AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MARCH 2

[Pamela]

Q&A with NC's Clay Aiken, on touring, life and celebrity

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM
Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. --
The celebrity spotlight robbed Clay Aiken of invisibility, but it can't make him invincible to the uncertain fate of most pop stars - and he knows it.

Since being catapulted into stardom last year by his runner-up performance on "American Idol," Aiken has seemed omnipresent, with his smooth vocals and boy-next-door appeal. His life is at best hectic, and often chaotic.

Less than a week into his first co-headlining tour with Kelly Clarkson, Aiken already notices how much more comfortable he is on this tour than on last summer's stint with "American Idol Live."

The AP interviewed Aiken as he began his 30-city tour with Clarkson, which runs through April 16. The tour played Raleigh's RBC Center on Monday night.

AP: You've toured for the "American Idol Live" tour, but this is your first co-headliner. How does it feel?

Aiken: It's a lot more relaxed for me, because I am obviously a little bit more accustomed to the rigors of touring and how the schedule works and a little more accustomed to big crowds. With that show you had a lot of people that were trying to get everybody's attention. And for this show, I don't have to compete with anybody. Kelly and I are both successful in our own right.

AP: If and when your popularity as a singer declines, what are your plans?

Aiken: I don't really make any expectations for anything. I didn't plan on making it this far in the first place, so I don't really have any expectations as to how long it will go on. I am enjoying myself now and I kind of like to live in the moment. One of the lessons I have learned is that you can't make plans for yourself because God has surprises. One of the things I want to make sure is successful is the foundation (the Bubel Aiken Foundation, which Aiken started to benefit disabled children). Maybe in a few years, if my career as an entertainer is not as successful, my hope is that the foundation will be able to be successful and I can work on that.

AP: Any chance for Broadway?

Aiken: No plans for anything right now. It's something we'll look at.

AP: How has the transition into the public eye been?

Aiken: The lack of anonymity is a tough thing to get used to. I can't go anywhere without people staring and whispering. People know who you are now. You can't go to the grocery store without somebody checking to see what kind of milk you buy.

AP: Are you watching the new 'American Idol'? What do you think of the contestants?

Aiken: I watched the first two weeks. The second group of eight was pretty much crap, but the first group of eight I was really impressed with and could be the top eight for the show. ... My favorite probably remains Jennifer Hudson. She didn't make it through in the first group. She has an extremely powerful voice and just a really sweet personality. Fantasia (Barrino) who is from High Point is going to make it quite a ways. I told her, 'Listen, you can be number three, but you can not be more popular in North Carolina than I am.'

AP: How does the accomplishment of your recent graduation from UNC-Charlotte feel in the larger scheme of your life?

Aiken: I probably won't end up doing anything with my special ed degree as far as in a classroom, but it is something that I worked at, something that I wanted really badly. For four years of my life I worked at getting my college degree and it's something that I wanted to follow through with.

AP: Do you have any ambition to write your own songs?

Aiken: If I wake up in the morning with an idea for a hook in my head that I think is an 'A' song, yes, I'll write it. I am not going to sit down and write stuff just for the sake of writing it.

There are songwriters out there - and I think that's been proven by the album that we have - who write 'A' songs, who need people to sing these 'A' songs and I don't want to waste the 12 tracks on my album to write stuff that could have been 'B' material.

AP: You don't like to discuss your personal life, and probably don't have much personal time, but it seems like it is a big part of who you are.

Aiken: I have to create time that is 'off' for me, and the only way I can do that is by telling everybody 'none of your business.'

AP: Some writers have predicted that you will end up in Branson, Mo., with your own Clay Aiken Theater. What do you think about that?

Aiken: I don't know who else has a theater in Branson, Mo., so I don't know what kind of comparison to draw there, but I think that the writers who write these things are sitting on their butts writing these things and not as successful as some of the people in Branson, Mo. - these people are pretty successful in their market. If 15 or 20 years down the line, I am still successful enough to have a theater in Branson, Mo., then good for me.

AP: What are your hopes for the Bubel Aiken Foundation?

Aiken: A lot of people overlook the work that the foundation is trying to do. That's the benefit of me being in this position, is the opportunity to bring attention to a cause that's personal to me that doesn't really have a voice ... . We are trying to integrate kids with mental disabilities into programs with kids without. We are trying to get rid of that line between the two populations. We are trying to make sure that there aren't two societies anymore - a mental disability community and everybody else, and that's what's really important to me.

HERALD TRIBUNE LINK

[Pamela]

AIKEN'S RETURN THRILLS FANS FROM ALL AREAS

Updated: 3/1/2004 5:10 PM
By: Susanne Robinson & Web Staff

Star-gazers gathered in the parking lot of radio station Mix 101.5 Monday morning to catch a glimpse of "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken as he visited Raleigh on a concert tour.

"I find the whole thing fascinating,” fan Holly Sumner said. “I haven't seen someone with this kind of appeal for this many different generations since the Beatles."

Sumner is from Arizona, but she follows Aiken around the country hoping to get a shot at the perfect photo. It is a passion that pays.

"I made about $7,000 on one photograph,” Sumner said.

Thought they've traveled far, most of the fans don't take themselves that seriously. Their loyalty to a lanky pop star, however, is serious business.

"I just felt something right away, a connection in his soul, his song, his voice and I've loved him ever since,” fan Carole Brady from Connecticut said.

"It inspires me to move ahead every day of my life and I love him,” Brooke DeGrosse said.

The fans’ patience was rewarded. They got just a very brief glimpse of Aiken on his way to an interview but for the faithful, that’s enough.

Aiken is on an eight-week concert tour with first-season "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson. On Monday night, the pair will perform at the RBC Center in Raleigh to a packed house. They’ll go to Philadelphia and New York before returning to North Carolina to perform a concert in Winston-Salem on March 13.

NEWS 14 CAROLINA (click link for video)

[Pamela]

Clay Aiken in Concert Tonight

By Nick Smith

The Triangle's favorite American Idol is back home. Clay Aiken fans will cram the RBC Center to see the Raleigh native in concert tonight. Clay, along with 2002 American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson will perform in front of a sold out crowd. This morning Clay talked to us about his big night ahead.

There's only one man that could bring this many fans out this early. "I'm excited to see Clay."

"We haven't slept yet. We just wanted to do something fun that we could all participate in."

And none of the fan adoration is lost on the pop star or taken for granted. He sat down with Bob and Madison of G-105 and Eyewitness News sat down with him to talk about the pressure of fame and being a roll model. "I don't wanna do anything in front of the camera that I wouldn't be doing off camera so leave the cameras around it doesn't bother me."

That's good to know, because after tonight's performance, Clay will be stripped in order to become history. The clothes that stylist selected to help shape Clay's look will be on exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of History starting Tuesday, proving that today's pop culture often becomes tomorrow's history.

WTVD 11

[Pamela]

Concert Tour Brings Clay To Raleigh, WRAL
Aiken, Clarkson To Perform At RBC Center

RALEIGH, N.C. -- He's back! Raleigh's Clay Aiken is in town for a stop on his 30-city concert tour with "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson. No visit to Raleigh would be complete without a visit to WRAL.

Raleigh's singing sensation talked about about many subjects, including what fans can expect at his concerts, what the future holds and negative press.

"I take it all like I take ("American Idol" judge) Simon (Cowell). Kelly says Simon was the way to prepare us for the critics, because not everyone is going to like you every minute and sometimes they're just going to say things for the sake of being mean. If they were any better at it, they'd be doing it themselves," Aiken said.

Aiken said he has enjoyed all the special appearances -- especially Saturday Night Live -- and music awards, but he refuses to let it all go to his head.

Monday morning, Claymates lined up at WRAL-FM Mix 101.5, where Aiken joined Bill Jordan and Sheri Logan on the air.

Some fans came from as far as Canada, Texas, Boston and New York for the Raleigh concert and a chance to see their favorite pop star up close.

Some fans came from as Canada for the Raleigh concert and a chance to see their favorite pop star up close.  

Ginger Strazzulla, 70, of Boston, and her niece, Karlyn Fuller, were among those in the crowd.

"He has a wonderful voice. He is the type of voice for every generation," Strazzulla said. "I really feel as though he is a role model for the younger people of today. It is so refreshing to listen to him and not have to turn my ears away when some of the words come out."

Strazulla and Fuller plan to attend the next two shows in Long Island and Massachusetts.

Others in the crowd said they are among friends -- meeting each other in person after chatting with each another in Clay Aiken chat rooms over the past year.

Aiken and Clarkson perform Monday night at the RBC Center. The show is sold out. The duo performs in Winston-Salem on March 13.

WRAL LINK (click the link for video)

[Pamela]

THE WAY

The Way has not been on JoJos countdown since last Thursday. It's really very important that the song receive more airplay so if you will take a minute to place a vote for The Way at JoJos it will help Clay!

Maybe if we all vote today we can get it back on the countdown.
Thanks.

Email:
Jojotop9voting@aol.com
 
Drop down voting menu:
http://www.kiisfm.com/top9.html

[songbird457]

AP: How does the accomplishment of your recent graduation from UNC-Charlotte feel in the larger scheme of your life?

Aiken: I probably won't end up doing anything with my special ed degree as far as in a classroom, but it is something that I worked at, something that I wanted really badly. For four years of my life I worked at getting my college degree and it's something that I wanted to follow through with.

This made me a bit sad. Continued prayers that Clay will always be in a place of happiness. Yes Clay, only God knows our plans.

Very nice article though. I just love ANN.  :D

[shaikeninseattle]

He indicated that he would probably go on to work with the foundation if his singing career ended. So he would still be involved with the children! :D

[Pamela]

Aiken was best of two 'Idol' stars

By DAVID MENCONI, Staff Writer

RALEIGH -- Sooner or later, all the "American Idol" stars are going to have to prove they can thrive outside the show's safe harbor.
On Monday night, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson tried to do just that, bringing their "Independent" tour to the RBC Center.
 
It was a homecoming show for the prodigal idol Aiken, a Raleigh native. Maybe it was playing to a sympathetic hometown crowd, but Aiken came across as the vastly superior performer.

Clarkson seemed to be going out of her way to come off as down-home, coming onstage in torn jeans, ponytail and a red T-shirt that read, "DIRRTY SOUTH" (which later gave way to one that read, "I [heart] Clay"). She also strummed guitar on a couple of songs.

Clarkson can wail, and she competently handled everything from ballads to big-band-style belters. But she has yet to develop much vocal personality, and sounded very much like a poor woman's Christina Aguilera. In terms of voice, charisma and overall presence, Aiken pretty much left her in the dust.

Aiken made a splashy entrance with a cover of the 1985 Mr. Mister hit "Kyrie," walking to the stage from the back of the arena and singing as he went. The sold-out, overwhelmingly female, crowd went completely bonkers. This was a show where you could sense the audience as a living, breathing organism, and it reacted with hysteria to all the right cues -- the opening acts' references to Aiken, or nearly anything he did onstage.

There weren't many cigarette lighters in the air, but a steady pulse of camera flashes going off and a forest of raised cell phones. About halfway through the set, Aiken took one such phone from a young woman in the crowd, and had a brief conversation with a woman named Jody listening in from Syracuse, N.Y.:

"Hi, this is Clay Aiken. ... Who's this? ... Jody from Syracuse? ... Breathe, honey."

Then he sang the first verse of "When You Say You Love Me" into the phone before handing it back, probably triggering a heart attack in upstate New York.

Aiken sang most of the songs on his album, last year's "Measure of a Man." Since he only has one album, he had to do some covers to fill out his 70-minute set -- a positive thing, given the blandness of that album.

But not all the covers worked. He butchered Prince's "When Doves Cry" with a lounge-lizard introduction, followed by a semi-lewd thrusting behind one of his backup singers (a shocking move for such a rigorously clean-cut young man).

Faring better was an acoustic medley that included Sting's "Fields of Gold," Leo Sayer's "When I Need You" and James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind." The latter song drew the loudest howls of the night. But all over the arena, clusters of girls took advantage of the quiet parts of the medley to yell out marriage proposals or vows of undying love.

If he plays his cards right, Aiken could be the next Tom Jones -- or the next Barry Manilow.

NEWS OBSERVER

[Moonshot]

Since he only has one album, he had to do some covers to fill out his 70-minute set --

I know I was a bit overwhelmed but I think someone would have told me if I had blacked out for 20 minutes. Did I miss something?

But not all the covers worked. He butchered Prince's "When Doves Cry" with a lounge-lizard introduction,

I don't think we were watching the same concert.  :?

followed by a semi-lewd thrusting behind one of his backup singers (a shocking move for such a rigorously clean-cut young man).

YOUNG MAN - HELLLOOOO. Yes, I can see how a YOUNG MAN showing some sensuality would be shocking....NOT.

[outthereforclay]

If he plays his cards right, Aiken could be the next Tom Jones -- or the next Barry Manilow.

Interesting...Tom Jones? I bet Clay is guffawing at THAT one!
Barry Manilow? I've never quite "gotten" all these comparisons to Barry Manilow. I always considered Manilow a talented and proflific songwriter and a mediocre singer...To me Clay is a force--charisma, intelligence, vocal talent that FAR overshadows Manilow's, and let's not forget the "hotness" factor :oops:

I heard Clay say on the WRAL interview that he "got a little too into the hip dance thing" in Miami and would be more careful about it...Made sense for Raleigh---gramma and Mama Faye in the audience, etc.....

But for the rest of the tour? Let's just wait to see what this "rigorously clean cut young man" delivers, shall we? 8)

(and I'm still laughing over the writer's "semi-lewd thrusting" description! : )

[BlownAway]

You can tell that was written by a man - there's NOTHING lewd about OMC!

Otherwise, nice review for Clay, but I'm still growling at that reporter.

Missy

[houstonclayfan]

Aiken sang most of the songs on his album, last year's "Measure of a Man." Since he only has one album, he had to do some covers to fill out his 70-minute set -- a positive thing, given the blandness of that album.

There are a lot of words to describe MOAM. Blandness is not one of them. And over 2 million copies have been sold, so if blandness IS the right, this country really enjoys blandness.

If he plays his cards right, Aiken could be the next Tom Jones -- or the next Barry Manilow.

Hmmm....   Tom Jones and Barry Manilow must be bland too

[BlownAway]

Hey,

I grew up loving Barry Manilow, and Clay by far surpasses anything I've ever felt for him. In such a short time too.  Whew!! What that man does to me!!!!!

Missy

[Her]

Whew!! What that man does to me!!!!!

Amen, BlownAway!

[tessie]

From "semi-lewd thrusting" to "bland" in one article....is Clay doing nothing right or every thing right.....pleasing us all?

[AdoringClay]

:) I grew up loving and listening to Barry Manilow too.  I have all of his albums and even went to see him in concert twice.  

I have never understood the comparison of Clay to Barry, other than they are both ballad singers and are both tall and lanky and seem to be nice guys.  The similarities stop there.  I always thought Barry was a good enough singer, but I just really like his music.  I never thought of him as a great singer.  He never thrilled me on stage.  He either sat or stood at the piano and was kind of fun to watch perform.

Clay blows Barry out of the water on so many levels.  

In my humble opinion, Clay's voice is so rich and pure and is the best pop voice I have ever heard.  His range is fantastic.  It warms my heart whenever I hear it. (Listen to him sing some of the old classics, and he sounds better than the original performer who became famous because of the song.)
 
No, Clay does not write his own songs - he said if he ever writes one he thinks is better than those written by the professionals, he will release it.  I do not need Clay to be a song writer - I want him to do what he does best - perform!  

Clay is so much more of a natural performer and he moves his audience unlike many performers before him.  He is so fun to watch.  He is mesmerizing.  He is absolutely gorgeous to look at.  He is a wonderful humanitarian.  He is kind to others.

What a wonderful gift Clay is!  (Sorry Barry!  I still love you too...)

[Pamela]

Carlos Welcomes Kelly & Clay Miami-Style

March 2, 2004
Miami "Idol" fans were "thankful" for a night of unadulterated KELLY and CLAY over the weekend when the Idols hit South Florida's American Airlines Arena on their 30-city tour. The Raleigh rogue sang "Perfect Day," "Invisible" and many more songs from his double-platinum debut album, Measure of a Man, and even got a little sassy with a cover of PRINCE's "When Doves Cry." While Kelly played a bit of guitar with a feather boa for a strap, belted out her hits like "Miss Independent" and sang REBA McENTIRE's "Why Haven't I Heard From You."

Before the super-popular show, ET's own CARLOS PONCE was there for an exclusive backstage tour with the duo to check out their wardrobes, watch them rehearse and glean more tidbits about their all-important, Scrabble showdown.

"The Scrabble box came out the other day and she still demands that she can win," Clay confesses. "You know, I'm not as competitive as she is. But we have a long drive from Miami to Raleigh, so we'll see."

The Texas tornado confessed her passion for the word game to ET earlier this month, saying, "My mom and I have been playing it since I was little and I'm just a Scrabble champion. I know -- I'm a dork!"

As for the tour, the man named one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men" says he loves being onstage -- especially goofing around with the fans. "If I see a sign in the audience that really cracks me up I'll talk to somebody about the sign. Last night, somebody had a cell phone that they were holding up and I picked up the cell phone and was talking to the person that was on the phone. I sang happy birthday to some girl the other night."

The two switch things around for each city, including who sings first. But regardless of who opens, the "Independent" tour always closes with a duet, Clay says. "We decided early on that we wanted to do a duet, so we do a duet no matter what at the end of the show."

So who has the most groupies? "Clay and I have really separate audiences," Kelly explains, "and what's cool is that each night we're kind of winning over the other's audience. That's what's exciting."

ET ON YAHOO

[Pamela]

From "semi-lewd thrusting" to "bland" in one article....is Clay doing nothing right or every thing right.....pleasing us all?

Maybe neither.  That was nothing more than a healthy 25 yr old man feeling the music and entertaining the masses.  That writer is the N&O music critic, but he is not a pop music fan.  His comment about the 'semi-lewd thrusting' was nothing more than an attempt to humiliate Clay in his hometown where everyone loves him for many more reasons than just his vocal prowess.  

Besides, he's not much of a music critic if he thinks that was 'lewd.' Because he obviously hasn't watched MTV lately, seen a Beyonce or Britney video, read the song titles and lyrics on the Billboard singles chart, or seen a Super Bowl halftime debacle.   Hello!

If that was 'lewd', then I'm a full blown slutty skank ho and anyone who has met me knows that's not the case.

(Anyone who has met me is more than welcome to jump in and agree at any time now!)

:mrgreen:

[lorilovesgolf]

"He butchered Prince's "When Doves Cry" with a lounge-lizard introduction, followed by a semi-lewd thrusting behind one of his backup singers (a shocking move for such a rigorously clean-cut young man)."

I wasn't at the concert but I did watch the video and let me tell you, if he butchered "When Doves Cry", I hope he butchers every song the same way when I see him in D.C.!!

[outthereforclay]

If that was 'lewd', then I'm a full blown slutty skank ho and anyone who has met me knows that's not the case.

Pamela, since I'll be meeting you myself Mar. 13....

I'll let you know... 8)  8)  :

By the way, I love:

The Raleigh rogue sang "Perfect Day," "Invisible" and many more songs from his double-platinum debut album, Measure of a Man,

oooh..."Raleigh rogue" :P sounds so....Rhett Butler-ish! :

and even got a little sassy

just like his mama said! :