Article: Clay Nation - Clay Aiken Performs Dec 27 at Hard Rock Live

Clay Nation
Clay Aiken performs December 27 at Hard Rock Live

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Clay Aiken, who got into the music business in the most public of ways - finishing as a runner up on American Idol - is now a full-fledged star. But in a recent interview he still sounded very much like he did during the 2003 American Idol season. He hasn't lost his North Carolina accent and he still exudes conscientiousness. What's Shakin' caught up with him by phone while touring in Providence, RI. The "2005 Joyful Noise Tour" reaches Hard Rock Live on December 27.

What’s Shakin’: Your website says you DON’T “leisurely load around all day.” If you’re not doing that, what are you doing?
Clay Aiken: I spend about four hours a day on the phone with interviewers (laughs). No. We’ve hired a little boy from Raleigh to be one of the actors in the show. You need a tutor on the road for each child. And I can still teach in North Carolina, so I tutor him on the road. Everyday we have classes for a while. We use local community theaters in each show, so we have to run through it once or twice before we do the sound check, which we do. Then we eat. Then we check in on our little actor boy one more time. And then we do a show. So we do stay pretty busy all day long.

What’s Shakin’: You’re a UNICEF celebrity ambassador. I’ll ask you what “60 Minutes” asked Bono last month . . .do you want to be remembered as a singer or a humanitarian?
Clay Aiken: Well, I hope I’m not at the point where people are having to remember me. I’m 27! (laughs) I kinda feel that work as a singer is more self-serving. So if I’m remembered as a singer that would be nice and very complimentary. But I don’t know that I want to be remembered as a humanitarian either. I’d like to be remembered as somebody who tried to do their best at whatever they did. I guess one of the reasons I like working with UNICEF and I like working with the foundation that I helped start is that it allows me to see some tangible results and some tangible good. I don’t necessarily see the tangible good in me singing for people. I hear people say all the time that it’s done this or that but I personally don’t understand what good it does. I may be shortchanging myself, but I don’t see me changing the world by singing. I appreciate that I can work with UNICEF and see my small role in helping places that need help.

WS: Where does the phrase “joyful noise” come from?
CA: When I was in church as a kid, that’s what we used to say: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” And I kinda thought I’d like that to be the title of the Christmas album but we decided to go with a title track instead. And so I wanted to make the Christmas tour be titled after that.

WS: You seem to have a real affinity for Christmas? Like, it’s more than a holiday. Where does that come from?
CA: Well, it is more than a holiday. It’s a feeling. This holiday season is one of the only times of the year where everybody understands what the spirit is supposed to be about. People’s attitudes change. People’s energies change. People become more forgiving and benevolent. And that doesn’t happen any other time of the year. If you sing a song about love, maybe 75 percent of the people in the auditorium know exactly what that song’s about. When you sing, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” not everybody’s been in that position. But when it’s Christmas, everybody understands the emotion that goes with Christmas so it’s much easier to convey that in a song. It’s much easier to get in the spirit.

WS: Tell me about the concert? It’s not just a set list performed by you is it?
CA: Last year it was (just me singing) so we wanted to change it up a little bit this year. We have a lead actress who is actually my high school music teacher who plays the role of a woman who’s lost the Christmas spirit…and she ends up telling stories of past Christmases and rekindles her Christmas spirit. So, it’s got a very traditional story arc but it’s done with the help of some guardian angels who are played by myself and two other singers in the show. And we oversee the action and can freeze time or move the action along or provide flashbacks. And at the same time, we are the soundtrack of the show.

Sun-Sentinel Scan

From the Sun-Sentinel (South Florida.com), however, the article is not online so I transcribed it.