ClayManiacs

Welcome new members to claymaniacs.com!

Our goal here is simple - to provide you with all the information we can  about Clay Aiken, the world's newest superstah!, and to provide a community in which we can all discuss Clay and his music...and provide some group therapy if you need it.   :wink

Since we have so many new members and some old ones coming out of the woodwork  :),  I thought it would be a good idea to introduce ourselves and tell about how we found Clay.  I'll go first!

I am Pamela from Clayton, NC.  (Ironic, huh.) Professional, married to a saint, no children.  (Three cats though!  Sorry Clay!)  Although I live near Raleigh, I was introduced to Clay by a friend in Canada who was watching AI.  (Thank you Sanny!)  I started watching and voting on Motown night, sugar pie honey bunch!  I decided I would watch and vote for Clay because he was a 'home boy'; however, if he couldn't sing that was going to be the extent of my time and energy investment.  Well, as you know, he could sing!  So much for that time and energy investment!

He's worth it.  I respect Clay as a person as well as an artist.  He's real, he is true to himself and he has higher goals in life than just becoming rich and famous.  This is why I want him to succeed.  I love his voice and I respect his love for his family, his friends, his fans and for children (of all ages!).  OK, next!

Thanks Pamela for letting us get to know you a little!  Also, I cannot express my gratitude to you, Michael, Melodie and Cruiser for the excellent job you all do in keeping this site up dated.

Okay, all you lurkers out there....if I can do it, so can you......

My name is Nancy and I am from Seattle. Like you Pamela, I am a professional, married, no children, and I have one cat (several adopted, though).

Clay at first intrigued me.  There was something about him.  I really could
not put my finger on it.  Then at one of the AI performances, I fell for the
boy.  Not only the talent, but there is something he emulates that draws you in.  The only word I can think of to describe it is incredible "magic".

Clay is a very classy man.  One-in-a-million, really..... What I respect about Clay is, if being famous is where he can make the most impact, then I think he realizes that is where he is supposed to be.  If the whole "pop star" thing does not come to fruition, than he will become a teacher/principal will be fine for him.   Unpretentious, good, honest.  These are qualities that are rare......

Okay, I have said enough.  Who will be next??  

(We really would like to hear your story).

my name is kimmie and i'm a sophomore at a small liberal arts college in raleigh (some of you from raleigh nc may know where i go, maybe).  like many ppl, i didn't find too much that great about clay, except there was this huge voice, but that all changed at the wild-card show....i fell hard for that man!!  i adore him and all that he stands for.  i want to see him succeed in whatever he does, whether it be in the music buissness or as a teacher back here in raleigh.  he deserves it!! way to go clay.  i do post on these boards occasionally, when i get really intruiged by something i read or see.  this site is one of the most up to date ones out there, and i just want to tell the ones running the show (pamela, cruiser, melody, and michael) to keep up the hard work, we all appreciate it!!  night all from raleigh, nc!! :P  :D  :)  :!:  :mrgreen:  

Hi -  This is Angelis!   I just found your site last night and I can't thank you enough for all that u have gathered here!  I love the beauty of the human voice as an instrument and have been a Clay fan from the moment we were blessed with hearing him sing!  And  I have found one of my favorite songs here!  (Love of my life bu Jim Brickman!)

I just picked up the cd and that is all that I have been listening to - I love the warm and loving feelings it generates within and and out!  I look forward to seeing/hearing more of this amazing talent!

Hi. I call myself "Fan2817". I used to live in Raleigh -- actually, I grew up there -- but now I live in California. I am 29, female, and unmarried.

What I love about Clay's music is that it is sincere and from the heart. Oh, and of course, the voice! I am so sick of seeing the same pop stars on magazine covers over and over again, who are there because they wore a revealing dress to an awards ceremony, or kissed someone at an award's ceremony, or took off clothes in their video. I feel like the media is trying to shove this kind of stuff in my face. I welcome a classy act like Clay, and I admit to buying multiple copies of his album because I want to send the music industry a message that I want more artists out there like Clay, who sell music because they can sing the music and feel the music and show us their soul when they sing. I don't want any more Britney Spear clones; I don't want good-looking boy bands who appeal to 12-year olds.

Oh, and I want singers and performers who actually /are/ roll models. If a bunch of young boys see Clay performing and decide they want to be like him and dress like him, then the world would be a better place. How many pop artists out there can you say that for? When young girls start dressing like Britney Spears and singing the lyrics, is this making the world a better place?

I'm not religious, by the way. I'm not even Christian. I was raised Jewish, and now religion isn't part of my life. But one doesn't have to be religious or even Christian to agree with Clay's moral values about not singing sexually-charged or profanity-filled lyrics. I believe the world would be a better place if there were more performers like Clay, is what it comes down to, and I challenge anyone to argue any differently.

I'm twenty-four year old, Angela, a bartender and art student in California.  I honestly was a *clap* Hercules, Hercules, Hercules fan, when watching AI.  Clay soon won me over by his charming personality and his wondreful voice.  I started reading about him and he then became my favorite.

The closest I came to meeting Clay was being about 10 rows from the stage at the Sacramento, California AI concert and that was good enough for me!  My best friend indulged with me in the fun of feeling like we were 12 again... going to see New Kids on the Block, lol.

I don't mean to skip over his beautiful talent of singing but what impresses me even more is his persona.  To me, he serves as an inspiratoin of human spirit and enthusiasm for life.  Being his age I know how difficult it can be to know yourself and what you believe in at this time.  I both envy and celebrate him for being so grounded and knowing of himself and others.  What fullfillment he must feel in reaching and inspiring so many!  Keep it up, Clay!

Hi,
My name is Celine and I am from Montreal, Canada.
I have been watching Clay on AI and I cannot tell you how much I like him.  Your are very lucky, you can see or hear him more than we can in Canada.  He's simply the best.
Thank you so much, this website is amazing  :P  :P .
I have seen Clay on Jay Leno, GMA, The Early Show and The View and I really think that the best interview was the one done by Diane Sawer (not sure her name is written correctly - sorry).  Her interview had more depth than the others.
I am a big Clay fan and truly hope that he goes on for a very very long time.

Hi!  I'm a wife and mother (of two great kids just a little older than Clay).  As for age, we won't go there.  My husband and I live in Utah with our beloved cat (whose name was recently changed from Cleo to Clay-o) (Sorry again, Clay).  A parent who has Alzheimer's lives with us.  I am a former special education teacher who adores Clay, his mom, and his music; my husband connects with Clay's sense of humor and I often hear him chuckling at Clay's clever comments.  I discovered American Idol and Clay while flipping channels during the last few weeks of the competition.  Beyond the talent, beyond the infectious smile, beyond the entertaining personality, I knew we were looking at someone very, very special.  But I couldn't exactly put my finger on what made him so special.  Then, bit by bit, I started learning and have become a fan for life!  My sister was visiting from out-of-state when he sang Bridge Over Troubled Water on AI and was hooked.  Her daughter, a student studying autism and communication disorders in CA, was given tickets to an AI performance.  She didn't know much about the show or the contestants.  But she came home a Clay fan.  She said his versatility was amazing.  On finals night, my sister, my niece, and I all tried to jam the ballot box for three hours.    We only landed a total of eleven votes, and my niece bragged she was the champ as she had managed to cast the highest number.  It all seems kind of silly now.  But the great thing that has come to us out of all of this is Clay--the musician and the man.  Clay is my idea of a real man--sensitive and caring and compassionate with strong moral convictions and the courage to hold true to those convictions.  His desire is to be generous and selfless.  The person in my life whom I have most admired is a parent who possesses those identical qualities.  It is little wonder that I love and admire Clay so much and find myself doing things like e-mailing the White House to suggest Clay as a guest performer.  He is a great role model for people of all ages!

:lol: FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AND BIG THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO MANAGE THIS WEB SITE.  IT IS THE BEST, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IT THE FIRST PLACE I GO.

MY NAME IS JAN AND I LIVE IN SPANAWAY, WASHINGTON.  RIGHT BELOW MT RAINIER.  I AM 50.  I HAVE 3 CATS, (HOPE WE CAN CONVERT CLAY TO CATS SOMEDAY) MARRIED FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE ONE CHILD, TEENAGER WHO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND MY CLAY INFATUATION.  OH WELL, TOO BAD FOR HER.  MY HUSBAND IS SOMEWHAT UNDERSTANDING AND TOOK ME TO THE AI CONCERT IN SEATTLE AND I LOVED IT BY THE WAY.  CLAY HAD SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIS LEG FOR THE WHOLE CONCERT AND MY HEART ACHED FOR HIM THE WHOLE CONCERT.  OH CLAY IS PLAYING ON THE RADIO AS I TYPE THIS.  MIXX 96.

IT IS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ALL TO SHARE CLAY WITH.  MY SISTER AND I LIVE WORLDS APART.  SHE IS IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND CLAY IS A GREAT BOND WE HAVE IN COMMON.  LOVE TALKING TO HER ABOUT HIM AND COMPARING OUR FEELINGS.  ON THAT NOTE I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO E-MAIL PEOPLE HERE IN TACOMA, WA AREA AND GET TO KNOW THE CLAY FANS HERE.

NOT SINCE ELVIS, HAVE I LOVE A SINGER LIKE THIS.  I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT HE STANDS UP FOR WHAT HE BELIEVES IN AND THAT THE CD IS SUCH A PLEASURE TO LISTEN TOO.  I HAVE NOT PURCHASED CD'S IN YEARS UNTIL CLAY CAME ALONG.  HE IS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL AND WILL DO ALL WE CAN TO KEEP HIM AT THE TOP OF THE CHARTS.

THE WORLD NEEDS CLAY AND HIS KIND OF STAR!!

JAN FROM WASHINGTON.

Hi, there.

I'm Mel from Austin, TX. Fell in love with Clay's class and spirit, as well as his voice, during American Idol. I've been enjoying listening to Measure of a Man all week and found y'all while taking a break from working (I'm a writer and work at home, so I take lots of Web-surfing breaks throughout the day.)

Best,
Mel

Hi all!

I'm Mackenzie Taylor, originally from Lenoir, NC but now in Raleigh for school at NCSU (GO WOLFPACK :D ). I'm 20 a junior in college, unmarried, no dogs, but I do have 2 roommates.

My Clay obsession began when my roommate from last year and I watched the American Idol beginning episode where they showed all the screwups. hehe After that we never really watched the show until one day, at an NCSU basketball game in the RBC center, we looked up at the screen and there was this adorable guy and a message saying something like, "You did great Clay and made Raleigh proud. You will always be our idol." That was when he was voted off. I was like, oh too bad, the Raleigh guy got voted off. Next thing I knew I heard that he had gotten back on. I decided to watch and after that I was hooked. I watched all the final episodes and suffered a lot of criticism for my love of Clay. Oh well, I was enjoying myself! I listened to everything of Clay that I could get. Then my best friend and I got tickets to his concert in Charlotte. About a week before the concert I won 2 more tickets that were like 5th row. It was great, I was right beside his mother. (By the way, I got to talk to him before the concert when he was making an apperance outside the Colleseum) AHH, it was great to be that close to Clay. I thought I loved him before the concert but seeing him live just made it all the more awesome.

I think that the reason that I just adore him so much is because of all he stands for. People, especially children, need someone to look up to. With all the bad stuff that is going on in the world it's good to have someone that is a Christian and loves children as much as Clay. It gives people with nothing hope. I talked on the Charlotte news about Clay and said that, "It is so good to have a role model for children that is such a good Christan and a good guy. He seems so wonderful and doesn't lead children wrong. I have a double major at state in Political Science and Education and it is so important to have someone out there that advocates for the rights of students."

I really feel like Clay will go far. He has so much going for him and I know that he will keep up to the image that he has given us thus far. Enough about me....someone else take a turn!

Well I guess it is my turn...

My name is Michael Wagner, 33 years young and I am from Southern California.  I work for Sony Online Entertainment and play games for a living  :wink:   Been married almost 8 years with no children.  Though my two dogs tend to think they are.  I have been running fan sites going on 5 years now.  I run another very popular website, (actually the #1 website in the world currently)  for another singer I like,  Classical / Opera singer...Andrea Bocelli.  If anybody is interested the URL is www.bocellionline.com

I started BocelliOnline 5 years ago due to the admiration I had for such a gifted voice.  Mind you,  my favorite type of music is Top 40 / Rap,  so running a website for a classical singer was a huge change from what I was used to.  I tend to view music much more then some notes or words strung together, anybody can do that.  It is when you hear those notes or the voice that moves you to the point of "awe".  Both Andrea and Clay do this to me.  I do realize that the majority of people that visit both sites are women (90%) so I am definately the minority,  but I am the last person that will ever complain about having the attention of so many ladies  :D  (a bit chauvinistic, I know....so sue me!  :wink:)

As for Claymaniacs.com,  we are growing by leaps and bounds the past couple months.  The past 3 months we have doubled our visitors respectively.  We currently get over 3 million pages views a month.  Don't worry...we are not going anywhere....we have been doing this a very long time.  On that note I would like to thank Melodie (who works with me on BocelliOnline) and Pamela / Cruiser for helping with the site,  without them this would NOT be possible.  Well I rambled on far to long so I will stop.

Michael
( Webmaster / Owner)

Ok, OK...if Michael can do this, I guess I have to step out of the closet. :wink:

I live in Massachusetts, originally from CA/AZ...work full time for an insurance broker dealing in Employee Benefits...and age - it's a state of mind, isn't it?  8)

As Michael said, I work with him on BocelliOnline.com, and have been doing so for exactly a year now.  AND I LOVE IT!!

I have to confess that it was Michael who brought Clay to my attention...I've never watched American Idol and had never heard of Clay Aiken.  One day Michael sent me a message with a sound clip and said "You have to hear this kid!  He's going places!"  So I listened, liked, started going to the sites Michael pointed me to...the next thing I knew, Michael had given birth to Claymaniacs.com!!  :lol:

I'm finding it VERY interesting that many of the observations made about Clay and the thoughts and emotions expressed here are EXACTLY the same as I've seen and heard expressed about Andrea Bocelli.  When a voice hits you, you're done for...if that voice comes in an attractive package (with some BRAINS!), who's going to argue?  :roll:

Personally, I listen to everything from Led Zeppelin to Mr. Bocelli - oh, and Clay, too.  :P  How lucky we are that there's music for every person in every mood from every walk of life in every part of the world...it's the one universal language...

We're thrilled that you've all found this site and enjoy it so much; without you, it's just another Clay Aiken fan site.

One last thing - our appreciation for Pamela knows no bounds - she happened along the site within the first few days it was up and running and has brought to it enthusiasm, intelligence, skill, personality, and LOVE for Clay Aiken! - I'm sure you've all seen how much time and effort she spends here.  Michael now has two websites to keep up and running; Claymaniacs is still being developed (believe it or not!), and with Andrea on tour right now, the majority of my free time is spent with BocelliOnline...I don't see how Claymaniacs.com could have come this far this fast without Pam's dedication to this website.

Cruiser........are you out there???  It's your turn my friend..... :lol:

:D Hi Friends!  My name is Sue Grabowski, I'm 46 and live in beautiful Eugene, Oregon.  No kids, just a tall, skinny (kind of Clay-like!) husband, 2 dogs - a Samoyed and an American Eskimo - and a giant Maine Coon cat.  I own a secretarial service that I operate out of my home, and specialize in creating PowerPoint presentations (fun, fun, fun) and mobile notary public services (refinance closings).  I was born and raised in Minneapolis, but moved to Oregon because my husband is a gold miner, so we had to live in "Gold Country".  I have sung professionally my whole life - everything from Bach to Stevie Nicks to Barbra.  I have performed at orchestra halls with symphonies, as well as at weddings and even funerals.  I notice true vocal talent when I see it, and OBC is IT!  He has the IT factor!

I, too, was hooked from the moment "Gonzo" auditioned for a shocked Randy and Simon.  My husband and I watched every AI2 night, strictly to see "what Clay would do tonight..."  I even scheduled my business appointments around the show...wouldn't want to miss our boy!  He moved us both to tears with each and every performance and always left our jaws dropped!  We never thought there was much, if any, competition for Clay and we joked each time he "acted" so relieved each time he did not get cut - there was no chance, but I truly don't think he knows how great an entertainer he is.  (Granted, Ruben is a good singer, but he never, ever moved us and never seemed to connect with the audience.  I'm sure he is a nice guy.  Kimberley Locke had her moments - my husband loved "Where the Boys Are" - but she had her bad, off-key moments).  We were devastated when the final results were announced, but reasoned that our boy will probably be better off without AI's hooks into him - we consoled ourselves by saying we thought he'd have more bargaining power for his future.  We knew, though, we had not seen the last of someone who had made Gladys Knight call them "Magical", made Neil Sedaka cry, made Robin Gibb say that was the best performance of his song he had ever seen, and who was chosen by Burt Bacharach to sing lead on his song.  The rest is history...

Of course, I went to the AI Live concert in Portland, Oregon.  I was 15 feet away from OBC the entire time and I screamed like a school girl.  (I could have been embarassed by myself, but when I looked around, the entire auditorium of 20,000 were doing the same thing - screaming at our boy - kids, teens, tweens, moms, dads, grandpas, grandmas, and even burley guys wearing Harley-Davidson t-shirts!)  I have never acted or felt this way in my life.  I have never been star struck, never bought a fan magazine, and never, ever had a poster of anyone on my wall, 'til CLAY!  I admire him for all the same reasons expressed above - it's neat, because we all can relate.  Great talking to you guys!

Hi folks--so good to learn about each of you!  It has truly been a blessing to have this site to connect with others who believe in Clay and want to lift him up.  I'm a journalism grad who works for a magazine, in my 40's, married for 25 years to a wonderful man (no children), I'm a runner, love the outdoors, and I'm owned by two cats (yes, that's right:  dogs have masters, cats have staff!  funny how many of us Claymaniacs have cats, isn't it?)
  I had never watched Idol before last year's last show, and I had not watched any "reality" tv before, but somehow I came across Idol in the first show of the season and was just enjoying the auditions.  But when Clay came on--well, everything changed!  When my husband came home I rewound the videotape and said, "you've got to see this guy!" and I was hooked.    First and foremost, I was impressed by the voice.  And impressed with his confidence despite his "look".  Then I was amazed at his work ethic; he worked at getting his craft down.  I was impressed that he took criticisms offered and acted on the ones he felt worthwhile and just let accepted the other comments (didn't complain or feel the need to tell anyone off, as so many others did--he just judged for himself--what a great trait).   (Of course, later in the show when I felt Simon had an agenda against Clay, I was the one who was telling Simon off to the screen--I'm not quite so composed as Clay!)   Week by week he just got better and better and sexier and sexier! And then we got to know him more and more, and I just admire his willingness to be his own man, with moral fiber and integrity.  And what a terrific sense of humor!  And then to see him be so incredibly gracious on the final show--wow.  It was so nice to see, though my heart was breaking.  And over past years I've felt disenfranchised by the music industry and sometimes even quite sad that the role models out there today (especially for women) are so vulgar.  Clay truly lifts me up!  To me his singing is so pure and he is such a joy as a person that his success heartens me and makes me optimistic for the world.  I'm proud to be a member of the "vanilla revolution"!  
  Thanks so much to the site moderators and my fellow Claymaniacs for being there; my husband has been great, even taking me to the AI concert here, and he loves Clay too, but only my fellow Claymaniacs seem to truly understand the true depth and breadth of our love for Clay!

My name is Colleen, originally from the Boston area, but living in Houston. I watched AI2 from day 1 and Clay was always my favorite - right from the auditions. I know Simon thought that his facial expressions were grotesque, but I still think that they are cute. I am almost 30, married, with two cats and a dog. As all of you, I love Clay not only for his wonderful voice and cuteness, but for his morals.  I teach at-risk high school children (basically all of my students don't have reliable parents - many are in jail frequently, and many have dropped out and returned) so I understand the need for a positive role model.  I also love to see the someone cares for these kids as much as I do.  We love you Clay !  My husband is a 33 year old cowboy (he was born and raised in Houston) and he loves Clay too..he just doesnt express it as much.  We have listened to MOAM at least 20 times already.  I got up at 5:30 am before work on the 14th to go buy it. We also saw him here in concert

Wow, thanks for the kind words Michael and Melodie.  Should I tell you how much fun this really is for me?  Maybe not.
Oh no, it's so hard!  So much work!  It's killing me!
 :wink:
(Truly it's a labor of love.)

It's really great to 'get to know' all of you.  We are so glad you are all here and appreciate your contributions, thoughts and support.

Hi my name is Jude and I am 50 something with a husband and grown son and I adore Clay.  I live in Canada and work at McMaster University.  I watched Clay from the first time he appeared on AI and followed his transformation from "geek" to "gorgeous" (I did not really think he was all that geeky myself, these are his words).  His voice is amazing to listen to.  I have never bought a CD before and in fact do not even own a CD player but both his single and his album are sitting on my desk awaiting Christmas when my husband promised to buy me a CD player so I can listen to his gorgeous voice as much as I want.  I am even considering trading in my SUV to get one with a CD player (just jokin').

I think he is such a wonderful person, I love how he presents himself and how he can laugh at himself.  I have recorded all his interviews and loved him when he sang on Miss America.  He is so classy and not at all trashy like so many of the others (i.e. Brittany, Madonna) and it is lovely to see a man wearing a suit for a change.

Clay took a lot of flak from the judges on AI especially Simon but it just made him a better person at the end of it all and I must say, Clay definitely should have won the contest.  Oh well, he is just as popular without winning as he would have been if he had won AI.

I adore this boy and his wonderful voice and hope he has a long and happy career either singing or teaching or both!  I plan to buy everything he has out whether or not I can actually hear it at home ...

Cheers,
Jude

hey peeps...i'm 14 and i'm from Singapore and i love Clay a lot like u people. Clay is such a charming guy with a VERY WONDERFUL character...his voice is so strong & wonderful.... simply love him... lol... his cd rocks especially 'Measure Of A Man' + 'When You Say You Love Me'....my heart melts whenever i hear 'When You Say You Love Me'...  :D

Hope he comes to Singapore 1 day. And boy, do I await for this day to arrive! Always & Forever loving Clay~! :wink:

[btW...this site rocks!!! :D ]

Its fun reading about the diverse people who come here to express their appreciation for all things Clay!  Sort of destroys the stereotypical Clay fan some publications have talked about!

I am a 40-something single professional woman.  I live out in the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside, about 50 miles or so from Philadelphia, with the love of my life - my beagle mutt Max.  I have loved music all my life.  My musical awakening came when, as a little kid, I first saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.  I fell in love with George Harrison that night and never stopped.  I mourned his death and miss his spirit to this day.

My musical tastes are very ecletic, ranging from Janis Joplin to Bach.  I love jazz and the blues.  My favorites have always been songs with great lyrics, sung by singers with wonderful voices.  Guess that has something to do with why I like Clay!

I starting watching AI1 well into the competition.  I think they were down to 6 or 7 finalists (all I know is that awful Ryan Starr was still there - no offense to anyone who liked her!).  There  was a lot of buzz in my area about Justin Guarini, since he was a local boy.  He seemed nice enough but I always thought he had limited range.  I thought the 2 best from last season were Kelly and Tamyra but once the show was over I didn't really follow what happened to any of them.

When AI2 was coming on I promised myself to watch from the beginning.  I had been told the first round of auditions were hysterical.  And they were.  I thought they were going to get even more hysterical when this dorky skinny kid came out and proclaimed he was going to the next American Idol.  I braced myslef for some squeeky off key voice.  He opened his mouth and sang and I was hooked!

The voice got me, but I cannot explain my obsession with him.  Not since George Harrison have I been so obsessed by anyone - and I was a lot younger then!  I should know better now, right?  But there is something about Clay.  I can't lay my finger on it, but its there. That "it" factor.  And it goes beyond his voice. I felt it coming on long before I knew his background or beliefs. I suspect he and I would be polar opposites politically.  I do admire his sense of self, the way he's seems so comfortable in his own skin, something most of us work a lifetime to achieve.  I admire his kindness.  I admire his compassion.  But all that came after the obsession.  After trying to figure out what triggered it I gave up and just happliy accepted the fact that I am truly Clay obsessed.

Clay's music brings me joy - which is what I have always thought music was meant to do.  I hope I will be hearing it for many years to come. I have this vision of myself many years from now sitting in my rocking chair, shawl around my shoulders, and hearing Clay on the radio.  At the sound of his still golden voice I somehow manage to get my creaky body to move.  I jump up and clap my hands in joy. "That my boy Clay!", I exclaim, before falling back into my rocking chair.  For those few minutes  when I hear Clay sing I am young(ish) again!  Sound a bit maudlin? Nah!  I still have my hearing and I am still hearing Clay sing!

I am a 47 year old housewife, mother and professional in the D.C. area.  My husband and I are both huge Clay fans and have been from day one.  We never missed a Tuesday/Wednesday and we called in religiously - both on our cell phones and both sharing the house phone.  We were devasted that Clay did not win but we knew he would be a huge success.  We attended his concert at the MCI Center in D.C., along with my sister (another huge fan) and her friend from Maryland.  We all have more than one copy of Clay's cd and the Christmas cd and are already waiting for the next one!  Clay is an awesome person, somebody that any parent would be glad to call their own.  We wish him all the best that life has to offer him and continue to pray for his health, success and continued faith in God.

Hi Claymates!! :D

My name is Theresa, and I live and work in Philadelphia, hence my nickname of PHILLYLUVSCLAY. LOL 8) I have been a medical receptionist for 5 years. I'm have been married for 16 years to a wonderful man! No kids but I'm still hoping for a child. :D I'm in the "Demi Moore Age Catergory" And that's all you guys are going to get out me regarding my age lol :D  Besides, Why should Ashton Kushner have all the fun!! :lol:  :lol:  Let's see, how did my OCD got started??  I guess it was from Clay's very first audition from Atlanta. There was something about Clay that was enduring, sweet and funny! Everyweek on AI I waited with bated breath as I watched hoping he would make to the next round and level. What special voice he has and what a wonderful gift of song God has given him! :D  :D   The more I got to know about Clay the more I was impressed by him. I admired his "Christian Morals", his courage, his strength and his quiet diginity that he endored on AI :wink: I love the fact that Clay is not afraid to be a role model for today's youth. His new foundation is near and dear to my heart because, I have a sister who is handicapped and she's my only sibling. These special children who are "mentally handicapped" needed a voice in  America. I Truly believe that God placed Clay on a special path for this and he could be their voice!! :D  
 
Well, Claymates that's it That's all I got to say :D

Hi everyone, my name is Cathy, I'm a 55 year old, grandma from Houston, TX. I have three children and 5 grandchildren.
I work as a System Analyst Technical Manager for a software development company.
I fell in love with Clay's voice after about the 3rd show. I was kind of routing for Kim Caldwell, but everytime I heard Clay, I started getting more into "Where does that voice come from?" It's heavenly. I like Suegrab, have sang most of my life. I appreciate talent and what it takes to hit and hold those money notes like OBC does. He's utterly amazing. More than that, his sweet personality, morals, and Christian stand are AWESOME. His eyes literally sparkle, and are so expressive. It makes him so endearing. I love his facial expressions.
I pray that he lasts a long, long time.
Thank you Michael, for starting this site! I so enjoy it. I really appreciate all the work that each of you put into it! Thank you, Pamela, Cruiser, and Melodie! It's a lot of work but it's great what you all do.
I enjoy the comments from various people and it's so nice to share our excitement together it makes it all the more fun.....
Love and prayers,
Cathy

Hi everyone,

It's been lovely reading all your comments - I really feel we have a community out here! The only other online community I have been on would be Harry Potter, but that's another story. Suffice to say that I have really been warmed, and even though I will probably never meet any of you, I am really glad to know you people this way! The things Clay can do are amazing...

A little about myself. I'm a 24-year-old single gal , from Singapore. Like Clay, I have loved singing all my life. I have done choirs, musicals, a cappella groups, weddings, church bands, the lot. And like Clay, I used to sing in my sleep! Anyway, I really appreciate a good voice, and Clay never fails to amaze me with the things he can do with that instrument, seemingly by instinct. I stopped singing for a while to concentrate on work and ballroom dancing, but now Clay has inspired me to sing again!

Anyway, I never watched AI when it was showing here. I'd heard about Clay and his wonderful voice, but never actually heard him sing until the show was officially over, when my brother downloaded Bridge Over Troubled Water. At the opening verse, I was amazed that this young boy had such a rich, low voice - I remember thinking that it didn't match his face. Then when he moved into the higher register... wow! And sometime later, when I heard This is the Night, I was hooked. I started reading up about him, and learned about his background and his faith, and fell for him like I'd never fallen for anyone before...

I think the thing that really did it for me is how Clay is so open with his faith. As a Christian myself, I feel happy when I learn that such-and-such celebrity is a Christian. But with Clay, I was really happy to learn that he is a brother-in-Christ, and serious about his faith. He's not just wearing his faith on his wrist, but also living it for all the world to see. Witness the Bubel-Aiken Foundation, the YMCA involvement, reading to kids in Harlem, giving young Hayley the strength and courage to go through 2 frightening weeks of occupational therapy...

I could go on and on, but I guess I shall end here. Thank you fellow Claymaniacs for the warmth and love. And of course thank you Clay, for just being who you are, a great singer, a great man, a great brother-in-Christ.

This is wonderful! So happy to know more about who set up this web site, I'm new to the computer world and it's been easy to use and love the info. My name is Donna (heartaiken), my husband help me pick my username. I work nights in a restuarant so american idol was not a program I would normally see, I came home one night to my husband watching the show. I started listening and said seems to be some great talent, how fun. When I heard Clay I said who is he! What a voice and he's so cute. From then on my husband was forced to tape the show and I started my vote for Clay. I'm so thrilled to know there's other's who feel as I do, clay has something special that shines through and I wish him the best.

HELLO MY NAME IS CEDRIC AND I AM FROM TAMPA, FLORIDA. I AM A 24 YEAR OLD BLACK GUY WHO LOVES CLAY AIKEN TO DEATH. HE IS MY FAVORITE MALE ARTIST AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT HE IS A SUCCESS. FOR SOME REASON I KNEW HE WOULD BE A SUCCESS AFTER SEEING HIS AUDITION ON  AMERICAN IDOL. HE IS TRULY THE BEST..  WHOEVER THE CREATOR OF THIS SITE IS.. I LOVE YOU.. AND THANK YOU. THIS WILL KEEP ME UP TO DATE ON CLAY .

Hello.....My name is JOY, and I'm a Clayaholic.......and ding dang proud of it....

I am 50 something years old and have been a Clay fan from day one.  His voice and the light shinning from within him totally stole my heart away and I couldn't have given it to a more outstanding individual.

I am a para legal and live in Florida.....Naples, to be exact.....I have not been able to hook up with any other Clay fans here in Naples so if there are any on this Board, please PM me as I sure would love to meet you.

If you will indulge me for a moment.....I went back and was reading some of the introduction posts.  I hope I have found a new home.  I am so thrilled that many of you have stated your  faith and openly admire Clay for his.   I belonged to another Board (no names mentioned) and I posted a thread for Clay which was entitled "A prayer for Clay...Please Join Me".
After about a week, I was totally blasted for bringing religion onto the Board.   I have decided that if that is how they feel, I am definately in the wrong place.  I should have suspected though because the thread had a lot of views but very few posts.      Someone posted a thread "Anti-Prayer".  Being a Christian myself, I do understand who is behind this... I just want to say that if you have objections to lifting Clay up in prayer, please tell me now so I can exit  without upsetting anyone.

Anyway, I am proud to be Clay's fan, I pray for him everyday and I am proud of my faith.

Amen. :D

Hi everyone!  I just joined the Claymaniacs.  I've been visiting this site for about a month now as a guest and I just love it.  I visit everyday so I figured that it was about time I joined.

My name is Diane.  I'm 51 years young, married, and live in Euclid Ohio which is a suburb of Cleveland.

I've been a Clay fan for quite awhile now.  I really got obcessed with him during the Wild Card Show of AI.  It got to the point where I could hardly wait for the show to see my boy Clay.  He has the most georgeous voice I've ever heard and the personality to match.  He truly is my American Idol.  I went to the AI concert when it came to Cleveland.  I was like a kid again.  Clay is really amazing in person.  I hope he does a solo tour next year and comes to Cleveland.  I'll be first in line.  

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL SITE-IT IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY.  I NEED MY CLAY FIX EVERYDAY.

Well I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Renee Churchill and I am from Ferndale, Michigan (suburb of Detroit). I am 26 years old and am a singer myself.  :) I got hooked on AI just like millions of other fans, but I need to thank my mom for that. I didn't watch the first season, but my mom started watching season 2 from the beginning. I missed the first month or so, but my mom kept talking about a goofy looking guy named Clay with this amazing voice. First off, I just thought his name alone was too darn cool so I turned it on. I was never a fan of reality television, so I thought "A reality show w/ average people wanting to be an AMerican Idol?" I was hooked the first time I saw it and now I just can't wait to watch Season 3 (although I don't think anyone can top Clay's talent - am I wrong?). Anyway, this is all about Clay, right? I think my most favorite performance was when he did "Solitaire". It was such a short song, but every second was so compelling, it was like I had to peel myself away from the television. I loved Ruben as well, but I must say I was and always will be a huge Clay fan.
I've been following every program and article that Clay is featured in since American Idol. I don't know what it is about him, but after a fix or two of Clay each day, I am just so happy. I admire his talent but most of all his entire personality. I find it funny because the more I read about him, the more similarities I see that he and I share. I admire his love and dedication to children. I'd be proud of him if he is a huge singing success or even if he fulfills his dream of having his own classroom to teach. I studied music therapy in college and have a degree in that now. I am not currently practicing, but I can relate in terms of everything that Clay believes in and practices. He has an incredible spirit that just shines through every song, every spoken word, even in his smile. He says he is not perfect but I'd say he is pretty darn close to perfection in my book.

*If anyone knows when he may be in or around the Detroit area, please let me know. I would do anything to meet him or see him, even just to thank him for all he has done and provided for me. His cd is very much needed as a positive message in this day and age. The first time I sat and read through some of his lyrics, I was just brought to tears. And everytime I hear him sing, my heart is full. God gives everyone a special talent and meaning in their life and He has surely blessed our beloved Clay. I know Clay must thank God every day for all he has seen and all he has overcome. He is a true measure of a man.  :D

Oh goodness, I failed to mention earlier that when my mom told me that Clay was goofy looking, I begged to differ. I look at Clay before he had a Hollywood "makeover" and I still think he is just too cute. Clay, I just love you to pieces!! :D

Hi, my name is Linda and I'm from upstate New York and I'm totally obsessed with Clay.  I listen to his CD over and over.  Although I think is voice is much purer and more wonderful than his CD.  I wish he would do a CD of old classics - along with some new ones.  I wish Clay was on TV more.  I stayed awake to watch Jay Leno and all they gave Clay was a few minutes at the end of the show.  They sucked us in - anyway - I'm a big fan and respect Clay for sticking to his values.  and I LOVE HIS VOICE.  Hope you can handle all of this attention, Clay.

Another #1 fan of yours

My real name Kathy and I'm from Minnesota.  I am 39, married with 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a hamster who is much like the energizer bunny in that she manages to stay alive despite the close quarters of so many predators!

Anyway, I love Clay. In fact, my family (husband and 2 kids) would say I'm obsessed with Clay. Intellectually I know this can't be healthy, but I gave up trying to curb my obsession long ago. I reasoned that because I have very few excesses in my life, I deserve a bit of a treat. Now I just have fun with it.

Anyway, I like Clay for many reasons, but I have yet to figure them all out. I'm one of those many older fans who has never obsessed over a performer before but who finds herself inexplicably drawn to Clay.

So far, I’ve identified the following factors that contribute to my “illness.”

First, I love every one of Clay’s physical attributes. Without getting too graphic, I’ll just say that his dreamy eyes and endearing smile make me weak-kneed every time (I’m especially drawn to his lip-biting habit.)

Second, I am in awe of his moral character. I love that he actually has beliefs and convictions. This alone is a rarity, but Clay takes it even further by living by them. His courage and strength are inspiring.

Third, I love Clay’s performing skills. He has tremendous charisma. His confidence and humor allow him to connect with an audience in a way I’ve never seen before. His AI2 concert which I saw in Charlotte during a business trip felt like a group of old friends getting together for an evening full of great times.

Fourth, I love Clay for his voice – esp. his range, breathy style, and vocal interpretation of lyrics. He has an innate talent for being able to do just what he says he wants to do - sing songs that require him to emote. He understands lyrics and is able to convey their meaning vocally. That  is a gift. I am hoping his next CD will have a love song so emotional and steamy it will make me cry.

Finally, and perhaps one of the more important reasons I like Clay is that his convictions and personal goals have made me reevaluate where I am at in my life. What do I believe in? Am I living by those beliefs? It feels as if I am experiencing a mid-life crisis and that this 24-year old kid is the cause. However, he is also the force that is getting me through it.

I remember reading something Clay said...."If you live life right, then you don't have to worry about what other people say or do".  Inspired by Clay, I have been making adjustments to my personal and professional lives so I can better align my actions with my beliefs - without fear. As Clay also said, "the rest is in God's hands".

Clay has been a gift to me on many levels.

Hi Everyone!

I've really enjoyed reading about all of you, so I guess it's my turn...

My name is Cindy & I live in a lovely rural community, about an hour north of NYC.  I'm in my 40's, a married professional working for an Engineering Firm, no children, one cat (who honestly acts more like a dog) and I have a true love for 'all things Clay'.  :wink:

From the first time I heard him sing at the AI2 audition, his amazing vocal talent simply blew me away & I knew I was "hooked" (ie. my screen name~ HookedOnCA).    

When Clay was initially voted off AI2, I continued watching because somehow I KNEW they'd bring him back for the Wildcard Show & that he'd succeed!  What a glorious day that was for Clay and for All of Us!!!

Of course, the rest of Clay's Journey is now musical history.  

Over the past year, this charming, talented young man has made me laugh;  made me think (about what the Real priorities in life should be~ Giving back to my community, helping others less fortunate than myself & making a difference in children's lives);  and it goes without saying, whenever I hear Clay sing, he makes my heart swell with joy & I smile : )

My sincere THANKS to ALL of the wonderful Moderators on this site, your hard work & dedication is appreciated Far Beyond Words!  To my fellow Claymaniacs, you all sound so nice, I Love your posts & being able to share with you each week!

And then to CLAY himself... if you ever get to read these posts(!):

Always know that your "Revolution" has far surpassed the music  industry.  

YOU are making such a positive, wonderful difference in the lives of our nation's children~~~ including those with Special Needs & those who simply need a Good, Caring role model to look up to & emulate in their adult life!  

It was so nice saying hi to you all  :!:

Who's next...........

Ooops... the above post came out "guest", but I was logged on???

Anyway, it's from me... HookedOnCA! :D

My name is Renee' and I'm from Warren, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit). I'm divorced and I have two kids, Valerie 21 and Vince 18.  Valerie is in her last year of college.  She, like her favorite American Idol, wants to be a teacher.  Vince is a freshman at MSU.

Valerie and I are both big fans of Clay and were able to go to three of the AI summer tour concerts. (Detroit, Cleveland and Albany)  :D I'm glad she still wants to go to concerts with her mom, we really enjoy each others company.  I tell both my kids that they keep me feeling young!  I'll be hitting the BIG 5-0 in January. :roll:

We didn't watch any of the first season of AI but boy oh boy, we got hooked on season two and didn't miss a single episode. We liked Clay from day one and voted for him alot. He has an amazing talent and I'm glad he's getting the opportunity to share it with all his fans. I work at a local middle school as the attendance clerk.  Some of my co-workers tease me about being a "Clay groupie." One even said that I should quit my job and become a promoter for Clay. If I could, I would because Clay is a sure thing. My one sister thinks I'm crazy for driving all the way to Albany for a concert. I was able to get front row floor seats at the last minute...I would of been crazy to pass that up!!    

I'm just happy for Clay and his success and I know he'll go far. I'm proud of him and his values and how he's not letting the music industry change him.

My name is Holly and I live in Bremerton, Washington.  That is in Washington State not DC.  I have 2 children.  My daughter is 8 and my son is 6, both of them love Clay.  Probably because of me  lol.  I have been a Claymate since he sang Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.  That was the first time I had seen him.  I used to work nights, so I didn't get to watch the first few episodes.  From then on I was hooked.  I am looking forward to seeing him in December.  And I will have tickets when he comes for his tour.  LOL I know I will.  Even if I have too beg, borrow or steal.  LOL Thanks for letting me be here.  I really appreciate being able to talk to other Claymates.

Well there is not much to tell about me I live in Yorkton Saskatchewan and attend The Yorkton Regonal high school. I have a twin sister and an older sister. I am the youngest. 8) I real don't like reality shows, I didn't evan watch the first american idol or canadain idol. I only whant to see the auditions. but I got hooked. I seen clays audition, I think he looked better than. :oops:
I don't own a fan site but I want to start.
hey can any of you tell me were I can download invisable the video?

Hi
I'm new at this but I just wanted to say thank you to all of you that support Clay. I really can't tell you the exact reason I think so much of him and his music but I do know that we need someone like Clay to change the type of music played on the radio. It's not all bad but  a good majority of it is. I can't believe that some Dj's think the words to his songs are bad. Don't they ever listen to what they play everyday? I also think that they are afraid to play his music because it would mean giving in to US. Please everyone keep supporting this young man. Hes who we want to hear and if it means buying his CD to prove them wrong then I'll buy one every week! I truly believe that God gives everyone a gift to use as they will. Clay has been blessed with not only the gift of his voice but the goodness he shows us all. No Clay you're not perfect but what you represent is what we want to pass on. Thanks Clay and thanks all of you Clay supporters.                                     "Kate"[/list]

Hi, my name is Madison. I am 17 years old and I live in a small town in New York.
I first got into Clay during his performance of Build Me Up Buttercup (yes, I know that's late). I admit it; I was one of those "American Idol is all about image" people. Then my friend, who knows that I want to be a teacher, told me about this guy on AI who was a total geek and a teacher! I thought this notion rather funny, so naturally I just had to check him out. From the very first note, I was in love and have been in love ever since. Thank you to my frind Kate for her music suggestion that night.
My best Clay experience was at the Buffalo concert. He paused during his speech to clear his throat or something and I decided to be crazy for once. I screamed out "I love you Clay!" at the top of my lungs. Clay laughed, said "I love you too Hunnie!", and winked. THUD!!!
His talent and his overall outlook on life is inspiring. There is just one more thing that he needs; Clay, if you're out there, GET SOME SLEEP!!!!
Madison

Hi everyone.  I'm an almost 50 year old nurse from Maine.  I have 4 kids ranging in ages from 29 to 13.  I have certainly been subjected to a wide variety of music over the years.  I can remember waltzing to the Beatles "Hey Jude" the first dance I ever went to.  I was a huge Elton John fan in high school.  (my oldest son's name is Levon!)  I am one of those "awful" Nascar mother's who was watching a race on Fox TV last February and saw an ad for this "American Idol" show and decided to watch just once to see what it was all about.  The rest-as they say-is history.  Guess what I thought of Clay's "Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me"!!!!!  I'm no music expert, but my husband and I do belong to a dance club and try to do a big variety of dances, such as waltzing, two-step, western, squaredancing, advanced, etc,etc.  Every time I listen to Clay's CD, I want to start dancing!!!  My husband is a skinny guy who has freckles, used to wear glasses, has big ears and somehow is the smoothest dancer in our club!!  AH--sound familiar==my own geek!!  My children and husband think I am a little crazy over this obsession, but they have been great about it.  My son's (Levon) birthday is Oct. 14.  He lives out-of-state now but was at home on vacation that week.  He and his girlfriend drove 76 miles (the closest music store) on "the day" and picked up MOAM for me!!!  My youngest son (the 13 yr old) is way toooo cool to like Clay, but for some reason I keep hearing him sign along to MOMA when I put it on. HA HA  He is going to look just like Clay when he grows up.  The resemblance is sort of uncanny.  I have yet to pick a favorite song because I like all of them for different reasons.  I want to waltz to My Way and two-step to "Shine", etc.  With all the "weird" coincidences mentioned above, how could I not love Clay!!  It is FATE!!!

Okay, my turn,
Hi, i'm Natalya and I'm 15 years old. I live in the Bay area in California. Now, to tell you the truth, i have never seen american idol. I had no idea what any of the contestants were like, or what the show was like. I read somewhere that Ruben won, that some guy named Clay got second, but that was the extent of my knowledge. On October 4th, (yes i remember the day like it was five minutes ago) I walked into the living room to find my little 7 year old brother watching nicolodeons "lets just play" and who could be singing there on stage but... yep, Clay Aiken. I recognized him from a picture right away (no one else is that adorable). It took me less then ten seconds to see how amazingly talented he was. I watched the rest of the song, then rushed to the computer to start looking up sites and downloading his music, compeletely forgetting the show.
 Many members on this site have expressed that Clay makes them feel like a teenager again... well i am a teenager, and let me just say, that i felt right down normal... and oh so... infatuated by him  :D . A week later i realized that my amazement for him, was not just another silly teenage crush, but true admiration and respect for a wonderful person. Since then, i've bought his CD (duh...) and listened to it almost every night. I've seen him on many TV shows that i would never normally watch, and have voted for him in every online poll i could find. If he ever performs at a concert nearby, i have no doubt in my mind that i'll be there, cheering him on.
Clay is my idol and role model. I am so happy that he is out there, because the world just isn't complete without him.
~Clays loving fan, Natalya
next...

:) Hello!  My name is Laura.  I've been visiting this website for a few months now.  Today I decided to come out of the woodwork & become an official member.  I appreciate that there are so many others out there that share the same feelings about Clay.  Nobody in my family understands it.  I don't know anyone where I live who is as fanatic about Clay as I am.  So it really helps to visit this wonderful site.  Thank you to Pamela, Michael, Cruiser, & Melodie for the outstanding job you do.


I'm 28 yrs. old, married, no children-just two cats who act like kids.  
I fell head over heels for Clay the first time I saw him on AI2 when he sang BMUP.  (I haven't had these feelings for a singer since I was fourteen).  My husband saw the show from the very beginning & is a Clay fan also.  After watching AI1, I didn't think the second season was going to be that great; but Clay's breathtaking voice, stage presence, and charm drew me back in.  I admire him for having his morals firmly intact, his intelligence, talent, conscientios & caring ways, commitment to good causes and for being an all around decent man who has it all together.


My husband supports my obsession & took me to the AI concert in Chicago.  Clay's microphone didn't work for the first part of TITN, but was handed a new one and finished the song perfectly.  He joked afterwards that he was off-key for the first half of the song anyway.  I love his ability to take a situation and find humor in it.  I'm eagerly awaiting his solo tour.  Clay is truly my inspiration. :D

Hi all! I guess I can come out of the woodwork too. I'm Angie from Edenton, NC. I live about 2 hours away from Raleigh. I'm 25 with a boyfriend of 5 yrs.

I will admit that I was a fan of Clay's from the first time that I saw him. I didn't get to see majority of the shows b/c of my work schedule. But I remained a fan throughout. I wasn't able to get tickets to the tour b/c of work again. I work a horrible job. *L*

Clay has an incredible talent that most could only wish for. I agree with the "magic" talk. B/c he has that certain something. He has wonderful eyes, smile, and some really nice "moves".  :wink:

I'm not the best at putting things into words.  :lol:

I love Clay 4 ever!!! Claymate for life!

Mary from the Baltimore, Maryland area de-lurking here!!  I am 40ish but don't feel a day over 39(LOL), have 3 children, one in college and two boys who are in the midsts of being teenagers......which is one of the many reasons that I turn to this board at night.  It gives me comfort and humor and loads of information! My husband is tolerant of my Clay obsession and even drove my daughter and I to our first AI concert in DC.  He had had enough when the Richmond concert came around, so daughter and I drove ourselves.  He could barely believe it when we then decided to fly to Houston to see him one last time.
Loving all things Clay has cemented the bond that my daughter and I have always had.  She left for college 6 days after the Houston concert with wonderful memories of our Summer of Clay.  I will be forever grateful to him for giving us something in common during those last precious moments that she was still "just ours".
Thanks to all of you for making this an interesting place to lurk! :wink:

To all----what great stories!  I can find a common thread in all of them.

To Clay4me who said " She turns to this board at night because it gives me comfort and humor and loads of information".   RIGHT ON!      This site is my "therapy" after a long day of working.

 :!: Okay...calling all lurkers..calling all lurkers...(and those who do not want to come out of the woodwork.)  Be bold...if we can do it so can you!! :!:

Hi, my name's Gwyneth Matthews, and I'm living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  I used to introduce myself as a Canuk, but now I'm a loyal Claynadian.  Let's just say I feel about 30, though the calender would disagree  :lol:

I'm an author/freelance journalist/editor/ teacher and mother of SEVEN Siamese and Oriental Short Hair cats, no apologies.  Two of them we bred ourselves.

I've been married forever, or so it feels, and I noticed Clay way back in the AI auditions.  My husband, who vowed he hated she show was conned into watching with me one night.  He brought a book, snarling all the way.  Till he heard Clay....  DOWN went the book, and from then on, we watched together.  I tend to be very intuitive, and the very last night it struck me: HELP!  It'll be better for Clay if he DOESN'T win.  The title will just be an albatross, he'll be stuck with it forever, and he's as popular as he appears, he's going to take off anyway, and how!

I can't tell you how glad I was to be right - I was afraid I might have lost every marble I ever had.  I will be ecstatic, however, when all references to 'runner up' disappear.  That young man isn't anyone's second banana.  WHAT a voice!  And what a treasure of a guy.

Folks, I have only one small thought on how this site could be improved, and that's a 'vote for this site' that's more colorful, placed center stage.  Though I don't forget to vote often, if I'm in a hurry, black hits my blind spot.  How about it?  Something bright that we'd never miss?

Otherwise, I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you.  In short, this site with it's riduculous rating continues to make me happy.  I never bother with the others any more - not unless a link's given here and I want to follow up.

As we'd say in the Siamese Internet Cat Club, my babies sing well for anyone in need.  Just ask.

Ok...i'm like totaly new to this whole message board thing...so bare with me...but anywho...my name is emily smith, and im 14...ya i know, young.  8) so anywho,  i live in the "wonderful" midwest, wichita kansas. and trust me, there are not many clay fans here. lol. soo...uum...a little bit bout myself...i have 4 brothers...2 of which are in the services, and the other 2 are planning on joining. fuun huh?! so...my friend joybeth, well...one day at school she was talking bout AI and i had no idea what she was talking bout...i didnt even watch the first show. so, she got me hooked on the second season, and as it was elimated down to the top 12...i fell in love with clay...lol! havent we all though? so...yup...ive had the privelage to go to one of the concerts...in OKC! and alot of kool things happened there...git his signature, stayed at the same hotel as him the same night, so on and so forth. So ya,  like i said im new to this, and i dont know exactly where to go...so just...dont go yelling at me if i do something wrond...lol :wink: soo....im soo glad though that i can join a place like this where a bunch of clay fans can get togethor and just talk about clay, and thats it. cuz in reality...everyone at my school literally hates clay...so every day when i come home ill be swinging on over here... lol

Emily

That's right come on out, you know you want to!   :lol:

Everyone please be sure to read the announcement at the top of the forum - Code of Conduct and Info.  If you have questions after that, send me a PM!

Hello all!! I am new here..sorta...i have lurked here QUITE a while but I finally had to join because ..well...I LOVE CLAY!  And I'm glad I can share my support for him with other Clay fans!  I am Angie and I'm 25 yrs old going on 26 this December and I am in San Francisco California and I have a BF of 5 yrs.  I am currently trying to Clayvert him but he is resistant.  He thinks Clay is alright..but I need him to like Clay more so he will go with me to Clay's concert when Clay one day tours on his own!  :wink: At least he doesn't mind me taking time away from him to record my Clay appearances on TV, voting on polls, and reading my Clay forums.  But I think it's because it give him more video game playing time. hahaha. Anyways, I glad to be here! Hi everybody! :D

Hi AC<3'sClay!

I live in Alameda! Welcome to the very best Clay site on the web! We're a rowdy bunch sometimes but we have lots of fun and Pamela is the ultimate moderator, always keeping us informed!

Amy in Alameda (aka "outthereforclay")

Hi outthereforclay!  Thanks for the welcome! and Hello Pamela! Thanks for doing a great job of moderating!  Oh yeah I forgot to mention in my intro that I have not bought a CD in oh...6 years until CLAY!  I loved Clay since he first opened his mouth in American Idol and I have been rooting for him ever since.  Clay has wonderful talent and is truely a wonderful, caring, decent human being. I have NEVER EVER felt this strongly about ANY artist in my entire life.  I have never joined a forum..i have never voted or polled, i have never bought magazines just because someone was on the cover, and i never ever even been a FAN of any artist.  But now that incredible Clay has appeared all that has changed!! And now I actually can say something never thought i would say about any artist "I am a Clay Aiken FAN and proud of it!"  :D

Hi AC<3'sClay !  

" I have NEVER EVER felt this strongly about ANY artist in my entire life. I have never joined a forum. I have never voted or polled, I have never bought magazines just because someone was on the cover, and I never ever even been a FAN of any artist. But now that incredible Clay has appeared all that has changed!! And now I actually can say something never thought I would say about any artist "I am a Clay Aiken FAN and proud of it!"

YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.  MANY OF US HAVE EXPRESSED THE SAME THING.

The best thing is.....after the AMA's, I feel this site makes a huge impact on what WE have to say.   I believe we did a little "shake up" in the music industry, and it could not of happened without Michael, Melodie, Cruiser and Pamela.

THANK YOU!!

hi i am a 26yr old rn  who lives in texas. i started watching AI (last 4 shows) because everyone was talking about it.  I was never a big fan of reality shows but admit i got hooked from the first time i watched it. My favorite was Justin I thought he was a hottie. After the show ended i pretty much forgot about Justin. Of course, because i loved AI1 I couldn't wait for AI2 I didn't have a favorite throughout most of the show ,however ,i did feel that clay and ruben were the best, then clay sang botw(i know i was slow to catch on) and wow i was blown away fortunately, i had taped the show for my sister but then refused to give her the tape.( made her watch it a my house hehehe). then i found myself watching his performance practically everyday before i knew it i was on the internet searching to find out when i could see him perform again that's when i eventuallly found this site (love it by the way). i work in a cancer unit and as i have heard other people say  clay' s music really brings me joy. i listen everyday to him . i have been so under inspired by the guys  i have dated good-looks don't go far for me there has got to be substance. then when i started reading about clay and heard him talk i felt inspired and feel hopeful that there is a guy out there who can inspire me. I thinks it's awesome that one person can do so much for so many. i recently replied to a female dj's comment on the radio calling clay a geek and that she didn't get it . I replied with "  someday when you've kissed enough toads hopefulll you will  recognize a prince when he is in front of you ".and that is what clay is to me a true prince. this is so strange i like others i 've heard say  have never been this kind of fan to anything I've had passion for various things but not like this. I have voted for clay on trl  and requested his song on the radio oh and by the way today my alarm woke me to his song on the radio. what a great way to wake up. sorry to go on so long just love that clay and hope he will be around a long time.

i feel like i just joined AA or am giving a confessional!  i'm hooked on clay and i've never been a fan like this before.  sound familiar?  i've just read through all the tesimonials and i've smiled and laughed and been amazed at the similarities in ALL of our stories.  i really can't write much that hasn't already been said!  well...except my personal stats.  my name is jane.  i'm 45.  been married 22 years to a wonderful man, and, yes, i of course have cats.  and i'll bet that you all would agree with me that we are just sure that clay just hasn't met the right cat---perhaps OURS would be the one to convert him?  :D  my husband and i run two businesses (custom woodworking & martial arts).  we live in deland, florida.  would love to meet the claymaniac in naples sometime!  we have other common ground...

my husband & i don't even watch much tv at all and surely not a reality show!  (nor have i ever joined an online group---or even considered it for any reason!  this is so wildly out of character for me---but so fun!!)

i 'accidentally' came across clay during the wild card addition and i was smitten from that moment on.  i had a tape in the vcr at the time, and, like another claymaniac i just read about,  i could hardly wait to show the clip of clay to my husband.  in fact, when i met him at the door when he came home, my first words were, 'you've just GOT to here this guy sing!'  my husband became a claymaniac from his first listen and we began treating tuesday and wednesday nights like some sort of holiday celebration---complete with great snacks!  i can't remember ever looking forward to something (or someONE) on tv like this!  

my missionary best friend visited me over the summer and i of course showed her my AI highlight tape (which by the end had turned into a 'clay highlight tape').  no one has to 'convert' anyone to clay.  one look and listen and it's over.  within in 3 days of her first 'look' she & i were riding to orlando for the AI concert.  she is 39.  we felt like high schoolers.  it was SO MUCH FUN!!!!   and what a blast to be in the midst of an entire stadium of clay fans just like us.  the place was electric!!  

after AI, i got online desperate for news about him and found this site.  what a blessing and treat.  thanks to all for putting it together.  clay is making such a positive impact on our morally bankrupt society.  yes, he obviously has been gifted with a tremendous singing talent but as you all know, it is SO MUCH more than that.  he has it all: humility, grace, a fantastic sense of humor, compassion, a caring heart, warmth, a strong faith---i suppose i could go on and on.   God bless him!!  

Alright, I guess I'll step up too and introduce myself.
Like Clay I was a camp counselor. I worked at Space Camp Florida for  8.5 years (until it's closing in Sept. 2002 due to financial problems) and even lived on-site year round for 4 years. I loved that job and working with the children. That job was my life, I loved making a difference in the lives of so many children from all over the world. When it closed it really broke my heart and threw me into a depression for several months.

I would love to work with children again, until then I've been working in a friend's office as contract coordinator. It's a great job and I like the people I work with but I still miss Space Camp. I always will.

Like many of you, I've never been so smitten with anyone before as I am with Clay. I think what really suckered me in (after that voice of course!) was his work with children.  I have so much respect for him and admire all he has done. He is such a role model for people of all ages just by being himself. That fact that he handles the cruel things said about him with just class, dignity, and maturity is an excellent example to us all.

I got my Mom hooked on AI2 and she picked up on Clay all on her own. She even voted for hours at a time for him! I've never seen her be this way about anyone in my entire life. It is nice because it gives us a common ground for discussions and such. I even got her to go to the AI concert with me. It was awesome! My stepfather, he just sort of accepts it. My father and stepmother on the other hand really like him. They had no clue who he was - even when I'd discuss him - until they watched the Primetime interview. I gave them the CD for my stepmother's birthday and she loved it. The first gift in 21 years that I've given them that had personal meaning to me and that didn't end up in the attic or as a gift to someone else. My sister and her family love Clay too. My niece said to me the other day "you're the reason we are addicted to him". I'm glad she and my nephew have Clay as a role model to look to. She is even converting her friends!

I've sent CD's to quite a few of my friends with a note of what the CD means to me and that I wanted to share it with them. Just listening to Clay's voice makes my heart happy. I've gotten several unexpected responses back thanking me for sending it and that they really enjoy it. I pick up a few CD's a week -as my budget allows - and send them to people I've thought of.

Ok, once I get going I just keep talking. Anyway that's who I am. I think Clay is awesome, as cute as cute can be, and I'm so glad I found this community of great people where we can share our admiration in a positive way. I hope I can contribute things in the future.

OK, I guess after hanging around for several months I should introduce myself and check in with the rest of you Claymaniacs. I can't believe I've actually only been a member here for a month. Seems like this site has always been part of my life.

Well as you can guess by my username I'm a gramma and have 5 darling grandchildren - the oldest in 1st grade. Unfortunately I'm a "long distance" gramma and I HATE IT! I work Part Time in my church as an Administrative Secretary. Love the work, love the working conditions and love the staff I work with. My husband of 40 years and I live along the scenic shores of Lake Michigan in Manitowoc WI. Since we are only a 45 minute drive from the hallowed ground of Lambeau Field, you can probably guess we are avid Green Bay Packer fans & proud cheeseheads.

My daughter, married to an Air Force Tech Sgt. and living at Pope AFB in NC started this Clay journey with me. When her husband was in Iraq she & the girls came home to stay. The 2 of us got hooked on AI2 the first time we heard Clay Aiken sing. The last night, we sat, both with cell phones in hand and hit the redial 100's of times.

The only way I can explain or excuse my Clay obsession is to compare it with the one I had for Mickey Mantle in the 50's. Yah, I said Mickey Mantle! I was in grade school and he was my IDOL. Over my teen years I drooled over the man, watched EVERY game he played in, sent fan letters, birthday cards and collected posters & pictures for my room. Over the 40 some years in between, I've never been so NUTS about any other celebrity (movie star, rock star or athlete). When my girlfriends were squealing over Bobby Darin, or Elvis I wasn't impressed. That is until Clay walked into my life. Eeeeek - here I am again at that heart  thudding, brain swirling, totally over the cliff stage. 60 years old and in love with a young stud. Can this be happening to me? - sensible, established, happily married for 40 years, mature gramma of 5 me? OMG!

The boy has so much going for him. I'm so proud of his moral integrity in a sleasy industry. I'm proud that he's using his celebrity to help those less fortunate. I proud that he's finished his college degree even when fame & fortune could have made it easy to drop, and I congratuate him for faithfully wearing his WWJD braclet because it's his constant reminder of his faith in the Savior that loves him.  Not only does he have a voice that captivates, a look that mesmerizes, and a smile that stops the heart - the boy's got that X FACTOR that makes him magical.

I totally enjoy this board. So many new and kooky friends have become part of my family. Thank you Michael, Melodie, Cruiser and especially Pamela for making my stay here so much fun!

Hi, everyone! Guess I might as well get it done with. I'm Jessica, from Malaysia. I'm 21 years old this year and one of the few best things that ever happened to me during my one year trip to the United States was my baptism, and of course, Clay! I'm surprised by the revelation that there were Singapore Clay fans, and later found out that AI was shown in Singapore and Malaysia being the neighbour, well, we didn't get it, but it didn't matter.

My sister, who lives in Illinois, and I were BIG fans of Clay, we tried to vote EVERY week, if we can. Even a thunderstorm and tornado warning couldn't quite stop us. LOL! Of course, we were saddened by the "loss" but eventually, it isn't a loss at all, Clay is TOTALLY soaring! I'm glad to be able to see him grow all through AI2, but I couldn't see him mature even more right AFTER AI2.

I'm pretty devastated because I came back home from Illinois RIGHT after the week they announced the winner of AI2. So, from that point onwards, I lost touch with all things Clay. No album release here yet, no Entertainment Tonight news, no Clay.  :(

And then, there's the beauty of the Internet, but I don't download songs by the album, I don't believe in piracy of my favourite artistes!  :D

I wish that one day, I'll be able to meet Clay or see him in concert. But as of right now, I'm waiting on his album to arrive and looking for his fan mail address since I've written a letter and have nowhere to send it to.

That's it. The life and times of a Malaysian Clay Fan.

Jessica.[/color]

hi my name is Linda I'm married to a wonderful man for 33 years.  Our yougest is 5 years older than Clay.  But my husband and I both adore hearing him sing.  My birthday was Nov. 13th and I turned 57 and my present from my husband was tickets to see Clay in Cleveland at the Palace Theater Dec. 16th.  My family laughed and joked about Dad giving me tickets to drool over a much,  much younger man.  Clay is a breath of fresh air.  We have'nt bought music in years or really listened to the radio.  Now we do.  We love and adore Clay.  Stay sweet.  Happy Holidays to all and sweet Clay dreams.

As a matter of fact, there is a very active fan group in Minnesota.  Their website is http://www.mnclayfans.com.

Thanks for your kind words of support!  They are much appreciated.

Ah Jessica, bless your heart!  
Thanks for taking the high ground and supporting Clay!

And welcome to ClayManiacs, we are happy to have you here from around the world!

Well, I guess I should introduce myself since everyone else is doing it!  :wink:

I'm not really new here...well, sorta, but I've been posting around for a bit now. Anyhow, I'm Rebecca and I'm a 20-year-old college student (have to get used to saying I'm 20...just had my birthday a few weeks ago!  :lol: ). I live in Massachusetts with my family and major in Liberal Arts and Sciences, so I'll be at the community college I attend for quite sometime now :lol: !

Truthfully, I was never really a fan of American Idol. I became a fan after I got curious of the show's contestants and was downloading some of their performances online. I had heard about Clay Aiken and about his amazing voice so I downloaded some of his performances and immediately fell in love with his voice. His voice was truly soulful and polished and I couldn't even believe he didn't already have a record contract! I ended up catching only the finale of American Idol and got the rest of his AI performances online from various fansites which had them avaible for fans to view. What got me curious about the second season's contestants was the fact that I had happened to like Kelly Clarkson as well from the first season so I figured there'd be at least someone I'd like from the second season. Turns out that someone was Clay!

After my discovery of Clay, I became a hardcore fan...even my mother likes him and wanted him to win!  :wink:

So now all I have to say is I'm a...CLAYMATE FOREVER!!!!! :lol:

HI EVERYONE.--
I AM NOT REALLY NEW HERE EITHER.  I HAVE BEEN POSTING FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND I JUST DECIDED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.  I AM FROM A SUBURB OF PHILADELPHIA AND I AM 54 YEARS YOUNG.  I HAVE A 21 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO WILL BE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE THE WEEK BEFORE CLAY DOES.  SHE GOT ME INTO AI2 AND CLAY.  NOW, I AM MORE INTO HIM THAN SHE IS.  I AM A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER AND MATH RESOURCE TEACHER IN THE CITY.  I HAVE WORKED WITH ALL KINDS OF KIDS OVER MY 33 YEAR CAREER SO I REALLY GET CLAY AND KIDS.  I LOVE HIS VOICE, HIS CHARM, AND HIS VALUES.  I AM NOT CHRISTIAN, BUT VALUES ARE VALUES.  WE ALL CAME FROM THE SAME PLACE.  I JUST CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF CLAY'S WORK AND I AM HOPING FOR A CONCERT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.  MY HUSBAND OF 27 YEARS LIKES CLAY ALSO--OF COURSE NOT LIKE I DO.  WE HAVE A WONDERFUL 11 YEAR OLD BLACK LAB WHO WE ADORE SO WHEN CLAY GOT A PUPPY, I WAS THRILLED TO KNOW HE IS A DOG PERSON ALSO.  I VISIT THIS SITE A COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.  I AM THANKFUL TO ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO MANAGE THE SITE AND ALL OF YOU WHO ARE MEMBERS.  MY FRIENDS THINK I AM NUTS SO I DEPEND ON YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND.  I THINK I WILL GO NOW AND WATCH CLAY SING.
GWENN

I have been in this thing for a lil under a month but have been loving it. I get made fun of in my hometown and at my college so much because I love this miraculous young man. He has such a future and I am so happy to see such devoted fans as I am to stick by him throughout his career. I just wanted to say I finally feel at home!
I believe I was on as a guest b4 but im back now....

Welcome!  *Pamela hugs everyone*

perfectmatch don't worry.  We have all either been laughed at will be laughed at before it's all over.  But I have a feeling we may get the last laugh.

bwahahaha!

Just remember this:  'You may laugh at us because we're different; we laugh at you because you're all the same.'

Yeah.  :mrgreen:

Actually, I try not to laugh at anyone.  I do like that quote though...

Thank you Pamela!!!! I really do feel at home and Im kinda already used to getting laughed at for various reasons because I've always been interested in different things. I just am glad I've found people to relate with me. Thanx guys you all have made me happier being here (along with Clays help of course! :lol: )

Hello everyone, I am a claymate from China. I started listen to his songs in June and fell deeply in love with his voice since then. Now I am an employee in an IT company and his story and his voice have both strongly encourage me to do theright things to realize my dreams.  But.. I'd better keep my dream a secret now. :P

Welcome to allhits from China!  It's remarkable that we have members from the following countries:

Canada
England
Puerto Rico
Brazil
The Netherlands
Singapore
Quebec
New Zealand
Australia
Malaysia
and now...China!
and the latest...Indonesia!
and also...South Africa!

We're global y'all!  

allhits, it's nice to have a dream.  Good luck with yours!

Welcome to all the new members! It is awesome to see how far Clay has reached! I hope you will be able to add Argentina to the list soon Pamela. I have friends coming this month and I plan to give them some CD's and Clayvert them so they can become Clay missionaries once they return to Argentina! Here's hoping anyway!

Hi, I'm a mother of 3 boys from a small city in south central Ohio.  I became interested in AI the first season, so my 10 year old and I were really anticipating Season 2, just cuz it's fun to watch.  Little did I know I would be blown away by the Atlanta audition.Later, when Clay sang Open Arms,and he had obviously been working on his image (So cute and vulnerable on that show), I became enthralled with this young singer!
I went to the AI concert in Cols OH, and the lady and her little boy right in front of my 10-year old and me got invited during the break to go backstage to meet Clay & Ruben!   So close, and yet so far...I'm kinda shy, so I would've freaked out anyway if they picked me.  I wanted to let you know I've followed this sight almost exclusively since I discovered it months ago.It's the best! I've never posted before so I hope I'm doing this right. Anyway, just wanted you to know how much I love this site and appreciate the hard work put into it.

ThanX for the kind words karen28.  See, that wasn't so hard was it!
I'll be looking for your posts, don't be shy!

 :)

I am probley one of the wierdest clay fans you ever hear if. I am a punk and proud of it! I am on the wrestling team at my highschool and in chour. I love to sing and plan on going on the next Canadian idol. I hated everything pop. And reality series. so when american idol came out i had to luagh. I didn't whatch the first, to afraid to embaress myself, but when the second come out I desided to see these people make a fool of themselfs. I realized some were actualy good and When i heard clay I was hooked. Then after the first or second look change I didn't reconized him.
i found kim lock. she was the greatest then I thought ruben. when clay ruben and kim were in bottom three I was say "kick that Loser off!" pointing at clay. and he was gone. when he came back I liked him again. but didn't know it was the same guy. not until a few shows later. but I loved clay the best for the hole series. it turns out. I just didn't realize it was him.
 I have almost the same back round as clay that has been published, like when he was realy little. my dad walked out when I was 2, and moved around enough, that kind of stuff but I plan to be a singer the opposite of clay. i just don't know what will be my back up plan incase I don't make it.


high school bights. :(


Bgrenda gregory

I reasently found out the last name of my older brother scott whom I've never met stacey

and I am not the youngest I have a younger sister I just haven't found out her name or met her either

hello im probably one of clay's only male fans (at least of those that will admit to it haha) but i truly am obsessed dont know why i just always got to get more clay. oh well my friends all think im nuts but i am- nuts for clay!  i even have dreams bout the guy.  ok i know what you all are thinking that im some weird creep that will eventually get a restraining order held against me from clay but hey if thats what it takes haha but seriously i do really enjoy listening to clay, just hearing that soft soothing voice.  and yes i will admit (even though im not gay) I THINK CLAY AIKEN IS THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE!!!!

hello i'm new here & i'm from indonesia

How cool - be sure and let us know how it goes ok?!!

I am a 28 year old, single, female from MN.  I started watching AI2 about half way through the season and right away when I saw Clay perform, I just had the feeling that he was on another level than anyone else there.  I didn't get all that excited right away.  But, I certainly didn't miss a show from that point on.  

After the season was over, I would listen for information about Clay, but not seek it out.  I had heard that his album was coming out in Oct and knew that I would go buy it.  I happened to see the interview with Diane Sawyer and he just melted my heart.  There was just something about him that I felt like I could identify with.  He is such a down to earth person and a regular guy that it gave me hope that there are others out there that are like him.  

Since that night, I can't get enough of him.  Everything about him screams gentleman.  With each interview that I see/read, he just continues to show his awesome charisma.  And how can I not mention his voice?  It is something that reaches out and touches me to my very core.

Hi! I'm 32 and from New Jersey. I got hooked on Clay when he first showed up for auditions. He opened his mouth and I just melted. Sigh. I love this site. You guys provide the best Clay information and I sufred most of the Clay sites out there and not one of them is this good.

Thank you so much for providing us all with the up-to-date information that's available here.

Does anybody have any suggestions for a good Clay screen saver picture?

I have to say he does have beautiful hands on top of the gorgeous voice!

hugs,

Aikenseeker

Hi,
I live in Cape Town S. Africa. Probably one of the most beautiful locations in the world. At the end of May I watched AI2 for 2wks ( the whole show). Hadn't read a thing on it anywhere till I got this computer in September.What a relief it was to see so many people felt exactly like me.
Not until DLTSGDOM did I really notice Clay, but when he sang that song and every one since I have not been the same. He just simply Blew me away, when he lost I was devastated, never thought for a minute that he would not win, got sympathy cards from friends and family. I have now realised that I have really NEVER been a fan of anyone like this before.I could not believe how biased the show was, and Simon Cowell, sorry I just did not "Get It". I used to be a big fan of his, not anymore. He made no sense at all with his remarks, How can he say Clay was Terrible for not dancing and then Horrible when he did, especially when Clay said it took a "Lot of Humility" to do and needed help with his dancing. He is not at all consistent, and obviously knows what he is talking about, his judging of AT THIS MOMENT proves that. He was the only one to actually get it right.  Clay was the first one on that night which makes it difficult to judge,nothing to go on yet. Anyway I realise that all this doesn't really matter any more, as Clay has more than proved he is a Winner all the Way.
I JUST LOVE THIS YOUNG MAN. HIS VOICE, HIS HUMILITY, HIS COURAGE, HIS GENTLNESS, AND MOST OF ALL HIS AMAZING GRACE. He is also incredibly beautiful, and hasn't a clue how beautiful he is.
Clay is surprised by all this , well he is not the only one, it took a while for me to realise, and my family all think that I have lost it, so did I till I learned I am not alone in this. Just like Clay I am totally surprised that this young man can do this to me. I will be supporting Clay FOR EVER.
MAYLON (CLAYLON) My husband named me this.

Welcome Claylon !  Thanks for sharing your story and now we have a Clay Fan from S. Africa too - very cool !

I'm Melissa, I am married to a military man and we have 2 girls. We just moved to NC from CA. I just love Clay, his CD, seeing him on TV and would love to see him in Concert whenever he makes it here to NC to do one. I'm sure he will seeing as he is from NC.
I've been lurking here for a few weeks and fig I would join in on the Clay band wagon. :D

Lissa, and all new members, welcome to Claymaniacs.com!
(and Lissa, welcome to NC!)

I hope you find lots to read and enjoy here; lots to laugh about and talk about.  

We have some of the best Clay fans in the world (literally!) right here in our little forum.

So jump on in...and have fun!

for the welcome!! I told my dh today I wished he was already touring and coming this way cause tickets to his concert would be an awesome christmas gift. I'm sure I will get tickets once he ends up coming this way we are only a few hrs away from Raleigh.

i am Rebekah and im from Union, SC. i first fell in love with clay when i heard him at the beginning. hes so sweet and has a WONDERFUL voice! he is a great person and deserves every thing he has gotten! Except for the critism and stuff like that. I know he will go a long way!
Bekah

:D Hello, everyone! My name is Vicki and I'm from Kansas City. I am 51 years old, single Mom with 3 children (all within the age group of Clay), work two jobs and have little time for extra curricular activities.  I'm a bit shy but thought I would go ahead and tell how Clay came into my life. I watched AI2 from the very beginning and must say that Clay was one of the few who caught my eye. As the contest progressed and we saw and heard more of Clay, for me, he stood out from the crowd. I looked forward every Tuesday to come home and watch the show because of him. When he sang I had chills in the back of my neck! Well, we all know how it turned out for Clay and I have been and always will be a big fan of his. Not only does he have a beautiful voice (which if you notice, makes everyone smile when he's singing) but he also has a beautiful spirit.. This is the first time that someone has really touched my heart. My children like to tease me about Clay, but they also get joy in seeing me be so excited about anything Clay. I would like to get in touch with other KC Clay fans so that I can talk about all things Clay.  :D

Hello!! My name is Jennifer and I'm from Springfield Missouri...and like many of you...I too am a HUGE fan of Clay Aiken. I am a music education major at a liberal arts and sciences school in Northeast Missouri, and in the summer I am a camp counselor for the Boys and Girls Club.  Anyways...I have been in love with Clay since I first saw him perform on American Idol.  His voice is truly amazing and he performs with such emotion that it makes each one of us feel as though we were on stage with him...(How I wish I were)!! But after I discovered his high morals and values and the fact that he was so dedicated to children..I absolutely knew that God had truly blessed him and that God had a bigger plan for this young man!!  I know that Clay has the ability to make it in the music business and I must say that it's extremely nice to be able to buy a cd and be in love with someone who really seems devoted to his fans and knows that he is a role-model for all those around him!! Hats Off to Clayton...I think we all know why he has become the American Idol!!!!

Hello everyone! My name is Melinda and I am a HUGE Clay fan! I fell in love with his voice the minute I heard it - I had on AI2 and I was playing with my dog and wasn't watching the TV but when I heard that voice my head instantly turned to watch and that was when I became a fan for life! I love music and I love to hear people that can SING - epecially since I can't sing at all. LOL! Anyway, I am 28 years old and I live in Maryland. I can't wait to talk to everyone and I wish everyone here the happiest of holidays - Merry Christmas!!

Well.....my name is Jonna I'm 19 years old.  I'm an eduacaion major. From Cincinnati Ohio.  I fell in love with Clay the very first time I saw him.  When college seemed too rough, Clay helped me realize how important education really is!

This is one message that I LOVE Clay is giving !  It really is EXTREMELY important !

Welcome to our little family.  Spread the joy and love of Clay.

Hi, my name is Karen.....and I have OCD  (sounds like a 12-step program intro. :lol: ).  I have been an AVID Clay fan since he auditioned on AI!  My interest in him started off slowly, but grew and grew and GREW until my present state, which is a full-blown case of OCD!  As many have said, I simply cannot describe what I feel about him or how he has managed to brighten my days.  I simply CANNOT explain it.......but I LOVE the feelings and I LOVE Clay!  I've waited a long time to finally post on this site (I've been lurking for a while) because I thought I'd just lose interest after a while----yeah, right----so I gave up and here I am admitting my "problem".  :lol:   (Okay, if this WERE a 12-step program admitting my disease would be the first step in my recovery, right......I sure hope NOT!!!!!!!! :P)  Anyway, thanks to all the "posters" here who keep me chuckling constantly. You all are the greatest!! The day does not seem complete until I've been able to check in to see what's up with all things Clay.  Thanks everyone and thank you Clay!!

Hello fellow Claymates!! I've been a member of Claymaniacs for awhile, but I've never formally introduced myself to all of you. My name's Claire and I'm a 19 year old college student from Illinois. I am currently single (saving myself for Clay!! Hehehe!! JK!!), and have no siblings or pets.

Can't really remember when my obsession with Clay started, probably when I started to realize that Clay should have won AI2. Ruben is all fine and dandy, but Clay is a million times better!!! Soulful can't hold a candle to MOAM!! I think that Clay is an incredibly talented individual, and I wish him the best of luck in the future. I bought MOAM on the day it was released (October 14th should be considered a federal holiday! LOL!), and actually ended up late to my first class at school that day, but I really didn't care! I wanted my Clay!!! Unfortunately, I only own one copy of his CD, but I'm determined to save any copies of MOAM I find that make it to resale shops and or those cd recyclery places. Getting rid of your Clay cd's, well that's just wrong!!!

Aside from my sick obsession with Clay, I also feel that it's actually kind of unfortunate that so many people and music critics have been bashing him. I guess they just don't know him. Not that any of us actually know him personally, but even so.  

Well, that's about all I have to say!  Bye!

Claire (aka - claymate19)

Hi!
We are the Clayberries from Canada. We love to read the forums on your site, though we never post anything. We are obsessed with Clay(How ironic) and we have bought eight MOAM cds. Our family wanted to get group therapy for us because we are so in love with Clay. We are mother and daughter, both in love with Clay! We saw his concert in Toronto and we have loved Clay from the moment he opened his mouth on AI. Thanks for keeping up such a great site where people with the same interest(Clay) can get together and share their thoughts. Thanks guys!!!

But now you have posted once and it doesnt stop there !!!  Welcome, Clayberries.  Very cute name !!!!

hey everybody ! ive been a member for awhile but i havent posted much. well i live in iowa and i am 13 years old. i have a twin brother who thinks im  crazy for liking clay so much. i have 1 dog . i hope clay comes to iowa on his tour  8). the radio stations in my area play clay all the time!!

oooops i forgot to log in . i am actually clayfan104

Hi, I am new here. My name is Kel and I am 14 years old. I live in IL and am a Freshman. I have 2 sisters who are total brats. When I first saw Clay on AI, I loved him. His voice is just so mesmerizing! My friend and I are really big fans. I think we are the only ones in our group of friends who love him. I try to watch everything he has made appearences on.

Hey Shakin4Aiken! I'm from Illinois too!! What town are you from??

Hi Claymaniacs,
I've been lurking around this site for a few weeks but now I guess I'm out in the open about my OCD.  I'm married with 2 girls who are also big Clay fans.  I must be crazy for Clay since I bought more than one MOAM (home & car copies) and have TIVO'd every show he's been on.  Of course my husband thinks we're all crazy and obsessed, and he keeps reminding me that Clay is too young for me.  My Clay highlight was attending the AI concert this summer and being reduced to a screaming, crazed woman much to the embarrassment of my 13 year old.  I can't wait until the dates are announced for his tour, and I promised my daughter that I'd drive to nearest concert if it wasn't here again.  If that happens, I'll have to figure out something clever to tell my husband.  I've enjoyed reading all the posts and the downloads and looking forward to more.  I've visited a few Clay forums and this is definitely the best!

Welcome all you new lurkers that have now become posters.  See it is easy and addictive.  Have Fun.  You are right this sight is the best.  Love Terry

My name is Meghan and i believe that Clay was the best next to my 2nd cousin Kim Caldwell, i knew she was because i saw my cousin introduce her to sing at our family reuinuin. She was great she sang Still ROck And Roll To Me. IT WAS GREAT! she even gave me free seats to a American Idol Show!!! I SAW CLAY TOO!!! It was a wonderfull and in about 4 weeks i am going to TX to see her again!

 C-YA!!!
milkshake00

Hi people. My name is Lyndsay. I am from Maine. I fell in love with Clay's classiness and voice as well as him being my main idol. Like Clay, I am a christian. But in the last 2 years, my parents have gotten a divorce and I stopped attending church. I am a teen (13 years old) and Clay has inspired me to go back into my church and to become the part of it like I was before my parents got divorced. Clay has also proved to me something that I never though tcould happen. He showed me that no matter how much you don't fit in, if you put yourself out there, you can get more friends then you ever thought that you could. I am very impressed by Clay and his success. I wish Clay luck in the future. I also hope that Clay can continue to please fans like me in the way that we all know that he can!

I think that I haved said enough. Talk to you all later!

*Lyndsay*

Hey milkshake00! You personally know Kim Caldwell, and have met Clay? How cool!!!

Good to see all the new faces. This truly is the most kind and loving site around. Clay brings out the best in us all I truly  believe. He has strengthened my faith and my overall look at life. I see so much beauty in so much now - it's amazing.
Clay fans are the best around. I feel like I have made so many new friends and I do hope that in the coming year some of us can continue to meet other fans and spread the love.
I wish you all a happy new year. Make this one good - make it count - ya never know what a certain word or touch could do for someone.
Love and hugs to you all!
Renee

Thought it timely to say Happy New Year to all here, and to let everyone know I am also a HUGE Clay fan from the original audition!!!  I have many converts to the Clay camp here in Canada, they just have to spend a bit of time with me to know how wonderful a person and singer he truly is!!!  I am a selfemployed 52 year old, married 30 years to a guy who doesn't quite understand my OCD but too bad sooooooo sad he will just have to live with it!!!!  Love being a part of all of this!!!!
Mrs. C.

I am so new at this, but just wanted to let everyone know I truly love listening to Clay.  Have memorized all his songs and it is time for a new album don't you think?  Greater and greater.   :)  :D  :D

Simon Cowell was right (from his new book) you have to have the best song writers to give to the best singers and they have done that for Clay.

Hello and Happy New Year!!!  I fell for Clay from the first audition.  I'm 43, married with two children-a son who's 15 and a daughter who's 12.  The kids and I watched faithfully through the season and all feel that Clay is #1.  We'll definitely be hitting the concert scene just for Clay, so we anxiously await his arrival to South Florida.  We're looking forward to the AI on the Road show tonight.

Welcome to all new members!

We are happy to have you and hope you find this a warm and welcoming place.

If you have any questions or concerns, send me a PM.  Just click on the PM button at the bottom of this post.

Have fun!  :mrgreen:

I have been reading this site for months, probably since shortly after  AI2 ended.  It has always has been the best.  Thanks Pamela.  I guess I have been a little scared since I have become OCD and nothing like this has ever happened to me before in all my 53 years.  Thanks for letting me share this site in my shy period (before "coming out").

Anyway,  no one I know personally is as OCD as I am. I have met or known many fans but no one as bad as me who checks websites every day and has TIVO'd everything on Clay.  My husband worries that the TIVO will fill up so he made me a VCR tape that is all Clay.  We will shortly be starting tape #2.  Anyway if there is anyone like me out there in South Florida let me know.  I need to talk to someone!!!!!

One of my daughters use to sing as much as Clay did if not more.   She did solo's in church like Clay.  She is very smart, too.  She came to a crossroad one day and had to decide whether to take the entertainment route or become a Doctor.  She chose Doctor.  I therefore see Clay on the other path she did not choose and I am so happy.  He is the greatest role model that one could have in this situation;  from his inner strength to his compassion and enormous talent.  I also can empathize with things like the Mike not working in Chicago on the concert tour because I remember those types of things happenng to my daughter.  

Thank you all for all the great information that I have used to satisfy my inner appreciation for Clay.  I know that God is using him in a great way.

Hey I just want to give a shoutout to everyone on this site, all the Clay fans here!   :lol: I am right there with all of you in your love for Clay...Like alot of you, I didn't like him at first though...I actually didn't start watching the show until half-way through the season...But just recently, I have become obsessed with Clay!  I bought his new album and for those of you that haven't heard it, it is GREAT!  :lol: I listen to it every time I get in the car and I play it over and over when I'm around my house...It's the best....I've also seen everything that he's been on on TV lately and my dream is to see him in concert!   :D For those of you that have, you are very very lucky...He is the most talented, cute, down to earth guy I have ever seen!  I thank the makers of this site for all of us claymates to get together and talk about this guy that we all love so much!  Thank you to the makers of this site and to Clay because Clay is how I "measure a man"!  :P

Hi --I am a huge Clay fan.  Anyone know how I can get recordings from the American Idol show of all of Clay's performances??

Hi Leslie!

Go here

http://www.clay-media.com/index2.html

and follow the links for Clay's AI performances.

Have fun!

Have a story! Saturday our 22 year old son stopped by with a friend and they were in the family room in the back part of the house listening to the radio on the stereo back there with my hubby. I was in the living room. My son came in the kitchen and yelled at me through the dining room...I couldn't understand what he said..but I heard "Clay" in his sentence. I got up and went to the kitchen and asked him what he said. His comment.."Mom they are playing Clay on the radio all night long"!! I said What?? He said..can't you hear him? I asked, Invisible? He said. Yeh! So I went in the living room and turned on the stereo in there. We had Clay playing at both ends of the house at the same time!!  :lol:
Then later, I went to the family room where the guys were watching football. My son said..I wouldn't be surprised if they had Clay sing at the Super Bowl! I said .."Really"?... He said...He really doesn't sing  my style of music (   :wink:  ) but he's good and he has been on everything else!! He did the Miss America Pagent, World Series, New Years on MTV and the MDA show...Why not!!

That's My Boy!!!!  :lol:

You know what?  I wouldn't be surprised either.  Now I want to find out...
 8)
You have a very smart son thanku!

Do I need to remind y'all that the Superbowl is in HOUSTON this year ?  :wink:

Hi!
My name is Sarah and I live in Massachusetts.  I am a freshman in high school and a HUGE Clay fan.  I have been watching him since American Idol.  Just last month I went to see him for the first time in Worcester during the Independent Tour.  It was AMAZING!!!  I hope I will be able to see him again sometime soon!
I am soooo happy to have found this site! :D I have been finding so much fun information and you guys have been so nice answering my questions so quickly!  Thanks so much!   :D

Hi Sarah,
Welcome to Claymaniacs. Feel free to post and look around the site. We've got updated appearances, photos, downloads, active discussions - you name it. We have an American Idol section for everyone to talk about the next "american Idol". Check out our Claygirl Jr. thread under Got Clay? There are so many wonderful people here too. Please feel free to pm me or Pamela or any of the gals around here if you need anything, have any questions, or are looking for something! NIce to meet ya.  :wink:

I have actually posted a lot on clay maniacs but have never introduced myself, my name is Liz and I live in VA and I am 14 y/o.  


O, by the way, I am in love with Clay.  :lol:

Liz,
I have seen your posts and was hoping you'd stop here to introduce yourself.  :D We are all in love with Clay so you are definately in the right place! Keep posting and if you  have any questions, pm either myself or Pamela.  :D

Hi my name is Chris and I first liked Clay at the end of American Idol he is such a good singer. I have collected a ton of Clay things like American Idol VHS, Life After American Idol Volume 1 and volume 2 Plus I have a Independent Tour DVD of both Clay and Kelly and Clay's Album and his two singles and a Independent Tour CD



PS. Clay Is So Freaking Cool

Chris,
Clay is way cool!  :D Thanks for introducing yourself. And I must say I am jealous of all the American Idol and Independent Tour media selections that you have - lol.
Welcome to Claymaniacs!

Hi, my name is Dixie and I just joined your sight today. I saw the name laying here by my computer, that my daughter left. I just thought I would check it out, and decided to join. I live in Milwaukie, Oregon, right outside of Portland. My daughters and I saw Clay in Seattle, and really enjoyed his concert. (Not long enough, though). We were sitting on the aisle where he came down singing Kyrie, and he walked right beside us, and I almost had a hear attack. :D. He is just one awsome young man. I'm old enough to be his "nanny", but I still love him. I have never felt this way over any star. I was a Tom Jones fan, but nothing like this. I guess Clay just makes me feel young again. My husband thinks I'm a little looney, but I don't really care.

I loved that young man from the first time he opened his mouth on American Idol, and let that amazing voice be heard. I would just love to hear him sing some of his demo songs on his next album, and also I think it would be great if he put on a couple of Christian songs, just a couple. He is just amazing no matter what he sings.

Welcome to claymaniacs, nannydix (Dixie) -

How exciting that Clay walked right by you guys! You are definately in the right place. Take a look around, read, and post whenever and wherever you want. We are a loving bunch! PM me if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.  :D

Hello everybody!  I just joined up today, although I've been lurking for a week or so.  My real name is Amy and I'm a 25 year old substitute teacher from Spokane.  I've got a history major and a music minor.  I know, strange combo, but it works for me.  I've also got a couple horses that take up all the money that Clay leaves me to play with.   :lol:   I've enjoyed our boy since the beginning of his Idol run and the love seems to grow with every interview and performance I see.  LOVED the show in Spokane - even though my camera (brand new - bought it just for the concert) didn't work.  Can you sue Fuji for what might have been?  <g>  

Anywho, glad to be here, and I know I'll enjoy all of the awesome discussions!

Hi Amy!
Feel free to register with us and the posting fun can begin. You don't have to register though - no pressure. I understand about your "strange combo" of subjects studied in school. I studied music as well in school, so that's cool. Take a look around, read, vote, post to your hearts content. Welcome to the board. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, just pm me or Pamela or anyone here and we'll be glad to help ya!
Thanks for stopping by to say hi and hope to see you around!

Hey everybody,
OMG I'm new to this forum thing, but I'm looking to meet new people who love Clay & respect him like I do, so this is my first forum post ever!  So anyone who wants to meet me, let me know.  I'm a grad student working on my Masters in Finance & I got a part time job currency trading for a hedge fund!  My ultimate goal would be an investment banking job at a regional bank... Wachovia maybe?  :wink:
Haha okay.  I first noticed Clay on American Idol late in the season when it was ultimately between him & RUben... I was in ALabama with my entire boyfriend's family & they were all supporting Ruben, but I stuck to my guns & HAD to support Clay because... HAVE YOU HEARD HIM??   :lol:    He is amazingly talented & the boyfriend every girl hopes to have and the son every mother wants.  My boyfriend doesn't understand why I enjoy him so much, and he said if he ever meets Clay, he'd beat him up!!  NOoooooo!  God bless him!

Oh by the way, my name is Ann, I forgot to mention that.   :oops:
Later!

Phew!  I figured out what I was doing wrong.  Now everything shows up!  Thanks for the welcome!  

Amy

Nannydix---Welcome.  I think that a lot of our husbands think that we are a little looney.  My husband just found out that the posters on my 11 year old daughter's walls in her bedroom of Clay really belong to me.  I mean she likes Clay but is not yet into popstars on her bedroom walls.  I just think it would be a little tacky to put them on my bedroom wall.  My husband didn't say much but agreed that they really couldn't go on our bedroom walls. (Darn :lol: )

Yeah, playingclay, same here!  Except my 12 yr old daughter is crazy for Clay.  She has posters and pictures we've downloaded and printed.  I bought her another bulletin board for all of the smaller ones.  Her room is such a comfy place to be with OMC's eyes looking at you from every direction!  No wonder she sleeps so peacefully at night! :lol:

Hi everyone,this is Glory I am not new but just wanted to tell everyone who is new how welcome you are to our home away from home.This is a amazing place to come to talk about Clay.Pamela is great all the other moderators are so kind  and we welcome you here.     Glory(note)

My name is Jennifer & I am the mother of 3 beautiful children (girl 15, boy 8, girl 6 1/2).  I live in Amherst, VA (about 1 hr south of Charlottesville), and am the Returns supervisor for a large mailorder company.  My youngest daughter knows the words to every Clay song, and is extremely jealous that I am going to the Roanoke concert in July.  LOL

My husband thinks I'm a little "obsessed" as well, but that's ok.....he has his antiques, I have my Clay!   :wink:

Love this forum - I can tell I'll be spending lots of time here!   :D

Welcome Jennifer and I love your avatar !   8)   Feel free to PM any of us if you have any questions and welcome to our home !   :P   Spread the love of Clay !

I am a divorced mom with 2 grown boys (22 and 31), so I suppose I am telling my age!!  As you know age does not keep us from loving this special young man that we have gone nuts over!!  I am from Clay's hometown of Raleigh NC.  I was born and raised in Chapel Hill- home of the Tarheels!!!  I am presently seeking employment, as I got caught up in one of those "company restructuring" projects, where lay-offs ensued.  I have been in finance and accounting for 28 years.  I do own rental property I manage that keeps me afloat.  I am enjoying the time I have to search the boards, and keep up with OMC.  He keeps us quite busy, that is for sure.  I have been to 3 concerts, and am looking forward to the Greensboro NC concert in July.  I would go to more if I could afford it, as I am sure we all would.

 Loving Clay has brought so many together as we make new friends.  I am particularly interested in the BAF as I have a niece with special needs, and know first-hand of the struggles there.  If Clay never sang another note (and we hope that doesn't happen), he will always be known for what he has done for those kids, in my heart.  His loving and kind heart will carry him as far as he wants to go.  The music industry would do well to take some pointers from him.  He is proof one can be successful and not comprimise your values and morals.  He has made us all sit up and take notice!  I have enjoyed watching him grow and mature as he includes us on his journey.

Thanks for having me on this board, and it should be great fun!

Hey guys! Welcome to everyone, I hope you are finding your way around and meeting all the nice people here. Be sure to check out the Forum rules and announcements stickied at the top of this forum.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or Renee (songbird).
Thanks for joining us! Have a blast!

Beautifully said, fan4Clay. I couldn't agree more. Welcome to the board and our happy home!  :D

Hi, Im a new member but not a new fan. I finally got my own computer,my son would never let me on his=at least not in my waking hours. I live in a small town outside Cleveland Ohio. Im married and have three children ages 17-27. We have one dog and three cats. (My daughter takes in all the strays) Ive worked in the medical field at our local hospital for 33 years.I guess youve figured out by now im old enough to be Clays mother and would be honored to do so. I love listening to a good singer, and when I started watching AI2 i just knew Clay was the best. I think he is such a good role model for our kids and a really good person. I loved it when he said "he wouldnt sing anything his own children couldnt listen too" . I hope someday he gets married and has littlle Aiken singers!! I saw him in the AI2 concert and in Columbus with Kelly Clarkson. Im really glad hes touring solo and hope to one day get tickets where i dont have to use binoculars.!!        NO MORE SAD SONGS    Marianne from Ohio

WELCOME MLOCK615

WE HAVE ALOT OF FUN HERE, LEARN ALOT ABOUT CLAY AND SHARE LOTS OF STORIES.  JUST LOOK AROUND AND JUMP IN ANYWHERE AND ENJOY.

HI! I live in Gig Harbor, WA.  I've watched American Idol in it's first season and was so glad the Kelly won, so I started watching AI2 right from the get go I fell for his voice as soon as he opened his mouth.  Then as shows went on he transformed himself into one handsome man.  When his CD came out I bought it the first day it was released and seeing how he is in his goodness and caring I was like WOW.  I am now hooked and I'm 39 :D

Mstar,
Welcome to the thread. Take a look around and read and post as you wish. If you'd like, create a profile and register with us so you can have access to our Member's corner! We love to hear from new faces!

MLock,
Welcome aboard as well. This is a great group of fans. Have fun!  :D

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site, but have loved Clay since his first audition on American Idol. I live in Delaware, I'm 37, still don't think i'm to old for him though, but sure most of us don't. Anyway, I'm married have no children, but do have 3 dogs and 2 horses, they are my kids.
I'm going to the Dover show June 5, and look forward to meeting some of you who are as in love with Clay as I am. Just 2 more weeks to go.
I'm going to try and be down there early as the traffic on race weekend is horrible. Well guess that about it for now. See you in Dover.

Welcome aboard DeClayfan! So glad to see a new face. If you have any questions or need anything, pm me. WE look forward to reading more posts from you as you move on in your Claymaniac journey!  8)

Welcome here, and hope you find it enjoyable!!  Lots of good Clay news and discussions here...

fan4clay

is there a song by clay aiken with the lyrics "just you and I"?

Hi, I am Shannon from florida. I am single and a college student studying Journalism/English. I have been a Clay fan since I first saw him on AI. I live with my dog. Thanks for such a wonderful site. I love Clay because of his attitude and he seems like a nice guy.

Hello everyone!!  Thank you for supporting Clay so much.  He needs all of your love and good wishes. :D

Thats what we are here for !   :P    We love Clay !  You arent Clay are you ?   :shock:  

Whoever you are, welcome to Claymaniacs and tell us about yourself !  Spread the love of Clay !   8)   And thanks for joining us!

Hi there!! New to your group.  My name is Pattie Jo, but I usually go by "PJ".  I'm from PA, just outside of Pittsburgh.  I fell in love with Clay the first time we saw him on AI.  That voice!! OH THAT VOICE!!!!  I've been a die-hard fan ever since!!!  Went to 3 AI concerts (Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Raleigh), 3 Independent concerts (Raleigh, Uniondale, and Columbus {Clay picked my cell phone there and talked to a good friend of mine! THUD!}), and also went to Clayvention.  Have tickets to two summer concerts as well!!!!

I am from the group THE CLAY TRAIN CONNECTION.  Please visit our web site at :  www.theclaytrainconnection.com  and please sign our guest book and take a look around.  I'd like to ask you most especially to take a look at the car named "WALK".  We at the Clay Train are orgainizing a 5K walk in Raleigh in April 2005.  It will benefit BAF!  We are still in the basic planning stages, but need all the help we can get.  We need walkers, sponsors, and volunteers of all sorts.  If you think you are intersted in walking, sponsoring or maybe volunteering, or if you'd like to be on our mailing list for a registration packet, please see the info in the WALK car on our web page and email Dianna or Francine with you information (their email addys are posted there).  PLEASE HELP US MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!  More specific information will be coming!  As soon as we know more we will let you all know more!!!

I'm looking forward to posting with you all here and getting to know you!!!

Love and prayers!!
PJ  (aka pat_tie_jo)   :lol:

Hi there! My name is Jenai.  I'm 24, a recent graduate with my degree in Speech and hearing, whith hopes to be a teacher or a sign language intrepreter.  I heard about Clay from American Idol 2.  I was affected by his personality, his faith in God, and his determination to help children with special needs and how he came out of a painful childhood to the wonderful, gentle soul he is today.  I've never seen an entertainer who is so insisted on maintaining his values and morals and so determined to be a positive role model for his fans.  It seems like Clay and I have some things in common, we each worked with a little boy who was autistic (I also have an autistic cousin) and have an interest in children with special needs (I'm planning on getting my certification to teach deaf children and children with special needs).  Also, I'm a Christian.  I'm really struck by Clay.  He seems like a wonderful person with a angel inside of him.  I pray he always keeps God first and maintains his kindness.  God bless Jenai

Ok, I'm introducing myself way late, as I've already made several posts, but oh well. Howdy everybody! My name is Amanda, I am 16 years old and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (that's in California, for those of you who have trouble with geography). Clay is one of my two obsessions, the other being The Phantom of the Opera. I have seen the musical four times and I even got to go backstage and meet my favorite Phantom, Brad Little (now, if only I could get backstage to meet Clay...). I love musicals, and one day I hope to be on Broadway. All I have to do is learn how to sing and dance and act, and I'm there. LOL

I didn't watch season one of American Idol and I wasn't planning on watching season two. Just think what it would have been like if I hadn't! (I might've had a life now...but that's beside the point.) I knew people from school who were obsessed with Kelly and gang, and I, not understanding at all, actually made fun of the whole thing. When season two began, my mom turned it on out of curiosity. My basic reaction was "You're not actually gonna watch that are you?" (spat out with nothing short of utter disgust) She was curious, and for whatever reason (fate), I chose to stay downstairs and watch it too. Well, of course the auditions were hilarious, and I was immediately intrigued. I actually don't remember a whole lot that took place between then and the top 12...I do vaguely remember thinking that Clay was good, but that's about it. Once into the top 12, I immediately liked Clay and Ruben the best. Actually, at the beginning, *GASP* I...*whispered hurredly* I liked Ruben the best. *sobs in horror at own stupidity* I'm sorry! It's hard even for me to admit to myself, and I choose not to mention it most often. If you could all forget it now, that'd be lovely. Ok, ready? Forgetting...NOW! Ok then, it's all better isn't it?

Anyhow, for the first few weeks, I prefered the aforementioned contestant, but I also loved Clay. Then, toward the middle, I couldn't decide who I prefered, just so long as it was the two of them in the finals. Then, finally, closer to the end, I prefered Clay. I began to develop a crush on him, but I denied it, even to myself, since at that point I was still hooked on Lance Bass of *NSYNC (why? Clay is sooooo much better! Oh well, at least I've seen the error of my ways since, right?). I really knew that I was hooked on Clay after the "Vincident". I was so worried, I could not concentrate in any of my classes the next day. Then, the day of the finale, I finally admitted, for the first time out loud, that I had a crush on Clay. Then I spent that evening sobbing when he didn't win.

I saw him on the American Idols Live tour and he was so wonderful! I was so excited! But even still, I was not really what one would really call a Claymate or a Claymaniac. That began after I saw his PrimeTime interview with Diane Sawyer. I sobbed through nearly the whole thing, and at the end, there was no denying it. I was his. End of story.

Since that time, I have seen the Independent Tour twice, once from the 5th row (OMG!!! AMAZING!!! I could (and gladly will to anyone who will listen) go on about that experience for days!!!). Unfortunately, since I am in California, I am unable to attend any concerts this summer *sobs*chokes*hacks*suffocates*dies*. I would gladly spend as much time and money as poossible to see Clay again, but I am unable to get to any of the shows without one of my parents taking me, and unfortunately, while my parents (especially Mom) love Clay, neither are Claymates.  :(

So yeah, that's me. The end.

New faces! new faces! Ohh I love it!

Welcome everyone (Amanda - please look around and register with us if you'd like so you can visit our member corner and start tallying your posts - good to see you!; Froggirl80 (jenai) welcome aboard too and good luck in all of your schooling endeavors  :wink: ; pat_tie_jo (PJ), Good to see you too)! Look around, post around, sigh around, laugh, cry, and just love all around here!  8)

Hehehe...sorry about that...I was registered, I just forgot to log in...LOL...oh well. Wait...I am logged in now, right? Right? *growing frantic* Oh, I hope I'm logged in...

*checks*

Oh...yes, I'm logged in. Okey day. The end.

 :D

HI I'M CLAY'S WIFE (LOL) I'M A JUNIOR AT COLLEGE,
HARVARD AND I'M THE ULTIMATE CLAYMANIAC AND
I FELL IN LOVE WITH CLAY SOON AS HE AUDITIONED
AT AMERICAN IDOL!

Oooh Harvard, that's a beautiful campus.  What are you studying/planning to do after college?  As a new graduate, always interested in these things, to give me an idea of what I'm doing, lol.  Clayswife, do you know Mildred Yuan?  She was one of my best friends from high school who should be a senior there.  I don't know if she is a CLay fan or not though, lol.  Nice meeting you & welcome to Claymaniacs!

Hi - I posted on here once but it never showed up.  I'm doing something
wrong!  well here goes. My name is Evelyn and I'm from Ohio. Going to the Ohio State Fair Concert.  How old am I ! TOO OLD; however, to give you a hint I have two grown children - one is 49 and one is 42.  I love Clay and his marvelous voice.  The last time I ever was a fan was when Frank Sinatra was in his prime.  Now that really dates me. My username is CL4CLAY.  In case your curious about the cl it stands for "cookie Lady".  I'm constantly baking and at Christmas usually make 35 to 40 different kinds of pastries.  Well, hope this gets through and hope I see some of you at the fair.  Do you think if I made some Austrian Peaches, Jerome would see that Clay got them?  Love to all.

cl4clay,
Welcome to Claymaniacs! What a wonderful place to share your love of Clay. Please let us know if you have any questions or anything. Have fun reading and posting!  :wink:

Hey all, this is wil555 (or Greg, either name is cool with me). Yeah. I'm a guy. But I love Clay. He is totally awesome like whoa. :D

I love music, I want to try out for AI someday soon, and I have my music on the piano and some songs posted at my website.

You guys are all great! Don't stop listening to music, particularly Clay's! ;)

By the way, I'm kinda going through a rough patch of depression lately, which sucks majorly. You guys help out a lot, even though you don't know it.

Be seeing you around!

-wil555 (Greg)

http://wil555.bravehost.com

Hi Greg,

I'm so glad that you love our site and visit when you do. This place really makes me feel better too sometimes. I think we all agree that Clay's music can really lift our spirits whenever we need it.

Here's an official welcome to the site! Hope to see more of ya.  :wink:

Hi, my name is Krista and I am a high school student from Ontario, Canada.  I found this site about a week ago and didn't have time to register. I'm 15 years old, and a huge Clay and dog lover. I do have a cat, and I love her, but I think(No offence) they think everything belongs to them, mainly my homework. (my cat ate it once) I started watching Clay on Grease night, after that I was hooked. This guy was(and still is) GOOD! My mom has threaten to ban him and stuff, but she knows how I feel, as she used to like David Cassidy and Rod Stewart. Well, not much more to say...oh, I have NO kids! lol

Krista

Hi.  I've been trying to get on here forever but was having a lot of problems which Pamela sorted out.  My name is Sharon and I'm from San Diego.  My family thinks I am completely nuts and just want it to stop!  I'd love to find someone from this area to go with to the Clayvention next year.  I used to truuuly love Rick Springfield.  Now I truuuuuuuuuuly love Clay!!!  I truly do  :D

Hi spartus and Krista,

Welcome to Claymaniacs. I'm glad you found us here. Krista, we have a thread all about our pets - you'll have to read and post there sometime when you get a chance.  :wink:
And Sharon,
Keep checking our Clayvention thread - I am sure that some of our CA friends can help you find a way to get to the convention when it happens.

Spread the love of Clay!  :D

hi everyone my name is Ashley Williams and i am almost 14 years old! i am SOOOO glad that i found this site because there are no other clay obsessies at my school! i am a Clay Aiken fanatic! i hopr to find a second family here!  Clay Rocks my world and i am so glad that i am not the only one who thinks so! i love Clay sooooooo much!!! HE ROCKS!!!! :D  :D

   I have been lurking for about a year & thought I would make a leap "out of the shadows" to give you my name, obscure as it is.
   I am a retired high school principal with a husband of 53 years and two adult children, 50 & 48 years of age. We are all associated with education & very proud of it.
   I have been shocked at my unbridled fanship of Clay Aiken. I haven't bought a single disc in fourty years and now I have a very small collection of Clay's music. I have never been to a single concert since Peter, Paul & Mary years ago. I will go to two Clay concerts in Texas in early Fall.
    My purpose for this bit of trivia is to say thank you for claymaniacs, Pamela & the team. I am so impressed with your civility and good natured personalities. It makes lurking much fun and a wholesome activity. Thank you.

I am in awe. Look at the last two posts. First, a 13 year old. Then a woman who has been married 53 years and has children half a century old!

Only Clay...only Clay could bring such diverse people together for a common purpose! :lol:  How wonderful that he is here. How lucky we are to be here with him, watching him grow and spread all that good stuff he brings to people through his voice and his heart.

Sniff, sniff   So true, Amy !

Welcome Ashley and Invisiblemay !  Invisiblemay, are you going to the Houston concert ?   We will have to meet up if you are ! I am a high school science teacher  :wink:

I'm from Dayton, Ohio, plan on seeing clay on August 28, 2004 at the Nutter Center, and my husband thinks I am insane for liking Clay.

I think that about covers it.

Hey Y'all! :P

Welcome to all who have posted on page 21 so far.

mRz.aShLeY_aIkEn...... HI.  I AM SOOO GLAD YOU LET US GET TO KNOW YOU!!  :D

invisiblemay.....WELCOME!  I UNDERSTAND ABOUT PETER, PAUL AND MARY BEING THE LAST CONCERT YOU WENT TOO.  :shock:

outthereforclay...YOU SAID IT ALL!!   ENOUGH SAID  :P

WalkingGhost......I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU GIRLFRIEND.  MY HUSBAND THOUGHT I WAS INSANE STARTING W/AI2 AND WHEN CLAY FIRST SANG.    :wink:

You all have come to the perferct place.

Welcome to Ashley! (sorry I don't have time to do the old up and down with the letters!) and hello to invisiblemay!  Students and teachers!  Common ground is a wonderful thing.  

Walking Ghost...yes, I think I've seen your name somewhere before.   8)
Glad you stopped in to say hey!  

I encourage everyone to read the Forum Rules thread, there is also info about our different forums there.  Look around, explore and start talking. I believe you'll find us a little more laid back than some other places.  But we still have deep, profound discussions  :roll: and lots of fun as well.  Because if it ain't fun, why bother?  :wink:

Whether you want to feed him, tuck him in, or .... something else, the one thing we all want is for Clay to keep singing to us.  We offer him our loyalty and support first and foremost.  That doesn't mean we think he's Saint Clay, but then that's where the loyalty part comes in.

Diversity is a grand thing.  It's amazing how so many different types of people all share such an enormous respect for one single man.  We are all persons of great taste, don't you agree?   :wink:

Bienvenidos, mrsclayaiken. I'm surprised nobody took that user name yet. :wink:

hey ya'll!!!
i'm molly and i'm new to this board. the board i usually visit seems to be gone for a while, so i need to talk to my fellow claymates!lol
i'm 14 and live in georgia. i'm going to greenvile SC show in july! yay.

oh, renee, wern't u at the claymate board?? your name seems familiar.

Welcome "Molly Loves Clay"!

I like your username!! I am Molly too!

This is a great message board, everyone is very respectful of Clay and each other!  See you around the board!

I AM A 60 YEAR OLD RETIREE WITH CHILDREN AGE 34 AND 30, AND 2 BEAUTIFUL GRANDCHILDREN. THEY ALREADY RAISE THEIR EYEBROWS AND SHAKE THEIR HEADS WHEN I MENTION BEING A CLAY FAN. WAIT UNTIL THEY FIND OUT I BOUGHT TICKETS TO THE HOUSTON CONCERT (MY VERY FIRST) AND AM POSTING ON A FAN WEBSITE. MY DAYS MAY BE NUMBERED. BUT YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, AND CLAY HAS CERTAINLY MADE THAT "ONCE" MUCH BRIGHTER FOR ME. SEVERAL PEOPLE I WORKED WITH WATCHED AI AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE, TO TALK ABOUT THAT VOICE, BUT WHEN THE SHOW WAS OVER I SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY ONE STILL INTERESTED. I BOUGHT THE FIRST SINGLE BUT THEN LOST TRACK UNTIL I RETIRED IN DECEMBER. NEVER KNEW ABOUT ALL HIS APPEARANCES OR THE WEB SITES. THEN I GOT A COMPUTER, COULD WATCH THE DAYTIME SHOWS, AND HAVE TRIED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME. NOW I AM AN EXPERIENCED TRL, ETC. VOTER, HAVE MULTIPLE COPIES OF EACH OF HIS CD'S (INCLUDING LOOK WHAT LOVE HAS DONE), AND ADMIT TO A SERIOUS CASE OF OCD. SO, AFTER SOME MONTHS OF LURKING AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYING THIS SITE, IT SEEMS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP TO JOIN A GROUP WHO WILL UNDERSTAND HOW GREAT IT IS TO HAVE A PLACE TO SAY RIGHT OUT LOUD, "I LOVE CLAY AIKEN", THE VOICE, THE MAN, THE TEACHER, THE WHOLE PACKAGE! MY FAMILY WILL JUST HAVE TO GET USED TO IT. SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST POST, I HOPE IT GOES THRU. THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE.

welcome molly_loves_clay and Carol G.

It is so great to see people of all ages join our board. If you all have any questions, let us know. And like Pamela said, look around, start reading and discussing. We do have a lot of fun here. Welcome aboard!  8)

Hello everybody,

   I have been a "silent"member for a few months because computers still scare me somewhat, but I decided to just start posting and enjoying the entire Claymaniac site!
   My name is JoAnn Moody and I am a young 53 year old.  I have been widowed for several years.  I will start my 29th year this fall as an elementary teacher having taught art and grades 2--5.
  I first started noticing Clay the very first time on AI I and also felt attracted to his personality and of course his magic voice.  In an odd way, he reminds me of another favorite of my past, Paul McCartney!  
    I have my student's(second graders) listen to his cds as they write in class.  He is the only "pop" singer I allow!
  As I tell my students each day, "Never stop learning"!  I want to share with you what I learned about 10 minutes ago.  I learned the word, "avatar" and I actually made this one myself.  Now, I will use this word with my new class of second graders this fall and put Clay's photo as a "visual" definition.
JoAnn Moody :wink:

Jo Ann,
Welcome to claymaniacs (officially).  :wink: I wish my past teachers would let me listen to music in my class - much less Clay Aiken.  8)
And what a great avatar!
Look around, read, post, laugh. cry and have fun with all of us here on the site. PM myself or Pamela if you have any questions or concerns.

i must be the only Clay fan in Australia. how is everyone?? My Yahoo IM chatbox is really empty, so if anyone wants to chat, please add me as summer_sunshine6969@yahoo.com.au. Thanks guys.......great to meet you all......

Welcome to everyone who has joined Claymaniacs.

Summer Sunshine,
It is great to have someone from Australia.  I have been to New Zealand, but have not made it to Australia, yet!

JoAnn,
Welcome to my best friend, JoAnn.  I know you will enjoy this site.  JoAnn is the one who showed me how to first post after she and I and others went to the Clay/Kelly concert in Grand Prairie in March.  I have been the "chatty" one on Claymaniacs, but I think she is going to try to catch up with me! :wink:   JoAnn and I are going to the Nokia Live Clay concert Sept. 8.  We each have two tickets, and are tryiing to decide which ones to keep and which ones to sell! :?   Of course, if we can get some seats "in front of the stage," we"ll sell both our sets!! :lol:
JoAnn, I know you will have fun on Claymaniacs.  Just remember, it's almost as addictive as Clay! :shock:  8)

Priscilla (Prissy)

Hi everyone

I'm a new supporter from Australia.  I caught a glimse of Clay on ET one day and have been hooked ever since.  I have a pretty small collection of his music, mainly AI2 clips.  And would love to have some of his music/video clips since AI2.

Drop in and say hello...

Karch

The Aussies have landed!  
Hello and welcome Karch and Summer Sunshine!  
(Is anyone else here from Down Under?)

I have to tell you this story...I met someone on another board last summer who lived in Australia.  She actually flew in to one of the California AI concerts last summer, and was fortunate enough to be invited backstage to meet the 'Idols.'  

One of them (name withheld to protect the....silly) asked her where she was from, and said 'Australia!' The...'idol' said 'Really?!?  Did you fly or drive?'

 :shock:

Glad you're here mates!   :wink:



Hi JoAnn!  See, being a Clay fan is an educational experience.  And don't you let anyone tell you otherwise either.  We have lots of teachers here.  And, we do need them.  Well, I do anyway!  Have a blast, and welcome!  Any friend of Prissy's is a friend of mine.      :wink:

WELL QUITE amazing all the new folks welcome this is the very best place to be.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Heather, I'm 26 years old and I have been lurking here for a couple of weeks and finally decided it was time to post!  I live in Southern Pines, NC, about an hour and 15 minutes south of Raleigh and I work in golf.  Music is one of my favorite things, so I was instantly drawn to American Idol when it debuted.  

I was instantly a Clay fan during AI2.  His voice is just amazing...you can't get much more pure that what he has!  As a person I just can't say enough about him...he is caring, down to earth and just an all around great guy!  I have seen him in concert once and I am going again in 5 days!  

I'm really glad to be here and I look forward to sharing good times with other Clay fans!!   :D

Hey Heather, I'm in Clayton!  Yeah NC girls!
Glad you decided to join us.  Be sure to check out all the forums and all the threads, there's all kinds of stuff going on.  

Let me or songbird know if you have any questions, and have fun!

Thanks so much for the warm welcome Pamela!  It's great there are other North Carolinians here!  YAY!   :D   I was reading a lot last night and I'm sure I will be posting up a storm soon!  You guys can count on a recap after Friday's concert!

That is so odd!  I was logged in, but it posted me as a guest!  Oops!

Hey yall my Name is  Danielle but all my friends call me Mrs.Clayton Holmes Aiken.......i'm 13......i have always supported him and my aunt's cousin babysitted clay when he was a baby! I'm from the New England states.. but i want to be from nc

Danielle,
 WELCOME to the site!!! You should come be a part of the Claygirl Juniors...We have lots of fun and are very welcoming! Come check it out! Hope to see you there and have fun!

 Monica

I am probably the only one who totally missed AI2.  A friend has been gracious enough to let me dub Clay off her tapes.  This is a really long story, but one I have wanted to share.  
Four years ago, almost to the day (July 6), I had a sweet little baby boy.  That completely changed my life.  I became the typical stay at home mom and devoted myself completely to my child, to the exclusion of my own interests, or hobbies.  I soon wanted another baby, and had a very difficult time getting pregnant again.  When I did, I lost that baby late in my first trimester.  I soon became pregnant again, and overcoming many difficulties with it, had another sweet baby boy (Feb. 6, 2003).  This baby was pretty sick at first.  After fighting to get pregnant, then fighting to stay pregnant, my sick baby was my only priority.  This could be a big reason why I missed AI2.  My friend, that mentioned earlier, would tell me little bits and pieces, but I didn't pay too much attention to it.  One day in January 2004, she calls me and needs me to take to Clay and Kelly's concert in Grand Prarie, Texas, about two hours away.  I instantly agreed, which is strange, I never leave my kids.  My husband willingly volunteered to take the boys to work with him so I could go.  That was even stranger.  At this point I would not have known Clay if I saw him, I knew nothing about him, or even the fact that he did or did not win AI2.  My friend tried to fill me in on the details on the way.  (THIS IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD)  When we got to the concert 2 hours early, there was a million people.  All had signs, or shirts, or had written on themselves.  I turned to my friend and told I didn't think anyone could be that great.  I soon realized that the fans ranged in age from five to 105.  All were equally passionate.  I suddenly felt unworthy of the honor of being in this place.  I was surrounded by very loving and dedicated fans, and I knew nothing, not even one song.  I felt the excitement in the air before Clay came on.  When I heard the first note of the first song, I was completely captivated.  Hook, line and sinker.  I fell so hard.  I was absolutely amazed.  How could I have not know about him?  Everything I heard and saw, he just got better and better.  He is such an awesome performer.  There are not enough good things to say about him.  I have done my research, I may be a late bloomer, but I make up for it.  I read somewhere on this site something like, "I came for the voice, but I stayed for the man".  That sums up my feelings for Clay.  My mom says I like him so well because he reminds me of my husband, who knows.  He just makes me really happy.  Which leads me to my current story.  I fell so in love with him, my friend arranged to take me to another of his concerts, since I knew what to expect.  My father in law got sick and we could not do it.  But I am so happy to say that I will be seeing him Sunday night in Charleston, South Carolina.  Then again in Grand praire.  I am holding my breath!  My son is also in love with Clay.  When my husband had to work late for two weeks stright, Clay sang him to sleep each night.  Funny thing is he went to sleep easier, and slept better, and woke up happier.  He had been having nightmares, but Clay must have made him feel safe.  He wrote a note to Clay one morning telling him why he loved Clay.  Really cute stuff like "he makes me happy, he is nice and never mean, he is a big brother, he likes to help people, and because he sings better than everyone."  Out of the mouths of babes!  Jonathan will get to see Clay when he comes to Texas.  Sorry, I will not talk so long in the future.

hello everybody!! my name is Amanda and i am 18 years old from marshfield, wisconsin, if that means anything to anybody...Anyway, i am a freshman at Minnesota State, Mankato. I am planning on majoring in Special Ed (PARTIALLY because of clay, and i'll get into that in a second...) and minoring in speech communications. So like i said, i am majoring in special ed. i had been thinking about it for quite some time and then after getting really into clay, he kind of became my inspiration to follow through on my goals. so, i was accepted in UNCC (yes, also applied PARTIALLY because of clay and the wonderful things abuot the school...) and decided to stay close to home...

I have always liked clay...since the very first audition, he was my pick to go all the way. i was a proud owner of his new cd at 12:03 tuesday morning the day it came out. stayed at Wal-Mart to be the first one to get it!! I have been to 3 concerts (AI II, Independant Tour, and CA 04 Summer Tour) but am always looking for ways to get to more!! Anyway, thats a little bit about me and thanks for welcoming me to the site!!

~Amanda

WElcome aboard to Danielle, SK, and Amanda. So great to read/ see your stories about Clay. Keep posting and let us know if you guys have any questions. Have fun!!

Bienvenidos, y tengas un tiempo camiseta.



(Welcome, and have a time t-shirt.)

Hi all.  I'm MiniMe.  LadyC's MiniMe to be exact.  She's my mom.  (Someone call child welfare!!  :shock: )  When she's not slapping me around or making me clean the kitchen, I am a total Clay freak!!!

I'm 14 (almost), LOVE Clay, and mom says I never shut up.  You are fairly warned.

Welcome MiniMe. Your mom is an absolute jewel, so if you have even an ounce of that "shine", we will love you too. WE love you for being here. let us know if you have any questions. We are here to help!
Look around, post and have fun! Spread the love of Clay!

Ahhh, thanks Songbird!  What a kind thing to say.  And thanks for the warm welcome for my daughter.

Hi MiniMe.  Who let you out of your cage???   :wink:  Stay in school.  Don't use drugs.  Pray each night.  Listen to Clay each day.  And ... clean your room ... or something.

(That was entirely for the benefit of Child Welfare...)

To you maybe!! She beats me  :wink: everyday and keeps me in a cage, she even said it her self!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!! SHE'S COMING!! SAVE MEEEE!!  :wink:

Thanks!! I know she can be a real pain sometimes!! You can say it!!  But I'll try to light up a chat like she does, but I just don't posses her sarcasm!!(which can be very scary!!)

LadyC, if this kid bothers you, just let me know.

bwahahaha!  Just kidding...welcome MiniMe!

That's so cool, to have your mom on the same forum!

(Yeah..."cool"...)

Vilkommen...aw, how sweet. I'd have my mom join one of my forums, but, eeehh...she knows as much about the internet as much as a boxer knows about raising an emu.

Welcome MiniMe!!  :D

Pamela, can you make her clean her room?  LOL

I have been a member of this site for about a year but have mostly been a lurker ever since I signed up...not because I'm shy or anything, just becasue I guess.
To repeat what everybody else has said...I love Clay!!! His voice moves me...His personality charms me...His integrity and morals stun me...etc...
I went to his Independent Tour with Kelly here in Salt Lake City and I am almost positive that even avid Kelly fans were "Clayverted" that night.  I do have a funny "stalking the tour bus" story but I will find a better thread for that.  

THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT MAKES THIS SIGHT POSSIBLE IT'S THE BEST ONE AROUND.

Welcome Larissa have fun!

I'm Janet and from Michigan.... I've been to 1 concert and will go to another one in a few weeks :D:D

I was Clay-verted by one of my best friends who had been following Clay since AI2....  and I've been a fan of his since Summer 2003....

I hope you have fun at the concert Janet! Welcome and HAVE FUN  :D

Thank you!! I shall have a great time!!

My best friend who introduced me to Clay will get a cell cert also!!!! :D

AWESOME...try to control yourself  :wink:

I promise to be good.... ;)

(although i wont be able to control myself during WYSYLM.... my fave song.. I sing loud and cheer alot during that one!!)

Whatever works  :D  Have fun

Hi everybody,  

I finally took the plunge and am going to post.  I hope this is going to the correct place... I have NO IDEA what I am doing.  I have been reading here for about a year.  I just got my computer so I can post messages now, since I am not allowed to get on the boards at work!  I work for the public school system in Canton, Ohio as a school secretary.  I love to watch high school and college basketball (men's & women's) and football.  I enjoy attending concerts (all types of music) and I love, to on occasion, play cards, slots, etc.  I'm single and share my house with my kitties. I'm looking forward to joining in on the numerous discussions with you.

Mary Lynne

HI clayslittlelady (Mary lynne),
I posted to you on your other thread 'got clay?' too, but wanted to officially welcome you here.
I see you said you have kitties. We have a pet thread in the 'fun stuff' category. Check that out when you get a chance. Thanks for telling us a little about yourself too! Let us know if we can help you out with anything or if you have any questions!

Welcome!!!

Hey everyone, My name is Diana. I am new here at claymaniacs.com I live in Louisiana and I'm a HUGE Clay fan. UMM thats obvious lol. My fave Clay song is The Way, my fave Clay performance is Grease OH YA! My interests are Clothes, drawing Animals, Backstreet Boys, and OF COURSE Clay Aiken! Well, I'm always trying to meet people and make new friend cuz I have no firends, I am homeschooled and it sux, so I do like to chat and u can add me anytime on AOL, Msn, and or Yahoo. C ya there!  :wink:  :P

Oh I may have a few questions too, like how do u have an avatar and post pictures, if anyone can help me without, I will be very grateful! Thanx!

Hey Diana!  I'm so glad you signed up...I can help you post pic and with an avatar, I just learned too! lol PM me anytime if u want!  Have fun posting and come to the Claygirl Juniors section!  Its sooo much fun!!!

WElcome diana,
Please (if you would like) feel free to register with us and create a screen name. oNce you register your posts will start adding up and the fun begins! Look around - like sarah said, check out the CLaygirl jr's thread. Look around, read, post, laugh, have fun - and if you have any questions feel free to ask myself, or Pamela, or anyone here! Welcome aboard!!

hi i am kandi_19

i just started like clay this winter my friend got me into him and i got his cd for christmas and just fell in love with him.. my grandpa got lung cancer and when he got it we moved across the road from him. when he passed away in last april i got very sad and then it surned into depression and when i started listing to clay everything chaged for me im so happy when i listen to him and hear him! my hole family knows it too and they know that i love him!! im 16 yrs old and totally in love with clay!! And i thank him for what his music has done for me!! i dont what my life would be like if i hadent heard his music!Feel free to e-mail me i love talkin about clay so please do so! im new so i dont really know anyone!

         kandi_19

Hi,
    That's so sad about your grandpa!! I'm glad Clay has had that kind of effect on your life! He has mine, and my mom's too!! You'll find a lot of people here have had the same type of thing!! I'm Minime (LadyC's daughter) or you can call me Kandise! Welcome and I hope you have fun on this board, I sure do! We have some AWESOME people that can help you with almost anything you want to know!! If  you want to talk I'll most likely be on or you can PM me and I'll get back to you!!

Kandise

Welcome kandi_19, Diana and Mary Lynne!  It's so great to have new members!  You are going to love it here.  Everyone is so welcoming and fun.  Happy posting!

hello! welcome to our humble abode! hope you feel at home here. never be affraid to let your thoughts out. everyone is very generous and understanding here, i now know that 100%!! so please, come back, post around and have fun loving clay! we all do!!

~Amanda

Hi,
    I first became a fan of Clay the very first time he appeared on tv auditioning in front of simon.  Even in all his geekiness he blew me away.  He is the reason I watched the rest of the show.  I also was devastated when he did not win.  But I am very happy with the outcome.  I have never been this interested in any other artist before Clay.  
    I also enjoy your site.  I have been lurking for months and almost feel like I know some of you.  The first chance I get I read Aiken news then I go to OCD.  Your site is a class act.  I have checked out many others and this is my favorite.  It feels like a family.  I recently went to Clays Rhode Island concert with my husband.  It was awesome and Clay was great as usual.  We even got to see Raliegh.  There was a woman behind me who was cellcerting for Clay's official RCA site and she was very nice and we talked a bit.  I'm not sure if I will ever post much but wanted you to know there are probably many more claymaniacs at heart then you know.  
                     Another Clay fan in Connecticut

I'm trying to contact someone who left a link and I don't know my password  It asks for "@smtp.aol.com" and can't get to an administrator to find it or can't get to reregister to apply for one again.  I  don't know where to post this, but this seemed the least out of place! Sorry! If an administrator could help I'd sure appreciate it.

For the past hour, wait maybe hourS ive been reading posts about this topic and how everyone was erxplaining how they started to like Clay and their name and blah blah blah, and you know...Claymates are such wonderful people. Some are young...some are just not as young, but everyone has a story and Clay has changed their life in so many different and special ways!! Its so amazing what one man can do. So heres a little about me and how i became a Claymate!!
Hi my name is Carmelita, I am 12 years old. Yes 12 im not even a teenager yet, but i know a true role model when i see one. (Clay) :lol:
Heres how i learned about Clay. One day i was over at my sisters house and she was saying how sad she was that Clay Aiken never one and i thought, right Clay Aiken...whats so special about him?? Then that day i went to the mall and saw Clay on the front cover of a magazine and thought "huh he's kinda cute...kinda." Then that night i was watching a tv show and they showed the Invisible music video and i was liek "woa i like hat song!! whos that guy singin it? CLAY AIKEN?! Woah that guy can sing!!" so i downloaded invisible and that was that. From that day on i was a Claymate and then shortly after i got OCD-OBSESSIVE CLAYPULSIVE DISODER. And i made a "clay wall" one wall in my room with TONS of pictures,posters and little clippets from magazines. And i carry a picture of Clay in my locket, and i wear "clay earings" which are regular earings but wit little pictures of Clay on them and every day i put a new picture in and i wear them EVERYWHERE except when i go swimming...#1 dont want Clay to melt away and #2wouldn't wanna scare Clay by going to close to a pool. HEHEHEHE :lol: So well that's my story and sorry i made this so long but...well i just did hehehe. My ultimate goal in life is to meet Clay and sing for him then he'll be so impressed he'll say, "wow Carmelita... join me!!" he'll say as he extands his hand to me. "take my hand and join me to stardom!!" he'll say. And then we'll become the fantastic duo of Carmelita and Clay!! Yup as you can tell I have a REAL bad case of OCD.  :lol: But who can his resist his beautiful green eyes and his cute big ears!! :oops: I sure can't!!  :P Anyhow, basicly I want to say Clay is a wonderful role model to people of any age, but to me Clay is my hero. :)
Love yall!! :lol:
Tootlez
cArMeL :wink:  8)  :lol: :P :mrgreen:
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welcome carmel! i hope you find this place as wonderful as i have! remember, we are always here for each other, regaurdless of age!

Hi everyone, hope I'm doing this right, anyway here goes. My name is Norma and I'm from Scotland, UK. First came across Clay on the first auditions for AI2 which we get a few days after it airs in US. Said to my daughter (who by the way is now a bigger Clay fan than me!!) that he was going to win the competition. Not to worry, things seem to have turned out better for him by not winning. Get very jealous of you all saying you're going to see or have been to see him in concert, staying in Scotland it's highly unlikely that we'll get that chance. We don't even get to see any TV appearances or anything over here and don't really comprehend just what a huge star he is on your side of the Atlantic. Anyway, great site and will be visiting regularly from now on. :lol:

Welcome aboard, Norma!  We're happy to have you here.  Jump right in, the water's warm.   :wink:

Greg, you have a way with words.  I like that.



Just do what my Mom always did.  Close the door!   :lol:

Hello MissRose!  Sorry I didn't 'see' you sooner.  



Welcome Mary Lynne!  Don't worry, we have no idea what we're doing either, so you should fit in just fine!
 


Hi Diana! Yeah, we kind of like him too.  :lol:   Welcome to Claymaniacs!



Kandi, I'm very sorry about your grandfather.  Clay's music does have a way of bringing so many people happiness.  We are glad to have you here!



Tammy, I feel the same way.  Please feel free to post whenever you feel like it.  Sometimes it's good to express yourself!  Hope you continue to have fun here, either way.



Aww!  That's sweet Carmel.  :lol:  I hope you do get to meet Clay some day, and sing for him too.  Thanks for joining us!

Welcome to all our new members!!

Hello Norma from Scotland UK!  Isn't that the truth?  I think it's why the AI franchise/judges/19Evil etc failed to pay Clay his due respect.  His success, even though he didn't win, seems to invalidate the premise of their show.  Too bad, that.  For them anyway.

Don't give up on Clay coming to Scotland. He seems to love London, and he vacationed in Ireland this summer.  So, he seems love the British Isles and surrounding area.  Maybe not the food so much, but the area at least!

Welcome to Claymaniacs; have fun OK?!?

Hello, ny name is Erin and I live in Newark Ohio, I fell in love with Clay when he first auditioned for AI I guess I'm kinda a geek too. I am 22 and I work at McDonalds ( Clays favorite fast food place ) as a manager. I recently attended 2 of his solo concerts one in Columbus and one in Cleveland and i'm trying to talk my brother into taking me to the Evansville IN one however its a 6 hour drive from here and i don't think I will be able to go *bursts into tears* . I was in the 2nd row in Cleveland and I thought I was going to die when Clay looked at me and held out his hand, That was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me I am always reading other peoples experiences and now I have one of my own to tell. Thanks for reading.
God Bless
Erin

Welcome Erin,
You were lucky to have that experience of seeing clay so close.  I have not been that lucky yet.  I have been to two concerts so far but have been farther away.  I have one more to go to this year (Springfield Mass)  It's general admission, so I am hoping if I get there early enough I  might get a chance..Welcome to Claymaniacs! :cheer

Hi Everyone,
My name is Liz and I am a Clayoholic.  I have been a Clay fan since AI2, but my obsession didn't start until April 2004.  I bought Clay's CD and the rest is a total blur. It's time that I came out of the closet and confessed to everyone that I am hooked on this guy.   I haven't seen him in concert, but when he comes to Arizona (it's a dry heat...yea, right) you can be sure that I will be there with my dancing shoes on.  I don't care if I have to sit in the nose bleed seats.  I will be there.

I thought for a long time of why I am addicted to this guy and I can only say that he brings out the 16 year old in me that has been lost for a very long time.  In my day, the Monkess and Tony Orlando were in my dreams.  Who would have thought that someone half my age would make my heart skip a beat.  

I am married and have a 20 year old son, so you can tell I am one of the older fans.   I work as a program analyst in Phoenix, have 2 dogs, one cat and I am terrified of flying.

I may have posted once or twice on another board, but after reading your board for the last couple of months I decided that I wanted to become a full fledged member. Everyone seemed so warm and friendly.   Since I haven't had the opportunity to see Clay in concert, (can't get on a plane) the cellcerts that were going on last week made me feel like I was in the front row.  Thanks to everyone who took part in it.  

Looking forward to making some new friends on this board.

Liz

Hi all,
My name is Katie (sometimes known as Kat) and I'm in high school and I go to school in Richmond, Va.  I fell in love with Clay pretty late in the show, right after Vanessa Olivarez got kicked off.  I didn't really follow him much until the first time he was on On Air With Ryan Seacrest and i found out that he and Kelly were touring.  So my friend Liz and I bought tickets to the DC concert and afterwards we couldnt even talk.  And when we did talk, all the way back to Richmond we talked about how great he was and we were listing things that were great about him.  We did that for 2 hours.  And we slept with his CD on.  My passion for him has not died out AT ALL.  In fact, it has probably grown.  He has become a member of my family and the wallpaper in my room! (as a matter of fact, there is a poster of him above my bed so when i look up, i see his hot face!)

xoxo and best to all,
Kat

Hi everyone.  I hope it's okay if I join you!  I have been a member of another board for over a year and am looking for a place with less negativity and contentiousness.  I heard from a friend that this is a nice place to be!  I am a very loyal supporter of Clay in all ways including Jerome and Clay's management, RCA and The Firm.  I trust Clay to make decisions that are best for him and don't try to second-guess them.  I readily acknowledge that I know nothing about the operations of the music industry or how to manage a popstar's career....so prefer to leave that to the experts!!!  I have seen Clay 7 times in person - most recently in Hutchinson, Kansas, and am thrilled to see him evolving into such an incredible performer.  It also makes me feel really, really good to see how happy he is doing what he's doing.  SO, if anyone out there thinks this is not a good match for me - please pm me.  I'm really pretty discouraged right now and looking for a new home!

And that's a good one too Erin...what fun that must have been!!  Welcome and I hope you have fun here!



Liz,  I have to say that's about the best description of the past year I have read yet.  :lol   I'm glad you are enjoying the cellcerts - just think, there are only *4* more concerts...whatever will we do every night?!?
:wink

Welcome to Erin and to Liz - I hope you make some new friends here.  Have fun!

Hello Katie!  I've seen you around a bunch since you signed up, but here is an official "hello!"  I wish I could wallpaper my room with Clay pics...but somehow I don't think Mr P would appreciate it.  :wink

Hello Iseeme!  It seems you have had a bad experience somewhere.  I hate it when that happens!  :lol  Well, we certainly aren't perfect.  I'd like to think we are a little different from the other boards, just as they are all different as well.  In general, the people here are very nice.

We love Clay.  We may not worship every little thing he does, or says, or wears....(love the paisley jacket though, may it RIP) but make no mistake about one thing - we love Clay, his voice, his heart and his ... socks.

You'll have to ask tessie about the socks. :lol

Look around and check things out.  Let me or one of the mods know if you have any questions.  I hope you decide to stay!

Thank you for the welcome Pamela.  Hmmm...Tessie....socks!  Hmmm....sounds interesting.

Welcome, everyone!  I hope you find it comfortable here at Claymaniacs.  Feel free to walk around barefoot and drink milk straight from the carton.  We're all one big, quirky family.  We may not always see eye to eye, but we do love and respect each other.  If that's what you're looking for - you've found your new home.   :bouncy

WELCOME!   :newbie

Hey! I'm new here! I heard about this place from some women standing behind me at the merchandise booth at the Evansville show, from Toronto, Canada. So if you guys are reading this, howdy there!! :wave

Anyway, I'm a 31 year old married woman from Indiana. I have no kids (yet!) and work in a plastics factory. I 1st heard about Clay from my sister and mom, who talked me into watching him on the AI2 finale. And I've been a fan of him and his beautiful voice ever since!  :love2  I've never known a singer who has had such an impact on me. His voice has the ability to cheer me up no matter how down of a mood I'm in. I also love his work with children, and the fact the he treats his fans as people on his own level. He is genuine and REAL!

Looking foward to getting to know y'all!

Welcome, Breni!!!  You heard about us in line?!  LOL  We're famous ... or maybe that should be infamous.   :hmm   Either way - we're happy to have you here.

I have been a Clay fan from the very start, down to the tears that I shead when OMC didn't take #1 on AI!

I am 22, and just got married in February! Lucky for me the hubby understands when I must have my clayfreedom. My best friend and I have been to 5 concerts so far. 1 on the Independent tour and 4 this summer (Columbus, Clio, Clio, and Allegan!)

I must say my favorite Clay moment was when we met him in Clio! My friend and I were clueless to the fact that he had been known to come out after concerts and boy did we get a treat!

I have been to this website many times to check the "Appearances" and see where OMC is that night. I look forward to getting to know everyone and having more people to share my Clayexpereinces with!!

Welcome to the site JLALLMYLUV once you post it's hard to stop. LOL Thats really cool that you got to meet him! Have fun and start posting!

Monica

Hello All,
My Name is Amanda, but I go by Manda. I am 22 yrs old and I am curently stationed in Denver CO with the US Air Force.
I am so happy to have found this forum. For the longest time I felt like the only Clay fan around. My only Claymate friend is back in Alaska. That's where I was stationed when Clay was on AI and she and I became obsessed with him. We rooted him on from the begining.
I have a 2 yr old son and I am now newly single (whew). I am heading back to Baltimore MD in 2 months when my enlistment is up and can't wait to be able to see him live in concert again in MD.
Well, again, thanks for creating this. I no longer feel so alone in my Claysession.
Hope to get to know all of you soon,
Manda

:newbie *waves* Hey~lo! Im Emma, 19 and from the Isle of Wight, England! Im a HUGE Clay fan! I first heard his voice via a link from another website and fell in love with it! He has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard!!!  :bouncy I've only just found this site from yahoooooo, the site is fab so I decided to join the boards!

Anyhoo...I'm off for a look around the forum, so hopefully speak to yaz soon! :D (http://www.mbuzztalk.com/smi/wavey.gif)

Loadsa Luv 'n' hugs
Emma

HELLO EVERYONE

I THOUGHT SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW THAT IT WAS TIME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF

MY NAME IS DIANNE, I AM A 41YR OLD NURSE ,WHO, YOU GUESSED IT, ABSOLUTELY ADORES OUR MR CLAY AIKEN.

I COME FROM A BIG MUSIC LOVER FAMILY. MY FATHER WOULD ALWAYS PLAY HIS JAZZ AND CLASSICAL TAPES ON THE WEEKEND AND MY MOM ALWAYS HAD HER POP, ROCK, LATIN, OR SOMETIMES COUNTRY PLAYING DURING THE WEEK. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY KNOWS HOW TO PLAY SOME SORT OF INSTURMENT AND ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS (I HAVE 2 DAUGHTERS)SINGS IN THE CHURCH CHOIR. I DATED A LEAD SINGER IN A LOCAL BAND FOR SEVERAL YEARSAND MY FAMILY AND I  ALWAYS USED TO WATCH ALL THE MUSIC AWARDS AND WE TALK MUSIC ALL THE TIME. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF MY ALL CLAY MUSIC INTEREST. I THINK WHEN CLAY COMES OUT WITH SOME BETTER MUSIC THEY WILL ALL LEARN TO APRRECIATE HIM. IN THE MEANTIME, I FEEL LUCKY TO SEE THE TALENT CLAY IS AND I'M NOT LETTING GO OF THAT GORGEOUS VOICE.

I HOPE YOU ALL DON'T MIND ME TRAVELING DOWN MEMORY LANE TO TELL YOU WHERE IT ALL STARTED FOR ME WITH CLAY.(I THINK YOU ALL ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO WOULD CARE ENOUGH TO LISTEN).

MY CLAY APPRECIATION DID NOT START LIKE MOST I'VE HEARD HERE. I SAW CLAY , LIKE MOST, FROM THE BEGINNING OF AI. WHEN I HEARD CLAY, I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD SINGER BUT I WAS NOT BLOWN AWAY(LOOKING BACK AT DOWNLOADS I'M NOT SURE WHERE MY BRAIN WAS :bang ). I DID THINK HE AND RUBEN WERE THE BEST AND THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE THE FINAL TWO. I NEVER VOTED FOR EITHER AT THAT POINT, I JUST THOUGHT THEY DID THE BEST EACH WEEK. MY 2 SISTERS WERE AT OPPOSITE ENDS ONE LIKED RUBEN THE OTHER CLAY AND I WAS PRETTY MUCH NEUTRAL.

ON FINALS NIGHT, I WASN'T SURE WHO I WAS GOING TO ROOT FOR AND DECIDED I WOULD GO FOR WHOMEVER DID THE BEST. WHEN CLAY SANG TITN, I THINK THAT IS WHEN I EXPERIENCED MY FIRST REAL APPRECIATION FOR HIM. I REMEMBER THINKIN THERE WAS A GLOW RADIATING FROM HIM DURING THAT SONG AND HE PUT A LOT OF EMOTION INTO IT AND MY SISTER WHO LIKED CLAY SAID SOMETHING LIKE "I JUST LOVE HIM" AND I SAID WITHOUT THINKING SO DO I. MY OTHER SISTER LOOKED AT ME AND SAID RUBEN STILL BETTER. AT THAT POINT, I DID NOT THINK SO.

THEN CLAY SANG BOTW, OMG, I WAS STUNNED. I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I HAD JUST HEARD, THE RANGE IN HIS VOICE, THE CONFIDENCE HE RADIATED, THE ABSOLUTE BEAUTY OF HIS VOICE, I WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY, AND THIS IS WHERE IT BEGAN FOR ME.

I VOTED LIKE CRAZY FOR HIM THAT NIGHT. I WAS DISAPPOINTED HE DID NOT WIN BUT I JUST KNEW THIS WOULD NOT BE THE LAST WE WOULD HEAR OF CLAY.

THE NEXT TIME I SAW CLAY WAS ON THE OPRAH AFTER SHOW. I JUST HAPPENED TO TURN ON THE TV AND SEE HE WAS ON, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED HE HAD A CUTE FACE. THEY KEPT SHOWING CLOSEUPS OF HIM AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW CUTE HE LOOKED. I NEVER NOTICED HE WAS CUTE BEFORE THAT SHOW.

I HAD TAPED THE FINALE OF AI SO A DAILY RITUAL WAS LISTENING TO CLAY SING BOTW. I EVENTUALLY BOUGHT HIS BOTW/TITN CD AND BY MID JULY' 03 I STARTED TO GET ANXIOUS TO HEAR WHEN HIS FULL LENGHT CD WOULD COME OUT AND THAT'S HOW I FOUND THIS NEAT PLACE AND HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE. I DOWNLOADED ALL THE AUDIO THAT USED TO BE AVAILABLE HERE AND BURNED ALL THE SONGS ON A CD(THANKS FOR THAT) .

SINCE THE NICKELODEON GIG I HAVE WATCHED AND ENJOYED EVERYTHNG CLAY HAS DONE.  I BOUGHT MOAM THE WEEK IT CAME OUT AND HAVE GONE TO 3 CONCERTS(TRAVELED TO ALL). I HAVE BEEN TO MANY CONCERTS BUT CLAY IS THE FIRST ARTIST I TRAVELED TO SEE AND I AM READY TO GO AGAIN. I HAVE TRAVELED TO SEE MY BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL TEAMS. I LOVE SPORTS AS MUCH AS MUSIC AND SINCE I CAME REMEMBER, BOTH HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD PART OF MY LIFE.

I THINK CLAY IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAN I HAVE COME ACROSS,HE HAS A VOICE THAT TOUCHES MY SOUL LIKE NO OTHER. A YEAR LATER, I STILL FEEL AS STRONGLY ABOUT HIM AS I EVER HAVE.

I AM SO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY OF YOU WHO WERE ALSO HERE A YEAR AGO STILL HERE. I AM ALSO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY NEW PEOPLE HERE. I WAS TRULY AMAZED AND THRILLED TO FIND OUT THERE WERE SO MANY OTHERS OUT THERE WHO FELT THE SAME WAY I DO ABOUT CLAY.

I DON'T POST MUCH BUT I FEEL LIKE I KNOW  A LOT OF YOU,  I HAVE PRAYED FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT AND LAUGHED MY BUTT OFF AT THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRULY TALENTED CREATIVE FUNNY PEOPLE.

I WAS THRILLED TO BRIEFLY MEET A COUPLE OF CLAYMANIACS AT THE PREPARTYS AND I HOPE I CAN MEET SOME MORE OF YOU WILD AND CRAZY CHICKS IN THE FUTURE.  BY THE WAY, IF ANYONE NEEDS A CLAYMATE TO GO WITH TO ANOTHER CONCERT PM ME I THINK MY DAUGHTERS FEEL THEY HAVE SEEN CLAY ENOUGH. THEY LIKE HIM BUT THEY ARE NOT CRAZY ABOUT HIM LIKE ME.

BEFORE CLAY, I WAS MORE OF A SINGER/SONGWRITER KINDA A GIRL. (I KNOW HOW STUCK UP) BUT CLAY MADE ME APPRECIATE WHAT A GREAT VOICE CAN DO FOR A SONG AND I HOPE HE WILL BE AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

I WASN'T LOOKING TO BECOME A FAN OF ANYTHING WHEN I WATCHED AI2 , AS MANY HERE, I HAVE NOT EVER BEEN A FAN TO THIS MAGNITUDE IT JUS HAPPENED, DARN THAT CLAY. WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME THEY DON'T GET IT ALL I CAN SAY IS I DON'T EITHER BUT I AM IMPRESSED THAT ONE ARTIST CAN AFFECT SO MANY THE WAY CLAY HAS AFFECTED ALL OF US.

I'M GLAD TO BE HERE, PAMELA YOU DO A FANSTATIC JOB, AND MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE CAN START A REUNION THREAD AND HOPE ALL OF US ARE STILL HERE. TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS :ghug

hello - i've posted on a few other threads and i can't say enough good things about this website!! My fav is the BLP threads but i can never find the ones i've posted on b/c there are so many!!

wishing you all a great day - please keep those woderful pics coming - you women are the best!
 :coffee

Hello to Breni, JLALLMYLUV, arctic_rose, *Shane O Mac*, lovethatclay, and BellyAiken (have I missed anyone in the past couple days?) -

Welcome aboard. How awesome that you guys have all come here knowing about Clay from AI or even from hearing about us from a concession stand at a concert! I love it! The power of CLay!!

If you guys have any questions, please let either myself or Pamela know and we'll be glad to help you out. Everyone here is wonderful so I know you will love it here!

Hello I'm new here, just seeing how everyone is doing today.

I'm Donna, from northern Illinois, and I'm 28, and my husband and I have 4 pets.  We have a dog, a cat (sorry Clay!), and two ferrets.

I like to listen to country music, Clay Aiken, Backstreet Boys, Hanson, and Maroon 5.  I like to read, write, and sing in my spare time.  I like to watch the Chicago Cubs and pro wrestling, and I don't like soaps very much, but I do enjoy documentaries and romantic comedies.

Anywho, I thought I'd pop in and say hi!

Welcome free4all2522 -

So glad you decided to join us here! Look around and start posting. We've got practically everything you probably want to know about Clay. lol. If you have any questions, please let either me or Pamela know! Everyone here is really awesome!  :bouncy

I've been a fan since Clay's first audition ("Take time to tell me"). I was very impressed when (over a year ago) I downloaded some of Clay's "early" songs off of the internet. I especially liked his covers of the Christian songs "In, Not Of", "More To This Life", and "Go The Distance". (I liked the country and western tunes, too!). But, what has made me remain a huge fan to this day is Clay's generosity, compassion, and service to others. I've seen him perform in Las Vegas and Grand Prairie, Texas. I look forward to reading his new book, hearing his Christmas CD, and seeing him in concert again many, many times for decades to come!
Thanks, Clay, for being a light in the darkness and a voice in the wilderness!

battersea,
We think alike. I love his "Always and Forever" audtion too. And one of my favorite early songs of his is "More to this Life". Welcome to our site! I know you will love it. Look around, post around, laugh, cry, thud, sigh - we're here for ya. If you have any questions let me or Pamela know!!

Hi, another newbie here at Claymaniacs.  LVKACEY a.k.a. Karen from Las Vegas, NV.  Married almost 34 years to Jeffrey.  Two cats, no kids.  Clay first reached out and grabbed my heart during the AI2Wildcard show when it seemed he was singing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" directly to me.  Having never been a fan of any person or group, believe me it was quite surprising to find myself dialing to vote for Clay that evening.  My life changed that night - and so did Clays.

Hi everyone!!

I have been a member of Claymaniacs for 1/2 year now, I think it is time to introduce myself!! (Yes, I do way too much lurking...lol) I'm Tracy, and I am a 36 yr. old single mom from Monroe, MI. I first fell in love with OMC during American Idol 2. My sister called me up and asked if I had been watching the show. I said no, and she told me to turn it on and check out this geeky guy named Clay Aiken. She said, "he looks like a geek, but just WAIT till you hear him sing!!" I thought he was just adorable, and that voice....WOW!! He just blew me away!! I have been crazy about Clay ever since. My 8 year old son loves Clay just as much as I do!

I have seen Clay live twice, once during the Independent Tour in Detroit and once in Clio, MI during the solo tour. The greatest thing happened to me 3 days before the Detroit concert... I had purchased my tickets 6 weeks before the show and the best I could get was upper bowl seats, towards the back. 3 days before the show, I just happened to get on ticketmaster to check ticket availability to see if the show had sold out. It was my lucky day, they had released some front row seats minutes before, and I landed 2 of them!!

During the opening of the show, Clay walked in from the back of the arena and walked right past me. I could have touched him he was so close. He sat directly in front of me on an amp, singing Kyrie. He was so drop-dead gorgeous... I thought I was gonna melt all over the floor! Later in the show, he came off the stage and walked down the aisle in front of me, touching some people's hands. I came prepared... with my sharpie marker, lid off, my MOAM C.D., paper insert out and laying on top of the C.D. cover. I held my C.D. out to Clay, and he smiled and took the marker from me. He signed my C.D. as I held it for him, (his other hand was holding the mic while he was singing), and handed it back to me and squeezed my hand, flashing the most incredible smile. GAH!!!! It was such an incredible moment. After the show, one of the Beau sisters gave me Clay's set list that he uses during the show. So I came home with 2 great souveniers and such wonderful memories... I love Clay so much!!

In closing, I just want to say that Claymaniacs is such a great site. Everyone here is so close, and so hilarious!!!! I feel like I know some of you already from reading your posts. I really miss the cellcerts, they were so much fun. I hope to get to know some of you soon!


(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/tdeblair/Clay_autograph.jpg)

To everyone new and "old" that have come from lurkdom- WELCOME!! Share your Clay love and your Clay stories and Claymakesmyday...Thanks for sharing that signed CD cover! Lucky lucky gal!! He is a beautiful person.

My only souvenior I have ended up with was a dog toy left behind in a dressing room from the Dayton Ohio concert and memories I will never forget!

I will watch for your names in the threads! Just jump in! Don't worry if someone doesn't respond right away or at all regarding your particular post! Some of you have been reading long enough here to know that it is not intentional. Various reasons like slower computers or people just popping in to say hi and don't get to read everything right away!

Have fun and stay on top of the Clay news!

Lora-Ohio

Hello everyone. I"m Sally, I"ve been lurking for awhile, and finally decided to introduce myself. I"m , well let"s just say I"m a "mature" woman. I"ve loved Clay from the beginning, he"s such an amazing person!!!I"ve only been to two concerts, not by choice. If possible, I would have been to every one.

Hi everyone!!  I have been lurking on the board since the end of July and thought it was about time I introduced myself.  My name is Tammie and I live in Rocky Mount NC which is about an hour from Raleigh.  I am 39 years old and I will be celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary in February.  My husband is Brian and we have 2 sons, Matt age 13 and Mark age 10.
I didn't watch AI the first year but started watching AI2 from the start and fell hopelessly in love with Clay from the moment I saw him and heard him sing.  But little did I know there is so much more to this man than a great voice.  He has a heart of gold and I so admire his passion for helping kids with disabilities.  Mark, my 10 year old, was born with a severe congenital heart defect.  He had several surgeries the first week of his life and because of complications his brain did not get the oxygen it needed.  He is mentally like a one year old - he can't talk and he still wears diapers - and he probably always will be but he is the greatest blessing.  I would give anything I have if he could be a normal child but I wouldn't take anything in the world for him.  I play my Clay CD every day and Mark loves his music!  He rocks back and forth and makes noises like he's trying to sing along.  I've never seen him act like this about anything other than Barney!
I went to the Raleigh concert in March and the Greensboro concert in July where I met heater (Heather).  She is the greatest!!  If you're reading this-HI HEATHER!!  I will be going to both shows at the state fair.
Well, I am getting kindof long winded here.  I just wanted to say - I LOVE CLAY AIKEN, HIS VOICE, AND ALL HE STANDS FOR.  HE IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF A MAN.

HI, THIS IS GERALDINE.  THE FIRST NOTE THAT CAME OUT OF CLAY'S VOICE ON HIS AMERICAN IDOL AUDITION-I WAS HOOKED.  I KNEW HE WOULD BECOME THE STAR THAT HE IS.  I HAVE HIM TAPED ON VIDEO-SORT OF A SUCESS STORY TOLD BY TAPING EVERY APPEARANCE HE HAS MADE ON TV.  FROM HIS AUDITION-TO THE RECENT APPEARANCE ON MISS AMERICA.  I HAVE A CLAY DAY EACH WEEK.  I WATCH-OR JUST LISTEN TO HIS CD'S.  HE IS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL.  HE A NICE CHANGE FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYES HIM.  I THINK I DRIVE FAMILY AND FREINDS CRAZY TALKING ABOUT HIM-HOWEVER THEY MAKE IT A POINT TO INFORM ME WHEN THEY SEE HIM ON TV.  MY LOCAL RADIO STATION, PLAYS A BIT THAT SAYS "I'M YOUR CLAY-MOLD ME". I GIGGLE EVERYTIME I HEAR IT.  CLAY HAS HELPED ME SO MUCH.  FOR I WAS HIT BY A TRUCK WHILE WALKING ACROSS A HIGHWAY-MY RECOVERY IS GETTING BETTER NOW.  I AM BACK ON MY FEET AND DOING THE THINGS I USE TO ENJOY.  GOD BLESS YOU CLAY.  I WORK WITH PEOPLE IN A HOSPITAL-CLAY'S NAME IS BROUGHT UP OFTEN.  I UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT HE HAS HAD ON SO MANY FANS.  I HOPE HE CONTINUES HIS SUCESS.  CLAY CRAZY, GERALDINE

Don't worry Sally; none of us here are that mature.  Stick around and you'll find out.  :lol



All right, another NC girl!  Welcome Tammie!  This is the place to get long winded.  And it's very easy to get long winded when talking about Clay.
Mark sounds like a fantastic boy!  I hope to meet you either in Charlotte or Raleigh at the concert.  Welcome!



And God bless you Geraldine!  Welcome to Claymaniacs, I am glad you are here.  

Welcome to all the new members.  Now don't be shy, jump on in.  There are about a thousand threads here, so pick one and go for it!

Mkay, I'm not a "lurker", just haven't had time to get on here. I came over from teh RCA board, I'm well known over there, so if any of you RCA members are over here, it's great to see you!
Currently I am a junior in High School in Colorado. I'm going to be going to NCSU in Raleigh(YES!!) and majoring in education to teach first or second graders. Ive been a die hard fan of Clay since who knows when! Asides form that, my interests are pretty much Clay, horses, reading, writing, and Clay again. Then again, aI could sum it up with one word: Clay.
I'm hoping to meet some great people on this site and hope ya'll will except me since I'm from RCA. (yeah, I know there are some rumors about my board over there, they ain't true)

Hello all you clever, witty, creative & compassionate clay fans.

Thanks to all who make this board so friendly & informative, especially Queen Pamela, who is a real treasure.

I just registered a few weeks ago but have been lurking about 9 months & decided it was time to gather up my courage & jump in today with my first post.

I was flipping through the channels about half way into AI-2 when I heard this glorious voice. I was hooked. Clay touched my soul with his sweet face & voice. I needed to find out all I could about him so I went searching the internet where I found you all. Being an old grandma, I was beginning to get a little concerned about my obsession until I found this board. Now I feel normal, well, maybe not normal. What a relief! I do listen to his demos & watch downloads of his concerts a lot & find myself smiling like a cheshire cat. He just radiates JOY. He makes me happy. What an inspiration!

I am going to Charlotte & Raleigh. Unfortunately, my partner in crime had to cancel so I am going to go alone, something I thought I would never do. Reading about some of you going alone has helped me to make the decision that I can do it too. I hope to meet some of you there.

You need to hook up with macknscu...a smart and funny (:wink mack!) Claymaniac who is in fact attending NCSU right now, and majoring in guess what?  Yep, education!  And, pol science.  Told you she was smart.
And you must be too!  Welcome from the RCA board.  Don't worry, if you love Clay you are welcome here!



Hey Butterfly!  Open up your weary eyes...oh that was so bad.  Sorry!



Eek the pressure!  Just kidding; thank you, although I am the queen of nothing except maybe...goofiness.



9 months?  Good heavens, what took so long?  :lol  



Me too!  Chico's on Sunday!  :wink

My name is Melissa. I'm 24 and single. I've been a Clay fan since day 1. My friend Jeannie and I used to discuss Clay's performances every day after AI aired. We about drove everyone in our employee lounge crazy. Lol. We got the opportunity to see Clay in concert on 9/10/04 at the Kansas State Fair. ( I live in South Hutchinson and Jeannie lives in Sterling.) We took another co-worker who is also a huge Clay fan. I'm also going to be helping out with Wrapping for Inclusion this year for the BAF. What can I say? Clay's the best and Clay fans make the best friends!!!!!!
 :cheer

Welcome aboard, Melissa!  This is a great place full of wonderful people.  I think you'll love it here.

LadyC

Thanks!  :bouncy

I have been a member of claymaniacs since last December, however I have not posted until now.  I am a 58 year old payroll professional and have been crazy for Clay since he first stepped on stage at AI2. I have been to 2 concerts(Clay and Kelly and his summer tour )and hope to go to the Chicago Christmas concert. I spend every lunch hour reading all the wonderful and funny things all of you say and I also review again before I leave to go home.  I would be lost without this great web site.
I feel I know some of you and I actually met 2 members at the Fort Wayne concert this summer. Keep up the great work(especially you, Pamela) and I will be posting again(if this works)

My name is Lake. I am from Alaska. If I could sit Clay down and talk to  him for a moment...I would like to know what attracts him to autistic individuals. I think at one time he said autism was like a puzzle that he could figure out. Or that he had fun in trying to figure it out. Something like that.  :angel

Hey my name is Allison from a semi-small town in Iowa.  I'm 20 years old and I go to school at UNI majoring in Elementary education.  After graduation, I hope to move out to North Carolina to start a job and all that good stuff.  

I have loved Clay Aiken ever since "Always and Forever" at the auditions.  I have seen him in concert 3 times and hopefully many more to come.  He seems so real and sincere and who can pass up that voice?!?!  (And he's just so dang adorable from head to toe!)  My dorm room here at school even won "Best Themed Room" because of the Clay theme I got goin' on!!  I don't really have any friends who enjoy Clay Aiken so I guess I get annoying to them, but it doesn't matter to me!!  Don't worry, they put up with me anyway.  :)  My fave Clay song is The Way...SOOO romantic!!  


I hope to meet some cool people on here who share my extreme liking for OMC!!!  Feel free to drop me a line!!!!! Have a great day!!!

Alli,
It's okay ... luckily I have friends who love Clay, but I have family and friends who get sick of hearing about Clay. I think it's cool that you have a Clay theme in your dorm room, because I have one in my office at work. Clay's pictures are in frames on my desk and on the walls.  :lol
Welcome to Claymaniacs!  :ghug

Okay, since I was asked to do this I will. :)

I'm Joy. I will hopefully be a paramedic student starting in January (delayed from what I was hoping for a start date due to God opening and slamming doors). I have another screen name here but decided to change names and couldn't figure out how to without creating another profile. If you were in the chat room last spring and saw a Medic on there I am the same person.

I was first introduced to Clay by a friend who IM'd me a picture of him. When I found he had green eyes I was a dead meat. Anywho, I did not see Clay on AI so I still have not seen all of  his performances. I do not have high speed internet otherwise I would download them.

That's probably enough.

smile today

Good for you Melissa!  I see you've settled in nicely here, and I'm glad.
Here's an official welcome!

There's no going back now...you've posted and survived!  Don't be a stranger.  (And, enjoy your lunch!)

Hello lake green from Alaska.  I think that is an excellent question, and I'm sure Clay could speak for hours about that very subject.  I hope you get an opportunity to do just that.  Welcome!

Not me!  Hello Allison and welcome! "Extreme liking"...I'm liking that! Be sure and look me up when you come to NC.  Have fun!

Welcome to the dead meat society.  :lol  Now, just to be clear -- you croaked over Clay before you ever heard him sing?!?  I'm impressed!
Glad you came back, even under a new moniker!  :wink

Hi

Yes, I was dead b4 I even heard him sing. But once I heard him sing........

HEY EVERYONE! MY NAME IS ANDREA AND I'M FROM MILLDALE, CONNECTICUT AND I WARN U NOW IT'S SOOOOOOOO BORING HERE!!! ANY WAY I AM ALSO ''FANTASY'S ABOUT CLAY'' WHY U ASK? SIMPLY BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE WAKING MOMENT OF MY LIFE IS MY FANTASY'S ABOUT CLAY! AND BELIVE ME U DON'T WANT TO HEAR HALF OF THEM :censor I CAN'T HELP IT WHEN HE'S THAT HOT!!!!!!!! SO ANYWAY I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF CLAY SINCE HE WAS IN THE FINAL 32 BEFORE THAT I DIDN'T CARE 4 HIM! NOW I EAT LIVE AND BREATHE CLAY :angel SO ANYWAY I HOPE WE CAN ALL BE FRIENDS AND HAVE A GREAT TIME TALKING ABOUT CLAY AND OTHER STUFF BUT MOSTLY CLAY :cheer AND BY THE WAY I'M GOING TO SEE CLAY AT THE OAKDALE SO I'LL GIVE ALL THE DETAILS! I ALSO SAME HIM AT THE BIG E!!!!!!! EIGHT ROW!!!!!!!!!!!!CENTER :cheer AND I WAITED IN LINE FOR 10 HOURS!!!!!!!!!MORE ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME!!!!!! I HOPE I DIDN'T BUG U GUYS ALREADY WITH MY LIFE STORY........WELL NOT REALLY! ANYWAY I HOPE TO HERE FROM ANY OF YOU GUYS SOON!!!!! HOPE TO BE FRIENDS 4 LIFE :ghug [/url]P.S. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO APOLIGE FOR MY BAD TYPING ESPECIALLY ON THE FINAL WORDS! SORRY AND IF U KNOW HOW I CAN FIX IT LET ME KNOW!!!!!! THANKS!!!!

Welcome, Andrea! Nice to meet you. I know you'll have fun at the concert.  :bouncy

THANKS A LOT FOR POSTING AFTER ME! AT LEAST I KNOW I HAVE ONE FRIEND! AND I WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME EVEN IF IS THE FRONT BALCONY SECTION B ROW G!  AND THIS IS MY THIRD TIME SEEING CLAY THE IDOL TOUR ON MY B-DAY! JULY 18! BIG E AND NOW JOYFUL AND I SURE WILL BE JOYFUL! THANKS ANGIN KSCHRISTIAN4CLAY!

No problem!  :hugg

you are soooo sweet :bouncy

Hi everybody,

I know I'm late to introduce myself but thought I'll give it a shot.I'm Tiffany and been lurking at this board since June. I enjoyed reading all the cellcerts from Clay's solo tour. Like Joy, I haven't watch him on AI so I'm a late Clay fan. I've seen him on some TV appearances and thought he was really good but then after I got to see him in concert this summer, he really blew me away. My goodness, he is amazing on stage. After that, I wished I could see him again after hearing how awesume all his concerts were and will get to see him on Dec.4th in Baltimore. I'm so excited beyond belief. THe Measure Of A Man CD has turned into my favorite album. My Favorite songs are, Perfect Day, MOAM, Run to Me and I'm loving Solitare right now. He really has the most incredable voice. So I'm catching up about him and I will also be sure to get his Calender, Christmas CD and book. He's made me a fan for life.  Now all I want to do is talk about him and look at those amazing downloads and pictures of him.Thanks for making this a great Clay board.

Also can anyone help me with getting a avie? I would like to get a picture of Clay smiling in The Way video.



Tiffany

Welcome, Tiffany!

Thank you Meesa for the welcome. Nice to meet ya.



Tiffany

I am new here - only found this site yesterday. This is pretty amazing to me, seeing so many Claymates here (just learned that word too   :roflmao ).

I am from Hong Kong, a bit far from most of you and do not know when I would be able to watch Clay in concert. I got to know him by watching him competing on the AI on TV last year. I was first captured by his amazing voice and performance and now completely adore him after getting to know what a wonderful person he is.

I am really glad that I found this site to share my support and love for Clay. Like everyone here, I wish him every success and more importantly health and happiness. For me, the world is a better place knowing someone like him is out there.

Thanks for Pamela and others that have done such a great job! Without you, I would not be able to share all these thoughts/feelings that are sreaming to be heard with anyone in the world that I live.

Welcome to the new people! I look forward to reading your posts!

welcome all of u!i know you'll have a great time here!!!!!!!!!! i know i do! and we are all friends here :ghug 4ever
bye

Welcome, Blue Bird! I wish you could see Clay in concert. He's amazing!!

Hey Blue Bird, do a lot of downloading of the videos...It's not quite the same, but it's better than nothing!

HELLO BLUE BIRD...
WELCOME... :cheer  :cheer
ALTHOUGH YOU ARE 13HRS AHEAD OF ME ON THE EAST COAST OF THE USA...WE CAN CHAT..
JOIN  US  AT THE OCD IN MAMBERS CORNER SOMETIME

Thanks, Meesa, Glen, and Bozena for the warm welcome. If it is Clay that makes me to seek this place out, it is people like you that would make me stay :bouncy . I think I read it from another post saying that Clay's fans are some of the nicest people  :ghug in the world and I would like to agree :-)

Meesa - I know Clay would be amazing in a concert and I am very very happy for everyone who will have an opportunity to watch him in his coming Christmas tours. For some strange reason, I feel that I could live that experience through you (of course, I mean people present at the concerts). For now, I am already quite thrilled listening to his songs played in my CD and finding this site to share my thoughts/feelings with other fans. Plus, leaving things undone opens the door of hope.

Glen - I am sure I will have a lot of downloading to do.  :bouncy I have been staying up late over the past couple of nights just reading posts in this forum, which I feel tremendously guilty of, given my current busy work schedule.  Well, I have been telling myself that being a claymate is a life's business and I should take my time and keep my daily life on track (actually, how do you people manage to do that? I can sure use some tips there :-)

Bozena - thanks for the invitation to chat. Yes, I am 13hrs ahead of the EST that you have. It will be awesome if we can meet in the chat room and talk. You probably would have to tolerate my English though :-)

BTW, I forgot to introduce my name in the last message. You could call me Eve, which for sure is not my true Chinese name, but close. :-)

Welcome, Eve.  I think it is wonderful to have Clay fans here from around the globe!

Hello. My name is Liz. I am a 52 year old grandmother. I watched American Idol from the beginning. When I say Clay's audition I could not believe his voice. Like an angel..I really liked him from the start..Was SOOO disappointed when he didnt win. Oh well that's history..anyway I went to see him in Albany NY. I must say that I lived in the Beatles days and Clay brought out the excitement and emotions that I had for music when I was young..He is wonderful. Need to have someone to talk to since my husband is not a fan and my two kids are sick of hearing me. I was feeling a bit "obsessed" unitl I found this site and am so glad to see that I am not alone.

Welcome Liz. You will have fun here!

Hi my name is Chelsea im from Surrey,B.C I have two cats(Zoro and tango).Im 11 years old(i think im the youngest claymaniac)Lol. Um i have a brother who hates clay!Hes so mean to clay.I obviously live with both of my parents.My grandparents live upstairs and we live downstairs.Im in grade six. My teacher is Mr.Wynne(dunno y i told u that)lol. Ok umm i love clay aiken,he is such an insperation to us all. My best friends are Carmelita aka Aikens=Angel and Hailee(dosnt kno clay exsistes) And tamara.I post at least 6 times a day on CM.I love photography, so wen im older i would like to be a photographer,Or a designer.My favorite colour is lime green.Its jusyt so pretty!!My favourite show is thats so raven..LOL!!I have light brown hair(people say its blonde)It kinda is.Ok so

Chelsea, I doubt it that you are the youngest Clay fan (sorry to burst your bubble hun) and I know you aren't the youngest on ClayManiacs since I've met another 11 year old but still nice to have you.

Liz you can talk to me about Clay all you want--I won't be like your kids. My mom is a year older than you and just rolls her eyes at me when I start in about Clay. Oh well. At least she doesn't mind me listening to his music. :)

Glad to have all you new people here.

Hello Medic and Clay Girl!

Claygirl - I love photography, too! I like to believe I can actually take good pictures...:P I bet you're better than me.

Welcome everyone!

Welcome, Liz and Chelsea!  :cheer

For those of you who read my introduction post I just wanted to let you know that I did get accepted into the paramedic program.

Congrats!!!!!!

Way to go!  :cheer

:ghug  hey everyone! i be dani! i am a claymate that goes way back to the bolt days lol. but i am a clayzy clayfan...ummm i like lots of things...and to warn you i have a problem with typos...so if i type tlak i mean talk and stuff....lol but yes email me or put me on your buddy lists...

i might have introduced myself a long time ago but i forget b/c i've only posted a few times lol.

oh and happy thanksgiving! hhe

Welcome, Dani! I know you'll enjoy it here!  :bouncy

Hi! Im Misty. I am 21 and I live in Groves, Texas....about 2 hours southeast of Houston. I graduated from college in May with a degree in drafting. I can't find a job in this area doing that so I work full time at a Credit Union as a teller. I LOVE it. I love getting to work with all different kinds of people. I have only been a big Clay fan for a short time. I never really watched American Idol that much....so it took me a while to discover Clay. I'm so blessed that I did though. He is AMAZING. Of course I'm not really saying anything that ya'll don't already know. I'm so glad that I found this web site, everybody on here is very welcoming and friendly. Well thats all about me! Have a great Thanksgiving everybody!

WELCOME DANI AND MISTY...
WE ALL ARE GLAD TO SEE MOREE CLAYFANS JOINING

Welcome, Misty! I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving as well.

Welcome, Misty.  We are neighbors!  I live in Pasadena, about 30 mins south of Downtown Houston, close to the ship channel.   :hugs

Hey neighbor! You are not far from me at all...maybe an hour away. :moped

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and of course to Clay!  :ghug

:wave Hi everyone! I'm Mary from Dallas Tx, and I have been a Claymate since the beginning! I love music and reading books. Looking forward to getting to know you! :ghug

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Mary!

Thanks! I love it here! :cheer

Hi. Welcome to Claymaniacs..

Welcome to all new Claymaniacs!! It's the best place ever although I joined in June 2003 and I just started really getting into these past few months...but it's the best place to go to find people who understand how you feel about OMC!!!!!  Being a person who has no friends or anything who like Clay, this is the best place for me!!! :cheer

Welcome liz, Chelsea and Mary,

I don't come over here to often, but AC said to check it out , so here I am.

Bozena - good to hear from you.

You new girls are going to have so much fun on this site. Just check out the various thread and hop in and say hello.  We're glad you joined us.

 :cookie lady

Hi Mary, and welcome!! I'm Valerie and I'm also a newbie here. And I hope to get to know each of you in this family!!

:cheer  :cheer  :cheer

Hi All,

My name is Harold (47 yrs/Dad) MiClayDawg1 and my Daughter Nicole
(15 yrs/xxxgreeneyes89xx) were at the Chicago booksigning and it was great!!!  We drove from Bay City, Michigan  (5-6 hrs) just for the booksigning also this is my first time and first site posting and I wanted you all to know that I am signing on and posting on every site I can to tell claymates and ClayDawgs out there about the fun experiences we have had and will have and that Clay is by far the best thing that has happened to music. Nicole and I stood outside at Borders in Chicago for approx. 15 hrs. by being the first in line the day before getting there at 12 noon and lining up at 3pm the day before the event in the almost sub-zero temps and we froze our hineys off (9 degrees) as well as most of the others. With around 100 people by 5am and well over 300 people by 7:30am and by 8am over 600 people in line.
 
But to see the excitement in my Daughters eyes and all the others who had waited before, during and after as I recorded the book signing and took many pictures was well worth it and I wanted to say if any Claymates or Dawgs are out there that was at the booksigning you are all great people and meeting you all was a great experience for me. I will continue to stick up and defend Clay and his talent and hope for even bigger and better things to happen in the future. I will hope to see many of you again in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, 12/23 for Clays Christmas Concert, Myself and my Wife and Daughter will be there. We are a Clay Aiken Family, OH YA !!!

Remember my name MiClayDawg1 because you will be hearing alot from me in the future about Clay.  For all you that hate Clay think again, I'm a Dad, A Father & Ex-Marine and 47 yrs old.  Merry Christmas to All / Happy New Year! :band

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/Alicia38/blend.gif)

HOW GREAT  TO HEAR  YOU DO THIS  FOR HER.. NOW YOU KNOW  WHY WE LOVE THIS  GUY..
HE IS THE REAL THING.. THANK YOU  FOR SEEING WHAT WE SEE.. WELCONE TO CLAY MANIACS. ALICIA

Hi guys!   :wave  I usually hang out at another board, but I've been feeling lately that I need to branch out a little, so here I am!   I'm a 40-ish woman from NJ with a great husband who is extremely understanding of my Clay obsession!  We've seen him in concert seven times this year .. before that, I couldn't tell you the last concert I went to!  (I've been asked by my in-laws if I'm a Clay "groupie"!!  I tell them I guess I am!)  :silly2

I "discovered" Clay on AI2 and haven't looked back since.   I've come to admire him for so many things .. his convictions, his compassion, his humor, and of course, his wonderful voice.  I have scrapbooks devoted to him, burned DVD's of all his appearances, and magazines galore.  I've bought CD's, rearranged CD's, and donated CD's.  And I haven't had so much fun in years!

I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone here.  See ya' around the board!

Hey! My name is Andrea and I'm from Dayton Ohio. I'm a high school student! I met some nice ladies from this board last night ( Dec.21 ) and they told me to come check out the board so I thought I would. I'm a part of the RCA board but would like to have other boards to goto. Hope no one minds that I'm part of both.. I look forward to getting to talk to all of you! Bye for now!!

Welcome Andrea!  You may be in both or more....here's the best though!!!  Hope you enjoy we Maniacs!

Hey, Clayismysinger, where in FL are you from?  I'm east coast 1 hour north of West Palm Beach....

Oooo, yeah you are far...that's one deal about Fla. we're such a long State, it's almost like being a whole State away if you live in one extreme or the other.

I think it's global!!!!!  We have fans from all over here which is great!

I agree!!

hello, everyone

I've checked this site for news but never posted.  You seem like a really close knit group.  I'm always looking for new boards to meet new folks.  

What are the best places on this board for a newbie to visit??

HELLO ALL CLAY MANIACS!!  I'VE BEEN CHECKING OUT THIS SITE FOR MONTHS, ENJOYING ALL THE NEWS AND PHOTOS, BUT NEVER POSTED UNTIL LAST WEEK.  I MET TAMMY AT THE BIG E CONCERT IN SEPTEMBER.  WE WERE IN LINE TOGETHER FOR OVER EIGHT HOURS, SO WE TALKED QUITE A BIT.  I WANT TO THANK HER SO VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME WITH MY AVIE AND SENDING ME ALL OF THOSE WONDERFUL PITURES OF CLAY.  :bouncy  I WENT TO SEVEN CLAY CONCERTS IN 2004, AND I AM NOW IN WITHDRAWAL.   :cry IT'S NICE TO KNOW I CAN GO SOMEWHERE WHEN I NEED A CLAY FIX.  HOPEFULLY, I CAN GET TO KNOW MORE OF THE "MANIACS".  I'LL BE SEEING TAMMY, CT LOVES CLAY, LORRAINE, AND A FEW OTHERS THIS WEEKEND.   I CAN'T WAIT!!  IT'S NICE TO SHARE YOUR PASSION WITH SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS.    :cheer

I am Michelle I love Clay and respect him. I think he is sweet person nver got to meet him yet. Clay when you get a chance come to the CM chat room.
Michelle

Hi, Michelle and Judee! Welcome to Claymaniacs.

G'day everyone
just wanted to say hi as this looks like a great place, its all about clay how could it not be great!
Anyways my names alyce im 16 and from Australia. i instantly fell in love with clays voice when i heard it which wasnt until part way through last year and have been facinated by it since then.
cya luv always alyce
mwa mwa

Welcome tp Claymaniacs, Alyce!

UMM OK!! So I have not done this yet! So I thought it was about time!! :slick My name is Joyce! I live in Sebring Fl! And I love Clay AIken! Of course! I currently work for a grocery store called Publix! I am a stock cleark!! While I decide what I wonna do with my life!! I thought I knew but now I just dont know!!  :bang Hopefully Ill figure something out soon!! I wanted to become a nurse and work at a St Judes Childrens Research Hospital but I dont know! I still may do that! Who knows!! Anywho!! So far I have seen Clay 7 times in concert!! Most of them thanks to a couple people! Sarah, Heather and Esp Sassy! I feel in love with Clay rite when I seen him! I thought he was so cute and then he opened that mouth and started to sing!! And I was hooked! Hes got the best voice and he is hot!! I love  him! Its so great to have this place to come to! Everyone knows I love Clay even at work and I drive my best friend nuts cuz I never shut up about him!! But its so great to come and have a place who understands your love for Clay and feels the same way! Its great to have a place to come to get news and info on OMC and come to when your not feeling to happy or good an dto come and let it out and have so many people who came make you laugh! And  you get so close to! ITs so wonderful!! Well I finally introduced myself to ya'll!! I feel better now!! lol!!  :bouncy Love ya'll!!

HEY! HEY! Welcome to all the newbies! I know you will all throughly enjoy yourselves her. A special welcome to zephryante..who's a freind of mine!! Kimmy, I hope I did not speel your name wrongly...lol!!  :angel

Hi all!  I'm Krista.  I'm a member of the Clayboard but have been lurking around other boards trying to find a smaller community to join.  This one seems friendly, so here I am!  :)

Hi, Krista! Glad you joined. Welcome to Claymaniacs!!!!

Thanks Meesa!  :)

No problem! We seem to be following each other around tonight.  :coffee

We sure do!  Except I'm a bit lost - I've already lost a few of the posts I've made.  lol  I can't for the life of me remember what I posted or where I posted them, but I do know I made the posts!  This place will take a little getting used to.

If you select "Notify me when a reply is posted" when you post then you will get an e-mail with a link to the topic you posted in. That's how I keep up.

=================
WELCOME! I USED TO LURK OFTEN AT CLAYAIKEN.COM BEFORE I FOUND THIS PLACE. I POSTED AT BOTH BOARDS FOR AWHILE BEFORE SETTLING ON THIS PLACE.

YOU SHARE THE BIRTH NAME OF ANOTHER ONE OF OUR PEOPLE, "FANTASY". SHE POSTS ON THE OCD FOR THE MOST PART WHEN SHE DROPS BY.

ACcountryFan
~Jerry~

Hi Jerry!  :)

Hi, my name is Belinda but y'all can call me Belle.

I miss my friend who y'all know as Aikenseeker so i come here in search of her.

I think i've found her!

Hi!!!!

Hi, Belle! Welcome to Claymaniacs! I know you'll find Susy here. She's awesome!!!!  :hugg

hi ! although i have been getting the claymaniacs newsletters by e mail from the start i only just started posting stuff.My whole family loves clay,my 3 year old knows all his songs from MOAM and my 1 year old shuts up and listens when we play the CD. I am 32 and a shameless fan with a husband approved crush !  i think my hubby has a crush on clay too. hey ,who is JJ and why are we parying for him/her? let me know so i can pray too. i just love this site -and pam and everyone else does a wonderful job

It .is time to introduce myself after many months of lurking about. My name is Nancy and I am a registered nurse, retired.

I live in Atascadero , California.
The pictures of Clay in Ache are an incredible reminder of why I became such a fan. It is his heart that won me over. Of couse the voice ain't bad either. I am in such withdrawal not seeing and hearing him lately. :cry  :

By the way I have never followed a celeb before and my family are amazed and entertained.

The site is wonderful. Thanks for all your work. : :ghug [/quote]

Welcome to Claymaniacs, sanjula and Nancy. I'm sure you'll have just as much fun as we do!!!

Hi! I my name is Renae I liked Clay from when he first came on the show I thought he was cute & had a wonderful voice I watched him through out the show & of course voted for him. I like everything about clay he's a great person.

Hi Renae,

I just saw your post and wanted to say welcome aboard!! your name caught my eye because my "real" name is Renee.  :bouncy This is an awesome site and you will have fun. All you have to do is love Clay - and that is never too hard!  :cheer

Hey..I didnt know where to put this, but I'm having trouble registering. I'm using my moms name now. Whenever I try to register, and press submit, it says I didnt enter the correct confirmation code..but I didnt see anywhere to put any confirmaton code. What do I do??

I think you should PM Michael or Pamela and maybe they can help you. Welcome to Claymaniacs!

Hello,

my name`s Joanna and I`ve become Clay`s fan like six months ago. I love Josh Groban and I post to his board, I found Clay`s name there. Other Grobanites wrote Clay this, Clay that, what a wonderful guy this is so I checked him out and I`ve loved his voice. My third step, after knowing about him and listening to his music, is to join forum for his fans. So here I am....


BTW, I also had problems with registering to this forum. I was trying 3 days or so and I always got information that I`m typing wrong code. The problem was that I didn`t have any code. But finally after few days this code showed up and I was able to type it and register. Fortunately.

:angel Hey everyone I'm new here and my name is Heather! I have been a clay fan for only a year.. my mom got me into it lol.

HEY HEATHER! NICE TO MEET YOU! I'M ANDREA AND IF YOU EVER NEED ANYTHING JUST PM ME! I KNOW YOUR GONNA LOVE IT HERE! :bouncy

Hello Joanna, welcome to Claymaniacs!  We have lots of Josh Groban fans here too.  I guess we all know a good voice when we hear one!

So you are in Poland, that's great.  We have members in Canada, South America, the UK, and now Poland!  

Take a look around and join right in - but most of all, have fun!

Thank you for a nice welcome :)

Hi! My name is Tammy and I've been a Clay fan for about a year. I kind of got on the "Claytrain" a little late.(Saw him at the York Fair last Sept.-AMAZING performance!!) I listen to his CDs somuch that I have my boys singing along. My 3 year old cannot say Clay so he calls him "Pway Aiken".  I just want to say I've been lurking here for about a few months and finally got the nerve to log on.
   THANKS for the opportunity.

Tammy, I'm glad you took the plunge!  Since you've been hanging out here, you probably know the routine...such as the daily news thread in Clay Daily, the discussion threads stickied at the top of Clay Daily, etc.

Had you heard Clay before you saw him at the York Fair?  It's always fun to learn how people found out about Clay when they didn't follow him on American Idol.  I've actually met lots of people who became fans long after the show was over.  That's awesome!

Your boys sound like smart kids!  With good taste too, I might add.

:wink

WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS  ::cheer  :cheer  :cheer

:bouncy Hi everyone.
I have been a Clay fan since the second season and I was crushed thet he did not win, however, I think his career has been more successful than Rueben's so in my mind the win was a tie. I am a 42 year old mother of a three year old son and I think Clay is a great role model for young children and teenagers alike. From what I've read he has not let stardom get to his head and he is still a Southern gentleman through and through. He is also using his fame to help other needy people and I think that is great. I was very impressed that he continued to earn his degree during that hectic first six months when he rocketed to stardom a couple of years ago. His Mom did a great job raising him. I intend to buy all of Clay's CD's when they are released. I'm a bit upset that he never comes to perform in Canada though. I live in Ottawa Ontario and would love to see him in person. I hope at some point in his career he will come here. I know there would be a lot of fans buying tickets. Anyway, I am happy to be part of this forum. I am a big fan of BO Bice this year and I also belong to the Bo Bice squad. I am not one to join forums like this but I think they are great. It's like having an extended familly all over the world. We are all here for one reason because we love Clay for who he is as a person and for what he has accomplished in his career. he will be around for a long long time to come.
 From another Pamela in the group.

Hey Pamela from one Claynadian to another, welcome to Claymaniacs!!!!  I'm sure you've heard Clay is coming to Toronto, so if you have any thoughts of coming, pm me and we'd be happy to have you join our group!!!  YIKES.... if we get tickets!!!! :bang

Hi. No I did not hear that Clay is coming to Toronto. I would not be able to do a Toronto show. Hubby works shift work and we would not have anyone available to care for my son. I will have to wait until or if he ever comes to my city. Oh well what can you do. I will still try to catch as many appearances of his as I can on tv. I've been following Bo Bice a lot recently so I haven't gone to Clay's site of late. I better go today to see where I might see him next. From one canadaian Clay fan to another I'm glad to meet you. :cheer

Hey my name is Allie. I'm 16 years old and from Chicago.

My website is here:
http://s7.invisionfree.com/Simply_Clay/index.php?act=idx

I would really appreciate if you guys would look/join/post, etc.

Hope to have fun around here!

Hi Allie!!  That's a nice looking board - love the red!!  And the picture is to die for.... :wink

If you have any problems or questions here, please let me or one of the moderators know - their names are shown on the index page.

Hope you meet some fun people and have a good time here!

It has been a while since I've been here but I am baaaack!  This is a terrific site and hope to hear and see more of you every day!   :cheer

:usa
                                        Hi my name is Melanie and Iam 26.  I live in Rochester,NY which is in upstate NY.  My family and I went to Myrtle Beach,SC  May20 thru May 28,2005 for a vacation and on the way home we drove from Myrtle Beach,SC to Raleigh,NC and my mom took some pictures of standing in front of the high school and church that Clay used to go to.  My friend Darlene and I are going to see Clay in concert aturday July 30,2005 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center and I can not wait.   I hope to meet him after the concert and to get his autograph.  Hope to hear from someone soon.   You can write back to me at dance4caly26.

Welcome back claylily!  Yep, we're still here.  :lol


Melanie, strangely enough, I was in Myrtle Beach that same week!  And I drove back to Raleigh as well!  :lol

It's nice to meet you.  I hope you get to meet Clay at the concert!  Good luck  :cookie

Hey Guys, I am from North Carolina.  I am fairly new to the cyber world
and look forward to meeting everyone on the board. I will be going to the Cary,N.C. concert. Front row, center stage. Is it Aug. Yet? :bouncy
Nibroc

Front row center stage?!?!   :notworthy

Nibroc, you have just gained nearly 4000 new best friends.  

:yes

Kidding!  Welcome to Claymaniacs - I'm in Clayton myself.  Ironic, isn't it.

:wink

Hi Pamela,  Thanks for the welcome.  I have friends in Clayton. Wish
I could say I got the seats myself but they are because of my guardian angel in California she gets all my tickets to concerts. Indeed Clay has
made the world a lot smaller. I live in Wake Forest but have met and talked with people all over the US. Can't wait until Aug.5
Nibroc

Hi my name is Annie Roberts I was surfing the net and here I am.  Look forward to meeting all of you.  I have been a huge Clay Fan since AI2 started.  I live in the northwest part of the country and we don't get many Clay Concerts there but thanks to the computer and message boards I am able to download his concerts and it has been quite a trip.  I have enjoyed it all the way.

Hi annie roberts!  Welcome to Claymaniacs.

I see you would like to have an avatar.  If you click on the line at the top of the screen that says "You have no messages" you will go into our private message feature.  Click on "New Post" and then send a private message to either Moonshot or ILClaymate.  Moonshot and ILClaymate are the moderators for the photo album and are smart about all that stuff.  :lol

In the subject put "need help with avatar" and tell them what picture you'd like to have.  You can go to our photo gallery ifyou'd like.  It's here -

http://www.claymaniacs.com/coppermine

Have fun!  Let me know if you need any more help.  We're glad you're here.

My name is Kyle, i guess im a clay fan, umm... so has anyone been to the quiet world? :purpbana :shocking

Hello Kyle!

The quiet world....well, it sometimes gets quiet here.   :smile

I'm not familiar - please tell us about the quiet world.  And welcome!

  :wave Hello to all the new members out there!! Your gonna love it here!! I know I do!!  :bouncy

Hi!  I'm Deb from Michigan.  Have been a fan since AI, but only just saw Clay live a few weeks ago.  Now I'm totally hooked and can't get enough.  Since I found out what "clack" was, I've been very busy downloading!

His live performance was soooo much more than I expected.  What an incredible career he's going to have!

hey guys,
i know i have been on here awhile but i didn't get a chance 2 do this!! well I'm Katrina from barltesville,Oklahoma! i love clay Aiken! how i became obsessed is when i was watch TRL one day when INVISIBLE was debuting on TRL!! i just fell in love with it. i have another obsession which is Avril Lavigne!! i am bout 2 get on disability because when i was born i had 2 be traica (spelling) so i have a whisper voice!i go 2 Dewey high school! so ya well thats pretty much i gotta say! oh ya most of u know i am a nice and TALKIVE person lol

love always and 4ever
Kat :hugg

Hi! My name is Emily,  I'm 19,and I was on this other Clay AIken forums, until I realised that it was new and Boring! I'm from Utah, USA! I'm hoping to go to the Joyful Noise tour (saving my money!) and I"m buying tickets for Salt Lake city on Saturday! I've been to American Idols Live, and the Independent tour! They were awesome, of course. I have a reputation to keep up here in my hometown, for people say they "think of me" whenever Clay Comes on TV or on the radio! :lol
I belong to a Harry pOtter forum also, where I have 1500 posts! So I"m no stranger to forums! So hopefully I won't be too big a newbie here.
You guys are clay-crazy! I've been looking for you for 3 years!
SO that's it!
Oh, by the way, proud to say that I am An ORIGINAL, not a bandwagon-jumper! A1-2 phone voting and everything!!!  :roflmao

I can't believe I missed this thread before. I'd better post here now then.

I'm Renate. I'm 19 years old. I live in Nijmegen, Holland. The city is 2000 years old (this year). I grew up in the country in a small village but moved to the city a few months ago. Very random info, that. Anyway, we don't receive any American channels here, so I never saw AI live. I only discovered Clay when I saw the final 3 on Oprah one day. I'd heard of both Clay and Ruben. I heard Ruben was a great singer but when he sang a song, I wasn't impressed. Clay didn't sing that day but I thought he was cute and "eye-candy to make sure the teens of America would vote for Idol". Months or years later (can't remember, haha) I was on my way to a German concert. My friend had a CD playing and I liked it. So I asked her who was singing and she said Clay Aiken. I remarked that I thought it was pretty good or something like that. Then a few weeks after that, I saw Clay on Oprah. It was on last week. He performed I will Carry You. I really liked the song and remembered it from the CD. Seeing AND hearing Clay made me swoon. After that performance, I starting look up Clay sites. I found his official website first and listened to The Way and Invisible. I liked both. Especially The Way. When I was at the web shop I heard his speaking voice for the first time. I really liked his accent. I thought it was cute.

I then found a site where you could download his AI performances, so I did. I first downloaded BOTW and Unchained Melody because those songs where the only ones that I knew. :o He blew me away with BOTW. That voice! Wow! So much better than Dutch singers! Or English ones for that matter.  :wink After that, I started downloading songs I didn't know as well. Solitaire soon became a favourite. As well as At this moment. And you gotta love the hips in Grease. Yummy. Somewhere out there was also one of the songs I loved instantly. And before I knew it, I'd ordered his CD on a Dutch site (they also sell his books and his Christmas CD and he's the only American Idol that got reviews. Rave reviews of course. And I wrote one too. Filled with compliments. haha). It'll take them 3/4 weeks to deliver the CD, but until that time, I'll just listen to the AI songs.  :smile

If only he'd give a concert in Europe....:( I'd love to see him live.

I keep talking about him to my friends on MSN. I even send them his songs. I'm trying to turn them into fans too. :P My best friend called him a great singer. And at the end of BOTW she said wow.  :smile

Welcome to Deb, Emily, and Renate,
 and hello again, Kat!

Renate, you posted on Pamela's Ticket Trauma thread, also.  We're glad to have you here from Holland.  I am going to PM you about Clay DVD's.  Some of our fans here are very talented and have compiled DVD's of Clay performances.

I look forward to seeing all of you posting.

Prissy

Thank you very much, Prissy.  :hugg

Hi!
  My name is Victoria Wank. I live in Baltimore, MD with my cat, Bacsi (BAH-chee). I am a speech-language pathologist at the Forbush School, which is part of Sheppard Pratt Health System. My particular program is - wait for it - the Therapeutic Autism Program and Preschool [/b]. Specifically, I work in the Intermediate division, which serves children on the autism spectrum between 6 and 15 years old. I have worked with autistic children on and off since 1987. I love 'em! Even though they all share certain characteristics, the characteristics manifest themselves in so many different ways, and some of my kids are so funny!
    Outside of work, I have several hobbies, mostly crafts: embroidery, cake decorating, beading, faux stained glass, and quilling (rolled paper filigree).
    My other major hobby is Medieval and Renaissance re-creation with the Society for Creative Anachronism. I am known as Lady Rebekkah Samuel, a Jew born and raised in Scotland in the late 1500s. I am currently the deputy to the Minister of Arts and Sciences for the fair Barony of Bright Hills (if you want to learn more, go to www.sca.org (http://www.sca.org)).
     On to the important part! I have been a fan of Clay's since AI2. I now have almost 5 videotapes of his appearances.  The fact that he has a special place in his heart for autistic children is a happy coincidence for me. Everyone at work knows I'm a Claymate. My office is a mini-shrine. I don't bring up the topic half as much as they do. I guess they think I want to talk about Clay all the time. One of my coworker/friends was thinking I was the most fanatical Claymate ever. Then she went to see the Jukebox Tour with me, and she realized I had a relatively mild case of Obsessive Claypulsive Disorder! She couldn't believe her eyes! I just prefer to keep my little corner of Clay in its own special place, although I do try to promote his role as a UNICEF ambassador for Education. I do look forward to sharing Clay with an appreciative group.

Victoria

  John Denver

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Victoria.

I hope you enjoy your stay here.
Please take some time and look around all the forums. You will find all the information a true Clay fan needs. :wink

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Welcome again,
Deanna

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Victoria!  Nice to have you with us and thanks for telling us a little about yourself.  I'm sure you will fit right in with us!

Renate and Emily ~ I haven't had a chance to formally welcome you to our 'home', so welcome! 

~Clandy~

Hi'
My Name is CristaAnne Stuart(Crista for short even though that what i a have been callled my wholelife)
I am 15 years old and was born August 7th 1990 in Hemet,Cali
Imoved to arizona when i was 4 years old and i have lived in Scenic arizona my whole life(even though people says it sucks)i love it
I have 2 cats Squeek and yang i have never had a b/f just to say and i really dont care even though i dont care who knows !
My favorite band is maroon 5
My favorite movie is Spanglish
and My favotie color is pink(and orange)
I like science and math and i want to be a teacher,lawyer,or a FBI agent (big dream) and right now i want to be a actor(like acting on t.v) not in plays even though i have never been in a play( i dropped out of one) it is one a my manty dreams! Besides being liked by people i am very enegetic and happy(just dont piss me of) and that is me and who i am ! have anymore questions contact me and i will reply back!


And thanks pamela  for the welcomig!

Crista  PS> i also love hearts  and smilies :smile :smile :smile :smile

:wave Hi Crista and welcome aboard!  Thanks for telling us some of your interests.  I hope you like Clay because we talk ALOT about him here!  :lol

Hi I'm Jasmine! I'm new heare too. :)

Welocme Clay_Angel!! :wave

I hope you have fun here.

If you have any questions about the board, please feel free to PM me.

Welcome again,
Deanna

Sorry it took me so long to do this, but here goes:

Hi everyone! My name is Tanya, I'm 18 years old and a full-time student at Cleveland State University, majoring in Education (I want to teach high school English.) But, the reason I'm here (of course) is Clay!!! I've seen him twice in concert (the solo tour and JBT, both in Cleveland) and I was blown away each time, I've never seen anyone put on a concert like Clay does, he is just AMAZING. I also deeply admire his dedication to helping make the world a better place, God knows we need more people like him on this planet! Well, if you wanna know more about me, feel free to PM, e-mail or IM me (both are on profile) 'cause I LOVE meeting and talking to Clay fans! Talk to you all later!

-Tanya-

Hey guys! 

Thanks for joining us - I hope you have a good time here, that's what we are all about.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any questions or suggestions.  Thanks!

Have fun!

 :purpbana

Wow! I can't believe that I have never posted on this thread before! I guess as the saying goes, "Better late, than never!"  :lol

My name is Beth.  I am 36.  I have been a Claymaniac for 2 years now.  I have 2 children; a boy age 4, and a girl age 19 months.  I'm a full time mom.  I live in Michigan. 

I've been a fan of AI since the very beginning.  One night, while watching AI2, Clay sang Unchained Melody.  My husband walked into the room when he heard Clay sing (hubby's favorite song) and couldn't believe what he was hearing.  He loved it.  After that night, hubby and I watched AI2 together  :smile. 

The very next week was my birthday (May 20th).  It was the night of the finals, and I was not about to miss it.  Instead of doing the usual dinner and a movie.  We ordered take out from Red Lobster and we ate it on our bed while watching AI2.  :smile Clay sang Invisible; Here, There, and Everywhere; and Bridge Over Troubled Water.  It was the best birthday ever.  I totally agreed with Paula's comments about Clay's version of BOTW how he, "gave us chills, he is a true artist, how he took a classic song made us feel like we heard it for the first time, made it his own, was his personal best!!!" :bduh

I remember the little hairs on my arms standing straight up! I could barely breathe after hearing him sing BOTW.  :thud

I will be a fan forever.  :smile

Hello, my name is Shelia and I am from Ohio.  I haven't been here for a while and I see that you have a new forum.  I thought I would post a heloo before touring the threads.

~WG

Welcome, Sheila, and thanks for taking a moment to introduce yourself.

I believe that you will find our new forum interesting and informative.  I hope you enjoy looking around our little site.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need any help.

Welcome again,
Deanna

HI...I am judymaria and I think Clay is one of the most kind,gentle and good-hearted men I have known of in my life,,,,when he sings my spirit soars and I feel true joy with every experience of him...I have found that my fellow Clay fans are also people of character and heart and consider it a priviledge to associate with them.... I am a diabetic kidney failing amputee who could be very depressed about my situation but God,family,friends and Clay keep my bright lights burning...I love life and Clay has brightened mine in so many respects...I just want to hug him... :lol

Welcome to Claymaniacs judymaria, Sheila, Tanya, and Jasmine!  Its good to see you here and I hope you feel at home here.  It is a great 'family' of Clayfans we have here!  If you have any questions, please feel free to pm myself or any of our other moderators.

Beth ~ thanks for the re-introduction and how it all started for you.  I enjoy reading when and how everyone first 'fell' for that voice and that man!

   Well, hey y'all. I figured, since I'm new around here...and since everyone else is doing it...I'd introduce myself and tell ya a lil bit about how I ended up here on this wonderful message board!!! Ya ready?? Hehe.

   Ok, my name is Elizabeth. I am 15 years old and I am from Aiken, South Carolina. I march in the Silver Bluff Silver Spirit Marching Band...that band is my pride and joy and we won Lower State and State this year!!
   I began liking Clay when I saw him on American Idol...as many of you did as well. I mean, what is there not to like??? I voted for him, and of course was crushed when he lost...but w/e. He's still great. And even though I have liked him ever since then, I still get laughed at on almost a daily basis for liking him. I've seen him 2 times now...both times in Greenville, both times during the summer and in December, I will see him for a third time in Columbia. That will be my first JNT concert and I can't wait!
   I like Clay because I can relate to him so well. Literally. We have a lot in common and I thnk that is the reason so many people like him, b/c they can find so many things that they have in common w/ him. I know that's why I love him. And his voice is just absolutly wonderful. It has brought me to tears many times.
   I have not met him, but I really hope to someday. However, I did get the opportunity to meet Nick and Jacob this passed summer while Clay was on the JBT and I met his mother (Ms.Faye) at the Pre-Party before the concert. She is so beautiful and nice!! I see where Clay gets his charm! I did touch Clay's hand...which was probably the best moment of my life...as I stood there in the middle of the road in Greenville trying not to faint ((haha)).

   Ok, so enough about me. I look foward to getting to know everyone of you!!! Much Love!!

-Elizabeth

Hi Shelia!   :wave

Are you a montage maker?  I do believe I have enjoyed some of your montages in the past.  Thanks for stopping by!

That's really sweet judymaria!  Thanks for saying hello!   :wave

We love Clay too, so you are in the right place.  Hope to see you around!

Congratulations Elizabeth!  I was also in the band, and played in the All State band as well.  We were really lucky - we got to go to Europe and compete in concert and marching categories.  We won the concert category!!  So exciting for a big band from a small town in Tennessee.  Band rocks!   


I'm sorry people laugh because you like Clay. You know what? Who cares! If he makes you happy, you just keep right on liking him.  I would just laugh back at them, cause they are the ones who don't know what they are missing, right? :smile


You know what, I think you're right.  You are a smart girl Elizabeth, and I'm happy to meet you.   :wave

Hi. I'm from central California. I don't see many fans from my area. I have been a fan since AI. My kids and I would watch together and my daughter and I would take turns calling in votes. We would see who could get through the most. Once I got through over 150 times in a row. :shocking Sometimes we would have as many as 4 phone lines going at once.  She even made a shirt "vote for Clay" and wore it to school the day of the final performance. (she was in 10th grade).

Elizabeth, that's why your quote hit home for me. She was also teased and to this day she is still known as the Biggest Clay fan on campus, she's a senior.

She is in the advanced broadcasting department and has done video stories about Clay that have been shown on the schools live news program. She still continues to ware her Clay shirts (a new one from each concert, homemade ones and from the fan club). She proudly carries her Clay Aiken tote and homemade clay bags.

She is also in the marching band, colorgurad (she has been in guard for 6 years) She had to be excused from performing at her last football game so we could go to the Joyfull Noise concert in Hollywood. We have seen all 3 concerts that have traveled to California. They have been a great opportunity for us to spend time together.

I think Clay is a wonderful rolemodel for all young and old. Be proud to be a fan! :clap

 :
:roflmao :shocking :bouncy  I am a claymate from Illinois - I have been a  Clay fan since AI 2.   He stole my heart with his singing and the person he is.   I have been to 3 concerts so far - Independent Tour w/Kelly Clarkson and 2  Joyful Noise Tours.   My sons love to roll their eyes at their mother who they believe is OBSESSED with Clay Aiken!!    I am looking forward to his next CD and wish him great SUCCESS in all he does.     I just went to the JNT in Chicago before Thanksgiving and my holiday season is already blessed!!    S M I L E.

 :wave Suziekayp!!!!  Welcome, and glad to have you here!!!  What a great voting family you were for Clay.   :clap :clap :clap  I think it is great that you can share Clay with your daughter.  My daughter goes to all the concerts with me, too. 

 :wave FanIL!!!  I live in IL, too, and was at Chicago last Tuesday!!!  Pm me and we can compare notes as to where you live!!!  Welcome to Claymaniacs!!!

You will both love it here.  We are a big happy family who are crazy about a certain red-head singer.....Please join in the fun!!!!!
Woodstock :bouncy

I really like the Claymaniacs site.

I saw Clay on his summer tour last year - it was awesome !! 


  I also saw Clay on the JNT II this winter .

Welcome to Claymaniacs, garuu2d!  Feel free to look around and post.  We would love to hear from you!

ILClaymate - Thank you for the welcome !

Thanks garuu2d!  And welcome.  I see you are a BO fan!!  Thanks for the info you posted in the AI Bo thread - I hope you will continue to keep us up to date.  We have lots of Clay fans who also like Bo!

Happy New Year to you!

Hello! My name is Jessyka, I'm 23 years old from Brazil.  :wave
I liked Clay since the first day I saw him on American Idol, but I've been a fan for about a year now.
My english is not that good, I'm a little insecure about posting but I'll get over it.  :wink

Hi!  My name is Betty, and I am a true, hopeless, Clay fan--through and through! 

I'm a career "girl," and I live in Birmingham, AL, with my husband and a beautiful cat named Squeaky.  Since this is the hometown of an AI winner (?) and another AI 2nd place finisher, I don't really know many Clay fans in this area.  I am doing my best to win over as many as possible.  I really love the Clay friends I've met at concerts and the ones I've made over the internet. 

I think the very best thing (since I probably shouldn't try to list all of them here) about Clay is how he touches so many lives and brings so much happiness to so many people.

I'm looking forward to having lots of Clay fun with you!

Betty

:wave Welcome Betty!! :wave

Nice to have you here.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

I hope you like it here and get a chance to post alot. Please take some time to look around.  You will find all the information any Clay fan needs right here!!!

Welcome again!!
:hugs
Deanna

Hi Jessyka from Brazil, nice to meet you!!  Don't worry about your English....we all speak *Clay* here so no problem.

:wink  Have fun!

Thank you, Pamela!
And if I make mistakes with english, please correct me.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/ILClaymate/graphics/snowwelcome.jpg)

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Jessyka and Betty!  Hope you will enjoy it here and look forward to your posts.

I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome, and I'd also like to say "hi" to the other new members!!  I 'm really glad to be an "official maniac."   :shappy

Hi there Betty! Yes, it's official now... you are certified!  :lol

Have fun!

We are definitely certifiable  :bduh

Welcome to BamaClayBelle, Jessyka from Brazil and Betty   :wave  You will love it here!!!

Hello!  My name is Evie and I'm from Toronto, Canada.  I've been a fan of Clay's since AI2.  I read this board every day and came out of lurkdom mainly to tell you how much I missed it when it was down!

I'm a quiet person by nature and do not post often but I love reading all your posts!  I've only been to one of Clay's concert and that was when Clay came to Toronto last year in August.  I wish I can travel all over to catch his tours - perhaps one day.  Your cellcerts were such fun to read. 

Anyway, I basically want you to now how much I appreciate all the hard work and dedication that goes into making this one of the best Clay boards ever.

Hi misha007ca :wave I'm from Kitchener, and am a regular poster in the Member's Corner in the Motor City Red Thong Mafia Thread.  The other Canadians here at Claymaniacs post there also, as we travel usually to Michigan to see Clay.  We were so fortunate to have him in Toronto last year, what a concert it was!!! Drop in to have a peek at the thread if you like, and please pm me if I can help you around the board at all!!!
Welcome to Claymaniacs!
Sharon

Thanks for the warm welcome Mrs. C.! 

I must check out the Red Thong Mafia thread.  Sounds intriguing!  I'm keeping fingers firmly crossed that Clay stops by Toronto on his next tour, if not, I'll definitely check to see if there is any group I might join to travel see OMC.

Evie

Hello Evie and welcome to claymaniac..well I mean welcome to posting!!!!! I am a known lurker but post regularly on the motor city red thong thread..come post we don't bite really...there is a place here on claymaniacs for everyone...check out all the threads and post away..you will be amazed at the friendships that will form.......and again welcome.....debi

Betty welcom to you too and come post  join in anywhere have some fun....

Jessyka...welcome don't ever worry about your english...we can help you out....LOL...as someone else already said ...we speak CLAY here....

I hope I didn't miss any welcomes....come join us and post away....

Hi everyone!  This site looks very cool!  I've been Clay's fan since AI and can't wait for his new CD.  I didn't mean for my first post to be a "shoutout" I simply meant to reply. lol I'm learning. Have a great day everyone and I'll see you in the area I will most likely stick with. Clay news stuff.  Gotta go to work now, later. :)

Hi Sklayla!  Welcome to Claymaniacs - and feel free to post a shoutout any time!

If you have any questions, just let me know.  Glad you're here - have fun!

Hello everyone! My name is Kelly, I'm 18, (well, 19, soon on April 6th!) and I'm from Park Ridge Illinois. I just became an official maniac Feb 26th, even though I've been lurking since as far back as (I think!) October 2003! Anyway, it's been a long time! And I thought I'd come out of lurkdom to introduce myself. I live with my mother, who unfortunately is not a "claymate" even though I've been trying to convert her for three years now! There has been a lot of upheaval in our lives recently because my father just passed away last July 19th, moving on with life without him has been very difficult, he wasn't the best father/husband to us, but at least he was there, and even over eight months later we still can't seem to figure things out. We're looking at possibly moving, and us both having to get jobs to handel everything financially, when my mother should be retired and I thought I'd have a little more time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. When the pressure and worry gets to be too much, I escape into the Clay world. Listening to his beautiful voice and visiting my favorite Clay sites. And this one is definately at the top of my favorites list! I love the ANN, and always come by once a week to review all that's happened in the Clay news, and to lurk among the other threads as well, a quite person by nature, I've never posted here before, and rarely post on other boards, like Clay's fanclub, but I have been known to speak up when I get really excited about something going on in the Clay nation! This is one of the best Clay sites out there, always up to date with the latest news, I love it here, and a big thank you to Pamela and Michale and anyone else who runs things here. Now if I haven't bored everyone enough already, I'll tell you all how I became a Clayfan. Just because there was nothing else on TV that night way back when American Idol 2 started, I tuned in, wondering why everyone seemed to be talking about it the year before when Kelly Clarkson won, (which I didn't see) and I saw Clay's first audition, as soon as he said "I'm the next American Idol" I was hooked. I watched and voted for him, was disappointed when Ruben and Kimberly made it and he didn't, was thrilled when after a night of voteing he was back as the wildcard, voted every week after that, sobbed when he didn't win, and have been following his every move since. My clack collection has grown enough to drive my mother insane! CD's, DVD's, books, programs, video tapes, and more posters and articles then I have time to count are everywhere! I never miss a Clay apperance if I can help it, I search online every week for the latest news, I listen to my Clay CD's constantly, am a member of his fanclub, fight anyone who dares to put him down in my presence, and promote him to others, think about him and pray for him daily, have been to four of his concerts, Indepenant with Kelly, Solo, and both Joyful Noise, (I only missed the Idol tour, and Jukebox which just killed me! but I listen to my CD of it and watch my DVD of it and pretend I'm there! *g*) I've had a great time being a Clayfan, met lots of nice people and can't wait for what's ahead! The thought of maybe an actual release date for his next CD, (Love the count down by the way,) and him being on TV and in all the magazines again gives me chills! And I can't forget touring again! (Dear Lord let him come to Chicago again!) Well, I think I've said more then enough, and in case you can't tell. I love being a Claymate, and that's not going to stop anytime soon! :luv :bighug :dust :love :dust: :ghug2

Kelly - hello!!

I'm so glad you decided to sign up finally!! 

I'm sorry about your Dad.  Sometimes a change, such as a move, does help.  It's a way to have a fresh start and a new beginning.  Good luck!! 

I don't blame you at all for wanting to "escape" into Clay Nation!  You sure aren't the only one.  Lots of us come here and other fan sites to laugh, think and mostly just to have fun.  I'm glad you're here now too!


That just about says it all, doesn't it?!?

Thanks for your nice words Kelly - I look forward to seeing you around and don't worry - we WILL get that CD and there WILL be another tour and it will be a great summer.

And if you decide to move to NC....let me know!   :smile

Thank you for such a warm welcome Pamela! :thx Maybe I'll come out of lurkdom a little more often and post some more! :dunno Oh, I hope so! I can't wait until we get some official news about that, so we can have something to look forward too, and can start planning! :cross  :luv I'd love too, the closer to Clay the better! (Of course I don't think that will happen, but I can dream, a fresh start and new beginning is exactly what I need, and what better place than the state Clay chose to move back to, now all I have to do is convince my mother!) lol  :lol

Hello, I am Sondra in Texas. I am over 50 so I feel like Clay is the son I never had just have two daughters. My family puts up with me having my daily Clayfix. I first loved Clays voice on American Idol and what he stood for and was hooked. He seemed real and pure. I have found that Clay helps us to be better to others and that Claymates are the nicest people than any other fans. I hope Clay really knows how many fans he has and that we will be here for him forever. If there is anyone in the Dallas Fort Worth, Austin or nearby and you have not joined the Texas Clay Fans please do. What was so great was a pin was made for Texas Clay Fans after taking Yellow Roses to my first Clay party.
lThanks
Texas Clay fan :clap :lol :wink

Hi, Sondra!!!
Welcome to Claymaniacs!!!  I am sure you will enjoy it here!!!

I am over 50 also, and have loved Clay since the beginning, just like you!!!  You will find yourself very comfortable here, because we all share the love of Clay, both his heavenly voice, and all that he stands for.

There are several other Texas fans here, so hopefully you will be able to hook up with them at a concert one of these days!!!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any of the Moderators here.

Welcome!!!
Woodstock :bouncy

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new members!

I'm glad you found us - please introduce yourself, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me or any of the admin staff -

clayMaine-iac
aikenseeker
ILClaymate
LadyC
Moonshot
woodstock854

Be sure to check out our amazing FRONT PAGE (http://www.claymaniacs.com) which includes such features as...

Links to:
   Arcade
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STREAMING RADIO!

This forum has many features and benefits, but it is unique in it's design, so if you need any help with customizing or navigating, just ask!!

Thanks, and have fun!

 hey loves! I'm vanessa but u could call me vani for short when i saw this i went crazy cuz I'm really am a claymania c I'm in love with him :wink he's so dreamy! and i know all of you guys agree cuz why else would u be on this website?! LOL!anyways i'm 14 and my hobbies are:
acting, tennis crushon on clay, obsessing over clay and drooling over his new hairstyle cuz he's looks delicious

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Vani!!

Drooling over the new hairstyle happens often here. :wink

:thx for introducing yourself.  If you have any questions, just let me know.
:hugs

Welcome, Vani!!!
Please check out all the things on this great website.  Please check out our Forum, and we look forward to seeing you posting there!!!
Woodstock :bouncy

I just wanted to drop by and welcome our new members!  (http://bestsmileys.com/signs13/24.gif)

We're so happy to have you here!  I think you'll find yourselves at home here in no time.  We're like one great big family!

Let us know if you have any questions, or need any help.

Looking forward to seeing you on the threads!  (http://bestsmileys.com/signs3/21.gif)

LadyC

hey! i din realise there is a thread here.  :bang how blind can i be! haha! anyway, im 15 turning 16 from Singapore.

i have heard of Clay Aiken before. but i know NUTS abt him. (of course, i know how he looks like and stuffs) is only until i watched AI 5 finale (i was chasing the whole season). woah, he is hot. and i love his voice. it is really great! i heard his songs - The Way and Invisible. i never heard him live, but boy, Clay can really sing. im such a retard for not noticing him earlier. lol!

oh well, i hope it isn't too late! hope i can find his CD - Measure of a Man somewhere, and can't wait to grab his new CD!! good day to all of you!!  :wink

Welcome Suz!! :wave

Please stick around because we will be having lots of fun here when Clay's new CD comes out.

I hope you get a chance to buy his wonderful music.

I hope you enjoy Claymaniacs!!  :purpbana

i have a question...i went to a consert awhile ago and everyone there knew one another...i felt like such a loser..I want to get to know people on the website...so can anyone please talk to me...i want to know more people b/c no one i know likes clay and i want to know more poeple who do... :) i want to know more people that like clay b/c ill feel more like a clay fan...:) -Ramona

:wave Hi Ramona!!

I'm sure if you stick around here you will get to meet and get to know lots of new friends.

Which concert did you get to go to???

Hi Ramona!! :wave hey don't feel down.....I've been on here for a year and have only met 2 people at concert from this website. But I've talked on the phone to plenty!! :bouncy  Overall the people around here are very friendly and make you feel right at home!! So have a look around and join the fun!!

 :hugg
Tammy

Hi Ramona! Welcome to Claymaniacs, a great place to meet wonderful friends. Look around and jump right in the conversation. Let everyone get to know you.  :smile

Hey there everyone! I'm Josh, 17 from Illinois. I've been a member for about a month now, but just haven't got around to introduce myself so I thought I would now! My whole family and I are Clay fans...especially me and my dad! My dad and I see Clay in concert every year and have enjoyed all of them, especially the Jukebox Tour! We're hoping for another tour this year!!! And, of course, we can't wait for the new album to be released either! We've noticed there aren't too many male Clay fans unfortunately, but we'll definitely continue to support him! Well, anyways, I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone and I'm glad to be an official ClayManiac!

By the way, this is a great site!!!

Hi, my name is Diana and I live at Oak Island, NC.  It's about 25 miles  from Wilmington.  My son went to school  in Raleigh for acting and modeling.  He now resides in NY, where  he is under Contract with an  Agency(which I cannot name, due to Contractual Agreement).  Thru this Agency,  he has met Clay on his visits to NY and admires him for the Professionalism he shows on and off the stage.  If any of you ever come to the Island, look me up..I work at a local Realty Company.   :wave

Hi,

My name is Allyson and I live in eastern Canada.  I have been a Clay fan ever since the first time I heard his voice on the audition episode for AI2. 

I'm hoping he will tour this part of Canada someday, would love to hear that voice live.

I like the new hair, it's trendy and stylish, but I think he's a handsome dude either way.  :cheer

My personal opinion is that Clay is a rare talent that comes along only once or twice a generation.  It's not just about the voice, it's about the man.

Glad to be here.

Hi Everybody, :wave

I'am glad to be here. I 'am from Homer Glen Ill. and I'am
Service Manager for Jewel (Grocery Store) so you could
say I do alot of arranging in my store like Magazines
that I want to sell or not sell. It all depends on wheather
its good or bad for Clay. I also put Clays Christmas music
 over the intercom anything to help Clay out. I have loved
Clay since American Idol2. I just Love his new hair do.He
looks howt. :flame :flame :flame :flame

Welcome to all the new members.  :wave

Hi there, my name is Jan and I live in Canada. I always liked Clay but never had a chance to watch much AI as I was too busy with real life.  My kids have left home now and I watched this years AI and fell in love with Clay. I would like to know if there is somewhere I can see Clays performances on A2 along with the judges comments. ( Ps the Canadian Idol from season 2 -Kalan Porter is much the same  kjnd of person as Clay. They both have that it factor that you just can't ignore, The only difference is that Clay is a bit older and more mature)

Josh, I'm glad you found us!  You are right, there are many more female fans for Clay, but we actually have guys who are members here, so don't feel all alone!  Usually, they just don't post as much as the girls... you know how girls like to talk. :smile

My Dad likes Clay a lot too!

Diana, your son sounds like a good guy too - I wish him all the best! I live just outside Raleigh myself - have you seen Clay in concert?  You'll have to come to Raleigh for the next concert here!  I'd love to meet you.

Allyson, welcome!  That was nicely said - thank you!  Take a look around, and if you have any questions, just ask.  Just jump right in and start posting - I promise we don't bite!  Schmoopie - that's cute. :wink

Hi Judsa!  Yep, that flame emoticon is getting a workout here lately. :lol
Welcome, and it's nice to meet you.

Just for good measure...!  :flame :flame :flame 

Hi Jan!  Welcome to Claymaniacs!
You can see some of Clay's AI performances at YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com) Just do a search for Clay Aiken and see all kinds of video available there. Tons of it!

Enjoy! 

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/CAP121/Emoticons/Welcome/Welcome.gif)

Just wanted to stop by and welcome all our newest members to our 'family'!  This is a great board with alot of great, kind-hearted people.  I'm sure you will feel right at home here as soon as you get things figured out.  We have alot of great features to check out.  Hope you will look around and please let myself or any of our great moderators know if you have any questions.

:bighug
Clandy

Hey, Ramona! :wave

Welcome to the fun! :purpbana

 Pamela  thanks for the info heading off to youtube now!!!! :bouncy :bouncy

HEY RAMONA!!
HAPPY TO SEE ANOTHER CLAY FAN! THIS SITE IS GREAT, AND YOU MEET MANY PEOPLE HERE!!
EVEN IF YOU DONT MEET THEM AT A CONCERT, YOU CAN GET TO KNOW THEM THROUGH HERE- ITS LOTS OF FUN!!

WELCOME-
MARILYN

:wave Ramona!

Welcome to Claymaniacs! Make yourself at home - we all have! :smile You'll love it here - everyone is caring and fun-loving! Hope to see you posting around the board!

Hello Ramona :wave welcome to Claymaniacs, jump right in, and cruise around the board, you'll find it a comfortable place to post in!!!

Hi I'm Hopechest and I lost track of Clay for awhile but the AI finally reminded me of why I liked him to begin with so I guess you can say I'm a born-again Clay Fan


DG :roflmao

 :wave sas!!!
Good to have you here!!!

 :wave hopechest!!!  I'm SURE you'll be thrilled that you found Clay again!!!

 :wave Candace!!!  I know we've already "met" on the OCD.  It's ALWAYS great to welcome new Clay fans.  You will love Clay's CD, Measure of a Man, when you get it.

You all found your way to the best Clay website!!!  Good to have you here.
Woodstock :bouncy

Hello board.  :)

My name is LUVclay26 but I for the most part go by LUV (which means "sweetie" in British slang as I am an Anglophile as well) these days.  I have been in the fandom for the past 3 years, but this is the first time I have ventured into this board.  You may have seen me on random boards like the OFC, TTC, (a looong time ago) RHT, TCB, IA, and so on and so forth.  The only board I think I never have been on of the major ones is CH (yes, I even posted on LBFCA at one time).  I was even quoted about the tug once.  :)

I have been around geographiclly the 29 years I have lived.  The path is something like WI to MN to Missouri to KC to now in Michigan.  I am a chemist and do a lot of mad scientist thingies when I am not doing the fan thing.  I have been to a big number of shows, gone to the KC benefit, helped put on MOAM release party back in the day, had my lil book signed, but never had a meet and greet.  So I am a fan of the dude I guess.

I dunno how much I will post here, but I wanted to check in and say hello.

LUV 

Hey Erin! It's Meesa.  :wave Good to see you here.  :hugg

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/CAP121/Emoticons/Welcome/Welcome-18-june.gif)

Welcome to Claymaniacs hopechest, Candy and LUV!  Glad you all found us and for telling us about yourselves.  Hope you will feel at home here.  If you have any questions, feel free to pm myself or any of the other mods (our screennames are purple or hotpink :smile )

Hey Meesa.  *waves* Good to see ya here.  I miss everyone in the KC area lots.  Congrats on the fair thingy for kids.

IL - Thanks for the welcome.  I am happy to be here.

LUV

Hi, I'm a shy newbie... :3 New to the forum (so I'll probably make lots of mistakes XD), and fairly new to Clay too (it pains me that I couldn't watch him in AI2 >_<)...

I'm hoping I'll be able to spend much time here and make new friends <3

HEllo!  I'm also new, but I've lurked here be4!!

I love Clay since I saw him on SNL and I hope he's back on there again this fall!!   :purpbana :shocking :purpbana

So, I'll be in the shoutbox if you need me.   :lol :roflmao :lol

 :wheee :confetti2

:wave Welcome Luv, miyu and javajucky!!  I hope you have fun here at Claymaniacs.

:wheee :confetti2

No need to be shy here.  Jump right in!!

 :cmrox

Hello everyone, my name is Erica; I'm turning 18 on November 1st.. pretty syked about that. I'm a soon to be Senior at Valley High School in Pittsburgh, PA. I was born in Pittsburgh---proud Steeler fan! Right On!! I'm a Claysian and dang proud of that also. I'm hoping to go to University of Pittsburgh to study Geology and possibly play softball for their team. (recently broke my shin bones)
So, enough about me--- Clay Aiken is all I think about these days. I became attached at the finale of AI2 because I didn't exactly watch the show all that much.. only once in a while. I was devastated to witness Clay's loss of the main prize, but I'm over it like everyone else. Ever since that day I've tried to keep up with all things Clay. I'm not gonna lie, I get made fun of pretty much everyday because of my obsession with this awesome southern man, but I like to shrug it off. My 16 year-old sister has almost been Clay-verted, courtesy of me, but she doesn't exactly obsess over things so you know she'll listen to his c.d. once in a while, but she doesn't exactly care for him-- she likes coming to his concerts with me though. My older sister, 21 years-old, who lives in California met Clay twice and she doesn't care for him much-- which ticks me off. But, she does admit that she thinks he is pretty cool and an amazing singer. She told him that I loved him and he asked for my name--- hey at least he knows that I exist and he told her that she was very pretty and I kinda look like my sister, but I'll dream away.

Clay Aiken has a lot of soul, he sings like an angel, has a big heart, and deserves to either become the teacher that he has always wished or whatever he yearns for. Clay--- i hope you succeed in life--- you are an inch from it.

So, I'm gonna stop bc this is too long.

To our new members...

(http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/9.gif)

And, Erica - be sure to add your birthday into your profile so we can wish you a Happy Birthday when your happy day rolls around!  18 is a big one!   :wink

 :cmrox

Miyu, we all were once... just jump in and eventually you will figure it all out. That's what I did, and 14,000 posts later.... :eek ! 

I can recommend YouTube.com for old AI footage, as well as newer concert footage of Clay. Check it out, just go there and do a search.

There are lots of pics in our Gallery linked on the home page as well as our Photo Album forum.

We have lots of threads, so just explore and start posting. I'm glad you found us.

So do I javajunky, so do I!!  Oh, I'm a java junky too. :coffee :coffee :coffee


I love to see everyone having fun in the ShoutBox!  Enjoy!

You sound like a smart girl Erica, I'm glad you are here! I look forward to celebrating your *BIG 18th* birthday!

Am I on the forum now.  This is libbycp for those of you who so kindly welcomed me to Clay's site.  I am 50, married to a great guy named Eddie.  I am Libby (Childress Poot) by the way.  I have been disabled for almost 10 years, but my passion is helping animals, and before I became disabled my husband and I used to go door to door in poor neighborhoods finding cats and dogs to get spayed and neutered for the people.  We can't afford to do that now, but fortunately other, younger animal lovers in our community have started an effective low-cost spay/neuter program and a program to neuter feral cats and place them back where they lived, keeping in touch with their feeders to make sure any newcomer cats get fixed and to make sure the cats have food and water and if possible shelter.  I own two cats myself, which I found in a box outside a pet supply store.  They are wimps.  They hide whenever they hear anyone at the door and sometimes if they even hear a car come into our driveway.  But they are sweet and loving with me and my husband.  I hear Clay doesn't like cats?  That's strange.  Does he like dogs.  I love dogs too but have no place to fence one, and indoor dogs just don't work for me. 

I feel like I have a thousand new friends with this website.  I have read several of your entries and enjoyed every one.  I will continue to read as many as I possibly can. 

Thanks, IL Claymate, for inviting me to the forum.  After several attempts, I'm not sure how I got here!  But I'll try again when I get the new CD and let everyone know my favorite song from it.  My favorite song from the old CD is Measure of a Man.  I wish I had bought the single--I hear it had Bridge over Troubled Water on It, but I didn't know that and I didn't like the song "This is the Night". 

As for what I think of Clay, I just agree with what everyone of you is saying--He is a great person who happens to be a classy entertainer.  (By the way, hubby is not a Clay fan.  Eddie likes John McCutcheon, Uncle Earl, Travelling Wilburys--I love the Wilburys too.  (They are George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and one more who I forget right now.)  I also like the soundtrack from Walk the Line, although most country music I don't care for. 

Take care and God bless.

Hi Libby and welcome!  I'm glad you found your way here and let us know more about you.  What a great thing you did for those in your community with the dogs and cats.  Thats very commendable.  You asked about Clay and animals.  He has said that he doesn't like cats just from a past experience with them.  He does have a dog, Raleigh.  Here's a picture of them together...

(http://www.claymaniacs.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10002/holdsraleigh.jpg)

Glad you found your way here and hope you can join in on some of the other threads as well.  If you have any questions, just ask and myself or someone here will be glad to help.

Hi Libby!  That would be Tom Petty by the way - love the Wilburys! Only Tom and Bob are left though - sad.

I'm an animal lover too! I have three cats and a dog.  :eek  They come and go in and out of the house every five minutes. In fact, if I could find a way to get paid for each time I let them in and out, I would be a rich woman. Just sayin.

Glad you found the forum, now you'll need to start posting all over the place! I'm glad you are here - take care!

Hi, Pamela.  Thanks for the welcome.  I'm slowly finding my way around the Forum.  Here's a wish or a prayer for all Clay's fans today.  It is quoted from a Johnny Cash-June Carter song from their CD "Jackson". 

No use crying, talking to a stranger, telling them the troubles that you see.
Cause there's too many bad times, too many sad times.
And nobody knows what you mean.
Oh, but if somehow you could pack up your sorrows and give them all to me
You would lose them, I know how to use them.
Give them all to me!

Your Clay friend,
Libby

I am trying out the Reply option for the first time.  Heater--this is for you.  I picked you mostly at random to say hello to.  I too have been a big Clay fan ever since AI2.  I see you are from NC like me and I live in Winston-Salem.  You say you work in golf.  My brother owns a golf and tennis shop in Myrtle Beach.  I think he always wanted to do that, ever since he was a teenager.  He's a real beach fan and sports fan.  Fortunately he married his college sweetheart whose family live near the beach (Whiteville, NC), so it was not a big deal for them to move to Myrtle Beach, and since then they have moved to Little River (nearby Myrtle Beach) and they have a 10-year-old daughter who is a highly ranked tennis player in South Carolina.
To read more about me, go to the "Introduce Yourself" area and go to pages 23 and 24. 

If you get this message, please send me a short (or long) reply there where I introduced myself, if you wish.

Libbycp
 :shappy

 :wave  Hi Libby!!  Welcome to the board!  You are going to love posting here at Claymaniacs!  It's always good to know that we have another fan from North Carolina in our midst.  That's great about your brother and it sounds like they have a very talented little girl!  I'd love to get to know more about you.  I hope you continue to post!   :bigsmile

Heather    

 :roflmao  Heater--I am trying again to reply to you.  I don't think I succeeded the first time.  I chose you pretty much at random to begin --  later I hope to contact as many Clay fans as I can.  Anyway, I am also from NC, Winston-Salem.  My brother owns a golf/tennis shop in Myrtle Beach (thought you'd be interested to know that since you work in golf.  I'm not a big golf fan, although I used to play when I was a teenager.  I don't like most sports, but I used to jog regularly--I still take brisk walks regularly.  I have a slightly bad back and jogging is not good for it.

Anyway, about Clay, I'm glad we share an appreciation for him and his music.  I hope I can meet him someday.  I know it's not likely, but not impossible, because I expect that he will perform in Winston-Salem from time to time.  One time Clay came into Borders here in Winston-Salem, where my husband works.  My husband wasn't there at the time.  (he's not really a fan)  Wish I had been there!

Take care.
Libbycp

 :thud--Heather, I just saw that you did get my first message.  You probably got my second message by now.  Sorry for the repetition.  I'm just figuring out how alll this works and I didn't understand why when I click on reply the message shows up beneath MY introduction statement instead of yours.  My husband says that apparently you can see the replies at your area even though I can't see them.  Anyway, have a good day.  It will be fun when we can all start listening to the new CD and picking our favorite songs. 
Libby

Hello!    :wave  I’m “MrsDM” ~ Donna ~ I live just outside of Chicago, IL ~ I’m married to my best friend, lovin’ life !!  No kids, by choice. Like soooo many Clay fans I have a cat ~ Libby ~ she’s about 20 y/o !!  She is more human than some people I know !!  :lol

The first time I heard Clay, I wasn’t looking at the TV screen; I heard this fantastic voice and by the time I looked up, I thought they must have moved on to the next contestant, ‘cause that voice did not come out of that kid !!!  I was hooked from that first AI2 appearance by his wonderful voice, but I grew to admire him as the man he is !!

I truly admire him for his integrity, his high ideals, his humanitarianism, his compassion,  his humility, his grace, his CuteSexySingerGuy self !!!  ~~ I luv that he is not ashamed to openly admit he loves his Mama, his family and his God !!  

The one and only celebrity I ever got “hooked” on before was John Denver, starting in 1972 (I was 5… yeah, 5… at the time – that would make me… umm… 39 y/o… yeah, that’s right…  (http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a120/MrsDM/Emoticons/whistlerAn.gif) )  -- Clay is the ONLY celeb to ever knock JD down to the #2 position in my book!

Do not kill the messenger, but I am one of the group of the Claynation that prefers to be known as a Clay-fan and not a Claymate… just my personal preference.  I have nothing against anyone who wants to be called a Claymate.  I just find Clay-fan to be inclusive of both genders and I know some male fans who really don’t like the term ClayDawgs, either.  Just using my voice, is all.

I mainly hang out at the OFC, but lurk-a-lot at other boards and occasionally post.  

A newly acquainted friend mentioned hanging out here at Claymaniacs, so I decided to stop by and check it out… Glad I did !!  From the short time I’ve spent here since yesterday, I am quite impressed !!!  I hope to be spending some time here with ya’all…  

I’ve babbled on long enuf, I reckin’… I wanta go a’lurkin’ this here site !

See ya on the boards…

~ d ~

Welcome Donna (MrsDM) I like your style!!!  you have a bubbly personality and your posts show it :bouncy :bouncy Welcome to Claymaniacs :wave
Enjoy the best Clay site on the web :wink
Sharon

Hi Donna!  :wave

Welcome and I love how you jump right in.  Look around, there's lots to read - and let me know if you have any questions or need any recommendations.

Nice to meet another Clay fan !!!
 

I'm really not "new" but have been away from the boards for at least a year.....with the new AI shows I've been on other boards but realize Clay is the BEST and am back!

MrsDM ~ :wave So nice to have you join us here!  I'm sure you will fit right in.  We don't bite (atleast most of us!)  :lol  Even though we already 'know' each other, I still wanted to OH-fficially welcome you!!  :smile

et61 ~ Welcome back to Clay world!  I'm glad you've realized that Clay is the BEST!  We happen to think so.  :giggle

Hey guys!!! I'm new, but I've always loved Clay, I just found out about this site like a week ago. Anyways, I'm Stephanie and I'm happy to be here with other Claymaniacs!!! I absolutely love his voice, it touches my heart, and every time I would see him on Idol I couldn't help but see just how sweet and adorable he was, and at the finale, how he was ROBBED. But anyways, I wanna marry Clay because not only does he have a beautiful voice and tremendous talent, but he's not afraid to say how he loves his mother, or that he's a Christian who loves God. :purpbana

Welcome clayzy4you!!  :wave

I hope you enjoy your time here with other Claymaniacs.  We all like his voice, too. :wink

Hi there everybody!!!

I'm new to this board but not new to being a Clay fan.  I absolutely love Clay and his new CD.  I can't wait to post with all of you here.

 :purpbana

Hello my name is Jenny and I have been a Clay fan since the beginning.. I just now got a comp. so don't think I am new at this.. cuz I ain't.. lol! Anyways, more about me. I am 19 years old.. from Urbandale, IA. I actually got to see Clay at the Iowa State Fair in 2004. I had 7th row seats.. it was like the best concert I had ever been to!   :bigsmile  He put on a great show!!!!

If any of you wanna chat my AIM is JoeDonsGurl1329 and my myspace is www.myspace.com/jennylovezstevelinder I love tallking to fellow claymates so fee free to message me! Thanks guys!

Welcome to Claymaniacs Jenny and Michelle!!  :wave :wave

I hope you have fun here and I can't wait to see more posts from both of you.

Enjoy!!  :purpbana :purpbana

Hi I'm Chris.

I live in Sweden (which explains the lack of colourfull expressions in my writings).  :lol
Recently i finished my armyservice (which is in Sweden a "must do" for almost every male) and for the first time i have bought my own apartment and i live there now with my girlfriend.

Apparently I'm not nearly as much an Aiken fan as you guys are, just realized that when i bought LTS and The Fans Who Made Him A Star. So until now i didn't get how hard you've worked to get him where he is right now, of course he did some of it himself but surely you've done more than some people would think possible.

I've often thought of how i first got to know of Clay, and i always come up with the same reason... I can't remember!! But somehow I did and now I'm stuck with this obsession. I keep downloading "Clack" and keep getting amazed by his talent. And that's the way its been for the last 3 years i think.

One of the sad things about living here in Sweden is that a large deal of the Swedish people has the worst taste of music (by my opinion of course), here it's all about rap and hiphop and sometimes it's even worse. But the worst thing here is that Sweden doesn't know about clay, I've tried to convince many of my friends that they should give him a chance, and some of them have listend but most of them refused. I guess if clays year in AI would have been broadcasted here in Sweden too, I'm sure they would have been as taken by him as all of you have  :smile

Funny how this sounds almost like religious propaganda, then of course it's not.

//Chris

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/CAP121/Emoticons/Welcome/welcome.gif) Chris!  Nice to 'meet' you and have you here with us.  I hope that Clay will become more known internationally.  I do hope that AI2 will be repeated at some point overseas or one of his future albums will be promoted more abroad.  Does your girlfriend like Clay as much as you?

Glad you can join us and let us know if you have any questions.  :wave
Clandy

Hej Chris! :smile

It's nice to meet you.  Here's something interesting - we have a  MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/claymaniacsnews) site, and a group called "Room for Two" became our friend there. Adam Anders is a songwriter/producer born in Stockholm, and he produced two songs on Clay's album.

Clay also recorded "Lonely No More" and "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" in Sweden.

But you may already know this.... :smile

You are correct - some fans are very, very supportive and others are just casual fans. But we all love that voice!

Welcome!

Hey again, well to answer the questions: My girlfriend likes Clay alot but not as much I do. I guess it's because I nagged her almost to death about him  :lol

And actually I didn't now that clay had recorded stuff here in Sweden, how cruel of him not to call me personally and tell me  :lol :lol

See ya!

Hello, I am nancy or nan_c77.   :smile This is my first time in the forum.
I think this website is great for Clay Aiken's fans to get to know each other.
I have been a BIG fan of Clay ever since I heard his voice in the AI3 audition.  :purpbana
He has such great voice!! I have been to almost all of his concerts this past 3 years. I can't wait to go see Clay again on December 2, 2006 at Merrilliville, IN.  :bouncy
Hope to make new friends with you guys. :hugg

HELLO NAN_C77,
WELCOME TO THIS SITE!!! YOU PICKED A GREAT PLACE--WE ARE ALL A FUN LOVING BUNCH.  PLEASE DO NOT BE SHY
ENJOY THE CONCERT--I WILL BE HEADING TO CT TO SEE CLAY.
HOPE TO SEE YOU AROUND.

TAKE CARE,
ANGELA

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Nancy! There are a bunch of us going to Merrillville. We'd love to meet you!

Welcome Nancy!  Good to meet you.  I've seen your 'shouts' and its good to see you made it to our forum also!  As Meesa said there is a group of us going to Merrillville so maybe you will be able to meet up with us.  You can check out our plans in our MERRILLVILLE THREAD (http://www.claymaniacs.com/forums/index.php/topic,13384.0.html) in 'On the Road with Clay.'

Hi I'm Susan (redhot) and I've been a Clay fan since day one.  I just discovered this site and I LOVE it!!  (but not as much as I love Clay).  Thanks to all the powers that be (I don't know you all) who run the site. 

Clay is amazing in everyway - heart, voice, spirit, and omg is he HOT!

P.S.  I'm 33, a teacher, married, two boys and live in so cal.  None of my family or friends are Clay fans so this is my new fanfamily!  :ghug

Welcome again, Susan!!

I am thrilled that you found our site.  I know you will have fun here.

It is always nice to welcome a new member to our family.

:hugs
Deanna

 :smileThank you for the warm welcome Deanna (is it pronounced deena or de-anna? - even though it's just in print I want to say your name the write way) and Angela.  I'm a total newbie to all this, but I hope to be an clexpert (clay+expert) soon!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/CAP121/Emoticons/Welcome/welcome.gif) RedHotSusan!  Nice to have you join us and looking forward to getting to know you better.

If you have any questions, just let us know.

^{PS.  Always good to have more 30-somethings here too!  :giggle}

Hi Clandy!   :wave  All Clay fans are awesome... but I was beginning to wonder if I was one of the youngest! I'm glad to know that there are more like me!  I see your name everywhere, so you must be a good person to ask.  It seems that I can only post on some boards.  For instance, I've had total vicarious pleasure reading BLPT, but I guess that's for members only?? :bduh

Yes I seem to be a post-ho....must work on that!  :lol  Our board recently had some trouble with some new members (trolls) so we had to re-vamp our new member settings.  We still have a little tweeking to do so please bare with us.  You (and all members) should be able to post in all the community threads (including the BLP).  I'm off to bed now but myself or one of the other admins will work on getting that changed soon for ya!  Sorry!  Thanks for bringing that to our attention.  :hugg


ETA:  I think I got this fixed.  Let me know if you have any other problems, ok?

HEY REDHOTCLAY...

AS LONG AS YOU ARE OF 18 YEARS OF AGE, YOU MAY POST AT THE BLPT , SINCE IT'S AN ADULT THREAD... LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF, I'M PHILLYLUVSCLAY, PHILLY FOR SHORT, I HELP THE THREAD ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS THAT PASS THROUGH...PLEASE HAVE FUN AND POST... :bigsmile

 :bouncy  Hi Philly!  I've spent the last week reading BLPT and I can't wait to post there.  So far it hasn't "let me".  So let's hope I can join the clayparty soon!  (and yes, I'm way past 18 - in chronological years, but perhaps not otherwise).

Susan ~ it should be working now.  Have you tried recently?  If it is still not working, let me know, ok?

Hi I'm  :clayfan carly,
I was never interested in ai so I never got to see Clay performing!  I just recently saw him in the Extra interview and then Diane and I was hooked.  He has such a fun sweet personality.  Then I bought his cds, and fell in love with his voice and am now I'm collecting a lot more.   I live up north and I have two cats I rescued.  I'm not married.  I work a lot and I just love this site.  It has so many nice people it seems,  and plenty of candy! :wink

Hi Carly! Welcome to Claymaniacs. I'm Meesa. It's so great to see you here. I have a few DVDs of his earlier stuff up until now (quit laughing, Pamela and Clandy) so I can help you with getting to see some of Clay's earlier tours, performances, etc.  

Hi Meesa  :wave
you have dvd's of clay????????   :thud
where/how can I get these?  :please

I'll pm you, redhotSusan!  :wink

:rofl  A FEW????  Yeah, right.  :rofl



(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/CAP121/Emoticons/Welcome/welcome8.gif)
Welcome Carly!  Nice to have you here and even better to see you are a new  :clayfan  How exciting!  Jump on in and please let us know if you have any questions.  We are pretty educated in all things Clay!  :bigsmile

Hi  Carly  :wave

I'm new here to and I love it!  Have fun. 
I stay in the BLP mansion a lot.  So if you every stop by there, say hi.  :hugg

Hello Claymaniacs--I've been lurking here lately and learning the site, made a few posts lately, so I thought I should introduce myself so you won't all be afraid of me.

I've loved Clay from day 1 and have privately enjoyed his music for over 3 years now--you see I have 2 teenaged sons and a husband, and they just can't understand.  None of my female friends have seen the light yet either, so I have felt quite alone in my Clay-love for some time.

Last spring, after watching Kelly mangle Unchained Melody on AI5 I decided I wanted to hear Clay's version again so I went on the internet and stumbled upon the All Things Clay site.  You can imagine my excitement at learning about the existence of clack, but to my dismay the site was closing soon, so I ravenously downloaded as much as I could, and my enthusiasm was resurrected as I--for the first time--witnessed CLAY IN CONCERT!

Since then I have read alot of boards but this is the only one that I would post in.  I need to share the love, but I live in the land of the unenlightened, so anyone in the Chicago area who wants to contact me I'd love to hear from you.  I am frequently on-line at very wierd hours (like now) because my 15 year old son and I compete for computer time.

I have convinced my husband to attend the Merrillville concert with me this Sat.  I hope Clay is in good voice and blows the roof off of the place so my hubby can appreciate his talent, and if Clay is witty and full of personality that's a bonus.

I do have one question--If I joined the fan club today, do you think I can get in on the "surprise"?

Love you guys, you are hysterically funny.  TTYL, Fran

Welcome Frannie!  Nice to have you here with us.  I've seen you in the shoutbox!  I will also be in Merrillville...can't wait!  We are having a small Claymaniac post-concert party if you would like to join us.  CLICK HERE (http://www.claymaniacs.com/forums/index.php/topic,13384.0.html) for more info and let us know.   Some special 'treats' are being made and we will need to get a final# to the resturant.

If you joined the OFC today, I'm sure you will get in on the birthday 'surprise'.  I'm not sure if it will only be for members only or for everyone.  I love surprises...especially from Clay!  :luv

If you have any questions, please feel free to pm myself or any of our moderators.  :wave

Hi Frannie   :wave
I'm new here too!  And I love this site  (  :notworthy  to Clandy, Kris, Pam, and all others!)

I have to enjoy Clay in private too - family and friends are just clueless!
But I made my first clayvert yesterday!!!!!    :clayfan

I'm so happy (and jealous!) that you and the others are seeing clay for christmas.
I've never seen him in concert or in person.  :cry
Hopefully soon!

And join the OFC  ~  I'm sure the surprise will be worth it!!! 

So OK redhot, I joined the OFC on your advice.

I have to tell you that you are the member I identify with most right now because while you were being educated on the BLPT, I was looking over your shoulder and taking it all in

...and you always say what I am thinking (only I might be a little more reserved, but it's funny when you say it)

...and we both have 2 sons

...and I still think I am 33, even tho I'm not.

I noticed that you average 25 posts a day!  You have my respect.

I guess Clay's present is for everyone to enjoy, no membership required - sorry!  But I still enjoy
it because you get to read Clay's blog and some members have won meet and greets with Clay!   :thud

So you've been lurking over my shoulder?!   :para   :blush 
I am very reserved, just not when it comes to Clay!   :slick
2 boys!   So we both need a lot of this!  :pray
25 posts a day - me?   :clayfan

So don't be a stranger!   :hugg  Come to the mansion and party with us! 
Just ask the "prez" first. 

and by the way, I still think I'm 26   :roflmao

Good morning,
I'm new here.  I've been lurking for about a week.  Nice to meet you all.

Corenes

Hi corenes  :wave
You'll love it here!

Hello corenes!  Welcome!

If you have any questions about anything at all, just ask.  There's lots of info in the forum guidelines section that might help you too.

The people here are fantastic, so I hope you have fun!

Hey I haven't gotten back here for a while but thanks for the welcome guys and hello corenes.  I would like to see some of clays younger days Meesa if you come back this way. :bouncy

Hi, My name is JoAnn and I live in Jonesville, North Carolina. I'm about 3 1/2 hours from Clay in Raliegh so here's hoping that someday I'll run into him!  I'm a professional and I have a husband of 36 years and one son and one granddaugther.  I didn't watch AI season  and I just happen to be watching when Clay walked out on the stage in season 2. It hit me first that he was from NC then I heard him sing and I was lost.  Now my husband would say I sleep, eat and think Clay  all the time and he's about right. Yeah, I'm obsessed and loving it.   :bigsmile

WELCOME, JOANN.  :wave :wave :wave 

WE ARE ALL OBSESSED WITH HIM.  IT IS A LOT OF FUN.

JUMP RIGHT IN AND POST.  ALL NEW MEMBERS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.

GWENN

Hi JoAnn!

I live in Clayton.  Ironic, eh?

:lol

Welcome to the forum - let me know if you have any questions OK?

Have fun!

Hi JoAnn

I also live in North Carolina, about an hour east of Raleigh.    I am sure you will enjoy yourself here--I know I do.  There are a great bunch of people here and the one thing we have in common is that we all love Clay.

Just jump in anywhere and have a great time.

Barbara/NC

Hi Everyone!!

My name is May and I live in San Jose, CA. I became Clay Aiken's fan while watching American Idol. I was so mad when
he didn't win the contest, but am happy now that he became successful. I have pretty much all of his CDS. I also have a
poster of him in a frame in the living room at my sister's house who I am living with. Clay was my favorite Idol contestant
because he has a beautiful voice, is good looking and does alot for Children in America which is what you would call
a real American Idol!!!!!!!!!!!! :clayfan :smile :smile  Love you Clay.. Keep up the good work.

Hello May from San Jose!

:wave

Welcome to Claymaniacs!

 :wave  Don't think I've ever introduced myself here!  I'm Leslie from (near) Charlotte, NC.  I see there are a few North Carolina folk here, huh?  That's awesome!

Joined the cellcert tonite and had a GREAT time!  Thanks for those who took the time to do this!  I'll be sure to take a look around here and will try to post often.

Clay rocks the Carolinas!!

Hello Leslie from near Charlotte! Welcome! Glad you joined us for the cellcert this evening.  Yes, there are quite a few of us from NC here at Claymaniacs. Be sure to check out all the other threads and the ANN - Aiken News Network in Clay Daily for daily news about Clay.

Why thank you!  I'll be sure to do that.   :clayfan

Hey Leslie from Charlotte, this is Pamela from Clayton.  :bigsmile

Have we met?  If not, maybe we will soon!  Nice to see you here!  We've been here since June 2003 - check out the welcome forum for more info.

Let me know if you have any questions...  :wave

Hi there Pamela.  Not sure if our paths have crossed.  I hope we can remedy that soon tho!   :purpbana  Any pre or post parties planned for Cary?

Hello, My name is Amy. I live in Louisiana. Over the years, I have been Clayverted to Clayism by my mom Frankie.  (fhmmany2)  I am a fan, but I am not sure I will ever achieve as much fandom as Mom.   :bigsmile The Claylife is something that has become special to me because Mom and I can go to concerts and events together.  I started out just being her "driver and tour guide".  I have had an awesome time going to different cities with her and meeting all of the wonderful "Clay" people.  There is a great sense of friends and family among the groups of people we have met.  It is great! 
I tutor second graders at an Elementary School.  I am married and have two children ages 11 and 8.  Thanks for all the great info on Clay !!!  Amy

 :purpbana

Hello New Member Amy - I went around with a smile on my face all day yesterday. I never thought that I wouold have a child that would join a Clay site (if you remember back - you all thought Mom had gone off the deep end 4 years ago!  :lmao ) But that is the power of Clay - nobody can help but love him, if they are around him!  :clap Knowing you, you already know how to get around the site better than I do after almost 4 years, but look around - lots of great information and people here (I have visited a lot of Clay sites, and I think you have chosen the best one!) - Have Fun!

 Welcome to Claymaniacs everyone...i've been a member here since March 21, 2004...and it's the best Clay site :yes

I'm a little left of center...off-my rocker...twisted a little in my creativity...but it's all for laughs or shock, whichever reaction comes first. :bigsmile :bigsmile

AMY - WELCOME TO CLAYMANIACS.  I AM THE SHY ONE THAT YOUR MOM TALKED TO ON YOUR WAY TO SEE CLAY LAST FRIDAY.  GLAD YOU JOINED.  IT IS ALL THAT IT IS CRACKED UP TO BE. :lol :lol :lol  IF YOU ARE ANYTHING LIKE YOUR MOM, WE WILL LOVE YOU AND IF YOU ARE NOT WE WILL LOVE YOU ANYWAY. :lol :lol :lol

HUGS
RAINEY AKA LORRAINE

AMY. :wave
I am happy hubby (Dick ) and I am married to Spikee (Peggy ).
We Live in michigan but have traveled to North Carolina where we met your parents. :clap
Your Dad and I were the only guys at the social. :para
This past november we stopped in Many for two days and had a super vist with Frankie and Lewis. :yahoo
Welcome to our happy family and I hope we can meet you in person one of these days. :hugg

Welcome, Amy!

It was fun getting to see you with your mom at the Houston concert.  I'm the reason you were on the 28th floor of the Hyatt!  Have you forgiven me yet??  Actually, I started getting stressed about being that high, too! :lol

I hope to see you at other concerts!

Hugs,
Prissy

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Amy!!

If you have any questions about the site, please feel free to PM.

We are a big happy family here (and in more ways than one now :wink)

 :wave  Hello everyone, I guess its time I introduced myself as well. I've been posting here for about 3 months and really its such a huge beautiful web-site, I've spent most of my time reading threads and learning how to maneuver my way around here. I love all of your sense of humours and feelings of closeness and I've spent many hours just enjoying reading all about Clay.
My name is Bev and I'm from Ontario Canada. I'm 65 years old and I'm living on my own in a seniors apartment. I've had 5 children and I now have 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. (I'm not lyin', I was married at 15..lol).
I kind of have my own story about how Clay helped me bridge the generation gap. Circumstances were such at one time I was living with one of my daughters in a lovely room of my own in her basement. My daughter has two girls and I hadn't seen very much of them over the years so in some ways it was a bit awkward. I hadn't watched much of American Idol the first year but decided to turn it on one night just after season 2 started. My 12 year old grand-daughter came down to say hi and she sat down with me for a few minutes to watch it with me. That was the first night that I saw Clay. We both stopped talking and just watched in awe. Much to my surprise she said 'Oh Gramma I like that guys singing and he's cute too, I love his hair'!! Well after that first night we formed what I like to call a 'Clay-bond', she faithfully came down every Tuesday and Wednesday night to watch Clay with me and we oohed and awed together, and shared our disappointment when he came 2nd.
Since I've only been online for a little over a year I hadn't seen a lot of Clay on television. Imagine my delight when I found Claymaniacs. You've all been very friendly and nice and all the moderators deserve a real pat on the back for how wonderfully they run this board.
Thanks guys,
Bev

Hi Bev,  What a great story!  Great to hear that Clay could bring you and your grandaughter closer together!
Thanks to everyone for their warm welcome!  Hubby,  I am sure that my Dad was really glad to have another hubby to hang out with during Claytime!  Maybe you two will get a chance to do it again.  It would be great to meet you.  Prissy, No worries about being up so high  :bigsmile  I am expanding my horizons! Maybe next time it will be the 38th floor.  (The things that are done in the name of Clay).  Thanks also to Tammy, lorraine, and claymaineiac for the GREAT welcome.  I really appreciate it!  Amy

(http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/17.gif)

Leslie ~ nice to meet you and have you here.  Hope you can meet up with our group in Cary!  Are you going to Asheville too?

Bev ~ I've enjoyed reading your posts already and how you have jumped on in!  What a great story about 'finding Clay'.  Is your granddaughter still a fan?

Amy ~ so glad to see you join us!!  I've known your mom since she first joined and was able to finally meet her and your dad at the social in Charlotte 3 years ago.  Looking forward to getting to know you too!

Thankyou for the welcome guys.
 ILClaymate, unfortunately my granddaughter just turned 16 and she thinks she's too cool to listen to a singer like Clay...lol  Sometimes I think puberty brings a lack of taste for the finer things in life, like Clay.   :lol
Bev

 :wave Leslie, Bev, and Amy!!!
Glad you all found us!!!  YES, we are a caring group of people who LOVE Clay!!!   :bouncy
It's nice to see you all posting.  WELCOME!!!

Bev - I've seen you posting in the late night/early morning when I can't sleep.  Maybe you are like me!!!  :wink

Amy - I'm good friends with your mom and dad.  You are a lucky girl to have such great parents.  :wink

I hope you will ALL enjoy being here at Claymaniacs, and we are here to help you in any way that we can!!!
Woodstock :bouncy

Hi Woodstock, yes I'm an insomniac of the worst kind, I rarely get moe than 3 hours sleep a night. That makes me even more thankful for Claymaniacs. I usually sleep between 4am-7-8am.  :lol

OK, then I will look for you here when I can't sleep, too.   :highfive
Woodstock :bouncy

MY NAME IS ALYSE A AND I LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA AND I GO TO APEX HIGH WHERE I'M GOING TO BE A SENIOR

ALYSE A

^{*edited to take out private/unverified information - c}

Hi Amy!!  Wlecome!

I have known your mother, Frankie, for almost four years I think.  We are the old timers that started her; always young at heart though!

We have heard so much about you and your family.  It feels like we have always know you.

Your mom is such a giving lady; she never fails to send my mom a card for every holiday and sometimes just to say she is thinking of her.  I think it is so beautiful when people can give of themselves and have never even met the person receiving the cards. 

I have a daughter, Amy, too.   She will be expecting her first child the end of Dec. or beginning of January.  I cannot wait!
She likes Clay's singing and I have given her CD's; some day maybe she will get to a concert with me.   Of course, her time will not be her own too much next year.  She will be going back to work. 

Frankie is thrilled and so are all of us to think another member has joined us and her mom is already a huge part of the Claymaniacs.

Enjoy, Amy.  Have fun with us.   We do have heartaches, but we also have a lot of love and laughs.

By the way, Tammy is not an innocent from CT; nope, not Lorraine either.  I'm the innocent one!  I know, I get together with then a few times a year.   :lol

By the way, we met mom in RI  few years ago.  I so hope we get to meet you both next time.

Linda from CT

Hey Linda!  Thank you so much for the welcome!  Everyone on this site has been so nice and friendly.  It is great that there are so many awesome, caring people here.   Mom has spoken of all of you and has made such great friends here.  I am sure that I will have a great time getting to know all of you!  I have spoken with many already.  It is wonderful that your daughter is having her first baby!!  It is going to be lots of fun!!  It seems like yesterday that mine were babies.  They are 11 and 8!!! :bouncy  Good luck with the baby!I hope to meet you soon. 
There has definetly been some speculation as to who is and who is not innocent among some of you!  It is hilarious to see all of you pointing fingers at one another. :bigsmile  Clay is great and has brought alot of wonderful people together.  Thanks again for the awesome welcome.  Can't wait to get to know all of you better!  Amy

p.s.  Have you notcied "Cowboy Clay"  with me in my little pic?  I won him at the Pre-party in Houston.  I told Mom that it kinda looks like we (Cowboy Clay and myself) came to the pre-party together!   :lol
(Cowboy Clay went to live with Mom fhmmany2 after the show in Houston)   :wink

:wave Amy.
Welcome to Claymaniacs!  I know you will enjoy each and every member here.  They are so special.  I have been here over 3 yrs now and they have become a second family.  They're supportive and fun!

Glad you joined.  I have a daughter whose name also is Amy.  That's a really cute picture of you holding Clay. Have fun here and see you soon on one of the threads.
P.S. You have a very wonderful mom.
:hugg To you and :bigsmile

HEY MY NAME IS ALYSE, I LIVE IN APEX NORTH CAROLINA AND I'M BOUT TO BE A SENIOR AT APEX HIGH SCHOOL WHICH IS HOME OF THE COUGARS. I'VE BEEN A CLAY AIKEN FAN SINCE HE APPEARED ON THE 2 SEASON OF AMERICAN IDOL IN 2003 AND HAVE BEEN A DEVOTE FAN EVER SINCE. THE REASON WHY CLAY IS MY AMERICAN IDOL IS HE'S ABILIBITY TO HELP KIDS WITH DISABLITIES AND WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO DO EXACTLY WHAT HE DOES.

CLAY IS THE TRUE AMERICAN IDOL..

CLAYMANIACS RULE

ALYSE

 :wave Alyse - I have noticed you posting on the Magazine Thread. You have joined a great Clay site - I hope you enjoy supporting Clay here.

Clanderson/Bev - I didn't realize that you were so new to the Site! I have enjoyed reading your posts - I guess I should start looking at everyone's post counts!  :lol Welcome to you, too. I have enjoyed sharing Clay with my daughter (who is finally Clayverted!  :clap ) We have tried to get her 8 year old daughter to Clay Trek with us, but no luck so far - we'll keep trying!

My name is Carol. I live in North Mankato Minnesota.  I am "Retired" and loving it. The best
part is sleeping in and doing all the fun things that I didn't have time for. I especially have
wanted to go to a Clay concert. I am hoping to go to His Christmas concert in Minneapolis,MN.
in Dec. What a Christmas present that would be! I have loved Him from the very 1st time I
saw Him on American Idol. I just knew He was "Special". So warm,funny ,sings like an Angel
and does so much good for special needs children of the world. No one can entertain like He
does. He really is the "Best-of-the- Best". I am awfully glad God brought Him into this World.
And happy to be a Claymate !!! I chose Anniebell because my very best friend lovingly calls
me that.

Hello, Carol!  Welcome to Claymaniacs!
 :confetti2  Congratulations on your recent retirement!  :confetti2 

We're so happy you've found your way to our family.

I feel the very same way about Clay as you do, and have been lucky enough to see him in concert 3 times.  If you have any questions or need help finding your way around this crazy place, please feel free to send me a Private Message, or ask here.

Jump right in!  The water's warm.

LadyC  :clayfan

Hi Kat,
Thanks for returning a message!   I would really like to keep in touch with you too, and
become friends. I have only had a computer for a couple of months,so I don't know what
I am doing. Thats a under statement heehee! This is my 1st post and it took me about
2 hours to get it right. My age might have something to do with it, a lot of (Something).
How about emailing each other? 
                                                   Thanks again!
                                                    Love Carol

 :wave
        Hi Carol, welcome. I too am retired and so glad I found ClayManiacs.
Everybody is warm and funny and I'll tell you one thing, you'll never be bored in your spare time. :shappy

 :lmao  Ain't it the truth!

:wave Hey Carol!  Glad to see you made it!  Look at you, posting and everything!  :clap

W~E~L~C~O~M~E~!

WELCOME CAROL :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy :bouncy

SIT BACK, RELAX AND ENJOY.  THE FUN IS JUST BEGINNING.

HUGS
RAINEY

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Carol! :wave

I hope you enjoy yourself here. :hugs

To ClayMaine-ica,Angela, Rainy, Pamela,Clanderson and Lady C,
 Thank's sooo much for the warm welcome to Claymaniacs !!! I am really new at this. I've only
had my computer for about 2 months and definetly haven't figured everything out yet. For
some reason I can't find the reply button to get back to you.  It's gotta be my age. I blame everything on to that heehee.
 I am so happy to be a "Claymate" and want so much to join in your family of friends. To be
able to meet some of you at a Clay concert would be awesome.
                                                                                                      Thank's Again !!
                                                                                                            Carol
                                                                                                          (Anniebell)

Hi Carol!  (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q103/franniek54/emoties/thwelcomesmiley.gif)

Don't forget to check out the gallery!   :wiggle 

Hi Kat
 Thanks for the picture.  Cute!  You look just like your Mom!  11:30 pm, just got home.
Talk to you in the morning. 
                                           Hugs
                                          Carol

hey carol :wave
Thanks! :hugg alright i talk to you in the morning! :kiss

love ya

Hi Frannie, :wave 
 Thanks for the welcome!  Finanly I think I'm catching on a little bit.  Thanks to Pamela.
 It's nice to meet you! :shappy  I checked out the Gallery. Clay is so cute. I've been there
every day since you told me about it. Thanks!!!
                                                                             Carol

Hi CLayMaine-iac :flower
  Thank you for the welcome ! Its nice to meet you!!! :wave I am so happy to be part of
the Claymate Family  :thumb
                                           Carol
       

Hi Angela, :wave
 Thanks to Pamela I have learned how to post and reply.  It's nice to meet you ! Thanks for the welcome ! Clay is Awesome! I have been reading the Boardcerts and watching Clack.
He is so funny. And just think because of Him the Claymates came about, a family of friends :bouncy Thats so Cool. Have a nice day !!! :hugs
                                                                              Carol

Hi Lady C :wave
 Finally I  learned how to post and reply. Thank You for the Welcome to the Claymate family,and
it is so nice to meet you !  Clay is so funny and so talented. No wonder we all love Him. :tour
  I certainly can use all the helpI can get trying to find my way around. I am so new at this.
Thanks for your offer !! :flower
                                                   Carol

Hi to:

Evelyn ( cl4clay ) aka., cookie lady
Mary    (Pauluka 96)
Chrisie ( chrisieD)
Ann      ( Ann)
Barbara (Wisconsinmaniac)
Brezina sorry I didn't get your screen name and don't even know if I spelled your name correctly.

This is Janice we met in Sterling Heights. Evelyn and I struck up a conversation down in the lobby one morning and the rest is history.

I hope I have all this information right as I had about 15 different scraps of paper with peoples names and boards I had to sort out. If I missed anyone it's because I lost the scrap of paper probably had gum stuck to it ( found a few of those) so please let me know if I did. I don't want to misplace any of you wonderful new friends from Sterling Heights.I'm so surprised I thought I would have to re-register. I used this screen name back in 2004 now I'll have to remember it ...yikes.  Why on earth did I not return to this board? Certainly my loss.  I feel like I'm home. :hugg
Now all I have to do is figure out how to use this awesome looking board. Someone's very talented!

Hi Rainey, :wave
I've had my computer for 2 months now and  it is my best investment ever. It led me to
The Claymates ! And to Clay :clap It's so nice to meet you and thanks for the Welcome !
I go to the Gallery every day and read  all the boardcerts. Clays amazing and so funny.
  This is alot of fun!! :yay
                                          Carol

Hi Clanderson ( Clandy) :wave
Great to meet you!! I love being retired. :clap Get up when I want to, go out for breakfast, leave cleaning my apartment til the next day and all kinds of fun stuff. But you know, I seem
to be busier now than when I was working. Hope you are enjoying your retirement!! And
your right I am not board. Thanks for the Welcome Clandy!! :hugs
                                                                                                Carol

Welcome Anniebell you couldn't have picked a better Clay Family.  There are lots of smart people here that can answer any Computer questions too. 

You have found yourself with alot of loving and caring folks.   Hope you have as much fun as the rest of us. 

Terry

 :bday1


              Wishing you a very special Birthday Bev ! Enjoy !! :cake

                                                                                                :hugs  Carol
                                                                                                   
                                                                                         
                                                                                                   

 Hi Leveland, :wave
  Happy you got in touch.  Thank's for the Welcome! :thumb  With everyone's help  hopefully
I will get a little better every day.  Being a "Claymate" is so much fun, I am really happy to
be one. It's amazing how so many people can become one big family! :wheee Meeting you
is one more very nice thing that has happened to me Terry!   :hugs
                                                                                                 Carol

 Hi Lady C,
 Thank's again for your offer to help me !
 I can't find how you send a private message or a pm.  :scratch
 I would think at my age I would get a little smarter every day. Wrong !  My Mom did !!
  I miss her and all her good advice.   :hugs
                                                           Carol                                                           

Anniebell, forgive my bad manners.  I late in welcoming you aboard.  It's a great bunch here, and I know you'll love being a part of Claymaniacs.  Have fun!

Hi LadyC, :wave
 I sent you a note yesterday, but not sure I did it right, so here I am again.  I can't find how
to send a private message or pm . :scratch I did find the pm once and I can't get it back.
 Help Please!   
                                                                                                     Thank's So Much !!
                                                                                                           :hugs
                                                                                                            Carol (Anniebell)

Carol, welcome to Claymaniacs…we are good people here and the site is wonderful.  :yes I am glad you found us. Enjoy the ride.

Hugs,

Lolita

     Anniebelle, Welcome to the best bunch of people I know. My name is Betty , known as Corbet. I"m fairly new also so you will see me asking for help. Happy Clay Days.   Corbet

Hi LovinClay :wave
 It is so fun to be a Claymate! Everyone is so friendly and nice.  And Love Clay,he is awesome!
I read all the boardcerts and go to the Gallery, all those pictures Whoo!  :shappy
                                                                                  Thanks for the "Wellcome"   :hugs
                                                                                                                                Carol

 Hi Corbett :wave
  It's really nice to hear from you !  Being new, there is alot to learn.  :scratch But everyday
we will get a little better hope, hope !!  :smile  I am happy to be a Claymate and Love Clay!
Being part of a family. What could be better than that !!! It's nice to meet you Betty !
                                                                                                                     :hugs
                                                                                                                     Carol

 Hi Lolita, :wave
  I am happy to be a part of the Claymaniac's. Everyone seems so nice. :smile  I have a friend
from Florida who joined 4 years ago and she said to me, this is the happiest 4 years of her
life.  And she has 8 kids who are happy she joined.  :shappy  Thank's  for the Welcome Lolita!
                                                                                                                  :hugs
                                                                                                                   Carol         

 Good Morning Claymaniacs,

 My name is Barb. I have a wonderful husband named John and we live in Clinton Twsp.
 Michigan. I am 61 years old, the mother of 3 grown boys, and I have 6 grandchildren.
 Five grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Finally got that girl. L.O.L.

 I have been a Claymaniac since 2006 but due to working, family, and other commitments
 I never really had the time. I probably only posted twice.
 Now I am back!! I have a new username, and a desire to be closer to our Clay.
 I found that being a Claymaniac will fill that desire.

 Why after all this time?

 Well, my wonderful husband took me to the Clay Xmas concert in Detroit this past year
 along with my mother who is 85, but in the best of health and mind.
 Her birthday is Xmas Eve. She lived with us for awhile due to a fall. She couldn't fend for 
 herself. That was the year Clay was on American Idol, and we all fell in love with
 him instantly.

 Needless to say we left the concert with open mouths and in awe!!

  Days later she called me and asked if John could burn my Clay albums for her.
 No Way!! I wanted Clay to get credit for his wonderful singing. So off to Best Buy
 I went and  bought her both albums. She is now a clayvert!!

  Two weeks ago John, I , and 1 of my girlfriend's went to Freedom Hill to see Clay.
 What a enchanted evening! He made me smile and cry. I was one who stood in line
 and touched his hand, and he touched my heart. My girlfriend kept saying that Clay
 was blessed and I agree.

  Guess what! Two days later she called me and asked if John could burn my Clay albums.
 No way!! Off to Best Buy I went again. As luck would have it Best Buy had 2 Moans,
 now they have 1.  They had 4 ATDW, now they have 3. They had 6 fan pacs,
 now they have 5.
 Yep I am now a member of  the OFC
 My girlfriend is a Clayvert!!

 Two concert's of Clay's in 1 year. What more can I ask for?  Maybe 10. L.O.L.

 It was wonderful seeing all the Claymaniacs together at both concerts and sharing Clay. I just
 knew this was the place to get closer to Clay.

  Well I think you know a little about me,  so I guess I will say good bye for now.

                                                                            I am really glad to be here,
                                                                                       Barb                                   
                                                                           

WELL BARB.  I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH BUT I THINK THIS IS THE BEST BOARD AROUND.  EVERYONE IS SO VERY FRIENDLY AND SUPPORTIVE AND HOPE YOU FIND IT AS WELL.

HUGS
RAINEY :bighug

 :wave Hi Barb,
I loved your story, you're so lucky to have your Mom being a fan of Clay's as well. Welcome, I'm fairly new and already I don't know what I'd do without ClayManiacs. Great people!

Bev

  Hi Rainey and Bev,

 Thank you for the welcome! I know I will enjoy being part of all of this.
 The pictures, the people, the excitement, and the love just starts my day
 in a wonderful way.
 
 This is how I start each morning. Getting out of bed, drinking my coffee,
 and sitting at the puter with Clay. It wakes me up and gets me going with
 a smile on my face.

 It's good hearing from you and I hope we talk again.

 Can you give me some advice as to where to go to find out how to put
 the icons on messages.  When posting my first time I tried putting the icons
 on by hitting the icon I wanted. But all that showed up was the word(the name
 of the icon) not the icon itself. Any help will be appreciated.

 Thank you again,
   barb
 

Welcome Barb!  Good to see you made it here!!  I can help you with your icon (aka avatar).   I'll send you a pm.  You can check your pm's (private messages) at the very top of your screen.

If you have any other questions, please let me or one of the staff know and we will try to help you out.  :hugg

Carol, it is my understanding that when you have less than 50 posts you cannot PM.  But for future reference when you scroll to the top of the page there is a blurb that says "Hey Anniebell, you have _ messages,  _ are new".  If you click on the word "messages" it will take you to the PMs.  Also there are answers to your technical questions if you go to Forum->Welcome Center->Forum Information.  You'll catch on.  If I can do it, you can too.

 :hugg  Fran

:wave Thanks Fran!

Carol ~ Fran's explaination about pm's is right on.  :thumb  You are able to use the PM function however with less than 50 posts, but you will need to type in a special code in order to send a pm (kinda like ticketmaster).

Hope that helps!

Ikzg, :wave
 I was having the same trouble as you and I was frustrated to.  Pamela helped me get a new password.  If you are still having trouble contact her at ( pamela@claymaniacs.com). She is so nice and  so much help.                                                             " Good Luck" !!! :hugs
                                                                                                           Carol

Welcome Barb!  Your story is great!  I am new here also.  My Mom has been a member here for years and we also share "the love of Clay".  We have been to several shows together.  There are great people here!  Enjoy the board!  Amy   :purpbana

Hi Amy!  Welcome to Claymaniacs (finally.... :wink ) I'm so glad you are here!

Hello Barb!  Glad you found us!  Be sure and check out the forum information (http://www.claymaniacs.com/forums/index.php?board=21.0) section for more info than you ever wanted to know about Claymaniacs.... :lol

Just ask if you have any questions at all, and most of all - enjoy!!

 :wave

I am new  My name is Kristin and I am 27 years old from Southern California.
 My myspace is www.myspace.com/ballet007  
I would love to meet any Clay fans out there.
Love
Kristin :)
 :pig

Hey Kristen  :wave  Nice to meet ya!          (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q103/franniek54/emoties/Welcome/thsigns-welcome2.gif)

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Kristen.

I hope you have fun here!!

 :wave Kristen, welcome to ClayManiacs.

Looking forward to seeing you post. We're a real friendly bunch...lol

Bev

Welcome to Claymaniacs, Kristin.  My daughter's name is Kristen (spelled with an "e").  I know you will enjoy it here.  It is a wonderful site and simply the "best".    - Kathy

Welcome Kristin,

You will really enjoy the wonderful group of people here.  I don't post as much as I would like to, but it's like being part of an "extended" family.  Have you ever been to one of Clay's concerts?  Well, I have to get back to my work here.  Pesky job  :bigsmile.  Have a wonderful day.

Debbie

 Thank you for all the ladies that replied too me.   I just went to a Clay concert about two weeks ago in Indio California.
It was the best time of my life.  I was about 8 rows back so I had good seats ha ha.  When he comes back next time I am planning on a Meet and Greet !
Love
Kristin  :bigsmile

Hi Everyone *WAVE*

My name is Karen and I'm from Alabama. I'm a huge Clay Fan, of course. I finally decided to join after lurking. I read the rules and understand them fully. I am glad I finally found a site that supports Clay. Anyways, I hope to get ot know some of you. I also brought a gift for everyone to enjoy.

(http://i13.tinypic.com/6aqqmfb.jpg)

:wave Hi Karen! Welcome to ClayManiacs! You'll love it here; everyone is really nice. :bouncy Looking forward to seeing you post more.

 :wave Hi Karen. You're going to love it here, everybody is very friendly and funny, welcome.
I love the gift you brought, thanks.

Bev

Welcome Karen,


 It's nice to have you here with us.   I usually hang out over at OCD under communities.  Come on over and join us if you like.
JoAnn M.

 :wave

Hey, Karen - Welcome - you have come to a great Clay site! Have Fun!

Hello Kristen - Welcome to Claymaniacs - you will find that we all love to support Clay here, and we love to meet each other, too - look around, and Have Fun!

 
   Hi Karen :wave
      Welcome !!! You will love it here !!! :yes  Enjoy!!!  :bigsmile
                                                                                            Carol
                                                                                                                                                                               
                     
 

Welcome Karen!

Thanks for the gift.....we like gifts..... :thumb

Thanks for the welcome (Hugs) :hugg

 Hi Karen,

 Welcome to the Claymaniacs.com site.  I really like the gift you send us.

  Hope to hear from you more. :clayfan :clayfan :wave :wave

Hi Karen!

I'm new too! Love the gift you brought!
Now I feel like a big slacker! I got nuttin purdy like that to share!


I was at the Tampa show Friday night...and had fully intended to get simply astounding and amazing Clay piccies.
But they started out being such bone-heads about the cameras-and the gal sittin next to me was filming...so I didn't wanna get mine or her camera snatched.
So I got nuttin.
 :cry :cry

Welcome Kristin!  :hugg I'm sure you'll enjoy this great place and all the wonderful people here!  :bouncy I've sent you a friend request on MySpace!  :bigsmile ~Kelly~

Welcome Karen!  :hugg You'll have a great time here!  :bigsmile Thanks for the gift,  :bouncy mind if I save it?  :wink ~Kelly~

 :wow Amazing Job Karen. 

Welcome to the family.  You will never find a better bunch of folks then right here. 

Love that we are growing. 

Have Fun. 

Terry (one of the oldies) 

Welcome Karen!!!   I know you will just love it here.  Everyone is so friendly here and always supportive of Clay.  Take Care.   - Kathy

Kristen- Welcome to Claymaniacs. Look forward to getting to know you in your posts.

hey to all the new people on this website

let me take a moment to introduce myself
my name is Alyse apps and im a big fan of clay aiken. many people say that i look like clay and that we could be related, but we're not. if any of you may think that clay is my brother he IS NOT, i dont have any brothers. i have four half sisters from my dad's first marriage.
some rules on this website:
1. DONT give or state false info bout clay
2. DONT talk bout his medical stats if something were to happen to him and dont post false info bout that may not be true

as a fan of this website, i learned from my actions and it cost me a week from talking on this site , so use good judgement

I LOVE CLAY, and welcome young clayfans!!

alyse

hello everyone I am fairly new to the board I joined the board back in July or august I have been a clay fan since he was amarican idol and I have seen clay 15 time in concert I have 4 sisters and 1 brother and 7 nieces and nephews and may dad and I live in Arkansas and Love to travel to see clay in concert I am also working on opening a floral desing on line store to sell my floral arrangments I make silk florals arrangments. My mom passed away from cancer back in 1998 and she was 58 years old. My birthday is on september 8th and I turned 32 this year. Clay bring me alot of joy and he insiars me to be the best I can be and I am a Claymate for life. just wanted to tell you all alittel bit about myself. My Name is Theresa. May God bless you all.

 :wave and welcome Theresa.

Its nice to have you here and I know you'll enjoy it. Wow, you've seen Clay 15 times? That's amazing. He's so great to watch and listen to.
Good luck with your  floral arrangement shop. My name is Bev and I'm from Ontario Canada.
God Bless you too. :hugg

Bev

Hi Theresa, and welcome to Claymaniacs!

There's a lot to see and do here, so take a look around and let me or any of the mods know if you have any questions.

There is lots of info in the Welcome Center section, so check it out.

Have fun!

Hi Everyone,

My name is Laurie, and I am a 35yo mom of two kids. A 13yo daughter and a 10yo son. I live in Massachusetts, and I love the MESS out of Clay Aiken! Kimmy (Claytonismyccf) encouraged me to come over here and come out of lurkdom and post. I hope to get to know a lot of you..I can be really shy and quiet, but once I feel comfortable and get to know people, you can't shut me up!   :lol

Laurie

Laurie,
Welcome to Claymanics . Don't be shy & I hope to see you around the site. 

I am also from Massachusetts too!!

Enjoy!!

Angela

 :wave Laurie, Welcome.
It's a great place here, you'll really enjoy it. I laugh a lot since I got here and everyone is friendly, no need to be shy.

Have fun,
Bev.

 :wave :wave
 Welcome to the OCD !!! I'm not really shy.  We have one thing in
"common."   It's hard to shut me up too.  :giggle

 Laurie,
  I'm sorry!  I forgot to put your name on my welcome to you  :rolleyes
  Sometimes my head just doesn't work right :doh   Everyone is sooo
  nice here!! You will love it. :smile    Welcome aboard !! :highfive
                                                                                                        Carol

  :smile  Hi - My name is Brenda, and I just joined your message board.  I am married and live in the Washington DC area.  I have been a Clay fan since the beginning of AI2.  His song I will Carry You has gotten me through some bad times!!  I actually  got to meet Clay in person, and got one of his famous "Clay Hugs".  He is the real deal, a wonderful person, and he does have some kind of magic that draws you in.  I am a dedicated fan for life!!!

(http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/17.gif) Brenda!  Nice to have you aboard.  :wave  If you have any questions, please let us know and we'll try to help you out!

 :clayfan :bouncy HITHERE !!  I am a new member to this board , although I belong to a few others as well .  Seems like a very nice board too.  I am of the well-seasoned age group .....happily married now for almost 21 years with a son 24 and a daugher 20 , two stepsons 26 and 25 and two Jack Russell terriers named Jack & Jill (how original huh?) .  I have been to see Clay 5 times and was blessed to have gotten his autograph once up close and in the flesh !!   :thud   Hope to have lots of fun posting !!

                     
 Hi Claysmyheart :wave :wave
  Welcome aboard!!! I joined in July and found this is a family of very caring people.
  You will love it here!!  Love :clay Carol

 :clayfan Hi,I'm sorta new here,too. i'm mostly involved in the OFC!!!! :clapJust like to come here and hang out!!! :roflmao