AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MARCH 8

[Pamela]

Singer Clay Aiken uses his magical voice for a personal mission

Twenty-four year old Clay Aiken, a special education teacher from Raleigh, N.C., is a celebrity spokesperson for NEA's Read Across America. Aiken, who overnight became an RCA recording star, has captivated millions with his magical voice. As his first CD shot to double platinum on the charts, Aiken vowed to use whatever personal celebrity came his way to make a positive difference in the world. The result: the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, dedicated to changing society's perception of the developmentally disabled.

Clay Aiken is also the spokesperson and a reader for "Stories for Heroes," a series of children's stories narrated by celebrities and sold as a CD audio book. The first audio book in the series will feature the "Arthur" adventure series stories by Marc Brown. Proceeds from the sale of the audio book will benefit The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, National Education Association's Health Information Network and Clay's Bubel-Aiken Foundation. The audio book — which features celebrities such as Clay, Kevin Bacon, Marsha Gay Harden, Minnie Driver and others — will available in April.

In his role with NEA's Read Across America, Clay recorded a public service announcement for radio to encourage young people to find out about the joys of reading.

Clay also celebrated Dr. Seuss's March 2nd birthday with a lucky group of second graders from Harris Elementary School in Collingdale, PA and NEA Executive Committee Member Becky Pringle. Clay read his favorite Dr. Seuss title, "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?" and led students in singing Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss.

Clay was cheered by NEA Student Program members from Temple University when he was presented with a special certificate for his exceptional efforts to shine the spotlight on teaching and America's special needs children by NEA's Student Program Chair Dawn Shephard.

Before getting his own piece of birthday cake, Clay sat down to sign autographs, including a certificate of participation for each child.

NEA.ORG

A RELATED STORY:

CCGI to Distribute Celebrity Audio Books

DOYLESTOWN, PA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/08/2004 -- Collectible Concepts Group, Inc. (OTC: CCGI) announces the signing of a manufacturing and distribution agreement with (212) MEDIA, LLC to produce and market The "Stories for Heroes" Series - Arthur Audiobook...a collection of children's stories read and recorded by notable celebrities.

A portion of the proceeds will go to The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), National Education Association (NEA) and the Bubel/Aiken Foundation (TBAF).Each organization is focused on bettering the lives of children in the areas of health, reading and disabilities.

Each celebrity (or celebrity group) has read and recorded an Arthur story; all 10 stories are compiled on a single enhanced CD. Celebrity readers include Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Probst and many others.

The Arthur series has sold 49 million books since 1996 and is the #1 Nielsen rated show in the U.S. for kids ages 2-5, reaching 9 million homes twice a day. The "Stories for Heroes" - Arthur Audiobook CD is expected to hit the marketplace in April 2004.

About Collectible Concepts Group

Headquartered in Doylestown, Pa., Collectible Concepts Group, Inc. develops and markets unique licensed entertainment, sports, and music collectible merchandise for specialty, mass retail and online distribution. Nationally recognized in direct response marketing, replica design, mass-market distribution and E-commerce marketing, the company's products are renowned both for quality and authenticity.

MARKET WIRE

[Pamela]

AIKEN'S NOT FAKIN':  HE'S THE REAL DEAL

March 6, 2004 -- A POST reader - a devoted "American Idol" fan - has been calling me a jerk for months.
All because I said the debut album by runner-up Clay Aiken was a limp, sappy, mealy-mouthed exercise in bombast by a crooner whose only hope was the hype garnered as he was force-fed to America.

In other words, the album was a stinker.

She will be elated to learn that at the Nassau Coliseum Thursday night, Aiken, on a double bill with his "Idol" cohort Kelly Clarkson, played a concert that was startlingly good.

There's never been a question whether or not Aiken can sing. What this concert showed was that, when placed under the lights on a concert stage, the lanky Southerner is an entertainer.

Wearing jeans, a rugby shirt and a sports coat, Aiken was completely unpretentious.

His aw-shucks, between-song banter was natural and the program had a wide reach - from Sting's "Fields of Gold" to his own "Invisible."



While his album was a geezer-pleaser, the stage show's program was more well-rounded, catering to an intergenerational house packed with kids.

Take Aiken's concert version of "Perfect Day." In the live rendering, the singer infused the song with unexpected grit and power that was completely missing from the bland, milquetoast studio take.

Aiken complained that he's been suffering from a sore throat, but there was no evidence of it during the show.

Still, the show was far from perfect: The bass and drums were cranked way too high, and the bottom beats overpowered at times, especially in the latter half of his set.

Aiken used his hit-the-back-wall superpower sparingly, but he couldn't help but inject a full measure of ballad bombast and histrionics into his power ballad "I Survived You."

Still, he didn't rely on those tricks to melt the crowd and unglue them from their seats. Instead, the show's real signature was tunes with upbeat tempos delivered by Aiken's rock band, which was propulsive in its attack.

Where Aiken did wow with slower material was when he stripped the instrumentation down to classical guitar, piano and voice arrangements. That was how he set up an unusual cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" and James Taylor's pretty country/rock ballad "In My Mind I'm Going To Carolina."

Kelly Clarkson, who won the "American Idol" talent show in its debut year, opened the concert, but she was only OK during her hour-long set.

Clarkson's set depended on too may pop ballads fueled with vocal runs and acrobatics. The crowd lent her strong applause to "Beautiful Disaster," "Some Kind Of Miracle" and "Anytime," but the lack of variety was snore-inducing.

She did get the crowd out of the seats when she asked them to do so, but they were soon sitting again. The rule in rock is: If ya gotta ask, it doesn't count.

Where she did hit all the right buttons with the house was on the fast-break number "What's Up Lonely" and her big hit "Thankful."

The latter was her final tune in her set, and for it she made a quick costume change into a T-shirt that said "Clay Rocks" across her chest.

Who would have thought a T-shirt and TV show could be so right?

NY POST

[Pamela]

Singers show there's talent in 'Idol'

By ALAN K. STOUT
alanks@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - Say what you will about "American Idol."

Say that it's cheesy, corporate and contrived, and that it takes the idea that pop music should be a showcase for songwriters and sells it out for the sake of a few points in the Nielson ratings.

Say all of that, and you're absolutely right.

"American Idol" is about as creative and artistic as filling in a pothole, but that doesn't mean that it can't be entertaining.

Some American Idols - no doubt about it - can really sing, and that's clearly the case with 2002 winner Kelly Clarkson and 2003 runner-up Clay Aiken, who performed at the Wachovia Arena on Sunday night in front of a crowd of 8,000.

Clarkson, blessed with a remarkably soulful voice, offered a mix of songs from her debut CD "Thankful" and from her feature film "From Justin to Kelly."

And though some of the tunes themselves were forgettable, her voice shined during every number, particularly during performances of the R&B-flavored "Anytime" and her No. 1 hit "A Moment Like This." Her set ended with an energetic performance of another No. 1, "Miss Independent."

Aiken was next, and Aiken was better.

It's interesting that the young vocalist was never an actual winner on "American Idol," yet he was the biggest star at last year's American Idol tour that visited the arena. And he headlined Sunday's show.

The reason, most likely, is how well he embraces the songs he sings. Through his gestures and mannerisms, he truly appears to capture the feelings of the songs' lyrics, and thus, makes them his own. (Elvis and Sinatra did the same.)

There's also an innocence to Aiken, as if you could see in his smile that his fame is still new to him, and that he's excited about it and appreciative of it. That, too, makes him an engaging entertainer.

Highlights of Aiken's set include his hit "Invisible," "No More Sad Songs," "I Survived You" and an acoustic set of pop hits that included songs by Sting, James Taylor and Prince. The show ended with Aiken and Clarkson offering an excellent duet of Journey's "Open Arms."

Critics of "American Idol" might say that every church choir in America or every karaoke bar might have singers as talented as Clarkson and Aiken, but that's highly unlikely, and that's exactly why the show remains so popular.

It finds talent and it presents it with opportunity. And despite some justified knocks, there's ultimately something very American about that.

TIMES LEADER

[Pamela]

Review: Kelly Clarkson/Clay Aiken

March 6, 2004

Fox TV's ''American Idol'' offers the illusion that there are loads of just plain folks who could be stars if only they were given a chance.

Former ''American Idol'' stars Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken, who are being given a chance to establish themselves with a national tour, took full advantage of their opportunity Tuesday night in Philadelphia, performing for roughly 10,000 people at a nearly full Liacouras Center.

And though neither Clarkson's or Aiken's show would convince a skeptic that either had anything special to offer other than an ability to hold notes for long periods of time, their rapport with the crowd was indeed remarkable.

During her one-hour headlining set, Clarkson, the Texan who won the first ''American Idol'' competition two years ago, presented herself as a down-home diva in torn low-rise jeans, studded belt and a variety of tops.

Her material was a little bit country and a little bit R&B, with some bellicose boogie woogie and bombastic balladeering thrown in.

If the crowd liked Kelly, it loved Clay. Aiken, runner-up on the second ''American Idol,'' had women swooning and screaming shrilly as he sang romantic pop songs in a blue shirt and open-knotted tie and charcoal gray slacks.

And when the North Carolina native joined Clarkson on stage for a concert-ending duet, Journey's ''Open Arms,'' the place exploded.

Overall, though, it was enough to make a skeptic long for the subtlety of, say, Michael Bolton or Patti Labelle.

NYC's Beu Sisters opened with a politely received 20-minute set, dancing around in low-rise jeans and tank tops as they sang material, in the words of one concertgoer, more suited to a country crowd.

THE MORNING CALL

[lorraine]

Good Morning Pam and every Claymate.  Linda and I will be seeing Clay tonight at the Worcester Centrum.  I am not working today but counting down the hours to see our Clay.  The reviews keep getting better and better and I am getting very anxious.  I don't know how I will feel once the concert is over.  Probably have to put me away, Linda included.  We will fill everyone in but we are staying over until Tuesday morning.  Angela will be meeting up with us so I am sure she will report before we do.  I hope Clay is better but it seems regardless he puts on a fantastic show.  It is snowing here in Connecticut so I must go and take care of some things but have been voting all weekend for TRL along with my other votes on JoJo.  This will be a night that I will never, ever forget.  I already know that.  I fall in love for this guy more and more everyday and he only gets better and better everyday.


Lorraine

[Pamela]

At MCI, American Idolatry For the Feats of Clay and Kelly

Monday, March 8, 2004; Page C05

Fox's "American Idol" may be just a karaoke contest wrapped inside yet another let's-laugh-at-people reality show, but its premise -- let America decide whom it wants to listen to -- has produced some actual talent. First-season winner Kelly Clarkson and second season runner-up Clay Aiken don't just have great voices, they've quickly become solid performers. During their co-headlining show Friday at MCI Center, they both cruised the stage comfortably, even signing autographs mid-song without missing a note.

Aiken opened, singing "Kyrie Eleison" as he walked through the audience. Fans, a mix of screaming teens and equally ecstatic middle-aged women, sat only when he did, during an acoustic medley that included Sting's "Fields of Gold" and James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind." Aiken's love songs are predictable, but they kept the audience at full attention. When he paused to talk to a fan's friend on her cell phone -- coaching the hysterical woman to "breathe, honey, breathe" -- his geeky grin sent the crowd into further delirium.

Though she didn't get the thunderous response granted to Aiken, Clarkson delivered a solid set, belting out her ballad "Beautiful Disaster" accompanied only by a piano, playing guitar with her band on "Low," and whispering Betty Hutton's '40s torch song "Stuff Like That There." But Clarkson lost momentum through several unnecessary costume changes, and it was clear by the lukewarm reaction (and preponderance of Aiken T-shirts) that Clay was the main attraction.

Aiken and Clarkson closed the show with a powerful duet of Journey's "Open Arms," turning a saccharine '80s ballad into a vocal workout, bringing the crowd back to its feet. The pair's talent is genuine, and the crowd was ecstatic.

-- Catherine P. Lewis

WASHINGTON POST (registration required)

[Pamela]

Good Morning Pam and every Claymate.  Linda and I will be seeing Clay tonight at the Worcester Centrum.  I am not working today but counting down the hours to see our Clay.  The reviews keep getting better and better and I am getting very anxious.  I don't know how I will feel once the concert is over.  Probably have to put me away, Linda included.

Lorraine, I know you've been waiting forever for this; this is the night.

:mrgreen:

You and Linda, Angela and everyone else traveling to Clay -- be safe, have fun, and most of all, soak up every moment so you can keep it with you always.  Tomorrow, we want the details!  I'll be looking for you in the Tour thread!

[Pamela]

Clarkson, Aiken: Two idols who just might turn out OK
 

By Alexander Choman TIMES-SHAMROCK MUSIC CRITIC  03/08/2004
 
WILKES-BARRE TWP. -- American Idol alumni Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken returned to Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza on Sunday night. But unlike previous trips where they were hot off appearances of the most recent competitions on the FOX phenomena, they were teamed together this night on the Independent Tour for a sold-out performance as favorites of America's latest infatuation.

Ms. Clarkson's voice is adjusting and maturing admirably. The problem comes in the songs that sounded cutesy. In Mr. Aiken's case, he is most definitely still a work in progress, results yet to be determined.

While they take turns headlining on each tour stop, Sunday evening it was Ms. Clarkson's turn to open, which she did admirably with a generous selection of songs from her hot-selling debut recording, "Thankful."

Playing before a set decorated with floor-to-ceiling transparent linen swatches bathed in various hues throughout the show, Ms. Clarkson rendered admirable versions of the title track, "Thankful," "Beautiful Disaster," "Anytime," "American Idol" show-stopper "A Moment Like This" and "Miss Independent."

Ms. Clarkson's voice seems to have matured significantly past these overproduced tunes that her producers burdened her with. On the other hand, her interpretation of Reba McEntire's work was not without merit -- perhaps her best song of the night.

For his part, cohort Clay Aiken was clearly this crowd's favorite of the evening. Security ushered him in through the rear of Wachovia Arena in a bit of a grandiose entrance. From the moment he appeared until and hour or so later, the screams of "Clay, Clay, we love you, Clay" didn't diminish from one part of the arena to the other.

Versions of Mister Mister's "Kyrie Eleison," "Perfect Day," "I Will Carry You," "The Way" and "When You Say You Loved Me" all opened and ended with roaring approval from the sold-out audience.

Journey's 1981 power ballad "Open Arms" seemed a bit anti-climactic as Ms. Clarkson joined Aiken joined for the finale.

Mr. Aiken was the consummate showman, playing in front of his competent five-piece band and three backing vocalists. Mr. Aiken has a cocky confidence that exudes charisma and a belief that he can cover any song and win over any audience. Judging by the reaction of the Wachovia Arena crowd, perhaps he can.

As it stands now, both singers have inherent talent and, properly guided and crafted for the right reasons, could be in this business for a long time.

SCRANTON TIMES

[Pamela]

What are you looking at?

March 8, 2004

BY PHIL ROSENTHAL TELEVISION CRITIC Advertisement

 
"20/20" (7 p.m., WLS-Channel 7) Elizabeth Vargas delivers a hard-hitting "E! True Hollywood Story"-esque report on Clay Aiken, Oksana Baiul, Johnny Depp and Tom Jones.

[Pamela]

MEDIABASE REPORT

The Way is #49 with 778 spins.
This is down from last week.  
Please try to make a daily ritual of voting on the national countdowns (JoJo and Carson Daly) and calling or emailing in at least one request to your local pop station.  The links are in The Polling Place thread.
It's important for Clay to receive good airplay for this song because the single isn't even released yet.  Now that the video is on TRL, you can make reference to that when you call  in your request!  

ThanX!

[clayMaine-iac]

I don't want anyone to think that I am anxious for the concert tonight, but I have been in Massachusetts since SATURDAY!!!  I have to be honest here and confess that I am as excited about meeting all the Claymaniacs as I am about the concert (no offense, Clay).  LOL  
Honestly, I can't wait to hear Clay live!!!  
I won't be able to get back to Maine until late tomorrow, but I do promise a review at some point!!!
See ya soon!!

[CT loves Clay]

I have been faithfully voting on Jo Jo's countdown everyday.  I think maybe because everyone is caught up with  TRL voting, they may be forgetting.  Very understandable!  Pam,  I am so excited.  Thanks for the little note regarding our concert tonight.  We are on Cloud 9 and will ultimately reach Heaven tonight.  LOL

Linda in CT

[CT loves Clay]

ClayMaine,

We are excited to meet you too.  The three of us will be going nuts together.  Also anxious to meet up with Angela and her friends.  We would love to meet as many Claymates as possible.  Section 125 and 124 will be doing a lot of smiling and, yes, probably a lot of screaming.  Will try not to do that when Clay is singing though.

[Pamela]

Clay causes gender switch

By DAVID MENCONI, Staff Writer

Just how many of Clay Aiken's fans are female? Here's one way to measure it: the bathroom breakdown.
 
Usually, the RBC Center has about the same number of bathrooms for each gender. But to prepare for the overwhelmingly female crowd drawn to the "American Idol" star's Monday night show, the RBC staff temporarily converted most of the men's rooms to women's rooms.

Of 13 open bathrooms on the arena's main concourse Monday night, 10 were for women, leaving only three for men. Bathroom conversion is something the RBC Center does "maybe four or five times a year," says assistant general manager Larry Perkins.

"It's more art than science," Perkins says of when they decide to convert. "A lot of it is just observing who buys tickets when they're put on sale. There are times when we switch the ladies rooms over to men, like for Promise Keepers. But the crowd for Clay was roughly 90 percent female. Some complete families, but a lot more moms and daughters."

The next RBC Center concert where the bathrooms might be switched is Greek new-age star Yanni on March 21.

NEWS OBSERVER

[Pamela]

Adventures in Clayland
More than 400 women -- and a few men -- gather in celebration of their idol

By MATT EHLERS, Staff Writer

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK -- You could hear it in the lobby -- rumbling, high-pitched and feminine -- rolling in from the rear of the hotel. It was the sort of roar made by several hundred women post-cocktail, with their husbands back home in Minnesota or California and even further from their minds.
"Gimme a 'C,'" yelled one, and the crowd enthusiastically barked its reply. So the women continued, the call and response becoming rowdier with each letter, an 'L' and an 'A' and a 'Y,' followed by a collective scream that ripped away any remaining bit of restraint.
 
Clayvention is no place for the timid.

More than 400 women gathered this weekend for Clayvention 2004, a celebration of friendship, fandom and all things Clay Aiken. They traveled to the Holiday Inn from 33 states and parts of Canada. There were a handful of teenagers about, but the majority of Clayventioneers were looking back on 40. Fewer than 10 men, mostly good-natured husbands, hung around the event's periphery.

The get-together was conceived in May when a flock of out-of-towners came to Raleigh to watch the final episodes of Aiken's stint on "American Idol."

Fans wanted to be in Raleigh to see its native son take home the made-for-TV crown. He lost, but women who had gotten to know each other over the Internet on Clay-themed message boards finally met in person. They decided it shouldn't be the last time they did.

So on Friday and Saturday, they came together to share stories, play Clay trivia games and raise money for the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, the nonprofit group the singer started to help special-needs children. They raised about $13,000.

NEWS OBSERVER

[Pamela]

RADIO CONTEST

KELLY, CLAY & YOU IN VEGAS
  This week on PST's Totally Interactive Night Show, Tommy Jordan has a chance for you to win a trip to Las Vegas to see Kelly Clarkson & Clay Aiken live in concert! Listen to PST's Top Nine at 9 to get in the running to win from PST!!!

WPST FM NJ

[Her]

Gosh, I wish I lived in NJ.  Nothing going on in South Florida that I know of, so if anyone hears anything, PLEASE let us know.

[xoxo_ClayLuver5230_xoxo]

Hey. I heard that Clay Aiken wrote a book. It that true? Just wondering. You can check the book out or order it at the site: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?1400063922