AIKEN NEWS NETWORK DECEMBER 7

[clayMaine-iac]

Aiken delivers holiday greetings
BY KAYLEE ZIOLKOWSKI  STAFF WRITER 12/05/2007

WILKES-BARRE ­— Clay Aiken packed a punch with a score of passionate holiday favorites during his “Christmas in the Heartland” before a packed crowd at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night.
 
Sporting his modern long-coat suit and thin-rimmed frames, Aiken opened his first set with “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” hitting his signature high notes and falsettos.

Aiken sang several medleys containing a somber mix of traditional seasonal favorites, including “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “O Holy Night.” He also livened the mood with a jazz ensemble of Christmas hits including “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Jingle Bells.”

Aiken’s back-up singers, Kiana Parlor and Angela Fisher, sported black, flamenco-inspired gowns and provided solo hits including “Where Are You Christmas” and “Who Would Imagine A King.”

Between songs, Aiken chose to bring a different vibe to his holiday concert by inviting audience members on stage to share their favorite holiday memories. In the months prior to the show, fans submitted their stories to his Web site, with the top four being selected. Stories included a parent’s war romance, a childhood Christmas tree, a Christmas infant miracle and a Christmas morning film tradition.

Aiken told the audience he wanted his fans to share their favorite holiday memories to help everyone remember the meaning of this time of year.

“My favorite holiday memory is being able to share this concert with everyone,” Aiken said.

Aiken was accompanied by the Lee Vincent Holiday Orchestra, comprised of musicians from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, as well as symphonies from Allentown and Binghamton, N.Y.

Before concluding his final number, he urged audience members to support the local arts community, and challenged them to appreciate each other all year round, not just during the holidays.

“Encourage children in your area to become involved,” Aiken said. “The arts community is important, and so is your family, don’t let them forget it.”

CITIZENSVOICE

[clayMaine-iac]

Clay Aiken prepares 4th Yule show
Thursday, December 06, 2007By KEITH J. O'CONNOR
When Clay Aiken's record company proposed the idea of recording a Christmas album, he was hesitant at first.

"My first response was that I would love to do one, but not just yet," said Aiken, who is bringing his Christmas in the Heartland tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday.

"I had just released my first album and thought we should give it a year, with another album in between," said the popular "American Idol" finalist.

But as powerful record companies often do, they prevailed.

"They were very adamant in feeling that this was the time to do it, and it did work out well," said the singer, whose voice thrilled millions of Americans who watched the performer rise to the top on year two of "American Idol."

And, so, on Nov. 16, 2004, RCA Records released Aiken's "Merry Christmas With Love," which set a record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and tied Celine Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of Billboard magazine. The album went on to sell more than 1 million copies in six weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004.

In support of his Christmas album, Aiken launched a tour in November 2004 that revolved around a Christmas theme. He also starred in and executive produced his first television special in December, "A Clay Aiken Christmas," to coincide with the album and tour. The TV

show's featured guests Barry Manilow, Yolanda Adams and Megan Mullally. It was released on DVD later that month.

Aiken said with the fourth Christmas tour this year, "it's always tougher to create something a little different for the fans," but noted they have.

"We sent out a call to anybody able to write who wanted to share their own Christmas memories with us, and we've selected several of them to come up on stage at each concert to share their stories with the audience," Aiken said.

"It's almost like creating a Christmas card and we do it in such a way that the stories fold right into the next song," he added.

Born in 1978, Aiken began singing at an early age and by the time he reached his teen years was a member of the Raleigh Boys Choir in his native North Carolina. However, when it came time to go to college, music wasn't his major. He studied special education instead and had dreams of attending William and Mary for a master's degree in administration.

Before he could further his education, he ended up wooing 21 million television viewers on "American Idol" each week from February to May 2003. His rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" earned him a spot in viewers' hearts. Although he finished second to Ruben Studdard, Aiken's loss was not taken lightly. He landed a deal with RCA within weeks of the show's finale.

Aiken's debut single, "This is the Night," made history by going to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It sold more than 392,000 copies during its first week, beating Elton John's record for "Candle in the Wind 1997."

Later that year, he issued his first studio album, "The Measure of a Man," which went on to No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 during its first week of release. After the Christmas album, Aiken waited two years, until September 2006, to release his third album "A Thousand Different Ways," which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard chart - making him the fourth artist to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5.

After his current Christmas tour, Aiken said he expects to go into the recording studio in January or February to begin recording his fourth album, which he hopes to have out by the middle of next year.

MASSLIVE

[clayMaine-iac]

'Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I Made It Out of Clay Aiken ...
... and other songs to wax lyrical about on TV's returning 'The Singing Bee'
December 06, 2007 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Think Chanukah gathering's the only time when bee's wax sheds light on a good Jewish song?
For Philadelphia's Bob Horowitz, bees wax lyrical every week; but then, every week is a chai-light and a menorah mint for him since "The Singing Bee" is singing high notes and higher ratings for its network, NBC.

Read the rest:
JEWISHEXPONENT

[clayMaine-iac]

Dork chic
'Idol' alumnus Clay Aiken makes best of senior-citizen adoration 
 
By JOEY GUERRA, Hearst News Service First published: Thursday, December 6, 2007
 
Clay Aiken -- despite the stylishly shaggy 'do -- still isn't hip.

"I'm never going to be, and I'm fine with that. We all must embrace our inner dork," he said in July.

Aiken, who brings his Christmas show Friday to Palace Theatre, has still managed a successful post-"American Idol" career as the soundtrack of choice for enthusiastic grandmothers.

"People always come up to me and say, 'My grandmother's your biggest fan,' " said Aiken, who just turned 29. "There's a misconception among these ladies that I'm cool and hip and now. And they think that by liking me, it makes them cool and hip and now.

"But shhh -- we aren't going to tell them that I'm not cool and hip at all."

An affable Aiken talked about his future as a talk-show host (maybe), turkey basters (keep reading) and how Claymates saved "Jericho" from TV extinction.

Q: Fans still get worked up over you. What's with the enduring Claymania? A:

I don't get it. I don't know why. They don't see me right now in my pajamas, with my hair all messed up, one contact out. There's nothing to be excited about, honestly.

Q:

What's the most unique gift you've received from a fan?

A:

You mean turkey-baster unique? Like that? Because I've gotten one of those. Let's just let you sit on that for a minute. (Brief pause.) And there it is. The show "Jericho" ... I loved it. I started blogging about it on my fan site. It got canceled, and I blogged about how upset I was. I said, "The Claymates can do anything. How do we get this show back on the air?" Honestly, within a week they had organized a campaign amongst "Jericho" fans to send nuts to CBS. It kind of started in that place. And it's back on the air! It just blows my mind.

Q:

Any songs that didn't make the cut on "A Thousand Different Ways"?

A:

Things other than covers. Sorry, I'm being way too honest today. How do I say this politically correctly? I was strongly encouraged by other sources to do an album of covers. There was the feeling that it might be successful because there'd been success with Rod Stewart and Barry Manilow doing covers. I guess the argument against that would be I don't have the reputation that Rod Stewart has. I really don't have the credibility that he has, so there's no reason for me to do them.

Q:

Do you like the disc at all?

A:

It did turn out to be something I was really proud of. My mom's always told me, "Take lemons ... " I think we really did that.

Q:

What was the first record you purchased?

A:

I got in big trouble when I was 6 or 7. They had that Columbia House, seven albums for a penny or something like that. I was young enough to not really know what I was doing, and I stuck the little penny on. You want to talk about being completely not cool and hip? One of the ones that I remember was Crystal Gayle. God help me. It's somewhere around the house.

Q:

If you're the anti-cool singing star, who's the ultimate pop hipster?

A:

I think that Justin Timberlake's going to have that market cornered for a while. ... He can believably pull out an album like ("FutureSex/LoveSounds"). I'm not a huge fan of that one, but I'm a fan of his.

TIMESUNION

[clayMaine-iac]

Aiken, Daughtry At Casinos
Dec. 9   By Katie Rollinson | The Hartford Courant

Two former "American Idol" contestants perform at Connecticut casinos this Sunday in 7 p.m. shows: Clay Aiken at Mohegan Sun and Chris Daughtry at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Aiken performs "Christmas in the Heartland," a show featuring classic holiday favorites and selections from his album, "Merry Christmas With Love" as a part of his fourth annual Christmas tour. The show is at the Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or www.mohegansun.com.

Daughtry and his band of the same name perform songs from their successful self-titled album at the theater in Foxwoods, 39 Norwich-Westerly Road, Mashantucket. The show opens with a special guest performance by the band the Midway State. Tickets are $75 and $50, and can be purchased by calling 800-200-2882 or online at www.foxwoods.com.

COURANT.COM

[clayMaine-iac]

Aiken's Christmas tour arrives Saturday
By Sean T. McMann Poughkeepsie Journal

 Is standing under the mistletoe with Clay Aiken on your wish list this Christmas? 

 You might get your chance Saturday night. 

 That is, if you're on Santa's "Nice" list. 

 That's because the former "American Idol" finalist brings his "Christmas in the Heartland" tour to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in the City of Poughkeepsie at 8. Aiken's concert will be the 10th show in a 22-city circuit, coming between stops in Albany tonight and Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena Sunday. 

 "It has gone really well," Aiken told the Poughkeepsie Journal last week, the morning after a show in South Bend, Ind., the third on this Christmas swing. "It's been a lot of fun." 

 Beginning in Wichita, Kan., Nov. 26, "Christmas in the Heartland" is Aiken's fourth such holiday tour. In all, it's his eighth time across the country since spring 2004, when he shared the stage with original "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson. 

 Even for a veteran of the road, things can get hectic night after night, town after town. The holiday season is no different. 

 "Sometimes the first week of a tour, we all hold our breath," said Aiken, who turned 30 a week ago today. "Usually by the end of the first week, we have a rough night. For us, that came last night." 

 Aiken said he looked to change things up a bit this time, making this year's show interactive. 

 "It's a challenge to change the show every Christmas, to make it something different," he said. "The challenge became not giving people the same show every year." 

 Aiken solicited fans' favorite memories of Christmases past, providing the singer with inspiration, if not segues, in between tunes. 

 "I needed something to say in between songs," said Aiken, who released his "Merry Christmas with Love" CD in 2004. "I thought I'd share some of my own favorite Christmas stories, but then I realized: I don't really have any Christmas stories! 

 "This year, I've asked fans to share their favorite Christmas memory. I thought, 'Let's have the fans do it.' It's kind of neat to hear the way people celebrate their holidays." 

 It's kind of tiring, too. 

 Receiving more than 1,600 memories from fans, he spent his time leading up to that Wichita show, reading each one individually. 

 "During Thanksgiving day, right before I left for the tour," Aiken said, "about every hour, I had to sneak away into my office and read some. Then I got about 400 more. I'm almost done." 

 Philharmonic to join in
He said the night of Christmas music promises to be a treat for his fans, some of whom are headed to Dutchess County from New England and beyond. 

 Unlike the jolly guy making his yearly trek Dec. 24, though, this wish-maker will arrive in town on tour bus, not a reindeer-drawn sleigh. 

 Adding to the festivities, Aiken has again joined forces with local orchestras and choirs on each stop of the tour. 

 For the Poughkeepsie concert, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic will share the stage with the "Idol" season two runner-up. 

 "I think it's great for Clay's audience to be exposed to the Hudson valley Philharmonic and vice versa," said Chris Silva, executive director of the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, the home of the orchestra. 

 Following the tour, Aiken will head overseas for UNICEF goodwill appearances before starring as Sir Robin in the Broadway production of Monty Python's "Spamalot." 

 Between the hectic schedule of touring and now the New York City stage production, one might think Aiken longs for his home in North Carolina. The performer said this is the longest stretch he's been away that he can remember. 

 "It'll be my first time being away for Christmas; UNICEF doesn't take a break," he said. "I won't be back at my home for five months straight. That's a bit weird. The last night I was at my home before the tour, I was in my bed and I was like, 'This is the last night I'm going to sleep in this bed. I'm not going to see my house for five months.' "

POUGHKEEPSIEJOURNAL

[clayMaine-iac]

Clay Aiken performs his Christmas show at the Kirby Center Tuesday night.

WILKES-BARRE – Chatter filled the F.M. Kirby Center while the Lee Vincent Orchestra was onstage, quietly playing Christmas songs. The orchestra went virtually unnoticed until the concert master came onstage and took his place at the piano.

That’s when the fans silenced.

They knew Clay Aiken would be coming on stage soon.

And out he came, from a curtain draped under part of the orchestra, dressed completely in black. He took his place at a standing microphone in the center of the stage and belted out a medley of Christmas tunes in a rather unassuming manner.

Aiken, the runner-up on Season 2 of “American Idol,” didn’t move on stage. He didn’t let flashy costumes or neon lights take the focus away from his vocals. And, on songs like “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” his voice soared, causing the audience to wonder why he didn’t win “American Idol.”

Could Ruben Studdard, the Velvet Teddy Bear, hit the high notes in “Oh Holy Night”?

Aiken sang familiar Christmas songs – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Jingle Bells” and “Winter Wonderland” with a big band ending – sandwiched together as medleys. The lesser-known songs (like “Mary Did You Know” and “Welcome to Our World”) were full-lengths, which perhaps was purposely done to eliminate turning the concert into a group singalong.

Aiken played the Kirby Center last year (this is actually his fourth annual Christmas tour), and he changed the show up this year by inviting four audience members to read aloud holiday stories.

The first story was a humorous tale of opening presents under a father’s video camera. The second was a tear-jerker about a sick grandson who was able to come home for Christmas; another was of a woman who made “moments” for her playhouse Christmas tree (because she was too young to say “ornaments”); the last was about the woman’s parents, who were separated at Christmas when her father was in the Korean War but were reunited thanks to Operation Santa.

The stories of holiday joy, each person’s own holiday miracle, choked up some audience members at times and caused laughter at others. But, what it did more than anything was stir up some holiday spirit.

And that’s what Aiken hoped for.

He closed the second set (he sang two and an encore) by asking people “not to save it all for Christmas” and to give love and affection to those close to your heart now.

He then appropriately sang, “Don’t Save It All for Christmas Day.”

People left chattering as the orchestra packed up onstage, this time talking about how great Aiken’s voice was, how great the orchestra was and perhaps just how great the holiday season is going to be.

TIMESLEADER