ClayManiacs

Layo Obamehinti of Euless: We can learn a lot from other cultures
There's so much we can learn from studying other cultures
09:07 AM CDT on Thursday, October 11, 2007

Take a minute to think about this question: Why do you think so many Americans don't appreciate and know a lot about other cultures? (snip)

And Jenna Bush isn't the only one who's working with UNICEF. We have seen a rise of celebrities like Alicia Keys, Alyssa Milano, Katie Couric and Clay Aiken; organizations, individuals; and churches making impacts to help and support people in third-world countries. My church is currently planning a family mission trip to Mexico next spring break to help children at an orphanage. And a friend of the family, a student at Purdue University, is studying in Hong Kong this school year. She doesn't speak their language, but she is open to learn about that culture.

Learning about other cultures isn't a chore; it is fun when you decide to discover things on your own. Sure, this is America, and the majority of us speak English. But the world is open for us to explore the traditions and cultures around us.

VIRGINIA HAS PLAYED in front of more intimidating crowds than the announced turnout of 23,277 at Floyd Stadium, but the Middle Tennessee fans made their presence known.

“When the seats are filled, all the crowd noise kind of blends together,” Gould said. “At Middle Tennessee, the fans were right on top of us and you could hear everything they said. They were really on Danny Aiken; they kept calling him ‘Clay’ all night.”

Unlike Clay Aiken, famous for his stint on American Idol, Gould and Danny Aiken were winners

Clay Aiken Symphonic Christmas 2007
Tuesday, 12/11/07 at 8:00 PM

Presented by Count Basie Theatre
Tickets: $125, $68.50, $58.50, $38.50 - Group Rates Apply
Buy Tickets Now!

'Twill be the season when Clay Aiken, the spike-haired "boy next door" who first won the hearts of millions of Americans as the runner up on FOX TV's American Idol, brings his unique holiday concert with symphony orchestra back to the Basie after the sold out sensation of his 2006 appearance!

Aiken's debut CD, "Measure of a Man", went to No.1 on the Billboard album chart and was certified Triple Platinum. His second release, "Merry Christmas with Love", was the best-selling holiday album of 2004. Featuring performances of "O, Holy Night", "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Silent Night", and other Christmas classics, it also went platinum. His third album, "A Thousand Different Ways", featuring 4 new songs with 10 versions of well-known songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s is due this September. His symphonic holiday concert features all of this and more with Aiken appearing for the entire program.

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COUNTING THE IDOLS

Hey Fred,

I am enjoying reading Chart Beat and I look at the charts every week.

My question concerns No. 1 hits by "American Idol" contestants. How many have there been? I think the current total is 134 with Ruben Studdard's "Make Ya Feel Beautiful" debuting at No. 1 on the Adult R&B recurrent chart. Is this right and is there a place I can see all these No. 1s or do I have to research them all?

Thanks,

Lawrence Jones
Philadelphia, Penn.


Dear Lawrence,

You're up-to-date with your "American Idol" No. 1s. The next No. 1 by an Idol finalist will be the 135th for the franchise, counting all national, domestic charts compiled by Billboard. Will it be Jordin Sparks' "Tatoo," which is the Hot Shot Debut on the Hot 100 this week, or the first single by sixth season runner-up Blake Lewis? Or the first single from Kimberley Locke's new Christmas album? Or someone else? We'll have to wait and see.

I've reported on most of these No. 1s in my weekly Chart Beat column as they have occurred, but I haven't kept a list as a document on my computer that I could simply reprint here, so the only way to go back and discover them all is to do a search for my past columns. That sounds like more work than anyone would want to do, but I never underestimate what Chart Beat readers are willing to undertake.

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Jenna Bush's launch party