "
Kayla is amazed he got the tickets since the concert has been sold out for so long, and thanks him. They unmercifully huckster Clay's Christmas CD. Oops, suddenly Kayla remembers something, "We can't go..."
Today, Clay's brother Brett celebrates his 21st birthday. From everyone here at CDD, Happy Birthday Brett!
... and in case you missed our post last night, Clay left a birthday message for Brett over at his MySpace page:
Sorry that I missed your call. I've been feeling somewhat bad. Been sleeping a lot. Try me again when you can. I'll keep the phone by me on your birthday. Call so I can tell you Happy Birthday.Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
Joe and his family came to the show tonight. It was good to see them.
Be safe. Hurry home! I miss you!
MSNBC readers caption this photo. Here's what they came up with:
1. Clay Aiken attempts to get on with the American Music Awards, but Tori Spelling insists on telling another story about life on "90210."
2. Aiken was set to tell America what he really thinks about Kelly Ripa's "germaphobia," but luckily Spelling was there to stop him.
3. Ever famous for her discretion, Spelling shows Aiken that this isn't the time or the place for deeply personal revelations, no matter how obvious they may seem.
I was watching TV today and saw this new WalMart commercial where a guy forgot to get gifts for people so he distracts the other guests and rushes to WalMart. He grabs like, 3 CDs, (one of them being Clay's new AIW!!) then rushes back just in time to hand the gifts out.
I am concerned that some of our local radio stations are having a negative effect on our children.
Even worse than the lyrics to some of the songs, disc jockeys take every opportunity to make fun of everyone -- not once but over and over.
Just recently, Clay Aiken, a multi-platinum singer, was made fun of because he was unable to reach and hold out the note of his final song of the night.
There was no mention that the previous songs in his show had shown off his tremendous vocal ability.
My student told me that Aiken's effort to reach this note was played over and over while the disc jockeys laughed.
They are teaching our kids that trying means nothing and that you should make fun of people whenever they don't succeed. Is this the kind of society we want?
I'll just turn off the radio and listen to my Aiken CDs.
E! News wants to know which American Idol YOU would hire for your party.
Thanks to the fantastic voting from the Clay nation, Clay is now up to 52%, but both Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks have respectable standings in the 20% range...
VOTE FOR CLAY HERE.
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
Clay had a little fun on MySpace today, posting comments to both Quiana and Brett's MySpace pages. On Quiana's, Clay writes:
We (Jamie, Jerome, and I) had the CRAZIEST EXPERIENCE at a McDonalds drive-thru in Pennsylvania! I SOOOOOO wish you were with us! Probably THE most unbelievable 20 minutes of my life! Miss you! Can't wait to see you!
Sorry that I missed your call. I've been feeling somewhat bad. Been sleeping a lot. Try me again when you can. I'll keep the phone by me on your birthday. Call so I can tell you Happy Birthday.Isn't Clay so sweet? I'm sitting here wondering what his McDonald's "experience" was. Hmmm....
Joe and his family came to the show tonight. It was good to see them.
Be safe. Hurry home! I miss you!
In a blog posted to the official fanclub earlier tonight, Clay gave some wonderful news to us. After his bout with an ear infection and flu-like symptoms last week, Clay says he's feeling healthier now and ready to go back into full gear.
He also mentioned that tonight's Detroit show will be abbreviated (less talking) due to time constraints imposed by the venue. Clay says this has nothing to do with his health.
We're glad you are feeling better Clay and let me express how impressed I am at how Clay has soldiered on with the tour despite this illness. What a class act!
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
By the time this news hits CDD's news site online, this will already be old news, but its still a neat story concerning the reaction that Sandy CHA at The Clayboard got from an employee at the MAX concerning Clay.
Sandy CHA posted that she called the MAX to make certain that Clay would be performing tonight. Here is her report:
I got this old man on the phone to ask him if the concert was still on since Clay has been sick. This is what he said to me:Just knowing Clay arrived, feels good enough to rehearse, and this employee thinks he is "really good" put a big huge smile on my face. I know everyone going will enjoy the show, and hopefully we will get lots of clack!!
"Oh yes my dear! As a matter of fact he is here right now rehearsing. I have never heard this young man before -he is really good" - and it made me laugh a little. Another convert I'd say.
So no worries - Clay has arrived in the Motor City!
If you recalled on Friday, The Insider asked their viewers what Clay Aiken should do in 2007. Today, the show aired a response from a viewer. I love this one:
"Movie soundtrack song that will send him to the Oscars and to the top of the charts"
Clay rang in the holiday season today on The Tyra Banks Show with a taped performance of "Mary, Did You Know". Tyra and Clay heated things up last month with an electrifying appearance which Tyra hailed as "one of her favourites yet."
In case you missed this performance, downloads should be available on ClackUnlimited.com by tonight. Or, you can download gerwhisp's cap at SendFile.
Thanks to the Clayboard's gerwhisp for the gorgeous screencaps.
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
Don’t you see what I see? In spite of the transformation from pre-Idol “geek” to today’s Armani-clad stylish trendsetter, my image of Clay has very little to do with his physical being. I am not among my fellow fans who download and save countless pictures or who can’t wait to hear whether Clay appears sans glasses. The length of his hair and the size of his feet hold no interest to me beyond the fact that I acknowledge he is an attractive young man. What I see relates to the confident stride of someone who is comfortable in his own skin. Someone who radiates joy in sharing not only his vocal gift but whose countenance lights up when around a child or acting the clown in front of his fans.
Clay, Clay, Clay! You're from the South. You're supposed to have manners.
Anyway, we know the singer didn't mean any harm.
So the next time you have the chance to cover chatty Kelly Ripa's mouth, use your hand sanitizer first.
In today's episode, the gang's school is hosting a career fair. During the first scene, we get a pan-over of all of the career fair booths (ie; pottery, nursing, etc.) One shot shows a shapeless grey blob. An artistic looking blonde fellow runs over and cartoonishly molds this blob into a booth which reads at the top "Clay Maiken."
An inner ear infection escorted by bouts of dizzying vertigo has been present at the past three concerts, but the illness has yet to stop the show. Clay is a trooper; and he has managed admirably, one night literally hanging onto his mic with one hand and the stool from which he performed with the other.
This is just too cute. The CB's Bloomingclay posted this scan from a Korean shopping website, popular in South Korea. The advertisement lists a "wishlist" of items everyone needs for their home. Sure, you'll see the usual - clothes, iPod cases, handbags... but plopped into the center of the page- Clay Aiken's gorgeous face on the cover of Merry Christmas with Love. Now, only if more American and Canadian stores were like this one in Korea!
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
CTV, the Canadian broadcaster of American Idol, used Clay's segment from his American Idol 5 appearance to hail the 2007 season as "unpredictable". What a fantastic mention! CTV, like FOX, begins their big American Idol push in December and the promo will air countless times up here in Canada. Yay!
American Idol's season 6 premiere is January 16.
Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
I haven't read very many of CorieLuvzClay's essays, but after reading the review she wrote of Clay's Red Bank show, I do believe I will be looking for them more often. I sat and read this and was so caught up in what she said and could feel every moment she described from the show right through to my soul. She captures the very essence of our man Clay, the person he is, the love and care he has for his fans, how he gives every bit of himself for others with not a thought for himself first.
Corie starts off with a question I have asked myself time and time again, "How do you reach down inside yourself and choose from the array of emotions..." So often I have so many emotions going on inside of me after seeing Clay perform or hearing about some way he has totally given of himself, yet I don't know how to describe or explain those emotions. In Corie's review below (you can also read it at The Clayboard and at our CDD Christmas tour blog), I believe she has found a way to explain those emotions so vividly. Thank you, Corie, for this beautiful and loving look at our dear Clay. I hope all of our CDD readers will enjoy her review below as much as I have.
How do you reach down inside yourself and choose from the array of emotions…exactly which one to write about…at some point they begin their own little race…love is so very far ahead…oh no, wait a minute…heartsick is catching up…but then there comes pride rounding out the bend…and tonight they are in a dead heat and there is a triple tie!!!Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, InvisibleHe takes the stage like a Prince…tall, sleek & slender as ever. The shoulders are broad and straight, he walks with his head held high and with such confidence. The chestnut colored mane has a silky sheen and it flows, beautifully framing his gorgeous face and sparkling Jade colored eyes. Clay was happy, upbeat and spot on with his amazing voice. Articulate and eloquent in the pronunciation of each and every word and hitting his notes effortlessly. He was as funny as always…telling the husbands in the audience that they would be happier after the show, when they got home, that they had come…and then he made a cute remark that this was a family show. Clay even reassured us all that his fly was zipped up tonight!! And then with the first banter of the evening he asked for the house lights to come up and for the spotlight to be killed and as they were lowered Clay would say all the way, all the way…kill the spotlight. Then he told us that he’s been sick and that he was feeling dizzy tonight. Even with that he told us that if he was going to fall off the stage he shouldn’t do it in front of the center orchestra seats….that he’d better “go over here” where they looked like they wouldn’t eat him up or eat him alive and pointed to right orchestra…being funny and cute and clever in the face of all the pain he was going through.
It never ceases to amaze me how he can quip and joke and be so quick witted when obviously so ill. I was heartsick for him as the night wore on…he squinted in the harsh lights, said his head hurt, every now and then he would touch his right ear and make a painful face and then touch the side of his neck right under that ear. A few times he touched his other ear as well. My heart was just breaking for the obvious pain he was in and all I wanted to say was…Clay, please leave the stage and crawl into bed…in the dark and in your comfy PJs, we love you and you can do that…we’re a family. Go to bed honey and don’t worry about us…you’ve already given so much! This was my one and only concert this season and I would have gladly given it away to know that he would be resting and snuggled under his covers, finally in blessed peace and quiet.
I suffer with migraines and I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like for Clay these past three nights to be under blaring lights, sing the strenuous songs and notes he sang all while enduring a 30+ piece Symphony playing right on top of him. The man is dedicated to a fault, he is the consummate performer and I have never been prouder to be a Clay Aiken fan, nor have I ever felt as much love as I have for him with this concert series.
My friend came with me and I merely told her that he’s had an ear infection for a couple of days and told her nothing more…by the end of the show she was gripping my arm and just kept saying “OMG, poor baby”, “Oooooh poor baby” she could not believe the strength and determination Clay had to try his best to finish the show.
I don’t remember which song he was on but definitely by OCOCE he had been steadying himself against the stool and it was difficult to watch as he’d put his hand behind him onto the stool, try to bring it to the mic again and then go right back to the stool. By DSIAFCD, I knew in my heart that he would not be coming back out again for the encore song…he was teetering a bit and clearly had trouble balancing and Jesse Vargas quickly followed Clay out. The friend I was with knows Jesse through a Community Arts center she works with called Plays in the Park here in NJ…she loves Jesse and said she was sure that by the time Jesse got to Clay he turned to the Orchestra and made a hand signal for them to cut…they began getting up and taking their instruments with them. Although I would have loved to hear Clay sing AIW in person and hear that voice reverberate off the walls, I was relieved for his sake that he did not come back out, I felt terrible because I knew that that meant that he felt worse then last night and the night before, but relieved nonetheless that he would be getting the care that was so obviously needed!It was a stellar performance, by a stellar performer…he sang every song and hit every single note…there was even a time where by the end of the song there was actually a light echoing and I can’t remember now which song it was but I hope it was captured on clack, it gave me chills!! Clay got several, well deserved Standing O’s. The honey coated voice flowed smoothly and sweetly tonight, we were treated to gentle whispers and stunning heaven bound notes. Clay sang from the depths of his heart just as he does every night.
Every single time I think I could not love him more, every single time I think I could not be prouder of him…Clay one-ups himself and tonight…yet again…I fell in love all over again, deeper still, with this exceptional young man and was struck anew with deep pride for him and how he handles life situations, both personal and professional. I just couldn’t be prouder if he were my own child!!Thank God there is a day off tomorrow…God Bless you Clay and thank you for all you give to us!
ETA: You will notice in the "Banter" vids that Clay is in the dark...that's just how we saw him...he had the spotlights turned completely off during the banter portions because his head was hurting and he was dizzy...it had to be worse then the other two nights for him to want the spotlights completely off...the house lights, however, were up.
Scans courtesy claikendee.
Don't you just love to read great articles about Clay? The Grand Rapids Press has just that for your enjoyment. The article was kept lighthearted and has lots of Clay comments throughout it. Here are some of the Clay comment highlights:
Don't you love to read Clay's comments! Be sure to check out the whole article by clicking on our link above. Its a great read.Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, All Is Well, Merry Christmas With Love, Invisible
- "My opinion on snow is that it's cold," the Southern boy quipped in a recent phone interview from his North Carolina home. "I don't like standing out in the cold to let the dogs out."
- "Do you hear my dog barking?" he asks. "Durham's a barker. We're still working on that. He's not bus-trained like Raleigh, who's toured plenty."
- "I like this Christmas tour quite a bit. There's a lot less stress involved with having no dancers, no actors, no band," he said. "We just show up, do the show and pack up a few people and two dogs and roll on through to the next town."
- "I had no idea I was such a celebrity to cause such a controversy," he said. "I've talked to Kelly, and we're perfectly fine. We both got a kick out of (the controversy)."
- "Christmas is a time of hope for all people, regardless of religion," he said. "For me, it's a symbol of Christ coming to free me from my sins."
- "I also sing the most dangerous song I have ever sung: 'All Is Well,' which has the lowest and the highest notes, all in one very dangerous, (vocally) scary song!"
- "I do a song called 'Don't Save It All for Christmas.' It's got a great, pertinent message for people to hear this time of year," he said. "We wait until December to do our good deeds, to get all warm and gooey and mushy and give back to the community and (renew) those familial connections. We should be doing those things all year long."
It's almost like there's an Idol curse or something. You never see the runner-ups ever again. You see the winner, and if you're lucky -- if you're Clay Aiken -- you might see the runner-up.
