POLL: Discovering Clay - How, When, Where

[Pamela]

Inspired by Lindsay's and Angela's stories about not finding Clay Nation until after AI2, I thought it would be fun to have an archive thread; one we could save, where we could all share how we discovered Clay. 

I know some fans just came on board recently; I remember reading Rayline's story about seeing Clay on Oprah in Germany I think it was, and hearing other stories that were equally interesting.

So, let's all share how we discovered Clay.  I'm going to attach a poll too!

Vote, and then tell your story of discovering Clay.  Thanks!

[Prissy]

AI2 - "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" 

I believe I saw Clay before that when he was chosen the Wild Card, and I remember thinking, of course, they had to choose him, he has a phenomenal voice.

But when he sang SPHB, I was a "goner," totally mesmerized and under a hypnotic spell which lasted many months.  I'm still a big fan, but my hypnotic state has been pretty much "cured."   

A complete computer novice, I was looking for info on Clay while still in my mesmerized, hypnotic state and found the "purple" site, which has long since become my Clay home and so much more. 

Prissy

[Tiffany]

Great topic Pamela.

I never watched Clay on AI2 but heard about him from my parents and my sister that watched. She really liked him. She wanted to see his concert on the NAT tour at the DE State Fair 2 years ago and she invited me to go. I decided to buy MOAM to learn the songs before I saw him in concert. The 1st time I saw an interview with Clay was when he was on Jimmy Kimmel. The time when Britney Spears was on it too. 1st time I saw him sing was on the AMA's singing Invisible. Then I caught him on SNL and really loved his preformances of Invisible and The Way. Then I saw him the 2nd time he was on Jimmy Kimmel when he sang, I Will Carry You. At that time I really gotten interested and wanted to know more about him. I found the Claymaniacs site for the 1st time that night to see what everyone had to say about Clay. Then when the NAT tour started, I lurked here for a while and read all the cellcerts. The time when I saw him in concert, he totally blew me away. Every song he sang just Wowed me and I fell in love that night. No singer has made me feel the way Clay does. I never been the same since.
I stayed here to read the amazing concert experances and read more info on Clay. I decided to post around the time the JNT tour in 2004 started and glad I did. I never met the greatest group of Clay fans and so glad I found this board.

[Her]

I began watching AI at Kelly's finale show.  Picked it up the next season and the "nerd" blew me away!  I couldn't remember his name, until the next time he was on!  Then it was watching faithfully each week...except disco night...son had a baseball game and daughter phoned me so I could hear over the phone!  Yes, I'd taped it and watched later. 

No message board until September...searched for CD news, etc. and that's when I discovered Claymaniacs!!!!  CLAYMANIACS RULES!!!!!

[stargazer]

I was hooked on Clay from the first audition. I watched and voted and cheered him on.
I found the purple site when searching the net for Clay news. It instantly became my site for finding out what he was up to. I read the ANN everyday. I was a lurker for quite a while. Still lurk a
lot and don't post much. I am not a talker. But I love Claymaniacs and the people I have met here.
Claymaniacs  are like Clay,,, Honorable, honest, and funny.

Go Maniacs

Waiting for the Purple bus.

[lorraine]

I DIDN'T WATCH THE BEGINNING OF AI2 BUT PICKED IT UP WHEN THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT BACK CLAY AND THE REST HIS HISTORY.  JUST ONE LOOK, THATS ALL IT TOOK, JUST ONE LOOK.  HEY THATS A SONG.  AFTER THE LOOK THE VOICE CAUGHT MY HEART AND NEVER LET GO.

SURE MISS MY HONEY AND I WILL NEVER EVER LET HIM GO.  HE IS NUMBER ONE TODAY, TOMORROW AND FOREVER.

HUGS
RAINEY

[woodstock854]

I discovered Clay on AI2, but not from the very beginning.  I don't know for sure what week I joined in on, but I was hooked on Clay from there on in.  I have seen the whole season on DVD so many times, that I feel like I had been there all season!!! 

My daughter had watched AI1, and started season 2 at the beginning.  She picked Clay out right away.

But I am totally amazed at the number of fans he has picked up after AI2.  Those of us that went through the journey with him on AI2 had a LOT of reasons to remain fans.  Those joining along the way just proves what charisma he has, and how instantly likable he is.  Not to mention the voice.     I am sure with the new CD, he will pick up that many more fans.

I found Claymaniacs looking for Clay concert info.  And I've been plopped here ever since.     Tried several other boards, but this one seemed like home to me.
I LOVE CLAY, AND I LOVE CLAYMANIACS!!!!!
Woodstock

[GWENN]

ERICA RETURNED FROM COLLEGE AT THE END OF APRIL 2003 AND MADE ME SIT DOWN WITH HER TO WATCH THIS GUY NAMED CLAY SING A SONG.  I ONLY HALF PAID ATTENTION.  I THOUGHT THE SHOW WAS GONNA BE A TYPICAL TALENT SEARCH THINGY.  UM.  NOT BAD.  THEN TITN.  BUT WHEN I HEARD HIM SINT BOTW, I WAS HOOKED.  HE BLEW ME AWAY. 
DIDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THE MEDIA BLITZ.  DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS ONE.  THEN I SAW HIM ON OPRAH AND FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS PERSONALITY.    I STARTED TO GET CURIOUS.  ERICA BURNED ME A CD OF ALL THE CLAY STUFF AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT THAT TIME AND I USED IT TO EXERCISE.  BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, I WAS A GONER. HER 21ST BIRTHDAY WAS THE NIGHT OF THE MISS AMERICA PAGEANT.  I MADE EVERYONE COME BACK TO THE HOUSE TO SEE HIM BEFORE CAKE AND ALL THAT.  (WE HAD BEEN OUT TO DINNER--A CROWD OF US.) 

THE FINAL SEAL---PRIMETIME.  AT THE END OF THAT INTERVIEW, I WAS A BONEFIDE MEMBER OF CLAYNATION.  NEVER MISSED ANYTHING AFTER THAT.  HE BECAME MY OBSESSION.  NOW, HE IS JUST A VERY SPECIAL PART OF WHO I AM.   AND HE ALWAYS WILL BE.

IT WAS AT THAT TIME, AFTER PRIMETIME THAT I BEGAN SEARCHING THE WEB IN EARNEST LOOKING FOR INFO ON CLAY.  I FOUND CM.  EASY TO NAVIGATE.  IT BECAME HOME.  STILL IS.

GWENN

[KSChristian4Clay]

I discovered Clay on the AI auditions show when I promptly fell out of bed. At that point, nobody was blowing me away and I was bored. I was laying on my bed and this voice came out of nowhere! I fell between the wall and the bed. It hurt, but I crawled up the side of the bed and watched the rest of the audition. He had me then. I was so happy when he won the wild card spot. I even got my mom hooked on the show and rooting for him.
I joined Claymaniacs the night after I got home from the KS State Fair NAT concert (9/10/04). I had lurked on the boards, but joined that night.

[wvclayfan]

This long ... beware!

I loved Clay from the moment he opened his mouth to sing. Now that I look back on it, I even defended him (only about song choice) and why I liked him so much even back then. Randy was a Ruben fan and it was a weekly battle to see who could get more votes in. Sometimes I think he liked Ruben just because I liked Clay. Ya know, he couldn't dare like the same person as me. After the show was over, I never really gave it any thought to look for message boards. I started graduate school in the fall and I really didn't have a life until the following summer. I did buy MOAM when it came out in October (okay, I bought several copies to give as gifts as well).

It wasn't until July of 2004 that I truly became a Claymate. I happened upon a television commercial promoting Clay's ST in Charleston, W.Va. Tickets had been on sale for weeks, but I was determined to go. I called my mom and my best guy friend and convinced them to go. Heck, I even convinced my football-playing baby brother to go (The best part was when I heard him telling his guy friends how much he enjoyed the show ). I was beyond excited and was teased the entire three-hour car trip to the venue. They kept telling me I was going to burst into tears and hysterics when he came out on stage, but I denied it. Sure enough, they were right. I cried, screamed and jumped up and down while my family and friends laughed hysterically. Our seats were pure crap, but I had never been to a better concert!

I searched the Web for Clay fan sites over the next few days and then joined the CB. I never posted, heck, I didn't even know how to navigate the danged site. School started again and there went my social life, but I did happen upon Claymaniacs in October of that same year. I joined, but didn't post until after the JNT concert in Baltimore. As I'm sure you all know, Clay had been sick prior to that show. You could hear it in his voice, but I have never heard a better version of DSIAFCD. As soon as he hit that glory note the crowd errupted into screams and applause. He was so touched and I will never forget that moment. I also spent 2.5 hours waiting in the cold for him to come see us at the buses, but it never happened. Low and behold, my aunt got to see him when they took him out the front door right after the concert was over - and she didn't even go to the concert! The next day was my first post here. I even posted several times as "Guest" because I kept forgetting to log in.

I guess just through a series of events I became a member of the Clay Nation. I seriously wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I've made great friends and get to follow my favorite artist.

[geraldine]

I discovered Clay on AI2 when he did his first audition.  I had watched the first AI, and liked it so much anxiously awited for AI2 to come on. Boy the miute he opened his mouth to talk and sing I fell in love with him.  I said to myself ~there is our next~ american idol.  I never missed a single show.  It was so exciting each week to see what Clay was going to sing next.  My favorite song he sings is "Solitaire" beccause he puts so much emotion in it.  I have followed his career ever since.  I have every single performance on tape, from AI2 to present day. I had the pleasure of seeing him in person only once in Clio last summer.  I hope he does a tour soon.  and am anxiously awaiting his new CD!  I joined claymanianc back in 2003.  I borrowed a computer bacl then and got here every chance I could. I left for a bit and came back when I bought my own. This has all been such a wonderful ride along with Clay and all of you here! I feel very lucky to have found so many terrific friends through Clay.  LOVE YOU CLAY MORE AND MORE EACH DAY!

[ILClaymate]

Great idea, Pamela!  I love reading everyone's stories.  I posted this in Critical Mass a few days ago but will repost it here too.



Clay first 'turned my head' when he sang TITN at the finale.  I had not watched any of AI2 before the finale.  I had talked to my SIL who lives right outside of Raleigh a few days before the finale and she asked if I was watching AI.  She told me about this hometown guy and how he was all over the news and will be in the finale.  So I decided to watch and check him out!    So after the finale, I thought he was a great singer and it was too bad he didn't win.  At the time I was a moderator at a couple of MSN groups (non Clay related) and pretty involved with them.  



I saw Clay again during his CD promotion on Kimmel I believe and I heard him talk about the Claymates (thats how I came up with my screenname btw) and how he was getting used to the term of 'Claymates' and was accepting it.  I checked out some of the MSN and yahoo Clay groups since I was mainly familiar with them and not so much with messageboards/forums.  I joined a Claymate yahoo group.  There were alot of younger Clayfans there and alot of bickering.  I didn't stay around long.  I did a search for some other Clay messageboards and found the CB and Claymaniacs and joined them both.  I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by Clay due to reading all this information on the messageboards.  I eventually quit the MSN groups as I couldn't do both....Clay was taking up all my time!  And he still does....but I'm not complaining! 
 

[lovinclay]

I guess you could say I discovered Clay at the AI2 auditions.  He was good, and I enjoyed watching him every week, but.......I was a Ruben fan.  Voted for Ruben.  Was thrilled when he won.  Then I went to the AI2 concert.  Went in a Ruben fan.....came out a Clay fan!  It was The Clay Aiken Show.....Ruben who????  I fell in love with Clay that night in Philadelphia......have been in love with him ever since.  Will love him always!  He has my heart.....and Clay, if you're reading, I don't want it back!

[clayMaine-iac]

I never saw AI1, but I happened to have my TV tuned to Fox one weekend in January and saw an ad for AI2.  It was an ad showing some of the really bad singers and looked to be a "comedy" show.  There was nothing else I wanted to see on TV that next week on Tuesday night , so I decided to tune in thinking that AI would be good for some laughs.  My hubby was out in the kitchen and heard some of the really bad singing and came into the living room and said, "What on earth are you watching??"   I kept watching even though my hubby left the room.  I actually saw Clay that night.  I guess it was fate.   He intriqued me from the very beginning because I have a nephew (close to his age) who is a "nerd" that drops jaws when he sings, too. 

I was heartbroken when he didn't make it through Round 2 because I really liked "Open Arms". I almost gave up then, but Paula mentioned the Wildcard Show. I have to agree with Nigel--that was when I knew I was seeing a star.


But, after his "Somewhere Out There" performance I was hopelessly hooked. I wouldn't miss the show.  I even made my hubby tape the show one night when I had a commitment elsewhere.    I started taping every show towards the end.


My hubby started watching AI2 again once the final 12 started because he really liked Ruben.  It did make for an interesting rivalry all season. My hubby cheered when Ruben won and I burst into tears.  That was his first hint that I was becoming a "Claymate", I guess.  Of course, seeing as how he knew he upset me--he has been very, very supportive of my "obsession" and time spent here. 

[fantasy]

I discovered Clay during the audition of AI2. I watched the first season and loved it so of course I watched the 2nd from the beginning. When he came out and said that he could be the next American Idol, I thought "buddy, you better bring it." And boy did he ever. My mom and I were taken with him then and loved watching him every week. I bought the single when it came out, the CD the day it came out and went to the AI2 tour.

I admit my intensity grew even more after the Indepedent Tour, to see him for a full show on his own was great. And finding friends to share the passion with helped tremendously. 

[TaikenByClayton18]

I didn't even know about AI at the time so I didn't see Clay (but, boy am I kicking myself for it now! LOL) but I discovered the ClayNation after I heard Clay singing TITN on the radio and loved his voice but I didn't get MOAM until Christmas of '03, and after that is history, as they say. 

[ANGELA]

I FELL IN LOVE WITH CLAY WHEN HE AUDITIONED IN FRONT OF RANDY & SIMON (PAULA WAS NOT THERE FOR SOME REASON) WAY BEFORE HIS MAKEOVER.
CLAY HAD ME AT  THE FIRST NOTE HE BELTED OUT  .
I NEVER TURNED BACK & HAVE BEEN A LOVING & DEVOTED FAN EVER SINCE.
THE BONUS IS, THAT  I HAVE MET MANY  WONDERFUL PEOPLE FROM BEING A FAN & ALSO HAVE MADE SOME  WONDERFUL FREINDSHIPS  .

[fhmmany2]

I'm suprised that more people didn't find Clay during AI2!!!  I watched AI1, but only at the end. I didn't watch AI2 until the Finalists were chosen (I still do not watch the beginning of each Idol show - I know I am in the minority but I HATE to see people making fools of themselves on T.V.!) I thought (and still think) that the AI2 Fianalists were the best Idol contestants ever, but Clay was always ahead of the pack - that voice goes right to your soul - no matter what he is singing!

[LadyC]

It's interesting - all the different ways that Clay came into everyone's lives, and the deeply personal yet common way he came to be such a big part of each of those lives.

I first saw him on AI2.  I didn't watch the first year, had no interest in reality shows in general.  I was working nights at the hospital at the time that Clay was on AI, and I happened to be in a patient's room who insisted that I watch, "that sweet little blonde girl from Utah".

I was fluffing my patient's pillows when I heard this incredible voice belting out Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me ...

The Wild Card show.

I turned to the TV and saw those huge green eyes and that adorable fuzzy head, and that was it.  I was hooked.  I adored him.

But this was the performance that made me fall totally in love with him:

[lolita]

Pamela, great subject.

Let's see. I have watched AI since it started but was not addicted to it. Season two was another story. I couldn't wait for Tuesdays to arrive. I still watch AI but don't vote anymore. I like some of the contestant from season three to now but not enough to buy their CDS.

I believe season two will always be my favorite. And Clay will always be my one and only American Idol.

My husband also likes Clay but not as much as I do. He told me once that Clay isn't the best singer there is. I told him that I am aware also that he is not the best singer out there but I choose him and that should be enough. He never brought it up again.

I'm not very good with words so I shold stop now.

hugs,
lolita