AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 10

[clayMaine-iac]

GOOD "MONDAY" MORNING, EVERYONE!!!

LET"S SEE-----CLAY WILL BE ON LENO TOMORROW
......AND AMERICAN IDOL ON WEDNESDAY......

YEP, SHOULD BE A GOOD WEEK!!!!

[clayMaine-iac]

eBay auction of Aiken ticket draws more than idle interest
CLIO
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Saturday, May 08, 2004
By Ken Palmer
kpalmer@flintjournal.com, 810.766.6313

Just how much is it worth to see made-for-TV crooner Clay Aiken at the Clio Area Amphitheater this summer?

To comicartbuyer2004, a whole lot.

Bidding on a package that included a front row seat to Aiken's Aug. 21 show in Clio went for $856 on eBay, the Internet auction house, on Friday. That's roughly 15 times the face value of the $58 ticket.
         

"I just don't know how they can do that out there," said Todd Brown, the amphitheater's chief of operations. "That's just a rip-off."

Tickets are still available for Aiken's Clio shows on Aug. 20 and Aug. 21, Brown said. Brown noted that no seat in the small summer venue is more than 125 feet from the stage.

Online sellers apparently get around anti-scalping laws by listing another item for sale, with the concert ticket thrown in for free.

The seller of the Clio ticket, identified on eBay as "tvshoppingsurplus," sought bids for an unnamed Aiken CD, with the concert ticket included at no extra charge. The seller did not respond to an e-mail inquiry from The Flint Journal on Friday.

Brown said the amphitheater used to auction off front-row seats to shows but was blocked from doing so by eBay.

M LIVE

[clayMaine-iac]

Of Metaphors and Clay
by Dina Abramson (2004/05/09)

My high school English teacher, whose name happened to be Ann Frank (I know, she's missing the "e" on the end), mailed me a card when I graduated from college that said, in part, "you always bloom where you are planted."

That phrase popped into my head the other day, and I thought how much that description fits Clay. Whether he's in the TRL studio hanging out with the tweens, at Senator Harkin's office schmoozing with the lawmakers, swarmed by lively children at an art activity, or onstage in front of VERY enthusiastic Claymates, our man seems always confident and focused on the situation at hand. For a young person who had rarely left the city he grew up in, who had taken one airplane ride in the first 24 years of his life, he has now spent the better part of a year traveling constantly. Two national tours, with stops in Canada on the first, journeying to London to record and to perform, and repeated trips from one U.S. coast to the next, it is a wonder how he remembers where he is from one day to the next. Yet he seems to face each new day with quiet certainty and amazing inner strength.


Of course, it is no accident or twist of fate that Clay is on this new trail in his life. The seeds were planted at a YMCA in Raleigh , and carefully watered at the Metro School in Charlotte . The tender leaves budded in the home of the Bubel's, and sprouted in the lecture halls of UNCC. Now the strong vines have grown far beyond the places he calls home. His daily routine may be in a constant state of flux, but within himself, he is grounded. And he never forgets his roots, including the fact that it takes many people with a green thumb to raise such a seedling. Naturally this process began with years of care and attention by a loving family, especially a supportive parent. To put a twist on a famous phrase, in this case, the leaf does not fall far from the tree.

Not only is Clay thriving in every environment he's finding himself in, he's also spreading love and light to those who are experiencing him. What some may have dismissed initially as a common weed, destined for a life of anonymity, has blossomed rapidly into an enigmatic phenomenon, garnering attention with every project he involves himself in. People who have had the wonderful opportunity to meet him speak with similar phrases: "He walks in, and the room just lights up"; "When he speaks to you, he looks directly at you"; and, "He doesn't just shake your hand, he holds it." He has an amazing ability to understand the emotions and actions of his dedicated fans, even though he professes to have rarely been star-struck in his life.

Not even the intense rays of a California sky, or the glaring spotlight of the Hollywood media, can dim the radiance of this flower. Clay is a survivor, and he will succeed in whatever endeavors his path creates for him. Like the new bud after a spring storm, he is hardy, he is resilient, he will always persevere.

And he will continue to grow, as he basks in the love of his fans; the ever-increasing respect of people in the fields of journalism, music, politics, and education; and the attention of the children he calls his inspiration. Clay is beauty, laughter, and strength in our lives, and I believe we are some of that for him as well. The depth of the devotion and appreciation on both sides runs so deep. He is a man with an astonishing capacity for kindness and empathy. We stand in defense of him against even the slightest accusation, and when we face criticism for our actions, he stands in defense of us.

So much has already come to pass, and the future looks extraordinary, for all of us. Clay is in the driver's seat, and on his bus, no one is excluded, and the road ahead is paved with sunshine.

Not too bad for a young sprout from North Carolina

BEAVERS ON IDOL

[clayMaine-iac]

Lineup announced for State Fair grandstand

Associated Press

ST. PAUL - Two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands and an "American Idol" contestant highlight the lineup for this year's State Fair grandstand.

Clay Aiken, America's favorite "Idol," will kick off the shows on Aug. 26. ZZ Top, which was inducted into the Rock Hall in March, returns to the fair on Aug. 27.

Other performances include: a laser show with the music of Pink Floyd, Aug. 28; Smash Mouth, Aug. 29; Allman Brothers with Los Lonely Boys, Aug. 31; Cyndi Lauper, Sept. 1; Los Tigres del Norte, Sept. 2; Martina McBride and Gretchen Wilson, Sept. 3; "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor, Sept. 4; Annual Amateur Talent Contest, Sept. 5, and a free concert with Franky Perez, Spin Doctors and Gavin DeGraw on Sept. 6.

The Aug. 30 show has not been finalized. Ticket information for all concerts will be announced on June 16.

Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com

GRANDFORKS

[clayMaine-iac]

ONLY 6 MORE DAYS FOR "THE WAY" ON TRL!!![/i]
LET'S KEEP CLAY'S VIDEO IN THE "NEWS"!!!  DO YOU THINK WE CAN
GET HIM TO NUMBER 1 BEFORE HIS RETIREMENT???  LET'S TRY!!!


VOTE FOR THE WAY ON TRL!
The phone number is 1-800-DIAL-MTV (1-800-342-5688). Follow the instructions. Key in 252 for "Clay Aiken" or 843 for "The Way" -- you may vote up to three times per phone line. Tip: It's much easier to get through during the first fifteen minutes.


To vote online, go to TRL VOTE . Vote online all day!

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

[ACcountryFan]

i go to eBay all the time. i can't understand why someone would buy concert tickets off eBay for a show that's clear in August and this is May. can't people seek the venue out themselves and get tickets that way? $58.00 ticket is nothing compared to he over $800.00 someone is paying! i know it's Clay...but for one ticket nearly a thousand dollars?? i would've bought the ticket the old-fashioned way through TicketMaster or someplace.

[Pamela]

107.5 FM The River is giving away tickets all this week to see Clay at The Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville!

Today they gave away 5th row, tomorrow 4th row and so on until Friday, when the grand prize is FIRST ROW TICKETS to see Clay on July 14.

THE RIVER

[lorraine]

GOOD MORNING PAM AND DEANNA.  MONDAY AGAIN.  THE ONLY THING THAT WILL GET BE TO TUESDAY IS KNOWING CLAY WILL BE ON JAY LENO TOMORROW NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY ON AI3.  I LIKED THE COMMENT IN ONE OF THOSE REVIEWS

CLAY IS SPREADING LIGHT AND LOVE WHEREVER HE GOES AND TO THOSE WHO COME IN CONTACT WITH HIM.


LORRAINE

[CT loves Clay]

Did you notice that Martina McBride will be appearing in St. Paul too.  Didn't Clay say he would love to do a duet with her or Faith Hill (both would be nice). I am hoping that one of these days he will make some connetions to get that duet going.  It's too bad they always have to mention American Idol, but soon.....................you know what I mean.

Deanna, Great job keeping us posted.
I love that beautiful article about OBC.  

Pam,  you continually show us the love!


Linda