AIKEN NEWS NETWORK APRIL 24

[clayMaine-iac]

As Pamela has already mentioned, we are in the process of updating our forums.(FORUM CHANGES) One of the updated ideas is to bring the Daily News to Daily Clay.  So here goes!!!!

Here is a "blast from the past" to start us off:

"Independent" Rolls Into Town!
By Shari Cylinder
Published: Thursday, September 16, 2004
 
When FOX producers first agreed to air American Idol no one had an inkling of how successful it would become. Since its first season it has generated number one albums and has given some of the most talented singers the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Two of these singers are season one winner Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken from season two, who are currently embarking on a 30 city nationwide tour.

The two pop superstars had originally planned to tour separately, but according to Clarkson, when she found out Aiken would be touring at the same time, she contacted him to see whether he wanted to tour together.

The tour kicked off February 24 in Charlotte, NC, and will conclude April 16 in St. Paul, MN. The dynamic duo made several stops in our area, appearing at The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on March 2, and the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre on March 7.

Aiken opened the Philadelphia concert stop. Rather than entering on the stage, the twenty-five year old with the voice of gold chose to walk through the crowd instead. Eight security guards prevented fans from getting TOO close to the star, but some took advantage of the opportunity to reach out and touch his hands.

Aiken's fun-loving and gentle personality showed in his interaction with the audience. When he noticed that someone near the stage was holding a sign proclaiming it was her birthday, he asked for the lights to be raised, and said "Everybody say Happy Birthday to Sarah. And who's beside you Sarah? Some stranger! Who's just trying to steal your spotlight! Ok, never mind! Happy Birthday Sarah, and hello stranger!"

He interacted freely with the crowd throughout his set, even bringing a woman on stage to sing with him.

Clarkson performed second and it was evident that she had a multitude of fans in attendance. The Texan's personality shone through as she constantly talked with the audience. Her characteristic "A-WhooHoo!" made it's way into the show several times, making audience members smile.

At Wilkes-Barre Clarkson performed first, running all over the stage, singing her heart out, and talking with her fans. She performed her entire set, with the exception of one song, barefoot. Her loud, rich, and powerful voice was enough to bring concertgoers to tears.

Aiken took the stage next, giving the performance of a true star. He stopped along the way to talk to someone on a cell phone. "You should be watching the show, not talking on a cell phone," he laughed, and took the phone right from the girl's hand, having a conversation with the awestruck fan on the other end.

If one thing can be said about these two stars, it is that they are truly appreciative of the journey they have taken and the fans that have made it all possible. Aiken spoke about it when he introduced his single "The Way."

"But tonight, the words to this song speak about love, but about how it's hard to really say thank you to someone, how it's hard to tell someone how much you care for them," he said quietly. "And I think they speak a lot to how we feel about all of you for putting us where we are tonight, and how although sometimes it's hard to find the exact words to say, you feel it in 'The Way.'"

"This is where I got my start," she (Clarkson or Aiken?) said. "I want to thank all of you for voting and everything. Thank you very much! You have totally made my dreams come true!" And, thanks to their vibrant personalities, amazing voices, and hearts of gold, Clarkson and Aiken are doing just that for their fans on this tour.

THETOWERONLINE

[clayMaine-iac]

WZID PRESENTS
Saturday, August 27th, 2005 8:00 PM
CLAY AIKEN
As the runner-up to Fox TV's second American Idol: The Search for a Superstar competition, vocalist Clay Aiken wowed television audiences in 2003 with his Southern charm, sweet demeanor, and bright, glorious voice, and became a pop star. Originally, Aiken planned to try out for the reality TV series The American Race, but went ahead and auditioned for the talent contest to please an encouraging friend. Out of 7,000 hopefuls, the Charlotte, NC, native won the hearts of the judges as well as millions of fans across the globe.

Born November 30, 1978, Aiken was singing at an early age. Unlike most young kids, Aiken was confident and ready to impress a crowd. He was already singing the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers classic "Islands in the Stream" at a local high school dance by age five. Two year later, he was buying albums through a mail-order catalog, eager to get his hands on any kind of music. Aiken's vocal talent was blossoming and by the time he reached his teenage years, he was a regular member of the Raleigh Boys Choir. Countless roles in various musicals, (The Music Man, Oklahoma!), stage plays, and playhouse shows allowed Aiken to hone his gift.

When it came time to go to college, music wasn't Aiken's calling per se. He studied special education instead and had dreams of attending William & Mary for a master's degree in administration. Before he could further his education, Aiken ended up wooing 21 million television viewers each week from February to May with his sensational singing voice. His rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" sewed him a spot among America's hearts. Although he finished second to Ruben Studdard, Aiken's loss was not taken lightly. He landed a deal with RCA through Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited within weeks of the show's finale.

That same month, Aiken's debut single, "This Is the Night," made history by going number one 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." In October 2003, Aiken issued his studio full-length, The Measure of a Man. Once again, the little guy with the big voice made a big splash. The Measure of a Man sold 613,000 copies and went number one on Billboard's Top 200 during its first week of release. His hit "Invisible" off of The Measure of a Man, has continued to prove his super-star status.

MEADOWBROOK.NET

[clayMaine-iac]

The Ideal Idol site presents THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT

[clayMaine-iac]

Clio tickets on sale

Individual and season ticket packages for nearly all of the Clio Area Amphitheater's 2005 summer shows will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Discounts apply when buying series tickets, which require a minimum purchase of four shows.

Individual tickets will be available at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.clioamp.org and www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone, (810) 687-7611 or (248) 645-6666. Series tickets must be purchased directly from the venue.

Shows that are already on sale are marked with an asterisk (*).

Clay Aiken's Aug. 13 return is not part of the series offerings. Tickets for his show will go on sale May 14, according to an amphitheater spokeswoman

MLIVE

[Her]

Good morning M.B.!!!

[clayMaine-iac]

Good Morning, Buddy!!!

Have some      

[lorraine]

GOOD MORNING DEANNA AND FRIENDS.

THANKS FOR THE NEWS AND JUST HEARD ON THE OTHER THREAD THAT MOHEGAN SUN HAS BEEN CONFIRMED FOR FRIDAY, JULY 29TH.  BOY AM I A VERY HAPPY HAPPY PERSON.

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND WILL CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES.

[aikenseeker]

Morning Everyoe!

Mummy! I love the changes!!!

Here's Clay's horoscope for the day from yahoo.com.

Quickie:
If you're feeling slower than usual, take a moment to try and figure out why.

Overview:
You've been sitting on this one for weeks -- and maybe even months. You were sure that all parties concerned would be discreet -- but now it seems that you're the only person still willing to keep quiet. Keep at it.

Daily Extended Forecast:
Oh, here we go. Eclipse number two of the month -- as if one wasn't enough -- is carrying its own special brand of surprises right along with it. This certainly does mean that a secret you've been guarding may be revealed, much to your chagrin. Just be sure that your dear one isn't caught off guard. You owe it to them to let them know what's going on, especially after last night.

Daily Flirt:
If you've got something to figure out, listen up -- to your subconscious. Most of the really big processing happens there, you know. So pay attention!

Daily Couples:
It's only fair to warn your sweetie when you're feeling this moody -- either that or quarantine yourself. Try taking a looooong walk or exploring the cathartic possibilities of a cheesy matinee by yourself.

Daily Singles:
Record last night's dream first thing. If you can't remember what it was, wait until you have a dream you do remember. Write it down and you'll figure a romantic problem out.

Daily Career and Finance:
What's running on the big screen TV in your mind? Take a step back and look at your goals and dreams today. Your coworkers will understand if you're feeling contemplative.

[mrs. c.]

Deanna, you had me scared for a minute with the Clio tickets, til I saw the bold print for May 14th, I thought I was losing it!!!

[KSChristian4Clay]

Thanks for the news, Deanna! I love the new location!!!!

[ANGELA]

HELLO EVERYONE,
DEANNA, THANKS FOR THE NEWS & LOVE ALL THE CONCERT DATE!!!

CT HERE I COME,  CROSSING MY FINGERS   FOR TICKETS.

HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE,
ANGELA

[Pamela]

Good morning to all!  

And to the ANN in it's new home!  Each evening I'll move the ANN back into the News & Appearances forum so you can read it there as well.  And every month all the ANN posts will go into the ANN archive. We're so organized...scary, huh?

Re the Mohegan Sun date, this was rumored a while back, and someone posted at the CB last night:

Just wanted to let you know that I inquired about the CT show while at Mohegan Sun today. The box office reports that Clay will be playing the Arena on Friday, July 29. Tickets will be going on sale May 13 - more details to come.

The Mohegan Sun Resort is in Uncasville CT.  I'll add a thread in the Concert Connection as soon as it's confirmed.  

Speaking of which, the Concert Connection is now located in the Media & Music forum, formerly Mass Media.

To see where we stand so far, check out the Forum Index page!

Also notice that the calendar of TV and concert appearances (and other pertinent information) is now located at the top of Clay Daily!

(Yes....it did say Daily Clay but that's because I got cornfused...what. It's happened before, and it will happen again!)

Thanks to Deanna for the new forum name of Clay Daily!

[Pamela]

The Official Fan Club message board was taken down yesterday evening for upgrades.  Should be back up on Monday!

Dear Clay Fans,
The board is currently undergoing upgrades and will return on Monday, April 25th. We are very sorry for the inconvenience, and we are looking forward to seeing you all online very soon.
- The Clay Aiken Fan Club Team

[Pamela]

New Concert Date!

The Champlain Valley Fair welcomes Clay on August 29!  Tickets go on sale April 28.  The Champlain Valley Fair is in Essex Junction VT.

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FAIR

American Idol’s Clay Aiken Added to
Champlain Valley Fair’s 2005 Concert Series

Reserved seats for pop singer go on sale April 28 at Flynn Ticket Outlets
Clay Aiken, “American Idol” star and “Prince of Positive Pop” music, will perform at the 2005 Champlain Valley Fair on the Coca Cola Grandstand stage Monday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.

 Since appearing on "Idol," the Charlotte, N.C., native has been capturing hearts worldwide with his wonderful voice and boy-next-door looks. The "Idol" runner-up's debut album, "Measure of a Man," was released in fall 2003 and quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard Top 200 charts. His 2004 album "Merry Christmas with Love," also did very well with sales, and he is returning to the studio in May to begin work on his next album.

The Aug. 29 concert, presented by WCAX-TV, is part of the 2005 Champlain Valley Fair Concert Series. Tickets go on sale for “An Evening with Clay Aiken,” at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 28 at all Flynn Ticket Outlets. Tickets are $37.50 and $33.50 plus applicable service charges. They are available by calling (802) 863-5966 or online at www.flynntix.org.

Aiken joins country superstars Alan Jackson (Aug. 27) and Tim McGraw (Sept. 4) on the Fair’s top-name concert entertainment schedule.

I've added this concert to the schedule!

ETA I just checked the location and this is way up near Canada - Quebec and Montreal especially.  And, Maine.  :waves to Deanna

Be sure to check back later for more news!

[Tammy]

HELLO EVERYONE!
JUST GOT BACK FROM NORTH CAROLINA LAST NIGHT.. I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME..  THE WEATHER WAS VERY WARM THERE LAST WEEK.  I AM GLAD TO BE ABLE TO READ THE NEWS AGAIN AND I'M THRILLED WITH NEWS OF THE  CT CONCERT..      THANKS AGAIN FOR THE GREAT WORK DEANNA AND PAMELA..

[Pamela]

I think there may be three more concerts to be scheduled, and hopefully we'll get them next week!  They will probably be in July.  The hottest, most painful month of the summer by the way.  

[wisconsinmaniac]

Deanna, you had me scared for a minute with the Clio tickets, til I saw the bold print for May 14th, I thought I was losing it!!!

I was gasping for breath, too!
Sharon, we'll have to get in training for the rigors of the May 14th ticket frenzy !  

PAMELA -  Your post about 3 more concerts being announced.   Is there any reason to believe that these will be the only concerts added to the summer "non-tour"??  

You sure have peaked our interest - (yeah, like we needed more "peaking")!  :duh

And thanks for renting me some italics to go along with my "quotes"!  

[heater]

[color=lightsteelblue]Thanks to Deanna and Pamela for all of the work you do here each and everyday!  You are making us all more organized in the process!!

New concert dates too!  How exciting!!  Deanna, I love that there is one up near you!   [/color]

[claydevotee]

[color=lightsteelblue]Thanks to Deanna and Pamela for all of the work you do here each and everyday!  You are making us all more organized in the process!!

New concert dates too!  How exciting!!  Deanna, I love that there is one up near you!   [/color]

A BIG "DITTO" FROM ME, AS WELL!!!!

[LuvMyClay]

Pamela.. any hints as to where these concerts may be?  We need to plan!!!