Entertainment Weekly Cover Story: Clay Aiken
Posted Cruiser on Saturday, August 30 2003
at 10:12 AM PDT
The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth! - At some point since the cheesy early Guarini-esque ballads, the ubiquitous Ford Focus commercials, and the sad-sack lone dance move (you know the one, the shoulder pump crossed with the knee bend), ''American Idol'' runner-up Clay Aiken has become one of the most natural, confident, and addictive voices in contemporary pop music.
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Aiken turns out to be fans' idol at Arco
Posted Cruiser on Friday, August 29 2003
at 2:53 PM PDT
Clay Aiken is the "American Idol." Sure, Ruben Studdard, the so-called "velvet teddy bear" from Birmingham, Ala., won the "American Idol" title in May. That's just a technicality. Judging by the scream-athon that greeted Aiken at Thursday night's American Idols Live! show at Arco Arena, he's eclipsed the competition.
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Ruben and Clay ride high on the 'Idol' wave
Posted Michael on Thursday, August 28 2003
at 3:54 PM PDT
The second edition of the "American Idols Live!" offered something for everyone Tuesday night. The TV show, famous for letting the audience vote on the winner (as well as for judge Simon Cowell's cutting criticisms), is a ratings behemoth.
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ClayManiacs Website Update
Posted Michael on Thursday, August 28 2003
at 3:51 PM PDT
The website has been updated with the following additions:
1. Added 8 new photos
2. Updated the appearance page
3. News Archive updated and organized by the week
4. Corrected appearance time for MDA Telethon
Also, Clay Aiken to be featured in Popstar Magazine, due out on news stands September 9th.
Clay Aiken to appear on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Posted Michael on Monday, August 25 2003
at 5:01 PM PDT
That's right all you ClayManiacs! Clay Aiken is scheduled to appear September 1st between 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT / 4:30pm-5:30pm EDT (be sure to check local listings for the time in your area) on the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon. Get those VCR's warmed up!
Click here for details!
Clay's Album To Be Released October 14
Posted Cruiser on Thursday, August 21 2003
at 8:16 PM PDT
"He got his album done fairly quickly; with me, I had my own press junket, so studio time was very limited," said Studdard, who is on the "American Idol" national tour along with Aiken, a native of Raleigh, N.C., and other stars of the Fox television talent show. "It just don't make no sense for Clay to have his album chillin' when he could just do his thing," he said.
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Clay to sing for Miss America
Posted Michael on Thursday, August 21 2003
at 12:02 PM PDT
Miss America contestants will be serenaded this year by "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken. Aiken, who finished second in the Fox competition in May, will sing his signature song, appropriately titled "This Is the Night," at the Sept. 20 pageant in Atlantic City, N.J.
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Clay Aiken’s Stardom: The Real Way People Measure a Man!
Posted Cruiser on Tuesday, August 19 2003
at 4:43 AM PDT
The incredible rise to fame of AI contestant Clay Aiken has not only been a heartwarming viewing experience for millions of people at a time when we needed something positive to cheer for, but a fascinating and important statement about what people really admire in a man in today’s society. Clay’s fans have clearly shown in massive numbers that a commercially crafted concept of what constitutes an idol may easily be dismissed when there is a more novel way to champion a new talent – to love him for the real person he already is.
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Clay Aiken Album Samples: What's Your Favorite Song?
Posted Michael on Thursday, August 14 2003
at 10:29 PM PDT
Clay Aiken's album is not due out for several weeks, but there are clips from the singer up on the Internet. To hear five Clay Aiken songs click the link below.
Click here to listen!
Clay Still #1 on Nielsen SoundScan US Singles Chart
Posted Cruiser on Thursday, August 14 2003
at 7:27 PM PDT
The streak lives. American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken's
million-selling RCA single, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" / "This Is The Night" remains #1 on the Nielsen SoundScan U.S. Singles Sales chart (presented by Canoe Jam! Showbiz) for the week ended August 10, its 10th straight week on top.
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Also-Rans Show Up Idol
Posted Cruiser on Thursday, August 14 2003
at 7:02 AM PDT
There are essentially two ways to look at the American Idols phenomenon. You can see it as a talent show-meets-reality TV spectacle, a packaged entertainment in which the very amateurishness of the contestants is what makes for such voyeuristic pleasure. Or you can see it as something more honest and homespun: a chance for everyday people to prove themselves and, in the process, offer an alternative definition of pop stardom.
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An Early Preview of Clay Aiken’s Self-Titled Album
Posted Michael on Wednesday, August 13 2003
at 4:05 AM PDT
According to Clay Aiken’s publicist, his debut album will be self-titled, putting to silence rumors of it being named “Measure of a Man” (while that title originally appeared on Amazon.com, it has since been removed). The album is tentatively scheduled to be released on October 14.
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Clay Aiken makes a difference to a young Girl
Posted Michael on Wednesday, August 13 2003
at 4:04 AM PDT
We were immediately hooked. My entire family watched American Idol 2 and were Claniacs from his initial appearance. We snickered as a cute, goofy individual devoid of anything remotely resembling star packaging ambled in and proclaimed himself to be the American Idol.
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Charlotte screams for Clay
Posted Michael on Tuesday, August 12 2003
at 3:55 AM PDT
Fans at the Coliseum Friday night cheered and stood on their feet for Trenyce, Charles Grigsby, Julia DeMato and others, but you could tell they were saving it for one man.
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Billboard Countdown Features AI Finalists
Posted Cruiser on Saturday, August 9 2003
at 9:00 PM PDT
Billboard Countdown host Chuck Taylor and (Fred Bronson) spent a weekend in Providence, R.I., recording "The Billboard Radio Countdown" backstage at the Dunkin Donuts Center. What are (they) counting down? The all-time favorite songs of each Idol finalist. They'll talk about their experiences on the tour, and then introduce their personal all-time favorite songs. There'll be some surprise guest stars as well, but you'll have to listen to the show to find out who they are. The show is for the week ending Aug. 16, and it will be posted at billboardradio.com on Monday, Aug. 11.
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Aiken in Charlotte for 'Idols' Tour
Posted Cruiser on Friday, August 8 2003
at 5:38 AM PDT
For the first time since he became a No. 1-selling pop star, Clay Aiken is returning to Charlotte, his home for three years until the TV show "American Idol" made him a nationwide celebrity. He'll sing at 7:30 tonight at the Charlotte Coliseum as part of the 41-date "American Idols Live" concert tour, running through Aug. 31. The concert is sold out.
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N.C. Hometown Welcomes Idol Star Aiken
Posted Michael on Thursday, August 7 2003
at 4:43 PM PDT
RALEIGH, N.C. - Clay Aiken wowed a sold-out hometown crowd and bathed in an ovation that nearly brought him to tears.
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'There's No Place Like Home'
Posted Cruiser on Thursday, August 7 2003
at 5:14 AM PDT
RALEIGH -- Rising triumphantly on a platform from beneath the stage, Clay Aiken wowed a sold-out hometown crowd Wednesday and bathed in an ovation that nearly brought him to tears. Dressed in a sharp, black suit and a violet tie, Aiken made the dramatic entrance singing his hit "This is the Night."
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He May Be Our American Idol, But is Clay Aiken a North Carolina Icon?
Posted Michael on Wednesday, August 6 2003
at 6:26 PM PDT
RALEIGH, NC., Aug. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Idol concert scheduled for Wednesday night in Raleigh is sure to further launch Clay Aiken's already rising star.
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American Idol Runner-Up Hits Hometown on Concert Tour
Posted Michael on Wednesday, August 6 2003
at 3:05 PM PDT
The homemade stuffed dolls, hats and welcome signs idolizing Clay Aiken will be on display when Mollie Planer's family makes a pilgrimage to the silky-voiced singer's hometown concert Wednesday with the rest of TV's "American Idol" contestants.
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Why Clay didn't win-and why his fans should be glad
Posted Cruiser on Tuesday, August 5 2003
at 7:43 AM PDT
Did the producers of American Idol really set out to find an idol, or to find an easy way to make money in pop music? Cissy takes a look at this question and explains how Clay fits into the picture – or didn’t. But even though he lost, she says his fans should be glad.
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YMCA workers support Clay
Posted Michael on Monday, August 4 2003
at 3:19 PM PDT
The Triangle is gearing up for another wave of “Claymania.” The “American Idol Tour” pulls into Raleigh on Wednesday. Some of the most excited fans are those who worked with Clay at the Finley YMCA in North Raleigh.
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No Other Idols Before Clay
Posted Cruiser on Sunday, August 3 2003
at 6:34 AM PDT
For a chance to see him, or to touch him, to maybe tell him that you love him, you've got to put in the time. So Katie Ciukaj sat. And she waited. She was there with her friends at 11:15 a.m., more than eight hours before the appointed one. When it was time for lunch, they all scooted over to a nearby mall. No one could stay behind, on the chance that one would brush the glory while the others basked in the food court.
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Clay Aiken Takes Washington By Storm
Posted Michael on Saturday, August 2 2003
at 1:49 AM PDT
America's almost "Idol" Clay Aiken ventured to America's capital Tuesday to emphasize his other passion beyond singing -- education, reports PEOPLE.
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Clay Aiken Starts A Charitable Foundation
Posted Michael on Saturday, August 2 2003
at 1:27 AM PDT
Clay Aiken announced the formation of his Bubel-Aiken Foundation to benefit children with mental disabilities on Monday (July 28). The American Idol runner up was with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Wachovia financial center in New York's Rockefeller Plaza when he made the surprise announcement unbeknownst to Wachovia executives and all in attendance at the event.
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Without TV show, 'Idol' singles fade
Posted Michael on Saturday, August 2 2003
at 1:22 AM PDT
Neither Studdard nor Clay Aiken, runner-up in this year's Idol showdown, has demonstrated the kind of staying power on the airwaves that fans and industry insiders might have hoped for.
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