Um....Clay On Restroom Walls?

Cute story from the CB's hanapepe:

While patrolling the campus where I work as a Security officer, I ran an errand for my daughter's roommie who forgot to water the plants in her room. When I was in the restroom filling up a jar of water, I happened to glance in one of the restroom stalls as it was COVERED in pictures. Now, these were all "Hotties" that the girls had decorated the walls with. The usual suspects were there: Orlando Bloom, etc. etc. But then, what should catch my eye but the Kenneth Cole shot of Clay when he is sitting on the stool!!! Of the roughly 20 college women on that floor, there is a secret Claymate amongst them.......and it is NOT my daughter! I of course then wanted to race home to my computer, and start downloading tons of thudalicious shots to further "decorate" that stall, but I would be so busted by my daughter as she would know where they came from. I think that I could get away with just a few here and there though....... *wink wink* (wish me luck!):innocent :laugh

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Clay Mentions 12/27

Another variation of yesterday's AP wire story about Bo Bice -- we're reposting cause we like the headline!

Bo Bice wants to be the next Clay Aiken of the Idol world (Different media outlets will use different headlines)
Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- American Idol has made Bo Bice a hot property this year, both for his music talent and for his long-haired sex appeal. Now he hopes to cash in.

Bice, 30, finished the TV show's fourth season as the runner-up, but the Alabama native hopes to follow Clay Aiken as the also-ran who actually runs away with it. He's releasing his debut disc The Real Thing.

19 Entertainment Press Release

CKX Inc., the parent company of 19 Entertainment who signs all Idol artists released this press release today. Clay was managed by 19 E in 2003 and early 2004, and is still legally bound to 19 E under his Idol recording contract.

CKX: IDOL Artists Continue to Dominate Album Charts Worldwide; Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice and Kelly Clarkson All Top 10 in U.S., Clarkson and Will Young Reach Top 15 in the U.K.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 27, 2005--As reported online last week by Hits Magazine, American Idol stars Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice and Kelly Clarkson ruled the charts with three of the top ten spots on Billboard's Top 200 album chart the week before Christmas, historically one of the best selling weeks of the year for the music industry. In addition, American Idol and Pop Idol artists, Clarkson and Will Young, also took two of the top fifteen spots in the weekly sales chart in the United Kingdom. The Idol franchise was created by 19 Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (NASDAQ:CKXE). Idol artists in the U.S. and U.K. are signed to recording agreements with 19 Recordings, also a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKX.

In addition to these achievements, American Idol 3 winner Fantasia is approaching the double platinum mark with her debut album "Free Yourself" and American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken's Christmas album, "Merry Christmas With Love" recently soared past the million unit mark. Aiken is expected to release a new album this spring.

Commenting on the successful recording careers of Idol contestants, Simon Fuller, creator and Executive Producer of American Idol said, "This success is a true testament to the power of Idol fans and people power worldwide. Carrie, Bo and Kelly are prime examples of the impact of the Idol format, having been discovered by the American public, taken from obscurity and made into true superstars. I am proud to have created a format which has captured the imagination of music fans around the world and which can launch the careers of so many talented young singers. We are looking forward very much to the start of American Idol's 5th season in January"

Pensacola Middle-Schooler Saves Clay's Show

We have some more information about the middle-schooler who replaced 11 year-old Gregory Ellis on the tour when he became sick earlier this month before the Atlanta concert. Ellis plays 'Tommy' a key role in the tour.

Local middle-schooler shares Civic Center stage with Clay Aiken
He learned his lines in six hours, overcame stage fright and saved Clay Aiken's Dec. 18 concert at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Connor Bond, a 12-year-old (his birthday is today) Brown Barge Middle School student, took on one of the leading roles in Aiken's Joyful Noise concert when a traveling cast member got sick. Aiken thanked Connor on stage, prompting a standing ovation from the audience, and gave him a T-shirt signed: "Connor, thanks for saving the show -- Clay Aiken."

"I know one thing for sure -- I'm not going to have stage fright for a long time," Connor said of the experience of performing in front of several thousand people. "Clay really helped me a lot."

Connor, whose only past experience was a role in the recent Pensacola Little Theatre production of "The King and I," plans to try out for PLT's upcoming "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

-- Kris Thoma @PensacolaNewsJournal.com

More Info On New Autism Movie

Thanks to CDD visitor, Dee for this new information about the new autism movie called 'Normal People Scare Me', a full length documentary by Taylor Cross who has autism won this year's Bubel Aiken Foundation Champion of Change Youth Recipient.Clay is mentioned in the movie, as we reported last week. A 10 minute version of the film is available for $20 by sending payment and your address to:

Joseph Travolta Entertainment Experience
18344 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA
91356.

William Joseph to Stay 'With' Clay

Pianist William Joseph, who has been opening for Clay on this current Joyful Noise 2005 tour will remain with Clay according to reports from the Clayboard.

We will be seeing more of him as he told fans he would be with Clay for the promotion of Clay's album.

Clay On Composer's Website

Kara Dioguardi, who co-wrote The Way features Clay on her website, www.karadioguardi.com. Dioguardi's work with Clay was mentioned in an article about her yesterday.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Article

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel published this pre-concert article for Clay's concert in Hollywood, FL tomorrow. Click to enlarge.

Clay Turned Down Broadway Role in 2003?

From ClayDicted2Aiken:

I was speaking with my aunt on Christmas Eve about a friend of hers who's on the production team of many Broadway plays including RENT. Somehow, my aunt was talking to her about me, and Clay came up in conversation. The lady mentioned that she had gotten in touch with Clay's 'team' the DAY AFTER the American Idol finale & offered him the role of Mark in RENT on Broadway, immediately. She said it took him a few days to respond, and when he did he said the role was to 'racy' for him with too many cuss words.

I just thought I'd share this because I personally didn't know he was offered a role in RENT the play, I thought it was just the movie. This all came straight from the mouth of one of the members of the production team of RENT, so I don't know if it should be considered a rumor.

Scans From Year-End Billboard Issue

Thanks to Claikendee for these scans from Billboard magazine's Year-End Issue, dated Dec. 26. Billboard devoted a whole page to Clay because Merry Christmas With Love was 2005's bestselling Christian album. We first reported this on Dec. 17 with a follow up on Dec. 20.

Click to enlarge

MSNBC Looks Back At American Idol 2

MSNBC posted this article this morning about where the competitors from the second season of AI now are. They praise Clay saying "Ruben won, but Clay went on to massive success." The author of this article also wrote a very positive article about the Jukebox tour this past August (Audience is clay in Aiken's Hand, Aug. 9)

'Idol' season two: Where are they now?

Ruben won, but Clay went on to massive success

Ruben Studdard was named the "American Idol" of season two, but Clay Aiken has gone on to much greater fame.

COMMENTARY
By Andy Dehnart
MSNBC
Updated: 11:20 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2005

After weeks of drama, including two people being disqualified in the middle of the competition, the second season of "American Idol" ended with even more drama. Ryan Seacrest and/or the producers might have massively screwed up by announcing different vote totals during the live finale, but ultimately, Ruben Studdard won "American Idol 2," beating the runner-up by about 130,000 votes.

Clay Aiken was the runner-up. But you'd never know he didn't win, at least based upon the two performers' album sales and, more significantly, fan base. Clay Aiken has perhaps the most obsessive and devoted fans in the entire "Idol" universe. Clay's first single went platinum and debuted at number one, and he's released two albums, including a Christmas album last year; it debuted at number four, while his debut album debuted at number one. Clay is currently on his fourth solo tour, his second this year -- and that's in addition to leading the Bubel/Aiken Foundation and serving as a UNICEF ambassador.

Ruben, the only male to ever win "American Idol," released two records following his win. They performed quite well -- he beat Kelly Clarkson's first-week sales -- but Clay's album still sold better. Ruben's second record, "I Need an Angel," was a gospel album that topped the gospel charts and went gold. Since then, he's remained relatively out of the spotlight; his Web site lists no current tours or appearances. Last spring, Ruben was in the news after he sued his manager for stealing money from him; later, his manager (who's also his godfather), countersued.

"It's not easy being Clay", Clearwater Concert Preview

The St. Petersburg Times posted this pre-concert article/interview for Clay's concerts in Clearwater, FL later this week. A mention of clack site AllThingsClayAiken.com's webmistress, Tiffany Allhouse.

It's not easy being Clay
Ask Clay Aiken a question and, chances are, he gives you a silly laugh. But behind the cackle, is there a nice guy suffering from post-Idol angst?

By SEAN DALY
Published December 27, 2005

PREVIEW: Clay Aiken performs at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. Tickets $55-$62.50. Call (727) 791-7400 or (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100.

Before discussing the titillating appeal of Clay Aiken's singing voice - that varsity-sweater croon that drives millions of "Claymates" bonkers - we must first examine the pop star's tremendous laugh. For that, as you will soon see, is the key to Clay.

Photo: Clay Aiken speaks to students and teachers at the Learning Project Elementary school in Boston dec 6 this month. The singer thanked them for their tsunami relief fundraising for UNICEF.

It's a cackle really, an exhalation that starts low, brays HIGH, part Keebler Elf, part mad scientist. It's warmly flavored with his native North Carolina, but it's slightly unhinged, too, as if the former American Idol star were contemplating whether to give you a cookie or hook electrodes to your earlobes.

Calling from a tour stop in Washington, D.C., and subsequently hyping his upcoming Christmas show at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Thursday and Friday, the 27-year-old spiky-haired redhead spends a great deal of time unleashing that laugh and doing what he does best: playing the strait-laced singer with aw-shucks sex appeal.

If you want to hear the laugh, just set him up to do his shtick:

Hey, Clay, what do you have on your iPod?

"The only thing I have on my iPod right now is Monk."

Thelonious Monk?

"No, the TV show," he says, adding: "Bwoo-hoo-hoo-HEE-HA-HA!!!"

Hey, Clay, do you like any hard rock? Motley Crue maybe? Perhaps some Judas Priest?

"Bwoo-hoo-hoo-HEE-HA-HA!" he says. "I have Collective Soul's Shine on my iTunes. That's probably as hard as it gets. But the only reason I have that is because Dolly Parton covered it on her bluegrass album and I wanted to compare the two. Bwoo-hee!"

Aiken loves being able to name more Neil Sedaka songs than Nirvana hits. That's his thing: look-both-ways Middle America. He's a fine singer with an able gift for phrasing a hook, but he's about as far from edgy as Pat Boone. Aiken knows it, too. During our casual conversation, refreshingly free of vanity or guff, even he calls his nice-boy act "vanilla."

Vanilla, Clay?

Photo: "There are plenty of times when I wish I could just go out to dinner and not be stared at and pointed at and talked about," Clay Aiken says.

"Ha-HEE!"
- - -

In 2003, Aiken placed second to Ruben "Velvet Teddy Bear" Studdard on the sophomore season of reality TV hit American Idol. But there's no doubt as to the real winner. Along with pop starlet Kelly Clarkson - "Her last album was just killer," Aiken says of Clarkson's multiplatinum Breakaway - Aiken is the only other AI contestant who has transcended the tag of reality TV star.

Aiken's first hit, the antiseptically romantic This Is the Night, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, selling more than 392,000 copies during its first week. When his first full-length album, Measure of a Man, hit stores later that year, it debuted at No. 1 with some 613,000 first-week sales. His 2004 Christmas album, Merry Christmas With Love, also set records for holiday-album sales.

That sort of success makes Aiken laugh really hard. He has to laugh at it. His groupies, the Claymates, rival only Barry Manilow's "Fanilows" in berzerko idolatry for a man with ambiguous sexuality and G-rated skills. Of course, that doesn't mean the Claymates don't have naughty motives: A fan once sent him a very curious kitchen utensil. But more on that later.

Every so often, however, the laugh disappears, and that's when you should pay attention. It's a jarring silence, to be honest, like that moment in musical chairs when someone kills the music.

"There are plenty of times when I wish I could just go out to dinner and not be stared at and pointed at and talked about," he says, suddenly serious. "I enjoy doing what I'm doing. Being able to sing every night. Being able to make a living off of that. But I do get jealous of friends of mine who are teachers nowadays and they have stories of kids that they work with. That makes me jealous 'cause I want that myself."

Then his voice loses all lightness, almost as if he were scolding himself: "You know, everybody makes a choice. You make a choice to do what you're doing . . . and you're gonna have to deal with all the good and all the bad, right?"

If Aiken does decide to leave show biz someday, it would no doubt be to follow his other dream. Before going to Hollywood, he studied special education and worked at a program devoted to autistic kids.

"I was supposed to sub for six months, but I wound up staying for two years," he says. "I literally fell in love with the kids. Each child was different, and it was a puzzle, and you really saw the benefits."

He pauses for a bit, that laugh now a million miles away. "I don't really see the benefits to anybody of what I'm doing right now," he adds. "Yeah, people like to listen but . . . I ain't changing anybody's life."

Soon enough, though, that laugh comes back. It's not so much a defense, but a signpost, letting listeners - and maybe even Aiken himself - know what's real and what's make-believe.
- - -

Hey, Clay, how scary are the Claymates?

"Oh, let's be honest: Sometimes they can be a little bit frightening. It's usually the ones that I haven't met that scare me the most. I look out into the audience, and they look like they're going to eat me alive. Bwa-hoo-HA!"

Hey, Clay, do you ever get scary fan mail?

"Not so much anymore. For a while there it was freaky. I got a turkey baster one time, and I just stopped opening the mail. Hoo-hoo-ha-hoo-hoo! I really don't even want to think about it."

It's only fair that we offer a quick defense of Aiken's core fan base. Meet Tiffany Allshouse, a 31-year-old systems engineer from Kansas City, Mo. Allshouse is the Web master behind hot Internet site All Things Clay Aiken, a smart, interactive dot-com that offers a smorgasbord of Aiken. Tiffany says her husband is very understanding about her hobby.

"So many of Clay's fans are women above 25," says Allshouse, who has met Aiken a couple of times and says he was charming. "They want to protect him. A lot of women are also very attracted to him. He's very self-effacing, and that's an attractive quality."

Hey, Clay, any chance of a new album in 2006?

"I don't know how long I'll be doing this whole thing," he says, suddenly going serious again. "I'm not trying to say I'm planning on quitting, but you know how the business works. I just want to make sure I do everything now that I've always wanted to do."

There will be a new album in the first half of 2006, but Aiken isn't sure what will be on the disc. "I don't want to fall into a formula," he says. "A lot of things are so formulaic right now."

He sighs, conflict was once again creeping into his voice: "We're still trying to figure things out."

Hey, maybe you should do the loungey-Sinatra, I offer, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I don't know if I'm that cool, he says. "Bwoo-hoo-hoo-HEE-HA-HA!!!"
Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or 727 893-8467. His blog is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/popmusic

Clay Mentions 12/26

AI4 Runner-up Bo Bice following Clay's footsteps to success - AP wire story.. will begin popping up everywhere.

Bice out with debut album "The Real Thing"

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Bo Bice broke the rules. But under the circumstances, he believed that he had no choice.

Advance orders of "The Real Thing" have reached more than 700,000 copies already, Bice says during a phone interview. That would mean he's already got a gold record (500,000 in sales) and is well on his way to platinum.

"American Idol" has made Bice, 30, a hot property this year, both for his music talent and for his long-haired sex appeal. Although he finished the TV show's fourth season as the runner-up, this Alabama native seems poised to follow Clay Aiken as the also-ran who actually runs away with it.

Article about the 2005 Celebrity Naughty or Nice list - Clay's on the 'nice' list. Polls are still open, you can vote for Clay by clicking here. Clay currently has around 2100 votes, but is still trailing Barry Manilow.

Santa is letting the people vote for the top 10 Naughtiest and Nicest Celebrities of the year
/UCWE/ - This year, for the first time in history, instead of checking his List, Santa Claus is checking his Blog to see which celebs were naughty and nice -- as he prepares to go public with his 2nd Annual Top 10 Celebrity Naughty & Nice List on Christmas Eve.

The votes have been rolling in by the thousands since the North Polls opened just two days ago. The celebrity with the most votes by far is Barry Manilow -- whose fanilows are gung-ho-ho-ho about making sure he's at the tippy top of Santa's Nice List. At last count the Mani-lovers had cast more than 1100 votes for their favorite Mani-man.

Clay Aiken's fans have also been makin' a whole lotta noise in support of their favorite fella! This Clay-Crazy community has cast more than 540 votes to make sure he gets a prime spot on the Nice List!

And, the poll's website had this note today:

SPECIAL BULLETIN: SANTA SPEAKS!
Thank you to everyone for voting... and congratulations to all the Nice kids on the Good List this year -- especially to Barry Manilow and Clay Aiken - two "especially Elfish" elves! To those of you on the Naughty List... I suppose congratulations are not in order... But it's not such a bad thing... afterall... being on the Naughty List means there's lots of room for improvement over the year - and I know in my heart you'll all do your very best! Ummm... George... we'll talk offline about this!

AOL Homepage Features Clay

Clay's photo is shown on the AOL homepage currently under the 'Entertainment' tab. We're not sure why it is there since clicking on Clay brings us to AOL's Top 11 videos, which does not feature any Clay video.

AD: Melbourne, FL

Another Korean TV Show Uses Clay Music

Another Korean TV show used Clay's music. The CB's BloomingClay reports that the Korean TV Show To Marry A Millionaire used Clay's Mary, Did You Know. Shine was used on another Korean TV show earlier this month.

From BloomingClay:

There is a TV soap opera called 'To marry a Millionaire' which is aired at every weekend and Clay's music was used as bgm at yesterday's episode. As Christmas album was not released here,I don't know how come they could get the CD but anyway it is cool. oh,and the scene is nothing to do with the music at all.

Christmas Clay Mentions

About a composer who has worked with Clay.

Spinning all that angst into pop gold
Lindsay. Hilary. Celine. Pink. Kara DioGuardi's first-person songs pushed them all up the charts. And now it's her turn to shout.
By Chris Lee, Special to The Times

Beyond the Lohan-Simpson circuit, DioGuardi collaborates with a list of performers that reads like a Top 40 Who's Who: pop chanteuses Pink, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani; rockers Carlos Santana and the indie group Rooney; Latin pop crooners Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and Enrique Iglesias; and a scattering of former "American Idol" contestants, including Bo Bice, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson. She's written or co-written more than 60 songs released this year.

Clayboard Member Gets Christmas Suprise

The CB's Sherryjj got a big suprise last night -- she met Clay!

From Sherryjj:

I cannot believe it, but my family met and talked with Clay on Christmas Eve. A friend of my husband's is a relative of Faye's and we were invited to a family gathering. No one but my husband knew Clay would be there. He and his friend wanted to surprise me and my 12 year old daughter. I have known this family for years ( I taught one of their daughters in high school Chorus for 4 years) and never knew the connection. He also helped get us wonderful seats at the Raleigh concert. That is when I found out he was related to Clay. When we walked in the house, I saw Faye immediately. My daughter dragged me around the corner into the kitchen. She asked me if I saw who was in the den. I said yes I saw Faye. She said that wasn't who she meant. She saw Clay! I didn't believe her. She said Clay was in that room or this guy had a hologram in his house. She was so excited she said she couldn't feel her legs. LOL I was about as bad. But, of course, we had to be really cool and not fanlike. The man introduced us and Clay smiled and shook our hands. Then we moved into the living room for pictures. So I have proof. LOL I did tell Clay that we really enjoyed the concert on Thurs. nt. Brett was there, also. We all got into the pic. My 17 yr. old son and his girlfriend were with us, too. My daughter will never get to sleep tonight. She called her best friend as soon as we left. Their goal in life was to meet Clay and touch his hand. She asked me since she had met her goal, what would she do now? LOL. OK, to the serious stuff. He is extremely TALL. He was wearing a burgundy sweater with a shirt underneath. Hair was spiked. When we took the pic, he jumped up on an ottaman to be in the middle. As if he wasn't tall enough. It was a great night and my daughter has the pic to take to show at church and grandparent's tomorrow (or should I say later today?) Can you tell I am still excited, too? What a night, my daughter said she can tell her friends she spent Christmas Eve with Clay.

I did meet him and shake his hand. But we were very respectful of his family time. I told him we had enjoyed the concert, but that was the extent of conversation. We had no idea he was going to be there, so we were in shock more than anything else. We did not interfere with what was going on. It was his cousin's idea to take the pic. And I don't know how to put it on here. I will get my son to work on it later. Merry Christmas to all.

Christmas With Clay and Good Morning America

Clay rang in Christmas in style earlier this morning on ABC's Good Morning America backed by Andy, from Clay's band and pianist William Joseph who has been opening for Clay's concerts. Clay sang a soulful version of My Grown Up Christmas List. There was no interview. The segment was taped Dec. 5 while Clay was in New York with the Joyful Noise Tour. Clay also appeared on last Saturday's GMA, when he sang Mary Did You Know. Thanks to the CH's starhorse for these caps.