A Blast From The Past

I just thought I would add a blast from the past from YouTube. My goodness, Clay looks just about the same now, just a little heftier, not much, just a little. No Clay you are not fat, LOL. This was just about my favorite performance from AI2 for sure. Incredible!



Enjoy!

American Idol 2 - Remembering Clay's Performances - Top 2

May 22, 2007...This is the night for the AI6 Final 2 to show America one more time just how good they are and why they should win. This is the night they hope to save their best for last. And speaking of "this is the night"...anyone remember hearing that song for the first time on Tuesday, May 20, 2003? Little did we know how many copies that song would sell or that it was the beginning of a career for Clay that has been much more than that of a singer, but also that of an entertainer, actor, and humanitarian. And little did Clay know that his fans, the Claymates, would from that day on become arguably the most devoted fans a celebrity has ever had.

It was a showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. The whole country was buzzing over who would win. That night, the first song was the original song that was chosen for each finalist by the show, and that was "This Is The Night" for Clay. Clay walked out looking so handsome in that dark suit. And he didn't disappoint as he began to sing. That voice just soared when he sang the chorus. He added those deep knee bends that I've come to love! I remember when he finished the song, he let out a big sigh and had a big smile on his face, as though he was thinking, "Whoo, I did it, I did okay!" Well, he did more than okay. And that song has grown to have so much meaning today. It was the beginning of many great things to come.



The second song was to be a Beatles song. Clay chose "Here, There, and Everywhere", which has always been a personal favorite of mine since I was a kid. Clay was sitting on a stool accompanied by a harp. He sang a simple, pure version. He just let his gorgeous voice and the words compliment each other. Nothing fancy was necessary. When you have a voice like Clay and are singing a song like that, that's all you need for something spectacular. And when he sang "there" the first time, going down to that low note, I could feel it in my toes. Just beautiful.



Finally, the last song was a song of Clay's choice. He chose "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", a Simon and Garfunkel song which again, I always loved growing up. I remember being so nervous during this song. The judges were not jumping up and down over his first two songs. I really wanted this one to knock their socks off. I'll never forget Clay walking out on stage, just calmly, slowly walking out on stage up to the microphone. And the choir moving with the music. And then out came that voice...smooth, deep, pure, mellow. When he went down to those low notes, it sent shock waves through me. I asked my son to help me come up with words to describe those low notes, and my son, teenager that he is, said, "Deep? Full? Manly? Hunka hunka? I want a chunk of that?" Well, he was being silly, but I think he might have something there! And the only thing that tops those notes is that to-die-for glory note at the end. I remember listening to BOTW over and over and over again. I don't think any of us could get enough of that song! Paula was right when she said, "You sent chills down us, Clay", and Simon was also right when he said, "I think that song could win you the competition".... coulda woulda shoulda. But the difference in the votes was so miniscule, that I think he was a winner...the winner in my book.



Though, as we all know and still hurt over, Clay didn't win the title of American Idol on the show, but he went on to show us what a true American Idol is, and he continues to show us to this day. And what is that? Well, here are some quotes from Clay that pretty much sum it all up:

Clay's on his definition of an Americal Idol: "American celebrities have an amazing amount of influence on the way America thinks, feels, and acts. I think that such an influence should be used in the most positive way possible."

And:

"Someone with a talent that leaves a mark on American society and inspires people to think, feel, love, act."

"I enjoy singing and that's what I'm here to do. I know I'm not a model; I'm not going to be. I'm not the best lookin' person here, and that's fine. That's not what it's about to me."

On the pressures of being in the public eye: "...as long as you're living right, then you don't have to worry about what people see."

"It's not the money. It's not the fame. It's the influence."

"It's important that I make a difference in some way. If it's performing and touching someone that way, that's great; if it's being a teacher and helping some kid understand something, that's even better..."

"One of the first things I'm gonna do is set up a foundation. Since I'm not going to be teaching for a while, I'd still like to stay connected and use this platform to bring attention to autism awareness and to individuals with disabilities."

"What comes out of this is what God wants to happen."

I think Clay hit the nail right on the head as to what an American Idol is...what he wanted to be in his life. And he continues to stand by those very words he spoke four years ago. Clay was a winner, is a winner, always will be a winner. He is definitely our American Idol.

Clay Interview With Topeka Capital-Journal - August 19, 2004

At this slow time of clack, I am including some old articles/interviews/etc. from my collection of "clack gone-by". I came across this great interview that Clay had with Jan Biles of the Topeka Capital-Journal on August 19, 2004, published on September 1, 2004. Now admit it, we all love a good Clay interview. The only thing better than reading an interview is being able to hear that sweet southern voice and those giggles that are sprinkled throughout one. Well, we can't give you the actual voice, but here, for your reading pleasure is this interview from 2-1/2 years ago!

CJOnline.com / Topeka Capital-Journal
Published Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Aiken goes one-on-one
By Jan Biles
The Capital-Journal

Here is a transcript of the interview done with singer Clay Aiken before his
concert Aug. 19 in Buffalo, N.Y.:
Aiken: Hello?
C-J: Hey, Clay, how ya doing?
Aiken: Is this Jan?
C-J: It is.
Aiken: How are ya?
C-J: I'm OK. How are you?
Aiken: Pretty good.
C-J: Where are you calling from today?
Aiken: Ohhhh, Buffalo, N.Y.
C-J: Buffalo, OK. Well, I want to ask you about the tour, and the book, and the new CD, and all of this sort of stuff.
Aiken: OK.
C-J: Now, the tour's about halfway through, right?
Aiken: Right, I think we're right at the halfway mark.
C-J: How would you size it up so far? What's been the biggest challenge for you?
Aiken: I think there's a lot of pressure that goes with being on your own, to some extent. ... On the two other tours -- I had a whole bunch of other people with me on the "Idol" tour obviously. Then with Kelly, it was just she and I, so if something went wrong, I could always blame it on her. (Laughs.) Being on your own, all the pressure's on you, right? So if I mess up, it's all my fault. There's a lot of pressure to make sure everything's (going right).
[kcp: The interview continues below this inset MORE ON AIKEN]

MORE ON AIKEN
Singer Clay Aiken has been a busy man. Here are some of the projects he's been working on:
• "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life," an inspirational memoir to be released this fall by Random House
• An untitled classic Christmas compact disc, to be released this fall
• "Aladdin" DVD, on which he sings "Proud of Your Boy," a song not included in the original movie, to be released this fall
• "Stories for Heroes: Arthur Celebrity Audiobook," a compilation of Arthur stories read by Aiken, Kevin Bacon, Kelly Ripa, Ziggy Marley and other celebrities to benefit charities, available at www.amazon.com • 50-stop solo tour that continues through October
Here are some of his achievements:
• "Measure of a Man," his debut album released in October, has sold nearly 3 million copies
• "This Is the Night/Bridge over Troubled Waters," his debut single, has sold more than 950,000 copies
• "The Way/Solitaire," his second single, has sold about 300,000 copies
• Won the Billboard Award for best-selling single in 2003
• Won the American Music Award for Fan's Choice in 2003


C-J: So I was wondering, you do the same material most every night -- Aiken: That's right.
C-J: So how do you keep the performances fresh for you, and the backup singers and the band?
Aiken: Well, usually I make fun on them onstage. (Laughs.) Just last night, we were driving to Toronto to see a friend of mine from "Idol" -- she was Vanessa Olivarez, from the top 12 of my season of "Idol." She's the lead in "Hairspray" in Toronto. So I thought I'd drop by and see her up there. And Quiana (Parlor), one of the singers from the show with me, we were driving up to the Canadian border, and she said: "Oh, I don't have my passport. They're not going to let me through. They're not going to let me through." And I said, "Well, you don't need a passport to get into Canada, you just have to have your ID." And so she was like, "Yeah, you do." And I said, "You'll see. You don't worry about it, you'll be fine." And she said, "What about when we go to New Mexico this summer, are we going we have to use a passport?" I said, "You've got to be kidding me. We don't need a passport there." (Laughs) So I make fun of them onstage.
We change the songs up a little bit, too. We've been on the road for a little over a month, about a month and half now. I kind of try to -- we just added a new song this week ("Chain of Fools") that Quiana and I sing on the show. ... So the show changes every night to the most part. We rarely do the same show every night simply because it, you know, keeps it fresh and new when it's something kind of different.
C-J: Well, let me ask you about the book that's coming out this fall, "Learning to Sing." You've been working with Allison Glock with that, is that right?
Aiken: Right.
C-J: Tell me about the process of writing this book. When in the heck did you find time to do it in the first place?
Aiken: Well, I kind of had the opportunity to start to work on it about a year ago. ... I kind of put it off. I didn't want to do a book about a biography or a behind-the-scenes process of "Idol." And so I wanted to make sure we had a real thing to write about, something that was worthwhile. So we started the whole process -- started working on it in April. And, yeah, there's not too much free time involved.
So I'd think about working on some stuff, and then Allison would come out. Allison came out a few times when we were on tour, and she kind of helped me piece it together. A lot of the stuff that I had was in the wrong places and didn't flow so well, kind of a bunch of crazy thoughts here and there, kind of mushed together and it didn't flow at all. So she would come out, she came out a few times, and, you know, (her) expertise in writing kind of helped me get it all in order.
C-J: OK, so she helped with organizing and ...
Aiken: Well, she helped with writing, as well.
C-J: What do you hope people take from the book, you know, after they've read it? What do you hope they learn from it?
Aiken: I kind of feel like it's an opportunity for me to share some experiences. You know, I think a lot of people have similar experiences in their life. ... There are people who are stepchildren. There are people who were picked on when they were in school. I was one of those. It's just an opportunity for me to kind of share those experiences and what I've learned.
I had a mother and a lot of other friends and family who were big on making sure I took the positive lesson from everything, whether it was good or bad. It's just a chance for me to talk about that, and if people come away from it saying, "You know what? That's the same thing I went through, and I can learn the same thing and that's a good way to look at things," then great. If they can read it and think it's funny and entertaining and like to find out a little more information about me, that's fine with me.
C-J: OK. Is this something you think you'd like to do more of in the future -- writing books?
Aiken: Writing?
C-J: Yeah.
Aiken: It's not so easy (laughs), not at all, so I don't know whether it's something in the near future, you know. Maybe in 30 years, if I do have a biography, we'll put it together, but right now I don't think so.
C-J: The Christmas CD's coming out. Describe that a little bit, and does this mean we'll see you on a lot of holiday specials this season?
Aiken: The Christmas CD, we have to finish. We have to do a few more songs on it at the end of the month. We just have to finish wrapping it up and put a lid on it. It's a very classic Christmas album. We didn't want to do anything that would be dated in a few years, like with a lot of original stuff, lots of original production. It's very classic, with orchestral arrangements ... compare it to an Andy Williams' type album that can be sold year after year, you know, and people can put it on and it feels like Christmas and feels like the holiday.
And so, that's what we've done. ... I'm sure I'll be on some specials every once in awhile, at least on "Good Morning America" and that type of stuff. Other than that, I'm not really sure what's in the works. All that stuff kind of comes with when the album comes out and you see what's available.
C-J: OK. I also wanted to ask about your relationship with Disney. I know they're sponsoring the tour and you've got the "Aladdin" DVD coming out. Do you have other projects in the works with Disney?
Aiken: Right now, the biggest project we have with them is their sponsorship of, their work with the foundation. They're partnering with the foundation on some of our initiatives and helping us get the word out, helping us do quite a bit of marketing with the media, strategizing I guess, to make sure we get the information out about the Bubel Aiken Foundation and some of our stuff. They partnered with the tour -- with the foundation first actually, sorry, and then with the tour second after I sang the song on the "Aladdin" CD, or DVD, sorry. So right now, that's all that we have in the works. You know, if there's something I'd love to do at one point and if they're ever interested in wanting to see me voice some character from a movie, maybe I'd do it.
C-J: Well, speaking of movies, you know, there's some rumors out there that you've done some screentests for "Rent" and ...
Aiken: There's a lot of rumors.
C-J: Yeah.
Aiken: You are the biggest person I've spoken to in months on rumors. (Laughs.) ... I mean, I've heard the rumor, but there's no truth to it.
C-J: There's no truth to the fact that you are involved in any movies?
Aiken: Not right now.
C-J: OK, all right.
Aiken: Now, maybe in the future, I'd love to do it. Right now, I've been on tour. I've been on the road.
C-J: OK, well, let's talk about the foundation. A year now in existence, and it's done wonderfully. What would you like to see happen in the second year?
Aiken: You know ... it's really exciting to see (our) camp programs that are being successful in Kansas City, and in Charlotte and in Raleigh. And next year, we're signed up (to be in) other cities. Miami is one of them, one of the places where we could work with the foundation's summer camp program. We've had success with Youth Service America, giving out grants to individuals with disabilities who are giving their time and their effort to help to do community service projects in their communities. That's been exciting to watch. There's just been so much more success in one year than I ever thought there would be. Of course, I'd love to see that continue to grow. I'd love to see that continue and then flourish and be successful, for obvious reasons.
I think it would be wonderful -- you know, I don't know how long I'll be doing this singing thing. I'm enjoying it and would love to do it as long as people let me, but I'm not so sure that I'll be doing it for 30 years. The foundation, what I'd love to see happening, is for it to kind of spread its own wings and take on a life of its own. And, therefore, in 30 years if I'm not, (or) in two years if I'm not doing this, that it will be able to be successful.
Aiken's personal assistant interrupts, saying there's time for one more question.
C-J: OK. Well, this is a silly question, all right?
Aiken: OK.
C-J: You've said that you're ...
Aiken: You're wasting your last question on a silly question?
C-J: This is a silly question, yes.
Aiken: (Laughs.)
C-J: I won't ask about InStyle, OK?
Aiken: (Laughs.)
C-J: Here's the silly question. You've said you're, you know, a big nerd, so what's the nerdiest thing you've done lately?
Aiken: Oh, lord. The nerdiest thing done lately, what is the nerdiest thing I've done. The nerdiest thing I do traditionally is -- everyone always makes fun of me about stuff -- when we get to a city, I usually grab the magazine in the hotel room. You know, there's a visitor magazine that tells a bunch of stuff about the town?
C-J: Right.
Aiken: I always do the research on the town. I want to know when it was founded and how it got its name. I want to know all that sort of stuff (laughs), and then when we get on the bus I tell everybody. And they get tired of that. (Laughs) So we know Buffalo ...
C-J: Thank you so much, Clay.
Aiken: You're quite welcome, and thank you.

Amazon: MOAM, BOTW/TITN Among The Most Pre-Ordered CD's of All Time

Amazon.com says two of Clay's CD's are on the list of the top 10 pre-ordered albums of all time, in a press release about Norah Jones' upcoming CD issued today to PR newswire. Of course, we knew this all along, didn't we. :)

Other top 10 pre-ordered albums on Amazon.com include (in no order): Jones’ second album “Feels Like Home”; “Taking The Long Way” by Dixie Chicks; “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” and “The Best of 1990-2000” by U2; “Bridge Over Troubled Water/This Is The Night” and “Measure of a Man” by Clay Aiken; “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles; and “Awake” by Josh Groban.

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