Lynn Venhaus: Clay Nation: I Will Carry You. . .
Posted Pamela on Saturday, August 28 2004
at 4:17 PM PDT
Wearing commemorative concert T-shirts and broad grins, ardent fans of Clay Aiken are crisscrossing the country catching multiple appearances at state fairs and indoor venues this summer. This may not exactly qualify as a phenomenon, as females of all ages leave home and hearth to hear the chill inducing “Solitaire” encore just one more time. But what’s truly remarkable is how some fans come to experience their favorite singer’s glorious voice live: Through the kindness of strangers. Click here to read more!
Aiken Show Offers Fans a Man Who Measures Up...
Posted Pamela on Thursday, August 26 2004
at 5:01 AM PDT
Clay Aiken was anything but "Invisible" Tuesday night when the "American Idol II" runner-up crooned as the nearly sold-out Scene Pavilion swooned. With more homemade signs than a PTA bake sale, the mostly female, sea-of-pink audience - a mother-and-daughter thing (with nonchalant Dad occasionally singing along) - got what it wanted: fun, by-the-numbers pop music with Clay leading the way. Click here to read more!
Aiken Works to Build Career Beyond 'Idol'...
Posted Pamela on Tuesday, August 24 2004
at 3:50 PM PDT
The slender North Carolinian has been in constant motion since finishing as the runner- up in the second season of "American Idol" in May 2003 - a near photo finish with Ruben Studdard, the soulful Mutt to Aiken's emotive Jeff. Aiken has toured with the other "Idol" contestants and watched his first single, "This Is the Night"/"Bridge Over Troubled Water," top the charts and become the best-selling single since Elton John's 1997 "Candle in the Wind" remake. Click here to read more!
Aiken's Claymates Have Reason to Cheer...
Posted Pamela on Sunday, August 22 2004
at 8:43 AM PDT
Clio, or Clayo as some called it, was the ground zero of the Clay Nation this weekend. Clay Aiken, the "American Idol" star-turned-pop music phenomenon, rolled into town for two sold-out concerts before nearly 6,300 fans - who call themselves ClayMates - Friday and Saturday at the Clio Area Amphitheater, the first time an artist has sold out consecutive shows there.
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Dianne Austin: The Aiken Odyssey Chronicles Part II...
Posted Pamela on Wednesday, August 18 2004
at 3:04 PM PDT
And then there was Clay. "Streets With No Name" -- rising up from the stage under the flashing staircase; there he was, and everyone was nuts and on their feet right from the start. During the first part of this opening song, something happened for me that had never happened before. I had physical contact with Clay Aiken.
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Idol Star Shows Flair at the Fair . . .
Posted Pamela on Tuesday, August 17 2004
at 4:52 AM PDT
A Clay Aiken concert represents the essence of the Indiana State Fair -- pleasant, no-pressure, family fun. While Monday night's show didn't pander to any particular age group, youth was served when a sixth-grader from Chicago came up from the audience to startle Aiken with her vocal skills. He in turn gave a priceless endorsement for her upcoming year in school choir: "You tell your teacher I said that you get the solos."
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Aiken Up In Air But With Feet On The Ground...
Posted Pamela on Sunday, August 15 2004
at 8:13 AM PDT
Clay Aiken has no idea what it feels like to be a pop star. Never mind his appearances on the morning shows, the late shows and other performances in between. Never mind his face gracing the cover of Rolling Stone and the awards for his debut pop album "Measure of a Man." Never mind a book deal, the Christmas album and the tour. "I don't see myself as a celebrity to be honest with you. I kind of see myself as a normal nerd from North Carolina," a modest Aiken said last week.
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Allegan (MI) Fair Snags Aiken...
Posted Pamela on Saturday, August 14 2004
at 5:32 PM PDT
If you're furious with yourself for missing Thursday night's Clay Aiken concert in Jackson (MI), calm down: He'll soon be back in the area..."We're thrilled to have him. ... He's a great act for the fair -- this guy doesn't offend anybody," fair manager Terry Bonnell said. "Needless to say, he's got a lot of star power."
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Dianne Austin: The Aiken Odyssey Chronicles...
Posted Pamela on Monday, August 9 2004
at 11:20 PM PDT
From Roanoke to Raleigh and Beyond...The big question looming before me as I woke up on my first morning home from our Clay Aiken Odyssey was, how can I possibly begin to relate the series of events that took us across this great country of ours to points south and east on a holiday that would prove to be exhilarating, enlightening, and educational? And as I asked myself that question, these words just popped into my head: “It’s always best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the yellow brick road!”
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Front Row for the Clay Aiken Show...
Posted Pamela on Sunday, August 8 2004
at 11:30 PM PDT
Eleven-year-old Jade Hunsberger of Runnemede, N.J., prayed to be home for a snow day this past January so she could talk by phone to her hero, Clay Aiken, in between his "American Idol" tour dates and visits home to Raleigh, N.C. Hunsberger was pretty calm during the talk, recalls her mom, Maryann, a freelance writer who had reached Aiken for an interview about his involvement with disabled children for the April issue of Exceptional Parent magazine.
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Aiken Combines Goofy Humility, Showbiz Steel...
Posted Pamela on Wednesday, August 4 2004
at 4:57 AM PDT
Sure, Clay Aiken can sing. He's got a strong, high voice that can handle several pop styles well and never quite loses its husk even when he's going for the high hard one at the end of a ballad. But lots of people can sing. Why was Aiken performing to a screaming, sign-waving, packed house (about 90 percent women, a wide range of ages, from as far away as Florida) at the Ryan Center last night when so many of those other folks are waiting tables or washing dishes or, at best, Ruben Studdard?” Click here to read more!
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Despite Spectacular Success, Aiken Still a 'Real Person'...
Posted Pamela on Monday, August 2 2004
at 9:45 PM PDT
Clay Aiken took a strong, expressive voice, added American Idol national-TV exposure and a squeaky-clean appeal and turned it into one of the best-selling albums of 2003. Now he's bringing his first solo tour to the Ryan Center tomorrow night, and, if the rest of his career is any indication, thousands of screaming fans will follow him.
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