2003: PRESS & MEDIA

[Cruiser]

The Hot 100's fastest-growing track at retail is Jagged Edge's "Walked Outta Heaven," which gains 65-58. "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken continues to enjoy the No. 1-selling single in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, with his "This is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water." The cut has led Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales tally for 11 non-consecutive weeks.

WASHINGTON POST

[Cruiser]

Aiken visits old school with TV crew in tow
Album coming out Oct. 14
CHRIS KEANE/STAFF - The Charlotte Observer    
 
Clay Aiken made an unannounced visit to the UNC Charlotte campus Wednesday, trailed by a crew filming a segment about the "American Idol" runner-up for NBC's "Dateline." Aiken, a former UNCC student, just wrapped up a national concert tour. He has more than a dozen appearances scheduled on national television and in magazines, ranging from "Primetime Live" to People, in the weeks leading up to the Oct. 14 release of his album.    

CHARLOTTE.COM

[Pamela]

Adcraft will kick off its 2003-04 meeting season on a high note (literally) on Thursday, September 25. We’ll feature two new faces from last year’s television season, who are now two of the fastest-rising names on the musical charts: Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, stars of FOX-TV’s “American Idol.” The pair will treat Adcrafters to a mini-concert at our annual “Ford Motor Company Day” at the Ford Conference & Event Center. All seats in the main ballroom have been sold out, but seats were still available in the Center’s beautiful atrium, where the performance will be shown on a wide screen.

ADCRAFT

[Pamela]

Aiken will study and sing this fall - See him on pageant broadcast Saturday
MARK WASHBURN
TV/Radio Writer
   
"American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken, who sings this weekend at the mother of all scholarship pageants, says he'll finish his own degree this fall.
Aiken, who will sing his signature song, "This Is the Night," at the Miss America Pageant, said Tuesday that he is working out arrangements to complete his final hours at UNC Charlotte, where he is pursuing a special education degree.
"I'm hoping to graduate in December," he said. He said he will finish through a distance-learning regimen so he can continue his public appearances.
Aiken's song will be an opening act in the three-hour show from Atlantic City, N.J., which will air Saturday at 8 p.m. on WSOC (Channel 9).
Hurricane Isabel, on a track that could take it along the New Jersey coast late this week, doesn't worry Aiken.
"I'm from North Carolina, and we've survived a few hurricanes down here," he said. Aiken's family lost power for a week after Hurricane Fran pummeled Raleigh in 1996.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

[Pamela]

Pageant looking to hook viewers
American Idol singer on boardwalk in N.J... He's got his favorite
By R.D. Heldenfels

Hurricanes don't worry Clay Aiken.
They should, since the American Idol runner-up could see the effects of Hurricane Isabel up close on Saturday night when he appears on ABC's Miss America telecast from coastal Atlantic City, N.J.
And when he talked to reporters via conference call earlier this week, he was at his North Carolina home, where people were also anticipating havoc from Isabel.
Still, he said, "We've survived a few hurricanes down here.... We're fully prepared. I think it will make the show more exciting.''
Besides, Aiken has been spending his time in a whirlwind.
His first album, Clay Aiken, recently ranked 20th on the amazon.com sales list and it does not hit stores until Oct. 14. He is nominated for an American Music Award for favorite male pop/rock artist -- against Kid Rock, John Mayer and Justin Timberlake.
The publicity machine has been endless if not always favorable. Entertainment Weekly put him on the cover -- of an issue about guilty pleasures.
"I've been on the road or in the air pretty much since the entire (American Idol) show ended,'' Aiken said.  "My schedule changes every day.... I have to be prepared for changes at any moment.''
Being home in North Carolina reminded him that he sometimes misses life before fame -- "getting to drive around and hang out with friends, and not having to worry about where I have to be and what photo shoot I have to do....
"But you take the good with the bad,'' he said.  "I think the benefits outweigh the downside.''
In fact, you could argue that Aiken is helping Miss America more than the telecast is helping him.
It's not as if he is going to unveil a new song to promote his album. No, it's This Is the Night that he will sing -- again -- during the three-hour telecast, which starts at 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
"This is the only song I sing that I don't get tired of singing,'' he said.  "It's going to be very poignant. It speaks a lot to what I was going through on the American Idol show, and the words speak a lot to what the ladies are going through on the pageant.''
And the pageant needs a boost from Aiken -- and other reality stars.
Aiken's American Idol series averaged about 21 million viewers according to Nielsen estimates. Last year, Miss America averaged about 12 million viewers.
Even more importantly, Miss America reached that many because of people tuning in near the end of the show to see who won. It started the night with 8.3 million viewers. So you can safely expect to see Aiken pretty early in Saturday's telecast.
You'll also be seeing a lot of Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, the happy couple from The Bachelorette. ABC says they will "host a viewing party for some of their closest friends, as they invite the television audience to guess along with them about the evening's competition.''
Of course, ABC is hoping that those closest friends will include the 16.7 million people who watched The Bachelorette every week.
That said, Aiken also likes Miss America. While noting that it is "definitely flashier'' than it used to be, he thought it had values and a family-friendly attitude that fits well with his American Idol following.
"American Idol was very popular because it was a family show,'' he said. "Miss America is the same. It's very family-oriented. It's a safe show. People can sit and watch it together. I know I did with my mother and my father and my brother when I was younger.''
Besides, he said, "I kind of have a crush on Miss California.''
Aiken said that he and Idol winner Ruben Studdard went on the pageant's Web site -- www.missamerica.org -- and checked out all the contestants.
He and Studdard remain friends, talking every week, Aiken said. And it was Studdard who arranged for Aiken's album to be released first even though, as the winner, he could have made Aiken go second.
"Ruben is nothing if not a friend and a gentleman,'' Aiken said. When Studdard saw that Aiken's album was finished and he needed more time, Aiken said that "he made the decision that it didn't make sense for mine to sit around and wait.''
Aiken was very upbeat about his album, which he says is "definitely a pop album, so it's not a big departure for me. But there's a little bit of a rock edge.... I kind of compare it to a Steve Perry/Journey flavor, which is really stuff I grew up listening to, and I loved.''
But let's get back to that stuff about checking out the contestants.
Aiken said that his home state loyalty meant he had to root for Miss North Carolina to win -- and that he was sure that Studdard would be cheering for his state's Miss Alabama.
Still, he said, "I think Ruben was interested in Miss Hawaii, if I'm not mistaken.''
And Aiken had a good reason for Miss California not to win.
"If Miss California won Miss America, she wouldn't have time (for Aiken). She'd be too busy.... She can be first runner-up.''
Just like Aiken.

OHIO BEACON JOURNAL

[KittyDreamz86]

Didn't know if anyone has read, but and article from Beacon Journal gives really recent info about Clay. Included is a quote from him that he and Ruben surfed the Miss America website and he has a "little crush on Miss California." Simply FYI. Here's the article:

Pageant looking to hook viewers

`American Idol' singer on boardwalk in N.J. He's got his favorite
By R.D. Heldenfels

Hurricanes don't worry Clay Aiken.

They should, since the American Idol runner-up could see the effects
of Hurricane Isabel up close on Saturday night when he appears on
ABC's Miss America telecast from coastal Atlantic City, N.J.

And when he talked to reporters via conference call earlier this
week, he was at his North Carolina home, where people were also
anticipating havoc from Isabel.

Still, he said, ``We've survived a few hurricanes down here.... We're
fully prepared. I think it will make the show more exciting.''

Besides, Aiken has been spending his time in a whirlwind.

His first album, Clay Aiken, recently ranked 20th on the amazon.com
sales list and it does not hit stores until Oct. 14. He is nominated
for an American Music Award for favorite male pop/rock artist --
against Kid Rock, John Mayer and Justin Timberlake.

The publicity machine has been endless if not always favorable.
Entertainment Weekly put him on the cover -- of an issue about guilty
pleasures.

``I've been on the road or in the air pretty much since the entire
(American Idol) show ended,'' Aiken said. ``My schedule changes every
day.... I have to be prepared for changes at any moment.''

Being home in North Carolina reminded him that he sometimes misses
life before fame -- ``getting to drive around and hang out with
friends, and not having to worry about where I have to be and what
photo shoot I have to do....

``But you take the good with the bad,'' he said. ``I think the
benefits outweigh the downside.''

In fact, you could argue that Aiken is helping Miss America more than
the telecast is helping him.

It's not as if he is going to unveil a new song to promote his album.
No, it's This Is the Night that he will sing -- again -- during the
three-hour telecast, which starts at 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

``This is the only song I sing that I don't get tired of singing,''
he said. ``It's going to be very poignant. It speaks a lot to what I
was going through on the American Idol show, and the words speak a
lot to what the ladies are going through on the pageant.''

And the pageant needs a boost from Aiken -- and other reality stars.

Aiken's American Idol series averaged about 21 million viewers
according to Nielsen estimates. Last year, Miss America averaged
about 12 million viewers.

Even more importantly, Miss America reached that many because of
people tuning in near the end of the show to see who won. It started
the night with 8.3 million viewers. So you can safely expect to see
Aiken pretty early in Saturday's telecast.

You'll also be seeing a lot of Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, the happy
couple from The Bachelorette. ABC says they will ``host a viewing
party for some of their closest friends, as they invite the
television audience to guess along with them about the evening's
competition.''

Of course, ABC is hoping that those closest friends will include the
16.7 million people who watched The Bachelorette every week.

That said, Aiken also likes Miss America. While noting that it is
``definitely flashier'' than it used to be, he thought it had values
and a family-friendly attitude that fits well with his American Idol
following.

``American Idol was very popular because it was a family show,'' he
said. ``Miss America is the same. It's very family-oriented. It's a
safe show. People can sit and watch it together. I know I did with my
mother and my father and my brother when I was younger.''

Besides, he said, ``I kind of have a crush on Miss California.''

Aiken said that he and Idol winner Ruben Studdard went on the
pageant's Web site -- www.missamerica.org -- and checked out all the
contestants.

He and Studdard remain friends, talking every week, Aiken said. And
it was Studdard who arranged for Aiken's album to be released first
even though, as the winner, he could have made Aiken go second.

``Ruben is nothing if not a friend and a gentleman,'' Aiken said.
When Studdard saw that Aiken's album was finished and he needed more
time, Aiken said that ``he made the decision that it didn't make
sense for mine to sit around and wait.''

Aiken was very upbeat about his album, which he says is ``definitely
a pop album, so it's not a big departure for me. But there's a little
bit of a rock edge.... I kind of compare it to a Steve Perry/Journey
flavor, which is really stuff I grew up listening to, and I loved.''

But let's get back to that stuff about checking out the contestants.

Aiken said that his home state loyalty meant he had to root for Miss
North Carolina to win -- and that he was sure that Studdard would be
cheering for his state's Miss Alabama.

Still, he said, ``I think Ruben was interested in Miss Hawaii, if I'm
not mistaken.''

And Aiken had a good reason for Miss California not to win.

``If Miss California won Miss America, she wouldn't have time (for
Aiken). She'd be too busy.... She can be first runner-up.''

Just like Aiken.
------------------------------------------------------------
R.D. Heldenfels writes about television for the Beacon Journal.
Contact him at 330-996-3582 or rheldenfels@t...

I think it's kinda cute myself. Enjoy! :)

[Pamela]

CLAY AIKEN Invisible
Producer(s): Desmond Child
Writer(s): D. Child, A. Carlsson, C. Braide
Publisher(s): Desmundo/Deston, ASCAP; Warner Chappell, PRS
Label/Catalog Number: RCA 56600 (CD promo)
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: September 27, 2003

Since first single "This Is the Night/ Bridge Over Troubled Water" topped The Billboard Hot 100 and became 2003's best-selling single thus far, "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken has graced numerous magazine covers, electrified the Internet with dozens of (scary) fan sites and stormed the country with the sold-out "Idol" tour. And that was just the beginning. New single "Invisible" is one of the great British pop imports of the year (after the song scored overseas for Irish boy band D-Side), with its scorching power-pop chorus and radiant production. Aiken's vocal is potent, colorful and another reminder that you don't have to win "Idol" to be its real victor. Hilary Duff's No. 1 CD on The Billboard 200 illustrates that there are plenty of hungry pop fans. Won't it be fascinating to see how corporate radio responds to millions of requests for a song that is neither hip-hop nor hard rock? "Invisible" deserves to be No. 1, on airplay alone.—Chuck Taylor

BILLBOARD REVIEW

[Pamela]

The ELLE article is now online.

ACHING FOR AIKEN

How did a baby-faced, jug-eared special ed teacher—and American Idol runner-up—become the fantasy fodder of sophisticated women everywhere? Allison Glock follows the rising star to find out.

Clay Aiken smells like fresh laundry. It's the first thing you notice about him—that he's well-scrubbed, radiant in his cleanliness, a walking, freckled dryer sheet. The second thing you notice are his lips, which are plump and ripe and shell pink. Much has been made about his hair—the whole flatironed, geek-hipster red nest of it all—but little, too little, has been made of his lips, perhaps because most of the world has only ever seen them contorted and trembling in song.

Aiken, for the uninitiated, was the second-place finisher in this year's American Idol contest. “I lost,” he says, then laughs, which is easy enough for him to do since his single “This Is the Night” has already gone platinum. He has also graced the cover of Rolling Stone (before Idol winner Ruben Studdard did; the issue allegedly sold more copies than any in the last two years, including the Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, and Eminem covers, to name a few). His first album, Measure of a Man (RCA), out in mid-September, was ranked number three on Amazon.com back in July. His fans range from Diane Sawyer (who admitted to a serious Clay crush on Good Morning America ) to Neil Sedaka, who cried on camera when Aiken covered his hit “Solitaire.” “His voice is incredible-the pitch, the tone,” says Sedaka. “I think he'll be the new Frank Sinatra.”

“So much has happened in the past nine months that I haven't had time to think,” admits the 24-year-old, from the back of the van that's shuttling him from New York City to a concert appearance in Hartford, Connecticut. “Honestly, last night I was sitting in the hotel room crying for about an hour. I had to call someone back in Raleigh to wake them up because I needed to talk. Certain things have just hit me.”

Most recently, it was his inability to take a walk.

“I wanted to clear my head, and I realized that if I were to take a stroll in New York, I'd have to wake my bodyguard, Jerome, and then I'm not really alone, so what's the point? I felt trapped and miserable. Sometimes I just want to go back to teaching.”
That's unlikely, because while Aiken was, by all accounts, a gifted special ed teacher working mostly with grade-school children, he possesses a voice that's impossible to ignore.

CALLING ALL CLAYMATES
“I was going to go to music school but decided against it,” Aiken says. “I didn't see the point. Then I was running an after-school program at the YMCA, and I thought, Forget music, I love this. I want to work with kids with behavioral disabilities.”

But Aiken still sang at the Y, and when he sang, people noticed. Whenever he belted out a song—and he is a belter—the whole room quieted. Heads lifted. Eyes widened. Hearts swelled. When American Idol happened along, the mother of one of his students encouraged him to try out. Reluctantly, he did.

“I liked singing, but I never wanted to make a career out of it,” he says with a sigh. “When you work with kids who have autism, they don't reciprocate any affection. You learn to find your self-worth within what you do, not what people tell you about yourself. Now with all of this, I really have flip-flopped. Also, I'm not much of a crowd person. It's a lot to get used to.”

Unlike many of his fellow Idol finalists, Aiken didn't grow up a fan: “I never idolized celebrities or musicians.” Even now, he can barely name one. “I liked that guy in The Pianist [Adrien Brody],” he offers lamely when asked which famous people he admires. As a boy growing up in a conservative family in Raleigh, North Carolina, Aiken enjoyed TV but was limited in his viewing options. Even The Golden Girls was considered too risqué. As a result, Aiken is the rare pop idol who knows next to nothing about pop culture.

“You know who I idolized? Mr. Rogers. Is there a market for the next Mr. Rogers? Because I'd love to do that. I'd much rather be quiet and important like him than live large and be some useless celebrity.”

Aiken's ignorance of all things hot translates into a doofy authenticity and a captivating vulnerability. He's so uncool, he's cool. Dressed in loose khakis, a striped polo-style shirt, New Balance running shoes, and his ever-present WWJD bracelet, Aiken resembles a slimmed-down, Christian Charlie Brown. His hair is mussed but not in the artful, deliberate way it was on Idol. His teeth are white, square, and shiny. The only concession to his newfound stardom is a $15,000 diamond-studded Jacob & Co. watch that was a gift from the Idol producers but that he's embarrassed to wear. “I was going to auction it off for charity, but it was a present, so I wear it. It's really a woman's watch. I liked it because it wasn't as ostentatious. Ruben wears the men's. He'll probably show it to you.”

Standing over 6' tall but weighing only 145 pounds, Aiken appears recessive, unintimidating, a gentle giant who consistently drives women between the ages of 16 and 60 into a frothy lather of lust. In addition to the Rolling Stone cover, there are the requisite Web sites devoted to all things Clay, run by women who call themselves Claymates and shilling everything from Clay coffee mugs to Claytionary (stationary embossed with his face). And then there are the panties.

“I got seven one night,” says Aiken with a giggle. “And last night, I got five thongs and two Depend diapers. One had a note attached that said, 'Clay, we love you too, from your older fans.'”

That women are so moved by his presence that they hurl their undergarments onstage as if he were Elvis mystifies Aiken: “Ruben always jokes with me that I could have any woman out there. He says, 'You need to hook up with somebody before you leave the tour.' But I try and explain that that's not what this is about for me. The reason women like me, I think, is because I don't threaten them. I realize Ruben's right, I probably could”—he pauses, blushes—“you know, but I respect women more than that.”

He wrinkles his brow, then shakes his head. “I am extremely flattered. There are some gorgeous women who are, quote, in love with me. But I think taking advantage of that is wrong.”

Besides, Aiken is a man who takes sex seriously. “I was raised by my mother and grandmothers, and a lot of what I am is because I wanted to be different from my birth father. He was a womanizer. When I had to go visit him, there would be a different woman over every time. I thought that was really tacky.”

When it's suggested that not many young men would forgo voluntary, anonymous sex with beautiful, knickerless girls, Aiken shrugs.

“If anything, women want to take care of me, to mother me. I think that's part of the reason I've sold a lot of records.”

The other part is the fact that Aiken can wring the juice out of any song he sings. The vocal love child of Celine Dion and Freddy Mercury, he belongs to the grand tradition of powerful, house-rattling singers who own the money note. When you listen to Aiken, two things happen: You want to hear more, and you want to sing along. There's also the unfiltered intensity of the sound mixed with the “Aw, shucks” innocent who's creating it. That dissonance is what first captured the judges' attention. “Where is that voice coming from?” they repeatedly queried, staring Aiken down, waiting for the true source to be revealed. Here was a sweet Southern mama's boy who sang like a big bad man. No wonder the panties are flying!

INSIDE THE IDOL BUS
It's four hours before show time, and crowds are already forming at the Hartford Civic Center. Many of the fans hold cardboard signs with Clay's name written in big bubble letters. Other fans wear T-shirts printed with his photo.

Once safely beneath the stadium, Aiken emerges from the van and brushes the remnants of his Burger King fries off his pants. “I prefer Wendy's, but they aren't as popular up here.” He then explains how much he misses sweet tea, fried chicken, and all the other familiar amenities displaced Southerners long for when above the Mason-Dixon Line. “I had never left the state of North Carolina before American Idol,” he reveals. “I knew what I was going to be doing when I was 50—I was going to teach, then get a master's at William & Mary in administration, then be a principal somewhere. Now I don't know what I'm going to do next week.”

Even when Aiken talks, his voice is difficult to contain. The words rush out from his mouth in torrents, pitching and rising, quiet and loud.

“I want to live in Raleigh, but I know I can't. I tried to go to the ATM the one day I was home last year, and people swarmed my car. I was like, People, please, I just want to check my balance. Ironically, the only place I can really breathe is L.A. People there don't care.”

Just then, Studdard pulls up in a white Cadillac Escalade. He emerges in a white sweatsuit, his diamond watch blinging on his arm. He gives a friendly nod to Aiken, then scowls at his publicist for no ostensible reason.

“Don't look at me that way,” she chides, patting his shoulder with a familiarity suggesting this isn't the first time she's had to diffuse his annoyance.

Aiken pulls me aside. He wants to show me the tour bus, something I was told was off-limits to reporters. Aiken disagrees and confronts a tour manager.

“Ned, you're a lying sack of crap. Don't lie to the lady in front of me.”

“I guess I forgot,” Ned says sheepishly.

“You didn't forget for squat. Now we're going to have to have a fight. That burns me up.”

Aiken turns to me and says through his teeth, “You know what? You are so going on that bus.”

Aiken is nothing if not chivalrous. Considerate. Polite. He's the guy who asks you questions and actually listens to the answers—and even asks follow-up questions hours later, thereby proving that he finds you worth his attention. And he notices things. Like that the empty Burger King bag is rattling at your feet on the floor of the van, so he picks it up. Or that the air conditioner is too cold, and turns it down. It's this empathy and inherent graciousness evident in every press appearance and performance that leads many men to speculate that Aiken is gay (he has denied it) and even more women to say, Who cares?

“I don't think people know what to do with me,” Aiken says. “I'm interesting because they don't know what to do with me.”

The American Idol bus is less bus than nightclub. There are black leather lounge chairs, plasma TVs, marble floors, a neon-trimmed alcohol-free minibar, and beds with privacy curtains. As we open the back lounge door, Kimberley Locke (who came in third) lifts her head from the couch.

“Cla-ay,” she whines, “I'm having a crisis. I need you. I need you now.”

Aiken apologizes, then steps inside the lounge, says, “What is it, honey?” and shuts the door. Outside the bus, the other Idol girls walk around in skinny jeans and mascara, alternately complaining and striking poses like they're on MTV. In time Aiken emerges, apologizes again, then sits down with the crew for a dinner of peanut butter and jelly and a glass of, yes, milk. He playfully scolds a staff member for swearing. Idol Kimberly Caldwell (the sixth Idol to get the hook) joins the table wearing a handwritten T-shirt that says QUIT STARING, I'M HER.

While she picks apart a cinnamon bun, Aiken tries to articulate his ambition.

“Am I going to turn into a diva or try to make sure I do something valuable with my influence?” Caldwell chews and looks off into the distance. “That's why I'm starting a foundation for individuals with disabilities. [His charity, named the Bubel-Aiken Foundation, is named for the woman who encouraged him to try out for the show.] I would be more than happy to do this for three years and have enough clout to make a difference. I don't need to win a Grammy. Still, there are some people who would say I've turned into a diva already.” Caldwell laughs.

Aiken proceeds to give an example of the last time he went to KFC. “It was half an hour before closing, and they said they were out of chicken. It's KFC—how can you be out of chicken? So I'm starving and probably crankier than I should have been, and I said, 'You don't have any chicken in the building anywhere?' And she said, 'We have some wings that are kind of warm.' I said, 'I don't want wings, I want chicken.' And she maintains that she doesn't have any, so I say, 'You can't tell me that every morning you go out and kill some chickens and make it fresh. You know you've got chicken back there, so why don't you go back into the kitchen and cook it up?'”

Now the whole table is laughing.

“The point is, I would have said the same things before American Idol, but I wouldn't have been considered a diva. I just would have been considered myself.”

“Where did you learn to sing, Clay?” Caldwell asks, flipping her shoulder-length extensions behind her neck.

“At church, like everybody else.”

“I learned at a bar,” scoffs Caldwell, pushing back her chair and heading to makeup. Aiken looks around, lowers his voice, then whispers, “I'll bet she did.”

"I'M NOT AS INNOCENT AS I SEEM”

The Hartford show is sold out. Sixteen thousand people have come to watch the nine touring Idols sing and dance. The set resembles a beauty pageant, with dual staircases descending in a heart shape to center stage. There are three giant screens that simulcast the show. The tour is sponsored by Pop-Tarts.

Backstage, Aiken gets his hair ironed. He's wearing a dark suit and pointy Kenneth Cole shoes. Next to him, all the Idol girls pile on the makeup and hairspray. Aiken rolls his eyes.

“You know, Ruben and I did the radio show Zootopia at Giant Stadium, and 60,000 people showed up. I just laughed, because I don't get it. And people will chase the bus! And sometimes I laugh because, you know, we probably aren't gonna stop, honey.”

From the makeup mirror, Idol Julia DeMato announces that she and Aiken have been dating for six months. Uproarious laughter all around. Aiken says, “You wish.”

“I do wish,” she coos, kissing him on the cheek. Aiken smiles, wipes away the lipstick. “I think I'm probably not as innocent as I seem.”

Has he ever done anything he regrets?

“When I was 15, before I got my license, my dad bought me a car, and it was sitting in the yard, so I took it out. I drove it all around the city. I got caught and they sold the car.”

Rebel.

“Okay. How about I'm starting to regret this interview?”

The show has started, and it's Aiken's turn to sing. Kimberley Locke is onstage building him up, but you can't hear her because of all the “Woo!”ing. A look at the audience reveals that it is not a bunch of preteens, but couples and groups of women in their twenties and thirties who are squealing and raising their arms in anticipation. “We love you, Clay!”

Lifted on a platform from beneath the stage, Aiken emerges like a mirage from a cloud of smoke, microphone in hand.

“When the world wasn't upside-down/ I could take all the time I had/ But I'm not gonna wait when a moment can vanish so fast/ Lift me up!”

By the time Aiken hits the second chorus, the screaming makes him all but inaudible. He gamely keeps singing, but a smile slips through. It's clear he can't believe what's happening.

Locke gasps. “This crowd is crazy.”

Aiken finishes his number, then does his bit to introduce “Ruben Studdard, your American Idol!” The crowd yells again, but the enthusiasm is different, more appreciation than hysteria. Studdard is a terrific singer, but Aiken is the star.

Backstage, calm and happy, Aiken holds Locke's jacket while she mikes up. He adjusts her pants, tugging at them a little. “This is my real life now,” he says, dancing a little.
“I'm not going to change who I am. But I am concerned about how I handle myself. Will I be able to stay open and friendly?” His smile drops and he looks, for a moment, genuinely sad. Then he smiles again. “You come back in five years. If I've become someone else, you can look me up and slap me in the face.”

Back in the van, before the show and the fans and the shrieking, Aiken was stuck in traffic. He did not complain. He just told stories. About how he was approached about the leads in Rent and Urinetown. About how he can't dance. About how Justin Guarini's smoothness kind of gives him the willies.

And then he told a story about London, where he recorded his album.

“It was sunny the whole time I was there. But I was recording all day and everything closes at six, so I sat in the hotel room all night. I was only recognized once, when some South Africans who were still watching the show back home stopped me on the street. They said, 'Who wins?' I said, 'Do you really want to know?' And they said, 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' So I said, 'Me!' and then took off running down the street.”

Aiken laughs for a full minute, then exhales. “For one brief moment, I hadn't lost yet.”

ELLE

[Pamela]

....Leesville senior Clayton Grissom couldn't quite shake pre-stage jitters.  
"I'm about to puke from nervousness,'' he said.  
   A strings group from Leesville Road High performed "The
Typewriter.'' A chorus group from Leesville Road Elementary school
sung "Side by Side.'' Daniels Middle School's chorus was on hand to
get loose with "Footloose.'' Good Vibrations, Leesville Road Middle
School's show choir presented "Sea of Cowboy Boots.''
   When the performers hit the stage all the worries melted away.  
   Grissom brought the crowd to its feet with his rendition of "This
is the Moment,'' from the soon to be released on Broadway production
of "Jekkyl and Hyde.''
   It was the only standing ovation of the night as the crowd embraced
his powerful voice. Clayton couldn't take all the credit as he
graciously recognized [his accompanist] Mark.
   The Leesville quartet was sensational as well.
   "After it's over you want to go back out and do it again,'' Cates
said.

This story originally appeared in the March 13, 1997 edition of The Herald-Sun Raleigh Extra.

ARTICLE HERE

[Pamela]

Meeting our 'idol'
By Beverly Shieh - VIBE Reporter
vibe@guampdn.com
 
Clay who? Eight months ago, Clay Aiken was just an ordinary guy from North Carolina, a college student majoring in special education.
These days, the “American Idol 2” first runner-up is looking forward to the release of his debut album even as his face graces national magazines. And over the summer, he headlined the American Idols Live Tour, a separate concert series that began in July and ended last month.
“American Idol” is a reality show where ordinary people auditioned all over the United States to get to the top 12 spots. From there, one contestant was voted off each week by the millions of people who called in for their favorite performer.
When my family and I first heard Clay sing on “American Idol 2,” we immediately fell in love with his voice. A student at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Clay decided to put aside his goal of becoming a teacher and decided to reach for his dream, becoming a singer.
After getting into the finals, Clay lost the “American Idol” title to Ruben Studdard. In the weeks that followed, though, Clay’s first single CD outsold Ruben’s, and soon afterward, Rolling Stone magazine put Clay on its front cover.
My family and I never would have dreamed of hearing Clay sing in person, meeting him or getting a hug from him. Until this summer.
My 13-year-old sister, Tiffany, is perhaps our family’s biggest fan of Clay. It was she who first asked if we could see Clay and the other idols on the tour. Her wish was granted when we got tickets to the American Idol Tour.
We caught a plane and flew all the way to St. Paul, Minn., for the opening night. We checked into the hotel, only to find that all of the American Idols were staying there as well.
When Simon Lithgoe, an American Idol Tour producer, heard that we traveled all the way from Guam just to watch Clay sing, it caught his attention.
“Where did you folks come from, Guam? Where is Guam? How far did you fly?” he asked. Immediately, he arranged a special meeting with Clay. When my sister and I were told that the American Idol crew arranged a meeting for us to meet Clay the next day in the lobby, we froze. All of a sudden it wasn’t just us wanting to meet Clay; it was Clay wanting to meet us.
The management company that oversees the careers of the American Idol contestants, 19 Entertainment, was so interested in Guam and our family, its producers decided to film “the family who flew all the way from Guam.”
When we went down to the lobby the next day, Producers Rebecca and Conrad Green began the interview with, “So, why did you come all this way?”
We answered with shouts of “Clay! We came all the way to see Clay!”
Waiting in the lobby, and staring at the elevator door to see Clay walk out was the most nerve-wracking experience. I turned my head away from the elevator door for just a second to answer another question from the producer when suddenly I heard someone say in a sweet Southern accent, “Hey, guys! I heard you came all the way from Guam!”
There, standing before me, was Clay Aiken. He wore a blue-striped shirt that matched his stunning blue eyes. I was speechless and found myself unable to move. He then smiled exactly the way he does on television, and I knew that this was once in a lifetime.
He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. The only words that came out of my mouth were “Oh, my God.”
“How are you girls? So tell me about Guam,” he said. After describing our island to him and exactly how far we traveled, he said that he was amazed and that we must be big fans of the show to have traveled so far.
We also told him that, unfortunately, Guam is not included in the voting. I think he felt for us.
“American Idol” viewers may remember Aiken’s audition in Atlanta, where judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson told him they thought that he had a great voice but needed to work on his look.
After our chat with Clay, he offered to take pictures with us and sign some autographs, including my sister’s red shoes. “Claymates” as true Clay fans are called, via Web sites decided to wear red shoes, red shirts, red anything to identify themselves as Claymates at the concert.
Opening night in St. Paul was incredible. We saw Clay was the most courteous and most lovable person we have ever met. He was down to earth, does not behave like a big star and was very appreciative of our visit.
“I’ll see you all later when you all get to meet all of the idols (we went backstage to “meet and greet” the others on tour), I hope you enjoy the show tonight.”
We not only caught the concert in St. Paul, but in Chicago, and Boston as well. But I will never forget the first time I heard Clay sing at the concert. We were sitting in the third row, and when he finally appeared and the words to his single “This Is The Night,” came out of his mouth, I began to cry.
The auditorium was filled with the thundering noise of screams and “Clay! I love you, Clay!”
And on the night of the Boston concert, Clay appeared on stage and said in front of thousands of people: “Hey everyone, we’ve got some people here in the third row who came all the way from Guam!”
When he pointed straight at us, everyone turned to us to read the sign that we were holding, which read “GUAM.” My family and I jumped and waved at Clay; he smiled. Clay actually remembered us at every concert that we went to.
This was the ultimate experience. Newspaper articles on the concert from different states raved about Clay and how “Clay Stole the Show” and how “Clay Was the American Idol that Night.”
This was not just an experience of meeting one of the best singers in the world, but actually a dream come true not only for my family and I, but for Clay as well.
Clay has just finished recording his first album, featuring his new song, “Invisible”, which is scheduled to be released Oct. 14, according to a recent Los Angeles Times report. His first album will certainly be a hit.

ARTICLE HERE

[Pamela]

They came for pomp, pageantry and Clay Aiken
By ELAINE ROSE Staff Writer

ATLANTIC CITY - A group of 11 women clustered around the "Miss America Souvenirs" sign on the Boardwalk and smiled for the camera.

They never saw each other before Saturday evening, but by now they were the best of friends. One thing held them together - and brought them to the Miss America Pageant.

"We're here to see Clay Aiken," the women, age 19 to 70, said almost in unison.

The group met on the Internet and decided to come to Atlantic City to see "American Idol" runner-up Aiken croon to the pageant, said Emily Beaston, 35, of Hellertown, Pa.

Just for one song?

"It's worth it. We'd pay more than that to see him," said Geri Carabella, 56, of Staten Island, N.Y. "He's done a lot (for charities) in the short time he's been a celebrity."

It was real easy to find the Clay Aiken fans in Boardwalk Hall.

They were casually dressed and carried no placards and wore no buttons supporting their favorite contestant.

Men in suits and tuxedos, women in evening gowns, the audience filtered into Boardwalk Hall, passed security officers with metal-detecting wands and bomb-sniffing dogs. It seemed as if every girl who ever won a Little Miss Anything title was there in her tiara and sash.

But not everyone was a die-hard pageant buff. Some came to see Aiken, and others came out of curiosity or to give their children an experience to remember.

Some people were looking for last-minute tickets to the sold-out show, broadcast nationally on ABC. A few people tried to unload tickets, saying their families couldn't attend.

But there was no blatant scalping on the Boardwalk, and ticket takers said only legitimate passes were handed to them at the gate.

Pat Butera, 54, of Middletown, came with a friend just to see Aiken. They already had seen him perform live three times, including a trip to Raleigh, N.C.

"When he sings, I feel like he's singing just to me," Butera said. "He absolutely gives me the chills, and that's no joke."

Future Miss America?

Ellen Stone, of Haddonfield, and her daughter Jill, 7, were among those looking to score a ticket at the door.

"Both my daughters have said they want to be Miss America, but I tell them it's not that easy," Stone said.

Jill said she would like to walk the runway some day, but isn't quite sure why. Asked if she likes pretty dresses, Jill's eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously. She's been taking piano lessons for two years, so talent should be no problem.

Sandy Luciano, of Downingtown, Pa., came with her daughter, Quinn, 12, and a friend Olivia Houick, 12, of Glenn Mills.

"I came here as a child with my grandparents, and I want my daughter to experience it," Luciano said.

Mark Gondek, of Marlton, did his wife a favor by accompanying her to the pageant. Edyta Gondek always watches the Miss America show, as she loves the beauty and the intrigue.

"I'm getting brownie points," Mark Gondek said.

Erik Lowry, of Huntington, N.Y., wearing a black T-shirt, came to the pageant for a totally different reason. He said he wanted to see the pretty girls, maybe even meet a few.

"The hotel was nice enough to give us tickets," said his father, Malcolm Lowry. "I only wish my wife could be here."

Colleen Siegel, of Lafayette Township, came to see the pageant, but screamed with delight when told Clay Aiken would perform live. Her daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and just finished her chemotherapy and will survive.

"We do nothing but listen to Clay Aiken's tapes," Siegel said. "It helps her get through her day."

PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY

[Pamela]

Idol Ruben's 'Gift' to Clay
TV Guide Online

Some American Idol fans are confused. If Clay Aiken was runner-up last season, why is his self-titled album debuting before AI winner Ruben Studdard's Soulful? Don't forget that, just months ago, a rep for 19 Entertainment insisted: "Ruben won Idol, so therefore, Ruben's album will come out first. He has earned that right." Now, Clay enthuses that "we're counting down the days" till his Oct. 14 drop date. Yet, Ruben's CD hits stores Nov. 11. What gives?

"Ruben is nothing if not a friend and a gentleman," Clay tells TV Guide Online. "He's the one who had a great deal of say in deciding whether I would come out first or not. It was the plan of the show and 19, the record label, to have mine come out second. That's just the way things were supposed to be.

"But Ruben sat back and realized mine was finished," Clay continues, adding that Ruben's PR obligations as the Idol winner held up his studio work on Soulful. "He did win, and it was his privilege to let his [CD] come out first, but he decided to forego that. He had the say, but he decided to let this happen that way — and that's Ruben for you."
 
How exactly did Ruben have "say" over RCA's timing of these album releases? It's tough to believe this was the 205 guy's call — he's not that powerful yet — but Clay plays it cheerfully coy. "I don't know the answer to that," he insists. "I don't think it's an issue, really. It was a little surprise gift from Ruben to me. I know he had some say in it, that it's something he really wanted to do, and I don't really know any more than that."

On Saturday at 8 pm/ET, Clay sings his hit single, "This Is the Night," at the Miss America pageant on CBS. "This is the only song that I don't get tired of singing," he says. "It speaks such a powerful message of what I've gone through, and I think it speaks to what the contestants are going through, too."

TV GUIDE

[kirk48]

This is an article in the September 8 issue of The New York Times Magazine that talks about AI, Clay and Ruben.

The Un-Star System
The 10,000 kids who swarmed the Javits Center last week weren't just angling for American Idol-dom. They were rallying against the record industry.
By Simon Dumenco

Somewhere in the jumble of bodies sprawled across the sidewalks outside the Javits Center, there is, quite possibly, a future American Idol. It’s after midnight on Monday, August 25, the day of the New York auditions for the third season of the Fox-network megahit, and as I check out this rather astonishing encampment of thousands of kids on sleeping bags and inflatable mattresses—even in pup tents—I’m thinking about how elusive star quality is these days.

Nobody would have been able to pick last season’s winner and runner-up out of a lineup, either. Ruben Studdard is an obese food addict whose face, in performance, is perpetually streaked by rivers of flop sweat. Clay Aiken is an underfed, flappy-eared Fievel Mousekewitz look-alike whose pants always seem like they’re about to slide off his non-hips. But both can sing real pretty.

The kids here at the Javits seem so boundlessly optimistic that, honestly, it embarrasses me. They have something like abject longing in their faces. It’s a vastly different sort of longing, though, from what you’d see among the encampments that form outside concert venues before, say, Justin Timberlake tickets go on sale. The desire there is to engage in group worship. The desire here is to attain group worship.

For that reason, I realize, I find myself repeatedly looking away—exercising the same sort of denial mechanism that kicks in when homeless people attempt to make eye contact. These moppets—oh, man, look at that Christina Aguilera wannabe strumming her guitar on a blanket!—are so brazenly starving for attention that it’s unnerving. All this naked desire to be nakedly desired.

But, of course, American Idol amounts to much more than just the aggregated neediness of its most eager participants. As a mass phenomenon, it suggests multiple, intertwined orders of psychopathology: the culture at large gorging on hordes of fresh “talent.” A populace parodying the idea of democracy by choosing exactly the entertainment it wants (and deserves). And, perhaps most pointedly, the fame factory engaging in a sort of ritualized cycle of bingeing and purging.

You were hoping, perhaps, that the whole American Idol thing would have blown over by now. If so, you were probably heartened by the poor box-office showing, earlier this summer, of the breathtakingly lame Idol movie, From Justin to Kelly (starring the first-season’s runner-up and winner), and the generally lackluster ratings performance of American Juniors, the disturbing kiddie version of the show that just ended its first (and possibly only) season.

But these were mere spinoffs, attempts to leverage and milk the brand. The core product itself not only shows every sign of being unstoppable but may just permanently alter the way the music industry molds and markets talent.

Consider the stakes: 24 million votes (almost evenly split down the middle) poured in for Ruben and Clay during American Idol’s second-season finale in May—which drew 34 million viewers (more than the Oscars). Clay and Ruben then went on to score Top 10 singles. In fact, Clay’s “This Is the Night” held the No. 1 spot for ten weeks and went platinum in July, the first single this year to sell more than a million copies. (Platinum singles are surprisingly rare and hard-won. Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Part II,” for instance, took decades to turn platinum—it was one of only two singles certified platinum in 2001.) Clay’s sales are all the more staggering when you consider that his single doesn’t even have a video on MTV yet. (It’s currently in postproduction; Matthew Rolston shot it in mid-July.) Ruben, meanwhile, does have a Top 10 MTV video, and his single, already certified gold, is probably just weeks away from turning platinum, too. Both singers will release full-length albums—Clay in October, Ruben in November—that are guaranteed to be among the year’s uncontested blockbusters. And the “American Idols Live” tour, headlined by Ruben and Clay—and sponsored by, I’m not kidding you, Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts—has packed arenas in 39 cities.

Even Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner—who would surely much rather be giving his buddy Mick Jagger five-star reviews than paying attention to all this American Idol nonsense—has succumbed to the marketing magic of Clay and Ruben. Over the years, Rolling Stone insiders have told me that male stars on the cover generally don’t do well on the newsstand, which is why everyone from Eminem to Justin Timberlake has had to up the ante by submitting to the homoerotic topless, baby-oiled treatment. Clay and Ruben (thank God!) didn’t have to take off their shirts to score their own Rolling Stone covers, in July and August, respectively, and Clay (both he and Ruben are Baptists) was even allowed to wear his own W.W.J.D. bracelet, surely a first for the magazine.

It’s entirely possible, of course, that Wenner assumed it stood for What Would Jann Do? The answer, obviously, is Follow the Money.

What’s most remarkable about the American Idol phenomenon is how quickly it has hijacked the recording industry. Producing legend Clive Davis is masterminding both singers’ records, Clay has lined up a cast of heavy-hitters to produce tracks, and Ruben has lured artists ranging from R. Kelly to Missy Elliott to serve as collaborators.

Talent has seemingly come out of nowhere before, but “nowhere” has almost always been the record industry’s farm system. Eminem, for instance, was hand-picked by an L.A. radio D.J. and carefully nurtured in the studio by rap impresario Dr. Dre before emerging, seemingly overnight, as a fully formed icon. Christina Aguilera spent years as a diva-in-training, putting in time as a Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club and recording a laboratory-tested song for a Disney movie soundtrack before breaking out with “Genie in a Bottle.” Justin Timberlake was famously cast by a boy-band impresario in ’NSync—a band whose seemingly overnight success in the U.S. was actually the culmination of a phased roll-out in Europe during the mid-nineties. The bottom line is that most A-list artists require years, and millions of dollars, of investment.

Now we’ve got Clay and Ruben, whom nobody—not a soul in the record industry—had heard of before this spring, and they’re already on track to become among the best-selling recording artists of our time.

There’s a limit, of course, to how many American Idols can be churned out—and lots of people will argue that Clay and Ruben are mere flashes in the pan whose careers can’t possibly endure. But to the record industry, it really doesn’t matter if they quickly fade—and not only because Clay and Ruben are creating instant dynastic wealth for American Idol creator Simon Fuller (who also controls their recording careers) and his partners. (Watch for Ruben and Clay to bitterly recount the terms of their contracts on Behind the Music five or ten years from now; for instance, the singers reportedly get a mere $5,000 per stop on the Pop-Tart tour.)

Not only is American Idol a reality-TV blockbuster, but it’s harnessed the reality-TV genre to show the fast-fading recording industry a new path to riches: turning poorly paid nobodies into overnight pop-cultural icons, with virtually none of the usual behind-the-scenes primping and preening. Turns out the record industry’s star-making machinery becomes entirely irrelevant when you really let the market decide.

In the same way that network executives have had to get used to the idea that television—its aesthetics and its economics—has been permanently transformed by the reality-TV phenomenon, record executives are going to have to live with an infrastructure upended by the American Idol effect.

The farm system seems suddenly useless. Megastars, it turns out, can be born with hardly any help at all from the usual cabal of A&R guys, talent coordinators, publicists, and image consultants.

For now, the industry’s bingeing on American Idol’s spoils, but it’s pretty clear what—and who—is going to end up getting purged in the end.

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/media/columns/download/n_9155/index.html

[Pamela]

From the Miss America Program:

Special Guest Performer Clay Aiken
Less than a year ago this 24-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina was an unknown hopeful, standing in line with 7,000 other people to audition for a television show.

Today, millions of people know his name, his face and his voice. Following the success on American Idol and his subsequent hit single, This is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water, Clay Aiken has legions of devoted fans, not just in the U.S. but around the world. On Saturday night, Clay will bring the talent and charm that catapulted him into our hearts to the Miss America stage as a special guest performance!

Released by RCA on June 10th, This is the Night made an historical debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. More than 392,000 copies were sold the first week, the highest one-week total of any single since Elton John's Candle in the Wind 1997. His first album is due to be released late summer or early fall.

From Atlantic City Weekly:
Making a Production Out of It, Behind the Miss America Telecast
By Pete Yard

When it comes to finalizing the production, care is taken as to where certain elements are positioned in the show, according to Quin. "You place what you think is going to be a very attractive thing for TV.

"Take for example, Clay Aiken, the American Idol second place winner, coming in (singing "This is the Night'. What's the best place for him with his anticipated role on the show. So he's coming in to sing a song which is part of a new album he is going to release. With the pre-hype on TV and everything talking about it, the decision was made to put him in the front part of the show, rather than make people wait three hours and put him towards the end.

So he's in the first part after the Parade of States, and (after) the contestants introduce themselves, he'll come out. And that's a very appropriate song, 'This is the Night' because it really is. It's kind of like years ago when Clint Holmes sang 'This is the Moment'."
===============================================
Clay Aiken was a big hit. He has a genuine All-American boy appeal. He sang beautifully and he has the charisma necessary to become an outstanding performing artist in the years to come. He has a natural stage appeal and, without a doubt, would do well in a concert in the Boardwalk Hall. When he completed his song, he took the time to hug just about every one of the 51 contestants before he left the stage. He should be signed immediately to come back next year.

ACWEEKLY

[Cruiser]

American Idol Finalist Comes Back To Metro School
Production Crew Tapes Clay Aiken With Metro Student

Although his pop stardom is becoming nationally recognized, American Idol finalist, Clay Aiken, has talents beyond the stage. As a CAP (Community Alternatives Program) worker and friend of Michael (Mike) Bubel, Jr., a student with special needs at Metro School, Aiken has made a tremendous impact in Mike’s life and his classmates at Metro, not just to the millions of viewers of the Fox TV program.

To spotlight Aiken’s work, a Fox production crew tagged along with him to Metro School on May 9. Aiken has worked with Mike, who is autistic, since last school year. As a CAP worker, Aiken focuses on developing the 13-year-olds social skills. Sometimes he performs these duties with Mike at Metro or Aiken will visit with Mike and the Bubel family at their home during the week and on the weekends.

Mike is the son of Michael and Diane Bubel. He has a sister, Emma, who is also 13-years-old (11 months older) and is in the seventh grade at Bradley Middle School.

Metro School serves exceptional children students, kindergarten through age 21, who are primarily identified as trainable mentally disabled (TMD), severe-profound, multi-handicapped or autistic. Metro provides instruction in functional academics, self-help skills, pre-vocational and vocational skill development, the arts, adapted physical education, communication skill development, occupational and physical therapies. If you have additional questions about the program offerings at Metro, please call 704-343-5450.

LINK TO PICTURES

[Cruiser]

Concerning Mr. Aiken's trip to Washington this summer, go here to see pictures of his visit.

AFI WEB SITE

Press Release:
AFI PROPOSES NATIONAL EXPANSION OF AFI SCREEN EDUCATION CENTER. JOINED BY CLAY AIKEN, AFI LEADERSHIP URGES CONGRESS, DoED TO SUPPORT AFI's SCREEN EDUCATION PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE.

[Pamela]

Clay Aiken Ramps Up For His Album Release: The Contest
The singer is actively promoting his debut CD, Measure Of A Man
 
Clay Aiken's debut CD is due out on October 14th, and the singer is working in high gear to promote it. Not that Aiken is a high-powered self-promoter. There's something about Aiken that's completely anti-hype. You may love him or hate him, but one thing appears to be true about the tenor: He is just himself, not a music industry product. I heard him do an interview on New York's Z100 hit radio station recently. For an artist on the verge of a CD release, it was amazing. With his soft southern drawl and easygoing manner, there wasn't even a hint of "c'mon buy this" in his approach.

Click here to read the rest of the story!

[Pamela]

What they say about Clay
by Stephanie Lazzaro UT Senior Staff
October 08, 2003

"I miss him," said Amy Pusey with a sigh. Angela Coachman added, "The three of us did everything together."

Pusey, Coachman and their third amigo were very close the last two years. Both women graduated last May with a degree in special education while a mutual friend took an unexpected path of his own. Together Pusey and Coachman learned to cope with the loss of their friend, while across the country, they sat in front of the TV like millions of others, watching their friend, Clay Aiken, become America's idol.

The three of them met in a special education course at UNC Charlotte. Since most of the same 15 people had similar classes they formed close friendships. Pusey remembers when Clay introduced himself to the class; he seemed to want to break the ice and she could tell he was very outgoing -- a class clown.

"It seems longer than two years," said Pusey who lived with Aiken for a year while they attended UNCC.

Coachman, who sat in front of Aikin, said she would always flick her hair and hit his desk. When asked why he never said anything to her about it, he told her that he thought she and Pusey were the 'tough chicks.' Coachman still finds this amusing. His humor is definitely a quality both of the women will always appreciate.

"Clay would be laughing all the time," said Pusey. Professor Nancy Cooke met Clay in fall of 2001. He was in her classes and served as president of the Student Council of Exceptional Children which Cooke advised. As both teacher and a friend, she clearly understands why so many people idolize Clay.

"I'm thrilled to have people see him as someone who loves his mom, can have popularity and not lose sight of his values," remarked Cooke. Cooke, Coachman and Pusey all agree Clay's best qualities are humor, genuineness and graciousness.

This was apparent when Aiken handled the loss to Ruben Studdard with such poise. "He's able to maintain his humility and also reach out and touch people," said Cooke.

And there's that talent: singing.

"The first [show] I saw him on, I was like 'whoa,'" said Coachman. "He evolved a lot." Coachman wasn't aware of Clay's gifted voice when they first became friends (even though she knew he sang at weddings) but she pointed out he never admitted how great he really was.

He never sang around his friends but did give them a demo he made. Pusey recalls how she couldn't believe it was Aiken when she first listened to it. Later, when she lived with him, they sang together and she was able to hear him sing often.

"It was a privilege," commented Pusey. Aiken and Pusey were avid fans of "The Amazing Race" reality television show and often joked about applying. "I would never seriously do it," Pusey said. But Aiken mentioned trying out for "American Idol."

"I never took him seriously," said Pusey.

The panel of judges in Charlotte quickly dismissed him. Unfazed, Aiken went to Atlanta, armed with changes that would make him one of 32 finalists that would travel to California. Pusey helped him prepare by changing his hair color and picking out clothes, making him more "American Idol"-like.

Aiken managed not only to win a spot in the top 32 in California but landed in the top 12 as a wild card chosen by America.

"Somehow I knew it would be them [Aiken and Studdard]," said Pusey. The night of the finale, Aiken wasn't the only one who had jitters. Pusey and Coachman were nervous as they cheered him on in Raleigh, North Carolina. Both laughed about how anxious they were to be on live television.

"I'm going to be a spaz," said Coachman, recalling her feelings that night. She also thought America might label them as "Clay's dorky friends." But in all the emotion that night, they don't even remember what was said.

After the winner was announced both women were bombarded with mixed emotions, mostly sadness and anger. "I didn't know what to feel, it's just a title," said Pusey, who took the vote as such loss she blocked out people for while. Now, all of them are adjusting to their friend's new lifestyle. While Aiken has been everywhere but home, the women have not been able to have lengthy conversations with him or see him frequently.

"It's tough," said Pusey, who jokes about only getting to watch one episode of "The Amazing Race" with him. Clay's the one that got her hooked on the show so she still calls him to share episodes even if he didn't get to see it. "I call for the stupidest things," said Pusey. "I feel like I'm bugging him, it's frustrating."

"As much as we complain we don't get to talk to him, the little things are nice," said Coachman.

"It's because we miss him," added Pusey.

"It's still a surprise to see him in person," said Cooke. "His looks have changed but when I talk to him he's still the same Clay." Pusey and Coachman may not be able to be as geographically close to Aiken as they once were but they sure get to see a lot of him on their students' folders. They are filled with pictures of him.

"It's never going to be normal," said Coachman, "His face is plastered all over." "When I think of him, I think of us hanging out at night," said Pusey. They would spend hours talking in their pajamas with glasses of milk. "He has a good time around people," said Coachman. "I'm entertained the most with Clay because he's entertained with me."

The first time Pusey and Coachman got to see him offstage was in June when Aiken and five close friends went to the beach. Pusey was really happy to see him in a different environment. He didn't feel like he was entertaining people but was just 'the old Clay.' She did however, want to throw his cell phone in the ocean.

The first time Amy Pusey and Angela Coachman heard his song on the radio, they immediately called him. "It was so cool," gushed Coachman. "He hadn't heard it."

Aiken's debut CD, "Measure of a Man," comes out Oct. 14. He is booked almost every night with television appearances. Meanwhile a lingering question is: "Will Clay teach?"

Cooke believes he will finish his degree because he values it so much. She also thinks that even if he doesn't get to teach right away he will find ways to advocate for children with special needs. "That's what I'm so proud of, his strong commitment to help kids with disabilities," said Cooke.

"He would be a great teacher," said Coachman. Pusey noted some may not take him seriously as a teacher with his abrupt fame; students would gawk over him. He could perhaps teach in the future when the hype dies down. But for now, Clay Aiken's star power is high.

"The big applause blew me away," Pusey said about "The American Idol" concert that came to Charlotte. "He has really made it, nothing is going to be the same."

Amy Pusey and Angela Coachman's buddy, Clay Aiken, has gone from boy-next-door, future special ed teacher to superstar. Now he has his own entourage, tons of screaming women and girls, TV appearances and photo shoots for magazine covers.

"I knew he could do it," said Pusey.

ARTICLE

[Pamela]

'Idol' star strikes chord with fans
BY Rainbow Rowell
    
There must have been some reason they were all watching TV the night that Clay Aiken opened his mouth to sing.  These women don't watch TV. They especially don't watch shows like "American Idol."  But they were watching that night, and it changed their lives. "Something directed us to turn on the TV at that time," Lisa Kasl swears. Something divine.  What? You don't think God works that way?  You don't think God works through the Fox network? And reality television?  And Simon Cowell and soft rock and skinny redheads oft described as "jug-eared"?  Well. Take it from Becky Raymond. Believing in Clay is believing that things happen for a reason.  Becky is 47. She lives in Lincoln and works 65 hours a week. She doesn't have time for TV.

But on March 4, a rare night off, Becky was flipping channels and came across Clay's third "Idol" appearance - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."  The past two years have brought one loss after another into Becky's life. Her only daughter left for college. Her mother died. And her grandmother. And the man who shared her life for many years.  When Clay sang that night, the clouds parted over her.  Becky forgot how to breathe. She felt such . . . joy.

"Hearing him sing - it sounds so cheesy - but it absolutely makes my heart happy."  An hour away, in Omaha, Sigrid Buczkowski was watching, too.
Sigi is 38. She's married with kids and works as a sales manager. She left Germany to live in the United States 10 years ago and, in all that time, she said, "I've never felt like I belonged anywhere."  Until she heard Clay sing.

Sigi has never had an idol, but once she heard Clay, she wanted to hear more. She wanted to talk to other people who loved Clay as much as she did.  She started chatting on Clay message boards. She crossed the country to meet other fans at concerts. "I feel like I've found a family," she said.  Lisa and Becky and Sigrid are at the core of Clay Aiken's Nebraska fan base - five or so women who believe that rooting for Clay is a force of good in their lives.

They first met on the Internet, then started meeting in person this summer. Now they get together regularly to discuss all things Clay.
Are you imagining a group of grown women sitting at the Cracker Barrel, talking about how green Clay's eyes are?  Well, that's partly accurate. But it's not just his eyes they talk about. And it's not just his voice.  They talk about their own lives, too, and how Clay has altered them. Most have been involved in Clay's pet charities. They embrace his ethics and his humility.

Says Erin McIntyre, a 31-year-old graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha:  Being a Clay fan "just made me want to be a better person and to really re-evaluate the path that I'm on."  OK, if you've read this far, you're either about to lose your breakfast or you're thinking, "Hallelujah, these people are just like me!"

If the latter, you probably already know that Clay's new CD
is coming out Monday.  The Nebraska Clay fans are planning a CD listening party in Lincoln that night. If you want to join them, call Becky at (402) 435-1178. Or e-mail Sigi at sigi723@cs.com.

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[Pamela]

Clay Aiken's Bubel/Aiken Foundation to Auction Jerseys and Aiken's Debut CD to Benefit Youth With Special Needs
10/9/03 6:34:00 PM

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The measure of THIS man, Clay Aiken, is simple. Start with his talent and finish with the size of his heartfelt commitment to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Clay's first single, This is the Night, debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and became the second highest selling single of all time. This month, he is featured in TIME, Elle and on Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer (October 9, 2003). And with the October 14 release of his debut CD, Measure of a Man, now is the chance for a lucky few to own what is sure to be an exciting piece of pop music history!

Beginning October 15, 2003, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation will hold an online auction of a limited number of tugged, hugged, and altogether loved jerseys worn by Clay on his recent concert tour during his performances of his irresistible new hit song, Invisible.

The jerseys are already autographed and each is waiting to be personalized by Clay with the buyer's NAME once the lucky winners are known. Ten copies of Measure of a Man, autographed and personalized by Clay, will also be on the auction block.

The auction can be accessed online through http://www.lwlhd.org. The auction will be open until November 12, 2003. Canadian Clay Aiken fans will have an exclusive offering.

All proceeds from the auction will go to The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to the integration of individuals with special needs in programs with their non-disabled peers.

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