AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 25

[clayMaine-iac]

Idol Ratings Not So Sparkly
by Gina Serpe

In the end, the Sparkettes couldn't touch the Soul Patrol or Clay Mates.

Proving a fitting end to a season dogged by criticism of mediocrity, American Idol's sixth finale failed to distinguish itself ratings-wise. About 30.7 million viewers tuned in Wednesday night for the 129-minute filler-friendly show to see beauty Jordin Sparks triumph over beatboxing beast Blake Lewis, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

While the numbers easily trumped all competition for the night—second-place Lost averaged 13.9 million for its two-hour season ender—viewership was off nearly 16 percent from last year's finale, when a series-high 36.4 million viewers tuned in for Taylor Hicks' 124-minute coronation.

Wednesday's finale did manage to squeak by Carrie Underwood's 2005 win (30.3 million) and best  Fantasia Barrino's 2004 triumph (28 million), but paled in comparison to the Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken faceoff in 2003 (34 million).

EONLINE

[clayMaine-iac]

NEW YORK – The best days may still be ahead for Jordin Sparks, but the same may not be said for "American Idol.''

The 30.7 million people who watched Sparks win on Wednesday was a sharp drop from the 36.4 million people who saw Taylor Hicks in last year's finale, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Industry observers said chances are that the 2006 season will stand as the peak for audience interest.

A lackluster pool of contestants, the general malaise among viewers this spring and the simple laws of TV gravity are all factors.

"People are getting tired of it," said Marc Berman, an analyst for Media Week Online. "I know I am.''

Mind you, most TV shows would kill for this kind of "bad news." The Fox phenomenon was still TV's most popular program this season. Barring a major surprise, it likely will be again next year.

Fox executives cautioned against counting "Idol" out. For the season as a whole, "American Idol" ratings will be slightly down or even identical to last year, when DVR viewing is taken into account. To some degree interest is driving by the personalities involved, and a whole new cast of characters join next spring, said Fox's Scott Grogin.

This year's finale compares to the 30.3 million who watched in 2005, and 28.8 million in 2004. The showdown between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard in 2003 attracted 38 million viewers, Nielsen said.

THESTAR

[clayMaine-iac]

Ear Candy would like to send a big congrats to Blake Lewis for being a great performer and competitor on American Idol. You represented yourself and Seattle well and I think everyone is pretty proud of you. Or at least judging by a majority of the 194 comments on yesterday's Ear Candy post everyone seems to be proud of you.

With that said, everyone knows finishing second on Idol isn't too bad of a spot to be in. For example, there's the creepy Chris Daughtry who is a recording star and didn't finish as the winner of AI. Then there are the other examples such as Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, Kathryn McPhee and Justin Guarini ... er, wait scratch that last one.

SEATTLEPIBLOG

[clayMaine-iac]

Clothes Off Our Back charity update:

Clay Aiken's Shirt
 
 Current Bid $2,200.00

 

CLOTHESOFFOURBACK

[clayMaine-iac]

A final Dance Along at Home with Jimmy, this time with them trying to tout a DVD of the same name, including a clever cameo by Clay Aiken. I suspect that Tom mentioned the fact that this was a bogus product, just in case. (And if you stayed up to watch Kimmel's show to see Apolo and Julianne's appearance, you were treated to an amusing skit with Ian. If you missed it, you will have to wait for the inevitable repeat.)

THE-TRADES

[clayMaine-iac]

The finale featured something of an orgy of looking back and self-congratulation, which probably does not compare to what we can expect from ‘American Idol’ tonight. All sorts of forgotten contestants—Shandi Finnessy, seriously, who are you—and should-be-forgotten contestants—go away, Heather Mills—returned for one last dramatic dance, though their dancing was for naught as they were, y’know, out of the competition. Even Clay Aiken shows up for a jokey segment to remind us that ‘Dancing with the Stars” truly is just like ‘American Idol’….for your feet.

CINEMABLEND

[clayMaine-iac]

Jimmy Kimmel “shamelessly tries to profit” from the show by offering a DVD of Dancing Along at Home. Joey claims it changed his life, and Laila gives a hilarious endorsement as well. The “special bonus” of Guillermo’s Moustache Magic offered with it has Clay Aiken promoting it. Tom Bergeron points out that this is not a real DVD, in case we’re gullible tonight.

BUDDYTV

[clayMaine-iac]

Just when the booted stars thought they were off the hook for dancing, they were forced back onto the floor for one final showcase of their best dances. Even a Heather Mills back walkover. And Billy Ray and his mullet. Ah ... good times. Not to be left out, Jimmy Kimmel and his trusty sidekick Guillermo made one last appeal to viewers by pitching their "how to dance" DVD. The best part about this was a cameo appearance by Clay Aiken. If there's one thing about DWTS that I love, it's that you never truly know who's going to come out of the woodwork.

TVCOCKTAILVILLAGE

[clayMaine-iac]

Drink stand raises $1,000
Boy, 12, launches charity challenge

Kinea White Epps, Staff Writer
Saturday is usually a day of play for kids, but Jonathan Bunzey, 12, was hard at work.
The energetic, freckle-faced boy spent most of Saturday at his lemonade and coffee stand outside Taylor's Fine Wine & Grocery off Six Forks Road in Raleigh, raising money for children with special needs.

At the end of his six-hour shift, Jonathan had more than $1,000 for a cause near and dear to him.

As a toddler, Jonathan battled encephalitis, a swelling of the brain that left him unable to speak. He now communicates through a translator.

That hasn't stopped Jonathan from putting out a call to children across the country to set up stands as part of the LemonAid Stand Off Challenge. Proceeds go to the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which was co-founded by "American Idol" star and Raleigh favorite Clay Aiken, to help children with special needs. The foundation provides an interpreter for Jonathan so he can attend summer camps.

"The community gave us a lot when Jonathan was sick, and this is a way for him to give back," said his mother, Heather Bunzey, who helped out at the stand, along with Jonathan's sister and friends.

Jonathan set a goal of raising $400, so the final tally was a pleasant surprise. "Wow," Jonathan said through sign language as his mother interpreted.

One person slipped in a $100 bill.

Fundraising is nothing new for Jonathan, a bubbly youngster who likes to play basketball and jump on the trampoline. He was recently honored with the Bubel/Aiken Foundation's Champion of Change youth award for his work.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker designated Saturday as Jonathan Bunzey Day, and Jonathan proudly displayed the proclamation at his lemonade stand.

(Interested in organizing a LemonAid stand? Visit www.bubelaiken.org. Click on "What's New.")

NEWSOBSERVER

[clayMaine-iac]

Launched in 2003 with a $5 million check from Davis himself, the department at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts is the first in the country that awards students a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in producing pop-music records. The program claims to be unique because it develops "creative entrepreneurs" who learn about all sides of the industry—business, technology, and performance—rather than just one aspect.

Some students specialize in engineering, some in business, and the rest—about a third—are performer-producers who gain training in how to record themselves in a multimillion-dollar studio so that they leave with full-length albums upon graduation. And if the final goal isn't already clear, a wall of photos at the fifth-floor offices at 194 Mercer Street makes the point: There's Davis with Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana. Davis with Annie Lennox and Rod Stewart. Davis handing a gold record to American Idol standout Clay Aiken.

VILLAGEVOICE

[clayMaine-iac]

In most cases, when people ask me if it is important to win American Idol or if just being on the show and making it far is good enough, I answer it is most important to win. Sure, there are the Chris Daughtrys and Clay Aikens of the world, who have succeeded quite well without winning. But there are far more losing contestants who have not done well enough than there are who have. The winner of American Idol is guaranteed to have the promotional power of the show and the powers that be behind it. The same is not guaranteed for those who don’t win.

FOXESONIDOL

[clayMaine-iac]

It also didn’t hurt that when Chris R. left, Blake showed that he and Chris were best buddies. In other words, “Hey, all you Chris fans, vote for me now that he’s gone!” And considering he beat out Melinda to make it into the final two, those fans were dialing like crazy!

However, a strong fan base cannot necessarily carry the day in the finale. Just ask Clay Aiken (or his fans). There are too many undecideds and more casual viewers who watch the finale and make some calls. Plus, four hours of dialing and texting time can challenge even the most fervent supporter.

FOXESONIDOL

[clayMaine-iac]

Clay Aiken
Season 2

Runner-up

What’s up: On Oct. 14, 2003, Aiken released his first solo album, “Measure of a Man,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years.

The album received RIAA Double Platinum certification Nov. 17, 2003 and has sold more than 2,750,000 units to date. Later that year, Aiken won the Fan’s Choice Award at the American Music Awards ceremony, and his CD single “This Is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water” won the Billboard award for the Best-Selling Single of 2003.

In November 2004, Aiken released a holiday album, “Merry Christmas With Love,” which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era (since 1991). The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 1,000,000 copies retail in six weeks making it the best-selling holiday album of 2004. The album receiving RIAA Platinum certification on Jan. 6, 2005.

At the same time, Aiken’s story made the New York Times Best Seller List debuting at No. 2, with his “inspirational memoir” titled “Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life,” written with Allison Glock.

In December 2004, Aiken starred in his first TV special, “A Clay Aiken Christmas.” He was also executive producer for the Christmas special, which was released on DVD later that month.

Aiken’s third album, “A Thousand Different Ways,” was released Sept. 19, 2006. Debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard chart, the album made Aiken the fourth artist ever to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5 and scan over 200,000 in the first week. A 20-date tour is planned for the summer across the U.S., which includes a stop on Aug. 11 at Biltmore Estate in Asheville.

CITIZEN-TIMES

[Pamela]

Good morning Ms D and all the newschicks!

This is an odd little mention that came in my email this morning...

Some young singers believe that all they have to do is imitate their favorite singers to be successful, thanks in part to such shows as "American Idol."

This idea, dubbed the "Idol illusion," allows starry-eyed wannabes to ignore the discipline, dedication and drive that are the key components of a successful performing artist. And most "Idol" singers who went on to have careers have had training. Clay Aiken began his musical training early and also studied movement and dramatic presentation.

Pocono Record

That dramatic presentation training sure helped him convey such sincerity in the skit with Jimmy Wednesday night!  

[Pamela]

Entertainment Weekly weighs in....

In more "Idol" news, Entertainment Weekly has compiled its list of the top 10 "Idol" performances ever, and even though the magazine has early deadlines, we're pretty sure Jordin Sparks singing "This is My Now" wouldn't have shaken things up much. Carrie Underwood's "Alone" takes their No. 1 spot, followed by Kelly Clarkson's "Stuff Like That There," Clay Aiken's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Fantasia Barrino's "Summertime."

Detroit News

Well, that's just one opinion.  

[lorraine]

Good morning Deanna and Pamela.  Have a great holiday weekend and thanks for bringing us the news each and everyday.

Hugs
Rainey

[NCSandhillsDeb]

Good morning everyone!!!!

Thanks for the news Deanna and Pamela.

Debbie

[clayMaine-iac]

I thought I would pop in and let you all know that it is sunny and 94 degrees here right now.  That is sooo rare for us. 

I am loving every minute of it.

My son's last home baseball game is today.  I do think those poor kids are going to be a little warm. 

[NCSandhillsDeb]

WOW, Deanna!!!!!!  Enjoy it.  It is sunny but only 79 degrees in NC at the moment.

[ClayHeart]

Well, it looks like Clay still gets noticed and mentioned, even when it's just a little cameo in a fake ad.  I hope that his next album is original songs and gets promoted correctly!!!  He needs to be seen (and appreciated) by a much bigger group of people.   Then again, that would make it even harder for us to see him, and the ticket stress would be even worse!!  OH NO!!!   

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone.

Debbie