Fuller suing Cowell

IT'S SIMON V SIMON Sep 11 2004
Pop gurus in rip-off row

By John Mceachran


X FACTOR'S Simon Cowell could lose £7million after the creator of Pop Idol began legal action against him for ripping off his reality TV show.

Furious Simon Fuller accused Cowell of breaches of contract and copyright - and demanded tonight's episode of X Factor be pulled.

But lawyers for Cowell and ITV spent yesterday frantically working behind the scenes to ensure TV's newest talent show stays on our screens.

Cowell could now lose out on contracts for two more series of Fuller's American Idol, which are worth £7million in total.

A TV insider said: 'This is war. Both sides are gunning for each other.'

Fuller's production company 19 TV yesterday delivered four writs to Cowell, his companies Simco and Syco and X Factor co-producer Fremantle Media.

They claim several members of X Factor's production team worked on Pop Idol and have clauses in their contract preventing them from working on rival shows.

They also claim X Factor has the same format as Pop Idol, down to the lighting, the positioning of the judges behind tables and even the way Kate Thornton waits by the door to speak to wannabes.

The source added: 'Fuller's lawyers compared one minute of Pop Idol to one minute of X Factor. There were 25 similarities. It's nine-tenths the same show.' But last night Cowell was not taking the accusations lying down.

Speaking from Mexico, where he is taking a break before filming American Idol, he said: 'It's totally absurd.

'As far as the writ from Simon Fuller is concerned, it's now in the hands of our lawyers." And Cowell's spokesman Max Clifford said: 'I'm surprised that when Pop Idol started they didn't get a writ from Popstars, Opportunity Knocks, New Faces and all the other talent shows that went before it.'

AnX Factor production insider said: 'It's not the same show at all. It might look similar because it's still at the audition process and we're limited in whatwe can do.

'Give it a few weeks and everyone will see it's totally different. Fuller is just jealous and wants a piece of the action.'

Clay: 'I have the best fans'

Clay said he would fight ANYONE if they ever doubted he has the best fans in the world!

Clay confirmed for this year's Miss America Pagent

Courtesy ABC-Media:

100311_001 -- MISS AMERICA - Multi-platinum recording artist Clay Aiken will be a special guest performer on this year-s live -Miss America- telecast, on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the first -Miss America- telecast, which also aired on ABC. (- KEVIN SCOTT HEES)CLAY AIKEN

Clay in new TWIST magazine

From the Clayboard

Twist Magazine - Its the October/November issue. Britney Spears, Chad Michael Murray, and Beyonce are on the cover.The 1st mention is on page 12 the Shout Outs section.Its a small pic of Clay smiling at the GMA performance - adorable pic. The quote:"I would call myself the mayor of Nerdville. I'm not really a wuss; I'm more of a dork. There's a big differenc."-Clay Aiken, on the subtle distinctions of geekdom.The 2nd mention is on page 36 "Just Like Us" It's at the bottom in in a mini section "Geek to Chic".Another small pic from his Atlanta audition.Clay AikenClay might have been runner-up on American Idol, but we think he's number one for daring to be different and refusing to fit the pop star mold - and apparently his fans agree!

Operation Christmas Spirit Site Launched

OFFICIAL SITE

CDD General Promo 9/11

Clay in INtouch magazine

From the Clayboard

What a surprise! I opened up the new In Touch (Sept 20th, J Lo on cover), and there was Clay on the index page (pg 6), with a picture of Barry Manilow, for a story called "Seeing double", saying "These singers are emulating their idols [get it?] in more ways than one."Now, I doubt if Barry Manilow was Clay's idol, but it's very typical that of the seven sets of stars in the pages 46-47 "Return of the Rock Stars" story, only Clay/Barry made it to the index page. In Touch knows which star to showcase.On page 47, there is a picture of Barry in a white tux, short jacket, white bow tie. Clay's picture is from the AI Christmas special, all white, with the white sweater, white jacket, white pants, white shoes. Full-length shot of both. Similar poses, not identical. Caption says: "Barry's Born Again! A geeky guy with powerful pipes - could it be magic or haven't we seen Clay before? Even Barry admits he sees similarities: "This is what he'll look like in 30 years!"(Now I like Barry. I've seen Barry in concert. Barry, Clay looks nothing like you. And Barry, Clay's voice is much better than yours. Sometimes you barely hit the notes, but we loved you anyway. But I think you need to retire that comment, and I'd like the media to do the same.)But "powerful pipes" is good - and it's always great to see Clay mentioned positively in the press!

Second show for Raleigh confirmed

From the Clayboard
The assistant director of the North Carolina State Fair returned my call this afternoon. He said that Yes, a second Clay Aiken show has been booked for Monday, October 18, at 3:00PM. He also stated that he has been told that all of the hotels in the area are booked solid for Sunday (10/17) and Monday (10/18).

Way/Solitaire Available on Amazon again!

Go order! It's up to the 290's range already!

Interesting Article

State fair performers ask for various perks

By Mary Clarkin
If Kansas State Fair entertainers appear especially energized when they take the stage, at least some credit may belong to the energy drink Red Bull.

A number of Grandstand acts - including, for example, .38 Special, Chris Cagle and Pomeroy - specified a supply of Red Bull in riders attached to their state fair contracts.

The fair opens Friday and runs through Sept. 19. As of late last week, Friday's Ben Jelen/Clay Aiken concert and Saturday's .38 Special/REO Speedwagon concert posted the strongest advance ticket sales, selling about 4,000 each. The Grandstand can accommodate about 10,000 people.

The fair pays entertainers a base fee - such as $100,000 for Aiken and $50,000 each to the next most expensive acts, REO Speedwagon and Trapt, a rock group performing Sept. 18.

Among country music acts - Tracy Lawrence, performing Sept. 17, and the Oak Ridge Boys, taking the stage Sept. 14 - each is guaranteed $27,500. Fees for Brad Paisley and Cagle, both appearing Sept. 16, are $40,000 and $20,000, respectively, while John Michael Montgomery will receive $32,500 for his Sept. 17 performance.

Some, but not all, entertainers will earn an additional percentage depending on the strength of ticket sales. Also, the acts keep a majority of the proceeds from concert souvenir sales.

Typically, concert venues furnish food, beverages, support services and amenities to entertainers. Artists performing at the Kansas State Fair, however, don't always get what they want.

Most acts requested wine, beer, vodka or champagne. REO Speedwagon also asked for wine glasses and corkscrews.

Fair officials nixed all alcohol requests.

"A lot of them want it to load their buses and take it with them down the road, and we're not going to do that," said state fair General Manager Denny Stoecklein.

Ditto for requested post-concert repasts.

"We feed them while they're here," Stoecklein said, "but not to load up the buses."

Fair officials also said no to a request for a carton of Marlboro Light cigarettes for Tracy Lawrence's entourage.

And they rejected a request on behalf of Christian singer Mark Schultz that they telephone local churches to make them aware of his concert.

However, they did mail notices of the Sept. 13 concert to churches, Stoecklein said.

Aiken's agent asked for five dressing rooms for the entourage. They'll get four rooms "because that's all we have," Stoecklein said.

As for meals, the representative for .38 Special noted that most of the band and crew are on "low-fat diets," pushing fried foods off the menu. Trapt wants a vegetarian entree, and the rider pointed out that vegetable side dishes shouldn't be considered a substitute.

Cagle wants peanut butter - low-fat - and grape jelly, while the Oak Ridge Boys like morning newspapers - the local paper and USA Today - served with breakfast.

It's important to Paisley that concert security personnel are courteous, his representative stressed. And Montgomery wants his dedicated fans to be able to grab premium seats near the stage, instead of the venue awarding those seats to holders of complimentary tickets.

Local "runners" handle errands and provide transportation for the visiting entertainers, and Montgomery wanted a runner with a clean van who will show up "without friends, relatives, children or pets."

Members in the REO Speedwagon party hope to snag convenient tee times on the golf course while in Hutchinson, and they are willing to trade concert tickets or passes.

That detail is pending, Stoecklein said.

Christmas tour to hit Michigan: The Flint Journal

From THE FLINT JOURNAL:

Other confirmed or nearly confirmed fall tours include Green Day's "American Idiot" tour (Nov. 6, Cobo Arena, on sale Saturday) and a Cobo appearance by the Beastie Boys, who can get pretty political themselves. Expect the Jay-Z/R. Kelly tour to hit an area arena within a couple of months. "American Idol" star Clay Aiken is expected to bring a holiday show to the area to support his new Christmas CD, due next month.

Clay on Jeporady Again

Clay rad a clue with the song 'Somewhere Out There' which he sang on AI2.

Aladdin Sountrack with Clay's PROUD OF YOUR BOY instores September 28th

Disney is releasing an Aladdin soundtrack with Clay's new song, PROUD OF YOUR BOY on September 28th!

TOWER RECORDS

Clay declares:

"EVERYTHING I SAY ENDS UP ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS, AND I DO READ THEM!!!"

Billboard Charts

Solitaire/The Way

Hot 100 Single Sales - #2 (last week #4, 25 weeks on the charts)


I Will Carry You

AC - #25 (moved up 2, from #27 last week, 2 weeks on the charts)


Concerts:

Clay Aiken, Cherie
Ervin J. Nutter Center
Dayton, Ohio
Aug. 28, 2004
$236,114 (gross ticket sales)
5,442 (attendance)
6,120 (capacity)
$46.50, $36.50
AEG Live-St. Louis

Clay Aiken, Cherie
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Aug. 29, 2004
$210,020
4,768
6,364
$45, $35
AEG Live-St. Louis

Clay Aiken
U.S. Cellular Arena
Milwaukee, Wis.
Aug. 27, 2004
$170,928
4,064
8,120
$47.50, $37.50
AEG Live-St. Louis

SUMMARY as of 9/8/04 (by walkiki from CH):

Shows/Venues: 16/16
Total Gross: $2,933,012
Total Attendance: 76,589
Average Gross: $183,313
Average Attendance: 4,787
Average Capacity: 6,984
% Capacity: 68.5%

Clay in an anti-Bush book

From the book SORE WINNERS

"By the end, nobody was talking about race. Even though the white runner-up, Clay Aiken, actually outsang him in the final shows, Ruben won American Idol 2 and the series was a populist triumph... But Ruben's victory proved far muddier than Kelly's... His first album, the soulless Soulful, was outsold by Aiken's debut, Measure of a Man, which instantly shot to number one. Despite finishing second, Clay proved to be the show's de facto winner.

If Clarkson's post-9/11 victory felt like a vote for Bush, Aiken's enormous popularity became something of a public uprising. In a show designed to manufacture a pop idol, the ungainly Clay - who got a makeover deep into the series - was so resolutely unmanufactured that something amazing happened: He was carried aloft by an audience that genuinely cared whether he won. A moment of commercial pop culture suddenly took on a huge emotional dimension. And inspired controversy: Not only did some fans think Clay had been unfairly torpedoed by [certain speculations], the final tally was so close and so ineptly explained that some viewers began claiming that Fox had tampered with the results. You kept waiting for Katerine Harris to show up to certify the vote. The belief that Aiken was robbed in the contest's finale spawned gigabytes of Internet recrimination and debate, even prompting the creation of a People's Republic of Clay website, where his devotees could express their passion. As a friend joked, the only difference between the 2000 election controversy and the one on American Idol was that Clay Aiken's supporters really did like their man."

BAF General Promo 9/8

CLAY: There will be A Christmas Tour

FROM THE CLAYBOARD

Just heard a radio interview in Texas with Clay. From Clay's mouth, THEY ARE TRYING TO GET A CHRISTMAS TOUR TOGETHER!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Clay!!!! He said he wants something classy!!!!

Clay: Do not use 'the CLAYTON'

Clay doesn't want us to call him 'Clayton' apparently. He said this in an interview yesterday: "I kind of save it for my mom and the friends who were there before this whole thing happened."

Amazon.com finally puts up Clay's Book cover on the listing

HERE