ClayManiacs

July 3, 2007, 4:52PM
Clay Aiken embraces his inner dork

By JOEY GUERRA
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle


When: 7:30 p.m. Friday July 6

Where: Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana

Tickets: $29-$105;

713-224-7575 or

www.houstonsymphony.org

Clay Aiken — despite the stylishly shaggy 'do — still isn't hip.

"I'm never going to be, and I'm fine with that. We all must embrace our inner dork," he says with a laugh.

Aiken has still managed a successful post-American Idol career as the soundtrack of choice for enthusiastic grandmothers. He performs Friday with the Houston Symphony, and he doesn't expect to see a lot of people his age in the crowd.

"People always come up to me and say, 'My grandmother's your biggest fan,' " Aiken, 28, says. "There's a misconception among these ladies that I'm cool and hip and now. And they think that by liking me, it makes them cool and hip and now.

"But shhh. We aren't going to tell them that I'm not cool and hip at all."

An affable Aiken took time to talk about his future as a talk-show host (maybe), turkey basters (keep reading) and how Claymates saved Jericho from TV extinction (seriously).

Q: Fans still get worked up over you. What's with the enduring Claymania?

A: I don't get it. I don't know why. They don't see me right now in my pajamas, with my hair all messed up, one contact out. There's nothing to be excited about, honestly.

Q: What's the most unique gift you've received from a fan?

A: You mean turkey-baster unique? Like that? Because I've gotten one of those. Let's just let you sit on that for a minute. (Brief pause.) And there it is.

The show Jericho . . . I loved it. I started blogging about it on my fan site. It got canceled, and I blogged about how upset I was. I said, "The Claymates can do anything. How do we get this show back on the air?"

Honestly, within a week they had organized a campaign amongst Jericho fans to send nuts to CBS. It kind of started in that place. And it's back on the air! It just blows my mind.

Q: Do you feel that Aiken love in Texas?

A: Texas is really a tough market for pop. I think sometimes the fans don't understand, and they think I hate Texas. I love Texas. It's just people there don't love me that much. You want me to come, you've got to come to the show!

Q: Any songs that didn't make the cut on A Thousand Different Ways?

A: Things other than covers. Sorry, I'm being way too honest today. How do I say this politically correctly? I was strongly encouraged by other sources to do an album of covers. There was the feeling that it might be successful because there'd been success with Rod Stewart and Barry Manilow doing covers. I guess the argument against that would be I don't have the reputation that Rod Stewart has. I really don't have the credibility that he has, so there's no reason for me to do them.

Q: Do you like the disc at all?

A: It did turn out to be something I was really proud of. My mom's always told me, 'Take lemons . . .' I think we really did that.

Q: Are you itching to do new material?

A: The goal for the next album is to go with one producer. The person we picked is very credible, has won Grammys and has really done an eclectic mix of stuff. The hope is that we'll be able to find really great songs that suit me and produce them in a way that . . . makes me hip without trying too hard. I'm sorry I'm teasing you, but you're getting more than anybody else.

Q: Do you hear anything on Top 40 radio that you can relate to?

A: This Rihanna girl — she's got a great voice. I really think she deserves to be where she is. . . . (But) what happened to Whitney Houston on the radio? Not literally — let's not go there — but what happened to that kind of stuff on Top 40? I think nowadays radio doesn't care how good someone sings. They just care whether or not people can fake having sex while standing up dancing to it. That's all they want.

Q: What was the first record you purchased?

A: I got in big trouble when I was 6 or 7. They had that Columbia House, seven albums for a penny or something like that. I was young enough to not really know what I was doing, and I stuck the little penny on. You want to talk about being completely not cool and hip? One of the ones that I remember was Crystal Gayle. God help me. It's somewhere around the house.

I don't know if that's my first album, but it's the one that I remember — and it's got a better story.

Q: What one record would people be surprised to find in your collection?

My brother's a Marine, and he's into this group called Breaking Benjamin. I don't know much about them, but I own that. I wanted to kind of see what he was listening to. There's a song called Diary of Jane that I think is pretty good. . . . Breaking Benjamin is going to kill themselves because they got mentioned in the same article (as) Clay Aiken. There goes the rep.

Q: You've got a great sense of humor. Ever consider hosting a talk show?

A: I'd be great. There are probably 15, 17 different shows I could pitch. One of the basic ones would just be going around and letting America tell their story. Everybody has a story, if you let them tell it. I'd love to do Charles Kuralt's On the Road again, somehow. I loved that.

But (by) the same token, I'd love to have a variety show. Like Andy Williams or Carol Burnett or Donny and Marie. I remember my mom watched the Mandrell sisters' show like it was some sort of religion.

Q: If you're the anti-cool singing star, who's the ultimate pop hipster?

A: I think that Justin Timberlake's going to have that market cornered for a while. And I honestly believe that he's extremely talented. He can believably pull out an album like (FutureSex/LoveSounds). I'm not a huge fan of that one, but I'm a fan of his.

Q: Will we ever see you bring SexyBack?

A: I'm actually going to do — God help me for saying this — with the Houston Symphony, a little bit of SexyBack. We're going to do a little medley of songs that people wouldn't expect to hear with an orchestra. I know that it's not going to be cool. I have no problem making fun of myself.

I could never pull songs like that off without knowing where my place is, and it's not as Justin Timberlake. Thank God we have him. I'm happy to be the person who gets the old ladies covered.

joey.guerra@chron.com


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Verizon Wireless Theatre

Breaking Benjamin is playing 2 blocks from Clay/Jones Hall the same night, July 6. :roflmao



Clay Aiken
He’s baaaaaack! After a three-year absence, the A-Man is here
BY OLIVIA FLORES ALVAREZ

Okay, the day Clay-mates across Texas have waited three long years for is here. The one, the only, Mr. Clay Aiken is in da house. (Insert appropriate swooning sounds here.) Most of us don’t get it — he’s a guy, he sings, it’s nice, what’s the big deal? Well, that’s because we’re not part of that elite (and slightly scary) club, the Clay-mates, who idolize (and we really, really mean idolize) Clay Aiken. They are c-r-a-z-y for the guy. “I’m always amazed and surprised,” Aiken says of the extremes his fans go to. “They’re so dedicated and creative!” Tonight’s concert takes Aiken’s middle-of-the-road, adult contemporary music and glams it up with a full orchestral backing. Changing his tunes from pop ditties to mini-symphonies was a little difficult, but Aiken says it was worth the effort. “I just love it! The sound is amazing, and I think they just make the music so much more spectacular — it becomes art,” he gushes. “It’s either going to be a smash or a flop. We’ll find out in Houston.” Yes, Mr. A, we will.
www.houstonsymphony.com

Date/Time: Fri., July 6, 7:30pm

I guess I'm happy to be one of those old ladies.   :bigsmile :lmao

ME TOO.  BEIN A LADY IS A GOOD THING, OLD OR YOUNG. :lol :lol :lol

CLAY CONFIRMED WHAT SO MANY OF US HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT ATDW.  AGAIN, SUCH AN INTERVIEW.  LOTS TO THINK ABOUT.  SOME POINGNENT STUFF THERE.

GWENN

WOW, he certainly was honest, wasn't he?

Actually, I liked this interview, even though he called me an "old lady".  I guess to him, we are old ladies.  But, I liked the honesty alot.  He's finally saying what he feels and to hell with everyone if they don't like it.  Good for him! 

 :laugh

Clay Aiken
He’s baaaaaack! After a three-year absence, the A-Man is here
BY OLIVIA FLORES ALVAREZ

Okay, the day Clay-mates across Texas have waited three long years for is here. The one, the only, Mr. Clay Aiken is in da house. (Insert appropriate swooning sounds here.) Most of us don’t get it — he’s a guy, he sings, it’s nice, what’s the big deal? Well, that’s because we’re not part of that elite (and slightly scary) club, the Clay-mates, who idolize (and we really, really mean idolize) Clay Aiken. They are c-r-a-z-y for the guy. “I’m always amazed and surprised,” Aiken says of the extremes his fans go to. “They’re so dedicated and creative!” Tonight’s concert takes Aiken’s middle-of-the-road, adult contemporary music and glams it up with a full orchestral backing. Changing his tunes from pop ditties to mini-symphonies was a little difficult, but Aiken says it was worth the effort. “I just love it! The sound is amazing, and I think they just make the music so much more spectacular — it becomes art,” he gushes. “It’s either going to be a smash or a flop. We’ll find out in Houston.” Yes, Mr. A, we will.
www.houstonsymphony.com

Date/Time: Fri., July 6, 7:30pm

AGREE 100%, MICKI.  BUT, SORRY, CLAY.  I AIN'T NO OLD LADY AND THAT IS IT.

GWENN

                                            HEY I AM NOT OLD JUST VERY MATURE FOR MY AGE. :roflmao :roflmao

There are some jewels in that interview! Funny stuff, thanks dudley!


Awww!  And I'm sure the old ladies are happy to be the ones to embrace the dork.  :bigsmile

Clay needs to understand something about us "old ladies":  There may be snow on the roof, but there's still fire in the furnace!!!!  So, come on baby, light my fire!!!  :hot2 :flame

Will the same phone numbers apply for tonight's cell-cert/conference from Houston or will they be different?
Bev

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT, THEA.

GWENN

Clay needs to understand something else:

We're not all old ladies.

:yeahthat

They will be different.  We will post the new numbers before the concert starts.  Check back at the Houston cellcert thread and we wil announce when it is ready.