AIKEN NEW NETWORK JUNE 17

[clayMaine-iac]

Good Morning, everyone!!

Letters from Paul fans—They’re “Adrianized” but Might They One Day be “Clayverted?”
By Dianne Austin
June 16, 2005


Since I wrote the article on Adrian Paul for Entertainment World, so much has taken place. I was able to look at another idol and another fan base with “one foot in the door”, so to speak. Their guy was captivating and talented and I loved talking and laughing with him on the phone during our interview, but I wasn’t invested. Someone else has that all locked up for me. And yet, it was interesting to see idol worship from another perspective, as one who is immersed in her own right, but who was not involved with this particular celebrity or fan base.

I think we Claymates have a tendency to think that ours is the only one. Yes, he is the best there is. There will never be another like him, however, we sometimes forget that there are other singers, actors, spokespeople, and sports figures out there who are hailed as “the greatest” in every sense of the word. They too are loved for their electric personalities, generous hearts and benevolent deeds. Paul is one of these celebrities, and it was interesting to observe how his fan base adores him--the kinds of things they do, the lingo they’ve invented, the conventions they travel to--all similar ways with which they explore and express their fandom; similar to those of the Clay Nation.
(snip)
 received quite a few letters from Paul fans when I told them to visit Austin on Aiken where they could read the last column I wrote about Adrian, Clay, and all of them as a fan base. Many had sweet things to say about Clay and it definitely sounds like their interest in him has been piqued.

I’d like you to notice the tone, style and feel of the e-mail messages they’ve written. If you didn’t know they were Adrian Paul fans, you would swear they were Clay Aiken fans!

Hope you enjoy their responses!

To read their responses:
CLAYREPORT

[clayMaine-iac]

Clay Aiken: Ohio State Fair; 7 p.m. Aug. 9; $30; 614-431-3600.

SPRINGFIELDNEWSSUN

[clayMaine-iac]

All Eyes on Idol: God Bless the road that led us to Carrie

Week 11: Our final week. It's all over, but the shoutin'. Truth be told, not too much shoutin' going on on the "All Eyes on Idol" panel. Carrie Underwood, the cutie from Oklahoma took the title of American Idol Wednesday night and Bo Bice walks away with an admirable second place and likely a career that will rival that of the successful Clay Aiken. Out of the two finalists, both come out winners, including those of us who watched.

In that two hours, which sadly, I will never get back, I was reminded why I hated Scott, why I loved Mikalah and why I miss Constantine. LaToya took a page from Paula's book and had one too many Alabama Slammers before her live interviews with Bo's fans. The duets reminded me of a Visa commercial. Babyface, Lindsey & Mikalah: $5. George Benson, Scott and Nikko: $20. Bo and Skynrd: priceless.

Reuben and Clay -- I mean Carrie and Bo -- best of luck to you both.

PENNLIVE

[clayMaine-iac]

Classic rock, country and fans in the seats  
Meadowbrook ticket sales rebound  
By ANNE RUDERMAN
Monitor staff
 
GILFORD - Last summer was a financial loser for Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center -despite a midsummer price-slashing bid to draw in the crowds. This year things are looking better.

The 5,000-seat amphitheater is averaging 800 more seats sold per show, and general manager R.J. Harding said the trend is going in the right direction.

The fortune-reversing formula? Pare down the number of shows. Keep ticket prices steady. And stick to country and classic rock.

"We've learned some pretty hard lessons that New Hampshire wants what it wants, and don't try to give it anything it doesn't want," Harding said. "For a while, we were playing the role of trying to bring in different eclectic, cultural types of shows. New Hampshire has shown us they don't want it. They want their classic rock and they want their country music, and we're going to give it to them."

Meadowbrook opened last Saturday, and Harding has 24 shows planned for the season -10 fewer than last year. Gone are cultural forays like Elvis Costello and the Gypsy Kings. Instead, Harding is relying on sure-fire acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Styx and Tim McGraw. Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion is part of the lineup, and Clay Aiken - one of the few shows that bucked last year's trend - is back.  

CONCORDMONITOR

[clayMaine-iac]

Pixies play to burgeoning crowds
By CLAY JONES

COLUMBIA, Md.--The inventors of loud/quiet/loud took the stage at Merriweather Post Pavilion Monday night, proving you don't need to look like Clay Aiken to perform in front of a large and enthusiastic audience.

FREDERICKSBURG

[clayMaine-iac]

Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave. -- Celeste Center: Sawyer Brown, 7 p.m. Aug. 3; Bowling For Soup, 7 p.m. Aug. 4; Faith Evans, Ian Hunter/the Zombies, 7 p.m. Aug. 5, $10; Ian Hunter, the Zombies (featuring Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent) 1 p.m. Aug. 6, free; Grupo Pesado, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6, $15; All-Ohio State Fair Band and All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir Concert, 1 p.m. Aug. 7; ZZ Top, Hot Apple Pie, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7, $25; Casting Crowns, 7 p.m. Aug. 8, $10; Clay Aiken, 7 p.m Aug. 9, $30 includes fair admission; the von Trapp Children, 1 p.m. Aug. 10; Brad Paisley, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10, $18; A Prairie Home Companion: the Rhubarb Tour with Garrison Keillor, 7 p.m. Aug. 11, $20; United We Funk featuring Dazz Band, SOS Band, Con Funk Shun, 7 p.m. Aug. 12; Raven, 1 p.m. Aug. 13; Switchfoot, Sleeping At Last, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13, $15; free with Fair admission unless noted; Kroger Stores, Ticketmaster; parking $5; 614-644-FAIR (3247) or 1-888-OHO-EXPO (646-3976).

COLUMBUSDISPATCH

[clayMaine-iac]

Ionia Idol coming to the Ionia Free Fair

By The Daily News
IONIA -- Could the next Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice or Clay Aiken be making their professional singing debut at this year's Ionia Free Fair?

The world will know July 30 when the first ever Ionia Idol winner is declared.

DAILYNEWS

[clayMaine-iac]

'INSIDE' STORY: Carrie Underwood collects her first No. 1 in Billboard, joining a long list of chart-topping "American Idol" competitors. Her "Inside Your Heaven" / "Independence Day" (Arista) makes a premature debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles Sales chart, based solely on street date violations. Those same infringements bring Underwood onto the Singles Sales chart at No. 5 (This chart was formerly known as Hot 100 Singles Sales, but since it also feeds the Pop 100, it was appropriate to change the name).

Underwood is the ninth "Idol" singer to earn a Billboard No. 1 as a solo performer, following Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Kimberley Locke, Josh Gracin, William Hung, Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo.

TRUTH BE TOLD: After peaking at No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart and No. 18 on the Hot 100 in January and No. 13 at Adult Top 40 one month later, Ryan Cabrera's "True" (Atlantic) cracks the top 10 (11-10) at Adult Contemporary in its 22nd chart week. It is the longest path to that portion of the chart by a male artist.

The AC format is known for its slow pace, and songs often make their way deliberately up the chart. However, only two other songs have ever taken a longer amount of time to reach the AC top 10. Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why" entered the top 10 in its 31st week in March 2003 and Train's "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" advanced into the top 10 in its 49th week in June 2002.

Cabrera is the first male artist to earn his first top 10 at AC since Clay
Aiken scored with "Invisible" in December 2003.

BILLBOARD CHARTBEAT

[clayMaine-iac]

Have a great day, everyone!!

TGIF !!!!!

Here ya go:
       

[Her]

Thanks M.B.!!!  HAPPY FRIDAY and thanks for the news and all you do!

[lorraine]

GOOD MORNING DEANNA AND FRIENDS.

THANKS FOR THE NEWS AND ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL WEEKEND COMING UP.  RAIN OR SHINE WE STILL HAVE CLAY IN OUR HEARTS.

HUGS
RAINEY

[Marilyn]

GOOD MORNING ALL!!

HAVE A GREAT FRIDAY!!

WHOOPPEEE I CAN SLEEP LATE TOMORROW!


     

[ANGELA]

HELLO EVERYONE!!

THANKS FOR THE NEWS.