Zac Efron Gets "Punk'd"; Clay's Name Mentioned

Clay's name was mentioned when Zac Efron was "punk'd" on the MTV show recently, as discovered on YouTube by the CB's proud to be a claymate:

I was on youtube looking at Zac Efron stuff with my kids and was watching a clip when Ashley Tisdale helped Zac Efron get Punk'd and they were in a clothing store and the lady says they just outfitted Clay Aiken. It's at the 1:31-1:35 mark. Even though it was a quick burb, I thought it was still great Clay was mentioned..

Tidbits 5/22

Great Clay mention at MSN Music. It reads:

American Idol Alumni Association

Clay Aiken: Second-season runner-up Aiken is the second-highest-selling "American Idol" veteran and tops the album-sales list for nonwinners, even outselling Season-2 winner Ruben Studdard by almost double (approximately 4.5 million to 2.4 million, respectively). Aiken has also garnered three Billboard Music Awards and one American Music Award. He has a special set of extra rabid devotees who call themselves "Claymates."

• VOTE for Clay & Ruben at AmericanIdol.com.
  
• Lycos 50 - Clay remains at #10 for the week ending May 19. The caption under his name is "Humanitarian Work". 203 weeks and counting. Keep those searches up!
• MTV News - In an article called "'American Idol' Video Timeline: Five Seasons In Five Minutes (Or 2,500 Words)", Clay is mentioned under the Season 2 summary as follows:

  By casting Ruben, Clay, Kimberley and Frenchie, "AI2" broadened America's definition of "pop star image." Fans ate it up. However, by voting on voice over looks, the season ended up being fairly predictable, where the singer who deserved to go home each week did. The final Ruben/Clay showdown was a tight race (one that Seacrest called a "photo finish") and although Studdard was the victor, Aiken ultimately wiped the floor with him in record sales.

  There are lots of articles about this year's American Idol finale between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis that mention Clay:
  
  
• AOL Television - Listed as one of the reasons that this year's American Idol failed, along with a picture of Clay and Ruben, is (scroll down on website page):

  No Name Appeal: Clay and Ruben. Kelly and Justin. Just saying the names makes us feel nostalgic. Blake and Jordin? Not so much.

• The Modesto Bee -

  It would take a miracle (20 million phone calls) for Blake Lewis to win this, and it would be interesting if he does. But if he fails, all he has to remember is that Ruben Studdard won the title but Clay Aiken, who came in second, made all the money.

• My San Antonio - "But Clay Aiken, the Season 2 runner-up, and Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth last year, actually put out hotter CDs than the winners of their seasons."
• WNBC: "Clay Aiken, who finished second to Ruben Studdard in 2003, has released three discs and sold a total of 4.5 million units."
• Chicago Tribune - "“I don’t think a final between Blake and Jordin is reminding anyone of those classic ‘Idol’ finals between Kelly [Clarkson] and Justin [Guarini] or Ruben [Studdard] vs. Clay Aiken.”"
• Hartford Courant - "The successes of past non-winners, from Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson to Clay Aiken, shows them there's a future even if they don't get the most votes tonight (likewise, the faltering this year of Taylor Hicks' debut album indicates there's no guaranteed super-stardom for a winner)."
• SouthFlorida.com - "Some of Idol's greatest success stories -- Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry from last season -- have been also-rans."
• Daily Vanguard -

  Clay Aiken, season two runner-up, experienced brief fame among the adult easy listening crowd, making him the third most successful former contestant of the show, but have you even heard his name in the last two years? Probably not, because nobody cares anymore.

• Winston Salem Journal -

  Part of the reason Fox 8 has done so well with the show over the years has been local interest, with previous seasons including such performers as Raleigh native Clay Aiken, High Point native Fantasia Barrino, and last year’s triple-punch of North Carolinians Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry.

• Foxes on Idol recalls last year's Clay Aiken spectacular on the AI5 season finale --

  Other highlights included an appearance by Clay Aiken, who totally floored poor Michael Sandecki (the “winner” of the Golden Idol award for best impersonation), and a neat medley of Burt Bacharach songs featuring the top 12. Prince also made an appearance that night, along with Al Jarreau, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Meatloaf, and Dionne Warwick.

• TV Guide host calls Clay Aiken "insanely popular" ... she got that right! -

  Of the six seasons to date, which do you think was the hardest to call?
  Rosanna: I think the hardest was Ruben and Clay, because Clay was insanely popular — and still is. People weren't sure which way that was going to go.

• Arizona Republic -

  Some years, I have a strong feeling who is going to win. Ruben Studdard against Clay Aiken, and I was going for the big guy all the way. Last year, I knew Katharine McPhee didn't stand a chance. But this year, I'm really confused. Jordin has a great smile, a gorgeous voice and a sweet personality (well, when she's not sniping about Rose Royce), but Blake is just so cool and charismatic and adventurous in what he does.

• TampaBay.com -

  But only two of the series' five previous winners have maintained Idol-level performing careers (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood), with other high achievers such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson outperforming those who beat them in their competitions.

• Detroit Free Press -

  Note to Blake and Jordin fans: They're both young, talented, and poised for lucrative pop careers, but neither of their voices has dominated the competition -- not like the Kellys, Clays and Fantasias of yore.

• New York City Village Voice - article about New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music -

  Some students specialize in engineering, some in business, and the rest—about a third—are performer-producers who gain training in how to record themselves in a multimillion-dollar studio so that they leave with full-length albums upon graduation. And if the final goal isn't already clear, a wall of photos at the fifth-floor offices at 194 Mercer Street makes the point: There's Davis with Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana. Davis with Annie Lennox and Rod Stewart. Davis handing a gold record to American Idol standout Clay Aiken.

• A few mentions of Clay's Dancing With The Stars appearance TONIGHT -
  
• The ConCLAYve
• Something That Really Happened
  

Tidbits 5/11

Clay's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel last night was so funny that AOL Television picked it as one of the top 5 TV moments of May 10, 2007.

• Clay's band member Felix confirmed to SecretlyLovesClay's sister's friend that he will not be touring with Clay this summer due to a scheduling conflict between Clay's and Taylor Hick's summer tours.
  
• MyMOAM2 at Clayversity reports a few Clay mentions when Kelly Clarkson appeared on MTV's TRL today...

  They are doing a "Would you do it again or never again" segment:
  
  A Moment Like This video ........ would do it again
  From Justin to Kelly .......... she laughs ...... she never wanted to do it, but had to do it. she is no actress, she says
  Short Hair ...... she has a weave in
  Water usage during live performances ... VMAs .. she loved it
  
  Tour mates with Clay ......... yes, yes, yes ... he's one of my friends ... Damien says: yes, he's a nice guy
  
  She also said, "I'd totally tour with him again, I love him"
  
  Tour mates with Clay ......... yes, yes, yes ... he's one of my friends ... Damien says: yes, he's a nice guy
  
  She also said, "I'd totally tour with him again, I love him"
  

• Raleigh Chronicle - Clay returns to Raleigh area with Cary, NC show this summer -

  Triangle-area American Idol fans will be able to see two standouts from different seasons of the Fox show. Tickets are on sale at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre for performances by Raleigh native Clay Aiken and more recent American Idol winner Taylor Hicks.
  

• Daily Southtown - Neil Sedaka article mentions Clay's success with "Solitaire" - "There's a live version of "Solitaire," which enjoyed a new round of pop glory when Clay Aiken crooned it on "American Idol" and hit No. 1 with his cover."
• SignOnSanDiego.com - AI article on who should stay and who should go as AI6 winds down ... "Melinda and Jordin would make an excellent finale; too close to call and reminiscent of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard."
• The Daily, University of Washington - Blake Lewis still in the running for Idol title and "I was always for Clay Aiken in the Clay-Reuben debates that so often seemed to dominate high school lunch-table discussions."
• Miami Star brings us a "Clay Aiken news update":

  CLAY AIKEN NEWS UPDATE
  In case anyone is interested in what’s happening with singer Clay Aiken, tickets for the singer’s upcoming symphony tour go on sale today. The singer will make an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! tonight (May 10). The singer will be bring his tour to Florida in August.

• TV Squad's article about Mark Indelicato, an up and coming young actor. Mark sang with Clay at one of his concerts, the article says -
  

  He just finished recording "Little Maestros," a CD aimed at young children. According to his ABC bio, Indelicato also sang during the halftime show at the NY Knicks and performed in concert with Clay Aiken.

• Tennessean.com - Students perform Clay song in front of Clay Aiken at NYC NCLD gala. "On the program are two Clay Aiken songs that students performed in New York for a benefit dinner audience that included the American Idol runner-up himself. "
  

• Carolina On My Mind has a wonderful recap of Clay's appearance on Kimmel last night. A CDD recap will be posted soon.
• Carolina On My Mind - fans make preparations for Jimmy Kimmel appearance
• Carolina On My Mind - TBAF and UNICEF fundraisers astounding success!
  

Tidbits 4/5

• Springfield State Journal Register - article about summer fairs & concerts - "Lately, we’ve all been spoiled by increasingly early releases of who will play each Illinois State Fair. That’s good, as we’ve made surrounding state fairs work around our dates for a change. But peeking at their schedules generally is a strong indicator of who might fill our remaining slots (such as Clay Aiken’s mini-tour of state fairs in 2004)."
• Broadcasting Cable - American Idol isn't fair?

  A Clay Aiken fan, she lost faith in the process after making a shocking discovery last year: No matter how often she tried, she couldn't place her vote.
  
  Law says she tried to dial "five or six hundred times" on the final night of competition but hasn't tried since. "I'm not gonna get suckered into voting again," she says. "Why should we sit here and waste two hours of our time when our votes aren't going to be counted?"
  

• TIME - on the success of American Idol - "Idol Season 1 champ Kelly Clarkson has sold more than 8 million albums; Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, 5 million; and even Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, more than 4 million."
• NY Post - new MTV show makes fun of Claymates... There's another mention of this at theDetroit Free Press -

  This time, it's a fictional talk show on a public-access channel in North Carolina co-hosted by a couple of Clay Aiken fanatics.
  
  If the sketch proves anything, it's that no more comedy ore remains to be mined from the topics of public-access cable and Clay Aiken.

• Murfreesboro Daily News Journal - another Idol article -

  Since the show's inception six seasons ago, the five "American Idol" champions — Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks — in addition to Clay Aiken who was a runner-up, have sold more than 23 million CDs, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

• St. Louis Post Dispatch - Illinois tourism board to announce winners of "Seven Wonders of Illinois" contest, but "even the runners-up take some solace in knowing they came close. Sort of like Clay Aiken on TV's 'American Idol.'"
• Fayetteville Observer - why Sanjaya Malakar is so darn popular -- "The last and only time I voted in “American Idol” was season 2, when Ruben Studdard was facing off Clay Aiken for the title. I cast a single vote for Ruben. But Tuesday night, I spent 20 minutes text-messaging 30 votes for Sanjaya, marking my official entry into the ranks of his “Fanjayas.”"
• The Ithacan Online - review of new movie "Blades of Glory" - Clay comparison:

  Ferrell’s foil in “Blades of Glory” is an eerily androgynous Jon Heder, who plays the delicate professional skater Jimmy MacElroy, a flamboyant combination of Clay Aiken and Brian Boitano.

• Carolina On My Mind - Claymates & Clay celebrate The Bubel Aiken Foundation's fantastic work.