American Idol...Will you be watching this year?

Next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, to be exact, marks the beginning the sixth season of American Idol, a show that has grown in popularity every year since its inception. In fact, its popularity is at an all time high and it doesn’t look as if it’s ending any time soon.

The first few weeks will be filled with the bad auditions, with a good one or two thrown in. Seemingly, most of America loves the bad auditions. Myself? They get very boring very quickly. Perhaps if they’d show a few of the good auditions, especially the good ones who DON’T make it. I think it would be interesting to see why some of the better contestants don’t advance to Hollywood.

According to a press release from FOX, Season Six will start off with four weeks of ‘bad’ auditions. February 14th will reveal the top 24 people chosen to advance, and February 20th and 21st, will have the Top 12 males and Top 12 females, respectively, singing live. Thursday the 22nd will be the first ‘live results’ show, which lets America decide who stays and who goes. The Top 12 Finalists perform for the first time on Tuesday, March 13th. Let the games begin……

While the television audience is looking ahead to the show, let’s take a look behind and see what has happened with some of the former contestants.

Season One’s Kelly Clarkson has released her second album, Breakaway, to critical and commercial success. She’s the darling of radio, with that album spawning at least five major hits for her. In 2006, Clarkson won two Grammies, ‘Best Female Pop Vocalist’ for ‘Since U Been Gone’, and ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’ for ‘Breakaway’. In addition, she’s sold over 13 million CD’s world-wide. Her first CD, Thankful, which went double platinum, included the monster radio hit, Miss Independence.

Ruben Studdard won American Idol’s Season Two, in a tightly held contest with Clay Aiken. Studdard won by 130,000 votes, out of a record 24 million votes cast that year, making it, perhaps, the most controversial season of the series, with many people saying the phone lines weren’t adequate enough to handle all the traffic. Studdard released his first CD, ‘Soulful’, to both critical and commercial success, selling around 1.7 million. His second CD, ‘I Need an Angel’ was a Gospel record selling 437,000 units, and he just released a third CD, ‘The Return’ in October, selling, through the end of the year, 187,000 copies. Studdard was nominated for a Grammy Award in December, 2003, for ‘Best Male R&B Vocal Performance’ for ‘Superstar’, losing to Luther Vandross.

Clay Aiken is, arguably, the star that emerged from American Idol, Season Two. His debut single, ‘This is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water’, and first CD, ‘Measure of a Man’ both went straight to Number One, selling 1.3 million and 2.8 million, respectively. His holiday album, ‘Merry Christmas, with Love, the fastest selling holiday album in the Soundscan era, sold over 1 million copies in six weeks, and debuted at #4, the highest debut for a holiday album by a new artist. His newest album, ‘A Thousand Different Ways’, debuted at #2, in September, 2006, selling 489,000 copies through the end of the year. His 4th album, an EP consisting of four songs, was released as an exclusive to Wal-Mart. No sales figures are available, but there are reports of it having sold out across the country.

Aiken also wrote a book, ‘Learning to Sing, Hearing the Music in Your Life’, that went to #2 on the New York Times best-seller list. In 2004, he starred and executive-produced his first TV Special, ‘A Clay Aiken Christmas’. Aiken has won both an American Music award, for ‘Fan Favorite’ and a Billboard award for ‘Best-Selling Single of 2003’.

Aiken has toured eight times since 2003, co-headlining with Clarkson for the ‘Independent Tour’ in 2004. He’s sold out many of his concert appearances since then.

As important to him as his music career, Aiken is well-known for his charitable works. He co-founded The Bubel/Aiken Foundation with Diane Bubel in 2003, which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers. With the support of his fans and many corporate sponsors, the BAF has been very successful in spreading their mission of inclusion around the country.

Aiken has also been appointed a United States Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador in 2004 and has been to both Banda Aceh and Uganda in support of UNICEF. He was the ‘Toys for Tots’ spokesperson in 2004 and an ambassador for Ronald McDonald charities. He has testified before Congress on behalf of UNICEF, and was the 2005 spokesperson for ‘Trick or Treat for UNICEF’. In September of 2006, Aiken was appointed by President Bush to to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

Two other notable Season Two contestants have been successful since 2003. Josh Gracin, a former Lance Corporal in the Marines, released a country album, self-titled ‘Josh Gracin’ that sold over 750,000 CD’s with a single that went to #1 on the country charts. Kimberely Locke released a successful CD, ‘One Love’ which included the hit song, ‘8th World Wonder’, selling around 211,000 copies.





Season Three of American Idol had Fantasia Barrino taking the top honor. Now known simply as Fantasia, her first CD, ‘Free Yourself’ has sold over 2 million copies. In September, 2005, Fantasia released a book, ‘Life is not a Fairy Tale’, reaching #7 on the NYT Best seller list, and played herself in the Lifetime Television version of her story. In 2006, Fantasia was nominated for three Grammy Awards and has won three Billboard Awards. Fantasia released her sophomore CD, ‘Fantasia’ in December, 2006. She’s currently touring with Jamie Foxx.

Diana DeGarmo, the third season’s runner-up who was a junior in High School during the show’s run, released her debut CD, ‘Blue Skies’ in late 2004, selling 165,000 copies, but she has found her strength and success on Broadway, playing Penny Pingleton in the musical ‘Hairspray’ garnering rave reviews. She has also played the lead character in ‘Brooklyn, the Musical’ to more critical reviews.

However, sixth-place finisher Jennifer Hudson seems to be on the verge of surpassing both Fantasia and Diana. After beating out over 720 auditioners, including Fantasia, Hudson was chosen for the movie, ‘Dreamgirls’, playing Effie, the part made famous by another Jennifer, Jennifer Holiday, on Broadway. Her show-stopping rendition of ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ garners applause in movie theaters and after the credits roll, sometimes standing ovations. In a movie theater! That roll has brought her more than a dozen awards and nominations, including a nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ from both the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, better know as The Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild.

American Idol’s Season Four brought the showdown between Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice, the country singer vs. the rocker. Winner Underwood’s debut album, ‘Some Hearts’, was released in November, 2005, and, just anounced by Carrie on her website, has been certified 5 times platinum, selling over 4,691,000 CDs through the end of this year. She’s won numerous awards including CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year, two Billboard awards, two Country Music Televeision awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, Teen Choice, American Music awards, People’s Choice, and has been nominated for 4 Grammy awards.

Bo Bice was one of the first ‘rockers’ to appear on American Idol. Coming in second, Bo was signed to RCA and released his first CD, ‘The Real Thing’ in December, 2005, opening at #4 and eventually selling over 630,000 units. Bice is considered only the third ‘non-winner’ to meet with decent chart success, alongside with Clay Aiken and Josh Gracin. Plagued by intestinal problems, Bice has undergone several surgeries in recent years.

Which brings us to Season Five of American Idol, with last season’s winner Taylor Hicks, the unconventional soul/blues/jazz singer with an original way of performing. After signing a recording contract with Arista, Hicks released his first post-Idol CD, ‘Taylor Hicks. Released on December 12th, it has sold over 200,000 so far. Hicks independently released two CD’s prior to competing in American Idol, ‘In Your Time’, and ‘Under the Radar’.

Second place finisher, Katherine McPhee attended Boston Conservatory before auditioning for Idol. As the second place finisher, she released her single, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ in June of 2006, reaching #12 on the Billboard charts. McPhee’s debut album is slated to be released in January of 2007.

Fourth place finisher Chris Daughtry first auditioned for Rock Star: INXS before successfully appearing on American Idol. During the show’s run, Daughtry was offered the lead singer spot for the band ‘Fuel’ which he declined. He signed a record deal with RCA in June of 2006 and recorded his first CD, self-titled ‘Daughtry’. To date, ‘Daughtry’ has sold over 1 million copies.

Kellie Pickler has also seen success after finishing in sixth place, signing a recording contract with 19 Recording/BNA Records, owned by RCA/Sony BMG Music. Her debut album, ‘Small Town girl’ was released in October, 2006 and to date, has sold over 360,000 units, topping the country charts as #1. Currently she will be starring in her own sitcom, maybe next TV season.

So……….in a few days, American Idol, Season 6 will be starting, and thousands of hopefuls have already auditioned to be raked over the coals by the judges and perhaps, to catch that elusive brass ring that the above-mentioned singers have. Love it or hate, it, American Idol is a juggernaut that is steamrolling past all other TV shows in terms of popularity and advertising dollars. Will you be watching this year?


Related Tags: American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Josh Gracin, Kimberley Locke, Fantasia, Diana DeGarmo, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler

Clay Aiken: 2006...The Year in Review

Every year I wander the internet and get opinions from all the posters on Clay happenings during the year. At the end of the year, I put 'our' thoughts in a post. We all know that there is never a 'we' on the boards, that everyone doesn't agree, but I really try to get a general consensus of opinion.

For those of you who hate when posters use the 'we' or 'us' word, well, you can't please everyone all the time.

Any and all timeline and/or spelling errors are solely the fault of the author. And I'll probably edit these for those mistakes over and over.

2006….the Year in Review

Hey, Clay, how are ya? Once again, I’m compiling your yearly activities, at least the ones that we know about. I consider this a labor of love and it gives us all a time to reflect back on what we accomplished this year, what our thoughts were, and who we touched in our lives. It’s also hella fun. So here goes….

This is what the first half of the year SEEMED liked from our perspective:

January………………………
February…………………….
March………………………..
April…………………………..
May: AI appearance (eeeeeeeeeeee!)
June………………………….
July……………………………

And we thought the drought of Aught ‘05 was bad, but this one was the Granddaddy of droughts.

Here’s what actually happened:

January: Well, Clay, I know you were probably resting from the 2005 Christmas JNT05, but we were restless. As always, at the end of a tour, our thoughts turn to ‘When will we see you again?’ With all the Clack from the JNT05, we certainly had things to keep us busy, but it’s like visiting with your cousins or loved ones that you only see a few times a year. You end up really missing them after the holidays are over. You know that you’ll see them again, but it’s sort of a bittersweet feeling. That’s how we feel about you. When you’re around, we’re happy. When you’re not around, we miss you and we want to see you again and we get restless. And we tend to talk a lot. About you. Other things, too, but mostly you. Weird, huh?

We had a re-run of the Rose Bowl parade from 2005, courtesy of KTLA. ETV re-ran your SNL show, and on January 28th, we celebrated our third anniversary. January 28th, 2003 was the first time any of us ever saw you. In essence, we ‘met’ for the first time. You know, usually guys don’t remember anniversaries, but we know that YOU would never forget an anniversary. So……what did you get us? *g*

We also got this in your ofc blog: Do not fear the reproach of others, and do not be dismayed when they revile you. Isaiah 51:7
At first, we didn’t know what you meant. Speculation ran rampant. We’d soon find out.

On January 23nd, an amazing thing happened. We found out why you posted that scripture, and Rockysmom, from Clayversity, posted this simple message on the ofc:

No explanations,discussions ,or debates. No board-wars or one-up-manship or agendas.Just to let Clay know...

I love him unconditionally. I have his back now,always, and forever. Nothing and no one will ever change that. Period.

Please take care,Clay. You mean the world to me.

I'm circling my wagon.Anyone care to join me?

The next 24 hours amazed everyone. Poster after poster after poster after poster came to the ofc to show their love and support for you. The fandom had never seen anything like it before and we probably won’t again. The feelings of community, support, love, and togetherness that we had, not only for you, but for each other, still simply blows our mind. Quite a few tears were shed that night. Good tears.

Then you had to go and tease us that album news was coming……*soon, quite soon* I don’t know, Clay. Your definition of soon and our definition of soon certainly differs. You told us to open our minds and expect something different. Then you went on to tease us. Brat!

February brought the very first word of your new CD through Entertainment Weekly in the form of a blurb that read, in part, “Well, according to an RCA spokesman, he'll be hitting the studio in March -- with an eye toward a May release date -- and is sorting through potential material now, which includes both original tunes and "lots of covers.”

Do you have ANY idea of the turmoil that caused on the boards? Covers! No covers! Album! New Clay songs! Maybe in May! Summer Tour! Yes!

We knew you were looking at songs, we heard that you had already recorded songs, we thought you had recorded enough for four albums, as long as you didn’t add any Mongolian Polkas, but we didn’t expect a cover album. Most of us didn’t believe it, especially after reading the Matt Ehlers interview, so the boards were a bit tense for a while.

On February 28th, you called in to Sunny lite’s DJ Madison to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her. We asked and they said yes to putting the clip on their website. Madison told us, “Can you believe he did that for me? He is the epitome of CLASS. I just love him dearly. His mother raised a great young man. That really made my Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” How does that song go, Clay? Killing Me Softly With His Song? You’re killing us, kid!

You blogged that you were taking each and every one of us as your valentine. OK by us! Then you gave us another hint about the CD, something about all your favorite songs are love songs.

March brought a first for the Boards. We held our very first Block Party. Hey, you weren’t around and we had to do something to keep us occupied! The Clackhouse, Clayversity, the ofc, and The ClayBoard all banded together to par-tay! And party we did! It was a block party for the community with games and activities for everyone. We had a blast. We unscrambled that tune, we did cluzzles, we guessed how many pins were in the pin jar, we played guessing games, we posted pictures and parts of pictures, never mind what parts we posted. We had door prizes and lots of other sh…stuff.

Scrubs partook in repeating the cast member’s favorite episodes, ‘My Life in Four Cameras’ was chosen and the cast members did short video blurbs about it.

In March, you blogged: “Let’s talk about something that REALLY happened…” Heh. You have such a way with words to get across multiple meanings. You told us about your vacation in Eastern Europe and how you were sick as a dog, about Croatia, Ljubljana, Budapest, and among your words, you gave us a short history lesson. Teacher!Clay! We would have liked to see pictures of your sick bed. Actually, we would have liked to see pictures of Kristy after taking care of you for days. Heh. Glad she survived *g* You told us about your photo shoot and how much you LOVED doing it (/snerk) and you teased us with parts of pictures. And you told us….”NO news on a release date yet.”

In April, you were included in a program on Discovery Health about the Dilley sextuplets who are now 12 years old and one of them is a huge Clay fan. E! News had a short mention about fashion icons and used you as an example. Guess you never thought you’d be considered a fashion icon, did ya? ETV repeated SNL again and ET gave you a very quick mention.

In May, you visited Middlesex Middle School in Connecticut as part of your UNICEF duties. The Middle School kids raised $14,209.34 for the Kids Helping Kids Challenge and you presented a check from Proctor and Gamble to UNICEF for $150,000. Good job, Middlesex Middle School! And good job to you, too, Clay. We’re so very happy that you still get to interact with kids because it’s so close to your heart. And yet another repeat of SNL.

So, you don’t like Mexican food? Well, to each their own. Some of us do and some of us don’t.

Well, what in the world did you do on May 24, 2006? We know what we did. We were glued in front of our TV sets, watching American Idol, waiting for your appearance. You know, that surprise appearance? I don’t think we knew whether to laugh hysterically or what, because when you walked out, I think you shocked the entire Clay Nation. I don’t know what we expected, but it certainly wasn’t a totally new hair style that was radically different from anything we’ve ever seen you in before. There you were, the same guy, the same body, the same voice, the same smile, but that hair! I don’t think that a hair style has been talked about as much since Farah Fawcett’s ‘do in the early 70’s. How’s THAT for fashion icon?

My God, Clay, you could have knocked us over with a feather, we were that surprised. Some of us loved it immediately, some of us took a few seconds, some, a few weeks, yet others still prefer the spikes. But you know what? It doesn’t really matter because no matter how you wear your hair, you’re still you. Long, short, hanging in your eyes, bald, it doesn’t matter. Not to us. Never to us because we love and appreciate you, the man that you are. But, by the way, we really, really, really like it, especially longer, although some miss the bangs.

That two minute AI appearance garnered WEEKS of intense media attention. At that time, we couldn’t understand why RCA didn’t capitalize on the attention, I mean, we always second guess everything you do, but we really second-guessed that one.

After that appearance, you were on ALL the entertainment shows, in the entertainment magazines, in the mainstream press (more about that later)

June was like a vast wasteland with nothing more than a repeat of Stranded with the Stars and a mention on Jeopardy. However, you did tell us that Quiana had a baby. Let me repeat that: QUIANA HAD A BABY!!! How cool is that? Welcome Chamberlain Malik Moore. May your life be a blessing to your loved ones.

July was like another vast wasteland with only a repeat of A Capitol Fourth and an Oprah ‘Wildest Dreams’ repeat, but you did challenge us to come up with the acronym for the album title.

You know, Clay, we think we know you very well, but we’ve got nothing on you! You know how we think, don’t you? How we parse your blogs for any little hint of, well, anything. And telling us not to snoop around through our ‘channels’ ‘cos even your mother doesn’t know. We don’t need to snoop, Clay, because we got it on our own! We extrapolated using Excel spreadsheets, working from the beginning of the alphabet to the end and vice versa. Bet you thought you could pull one over on us? Think again, freckle-boy. Oh, and a phone call to the winner? Now THAT’S a nice prize, Clay. Then Jaymes blogged about the CD and got us even more excited.

At the end of July, you challenged us to donate to UNICEF. Well, we’re nothing if not predictable. I think, in the end, we raised about $70,000. Look what love has done.

August: Bless the Baby Jesus for now we had some news! CD Release date! CD Release Party planning! Travel planning! Ticket procuring! Venues announced! Tour news! And what was this we heard? A date? A CD Release Date?? Fer sure? A real, live, freaking CD? We had a l-o-n-g three year wait for this news that we were beside ourselves. The eee’ing and pee’ing and squeee’ing that went on the boards was a beauteous sight.

Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, E! News, Parade, Regis & Kelly, E! Top Ten Countdown, another SNL repeat, you were all over the place in August. Thank you, Baby Jesus.

Hee! You were afraid that we would break the Amazon website. How sweet. It was nice of you to let us know that you would NOT be on GMA on the first of September. Saved us all a bit of money. OH, and thanks for telling us about the Christmas Tour, but if a sixteen date run is not considered a ‘tour’, well…….. In your blog, you told us:

Album is finished and mixed and mastered and DELIVERED

More wonderful words were never spoken. Did you ever get to drive around the country?

September: Ummm, what happened in September that was so exciting? *thinks* I know there was something, what was it? It’s coming to me….wait….wait…. *snaps fingers* I got it! You released your freaking second mainstream CD on September 19th!!!!!!! Insert a MILLION dancing bananas! OMG! A new CD! Talk about stoked, we were crazed with excitement! The buildup to September 19th was filled with all sorts of feelings from euphoria to wonderment to questioning the validity of a covers CD.

There were several on-line websites who streamed the CD early so we listened. We listened and we talked and we discussed and we argued and we fell in love with you and your voice all over again. Some people loved the CD, some of us liked it, a few did not like it. Although it’s hard to find a general consensus in this fractured fandom, most people loved the voice, the production, the arrangements, but some were not happy with the song choices. Unfortunately, that’s what one gets when choosing cover songs, they come with baggage.

We were so excited to hear that you got a writer’s credit for ‘Lonely No More’. We always knew that you had it in you to write songs, whether it’s the music or the lyrics, and we weren’t disappointed, but once we downloaded ‘Lover All Alone', we were blown away. That song is a wonderful mix of words and music that perfectly invokes the feeling the lyrics are meant to convey. Wow, just, wow. Dare we hope that there’s more where that came from?

You were a judge at the David Foster Star Search Finals and you know what? You were good! Really, really good in that you gave good criticism, something that the contestants could take back with them and work on. That’s what a judge ought to do, not just give ridiculous sound bites with nasty comments, like another ‘judge’ we know.

You appeared on The Tonight Show and made us roll in the aisles. From the McDonald’s mozzarella balls, to the live chickens running around, to passing out on the floor, to Kristy having to put the tray down before going to your rescue, to planning your funeral and having Ruben sing at it, to struggling with the twisty ties, you had us rolling, Clay, rolling! And you sang beautifully, too. Gah! Intelligent, funny, and a gorgeous voice to boot. What more could a fandom ask for?

Monday, September 19th, the CD release parties. Held all over the country, organized by an army of volunteers and attended by thousands and thousands of your fans, buying the CD at midnight. What fun. What camaraderie, what an amazing time we had. In NYC, the fans lucky enough to be at BB Kings trudged over to Virgin to buy our CD’s, then camped out overnight at the GMA studios, waiting for you to appear. Some of us were lucky enough to see the warm up and we waited through Condoleeza Rice, various other news and people, Patrick Dempsey, Rachel Ray, then, finally, you. We were a bit upset at thee extremely poor editing job by GMA and a lot of us wondered how you could be so strong in the face of all the gossip to just say, ‘Enough! I’m not answering the question any longer’. You go, Clay! It’s nobody’s business unless they’re sleeping with you so the media can just take a freaking hike.

By the way, we’d be remiss in stating that if you and Patrick Dempsey were in the Green Room at the same time, well, that’s just w-a-y too much pretty in one room.

You were on the Morning Show on KTLA where you hair looked freaking fantastic and you were really spot on with the political references. You appeared on The View, you cutie-patootie, you, talking about your anxiety attacks so we’ll make this vow, Clay. If we see you in a restaurant, we promise not to stare, we’ll just walk up and say hello *g* No, hopefully, we’ll just leave you alone to enjoy your private time.

You made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel where you shaved your leg for him!! OMG, that was so funny! And your reaction to the tattoo girls? Priceless. Kimmel mentioned your appointment to the President’s Council for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, good job, by the way. Oh, this? ‘THEY WILL BE LOCKED’? Cracked us the freak up! And again, ‘Lawd Jesus’. God, Clay, you are so funny! Then came the tattoo girls. The look on your face was priceless and then you bared your leg to show us your tattoo of Jimmy. That was a terrific appearance, Clay. We really enjoyed it. Thanks. A few of your fans flew from the four corners of the country to see you on Kimmel, including the mini-concert you gave. How do those lyrics go again, Clay? Heh.

That day, you spent hours signing autographs for your fans at Virgin Megastore. What a nice thing to do. The fans were in a bit of a conundrum that day: stand in line for Jimmy or go to the CD signing? Stand in line or go to the signing? Luckily everything turned out OK and the fans got to do both, but believe me, there was some angsting going on for a while.

Then we read this:
The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Wowza, wowza, wowza, Clay. What an honor for you. We are so proud of you. We know you’ll do a good job, as usual.

Here’s the link to the Dept. of Health and Human Services for anyone who wants to read about the Committee:

President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities


Anyway, back to you. The rest of September had you on all the TV entertainment shows and media, including E! news, CNN Headline news, ET, The Insider, Access Hollywood, MTV, Inside Edition, ET on-line and many more.

You appeared on the Larry King Live show for almost the entire hour. *sigh* We guess Larry’s a nice guy but really, some of his questions, where’d they come from? Anyway, Clay, you held your own with him and came across as an intelligent and witty man who knows his own convictions. Good job.

October brought us the Martha Stewart Show and the Hot Pineapple Salad, which, by the way, according to many fans, is a hit! You looked terrific and sounded even better and we really liked the cameraman for that performance. Lots of yummy close-ups.

TV Guide channel brought us ‘Close-up’, an hour retrospective hosted by two former American Idol contestants. It was mostly rehashed news, and we watched anyway, but the big news in October was the taping of the Tyra Banks show. Now. Clay, we don’t know if it was professional courtesy or ‘show-biz’ sh…stuff, but man alive, you two sizzled together! Talk about chemistry. We loved the reports from the fans who attended and we especially loved the fact that as the show progressed, more and more of the backstage crew came out to watch the taping. That’s’ a perfect example of the respect and genuine liking that we have for you. When a backstage crew comes out like that, they’re giving you your props.

November was pretty busy for you and for us. You taped the Megan Mullally Show, we heard a word that you may be appearing on ‘Days of Our Lives’, and you were presenting on The American Music Awards. There were three things that were notable in November:

You were honored with the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from UNC charlotte. What an honor that must have been for you, Clay, and just think, you dressed for the occasion *g* Ok, We’ll stop teasing, but it’s so much FUN to tease you!

On November 18th, you had the honor to light the UNICEF Snowflake to kick off the holiday season in NYC, and………..

Friday, November 17, 2006, co-hosting on the Regis and Kelly show. Ahem. Did you ever think that an appearance on the R&K Show could generate so much freaking publicity? The first 20 minutes of the monologue was so funny, you out-funnied Kelly (which we think is the REAL reason she was so pissed off). You did a fine job on the show. Then came the Emmitt incident, or ‘the hand over the mouth’ incident. Some of us were in the audience and it was a five second incident and the show went on, but when Kelly went on National TV the next Monday and started spewing her vitriol, well, you could have knocked us over with a feather! The consensus across American pop culture ran from ‘It’s about time that somebody shut her up ‘ to ‘He shouldn’t have done it’ and all opinions in between. We’re sure you know how we feel about it. By the way, your appearance at the AMA's treated the whole incident perfectly; a bit of snark and gentle laughter.

You blogged about the Christmas Tour and let us know that Jesse Vargas would be with you this year, you told us about the BAF’s Beta Alpha way of organizing us, and best of all, you jumped into the ofc chat one night and chatted to a few lucky fans. What a surprise that was!! And of course, because nothing can go smoothly in this fandom, the chatroom got hacked, and someone who thought they were being funny started to post odd things. We caught on pretty much in the first several minutes that it wasn’t you and thank you for looking into it so promptly and caring about us so much.

You also blogged about Thanksgiving at your new house and who was there. You thanked us for being so supportive and you teased us about a ‘surprise’. We love surprises. You hinted that Linda Loveland from WRAL was involved, but we had to wait until December to get it.

Oh, by the way, in case you missed it on the boards, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAY!!!!

December saw the debut of the Clay Aiken Holiday Tour. You know how we always make acronyms out of things? We couldn’t decide what to call it so someone suggested the Not-a-Joyful Noise Tour, or NaJT, but we thought the using the words ‘not a’ and Joyful’ in the same sentence was not good, so we ended up using NaCT, or ‘Not a Christmas Tour’. We thought it apropro.

Can we talk about the Tour for a moment? Many of us thought that it’s your best tour to date because you’re finally opening up to us. Some of us have been saying, ‘just give me Clay, a piano, and an audience’ and you know what? That’s basically what we got, except the piano turned into an entire orchestra. You seemed so relaxed on stage with all your banter, teasing us as if we’re old friends, which, I guess, is true. We loved it, Clay. We had such a good time attending the Christmas concerts, listening to you sing, laughing at your jokes and your ‘schtick’, we were entertained, we laughed, we listened, and some songs made us cry.

That you walked the bus line in almost every single city after the show was over tells us of your character and your heart, and the fact that you were gracious enough to do that tells us of your respect for us, your fans. Thank you.

Waukegan. The first night. The first unveiling of ‘All is Well’. That song, live, is almost beyond description. The emotion you infuse in it, the low notes, the key change, then the next key change. The glory note. You had a bit of trouble with it that first night, Clay. You tried so hard but in the end, it just didn’t come out. Happens to the best of us, Clay. We were on pins and needles that next night, finger and toes crossed, cyber-support from all the message boards, community at its best, all in support of that note. And you didn’t disappoint. Not disappoint in the fact that you did or didn’t hit the note, that was immaterial to us, you didn’t disappoint in the fact that no matter what, you were going to give us your best shot, whether you hit that note or not. Ripa, are you listening? THAT’S character.

The four concerts where you experienced vertigo. We don't ever want you to have to go through that again, Clay, ever. That you were struggling with just standing upright, yet you gave us perhaps the best four concerts of the Tour, speaks volumes about your character and professionalism.

We could go on and on about how much we loved and enjoyed you on this tour. The zipper clack, the crotch jokes, the binoculars, the cellcerters stealing your show, the show of hands to see who attended a Clay Aiken concert before, the Ripacrite jokes, and so on. We just loved it. :::LOVE:::

Days of Our Lives: General concensus? We loved it! We didn't get enough of you, but overall, we loved it. The DOOL fans also liked it a lot.

What a great second half of the year, Clay, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the tabloid sh…crap that they spewed. We’re not going to give them much of the time of day, but we have to say that we think you’re a strong man to handle the accusations and insults as you did. It wasn’t easy for us, those first few weeks when it hit us upside the head. There was a lot of angsting going on, anger, too. We were furious that some scum tried to blacken your good name, but we soon realized that when one is in the spotlight, sometimes unpleasant things can happen, through no fault of yours or ours. We learned to roll with the punches and take the bad with an attitude of ‘Here’s to not caring” (tm some cute guy during the AI Tour). We love you and we support you. Always and forever.

So, Clay, it’s the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. Looking back, 2006 was not what we expected, in so many ways (dare I say A Thousnad Different Ways?), yet you proved once again that you always give us your very best. You set a really high bar, Clay, and you keep exceeding your own expectations. Some of us often think, ‘how can he top himself?’. Looking ahead to 2007, we haven’t a clue. We have your New Years audio message and blog but nothing else, so 2007 really is a blank slate. We have our hopes and dreams but they’re fantasy, we’re looking forward to watching the reality unfold.

Take care, Clay. Keep healthy and happy and work hard to achieve your dreams. We’re there with you. Every step of the way.

Love,
Your Internet Fans


From Shadylil: On Larry King Live this year you said that you don’t remember or think about what it was like before the fame and money. Here’s my advice to you, Clay. Don’t ever forget. Don’t forget what it was like to be a regular person. I’m not going to lecture or even say why I feel that way; I’ll just leave you to ponder.





Related Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Entertainment Weekly, UNICEF, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, Clay Aiken Official Fan Club, Good Morning America, Regis and Kelly, Good Morngin America, Martha Stewart, Tyra Banks, David Foster, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Larry King, Days of Our Lives, American Music Awards, UNC Charlotte

Merry Christmas, my friends

It's Christmas Eve. For most people, the kids are sleep, the presents are wrapped, the egg is nogged, the dishes are done. For some of us, the party is not quite over. For others, we sit and await for our relatives to arrive, yet, for others, they will be celebrating Christmas alone.

I'm a member of Clay Nation and I want to reflect back on what this year has wrought and what Clay Aiken has given me.

In March, I earned a promotion. I've wanted to leave my previous position for about two years, but you had to have a securities license to do my old job and I was the only person with a license so I was kind of stuck. I liked my old job but I was bored after over eight years. After talking with my Supervisor, I received a chance to interview for another position and I got the job.

My new job has been challenging but I love it. It's not what I thought as a teen I'd be doing when I was grown, but it's a good job with lots of responsibility.

Why am I telling you this? It has to do with Clay. Although I missed him like crazy the first half of the year, his absence gave me a breather to concentrate on my new job. You see, when Clay is in the spotlight, or when he is tourng, it seems that my life takes a backseat to the joy, the excitement, and the happiness I feel when interacting with the Clay Nation.

I will forever be grateful to Clay Aiken for giving me riches beyond what I ever thought I would have. Riches of happiness and friendship, riches of a community born on February 28, 2003, after seeing this skinny kid, all arms and elbows, stand before the judges on American Idol and sing these 19 words:

Take time to tell me
You really care
And we'll share tomorrow
forever
Baby, I'll always love you
Forever.........

How can one predict when a moment would change a life? Especially such an inauspicious moment as a nineteen word audition? The past almost four years have taught me to be a better person. Yes, that's a very trite saying, in fact, doesn't it come from 'Dirty Dancing'? But sometimes the most simplictic sayings are the most prophetcetical <---- I just made that word up. Go, me!

So, how could a pop singer make me a better person? It was only partly Clay's fault. During and after American Idol, hundreds of thousands of Clay's fans went hunting for him on the internet and, if they were very lucky, they found the Clay message boards. I was a computer neophyte, only using it for e-mails and to surf HGTV.com because I had just purchased my first home and I wanted to re-do the entire property, and where better to get decorating and landscaping tips than HGTV?

So I searched for those message boards and in April, 2003, I found them and I started to make friends. On the computer. Who'da thunk it? I still remember some of those early fans that welcomed me to this new kind of neighborhood. Laynie, my very first, and still, internet friend, Podsoda, who embraced me with open arms. Liska and Browneyes from the 'Look what Love has Done' organization, the very first independent fund-raising arm of, eventually, the BAF. YouStopRightNow, who's warm personality takes everyone in, and others too numerous to mention.

There were posters on the boards who scared me because they were so wicked smart and snarky, and would debate an issue, so you'd better be prepared to defend your convictions. Clawme, dee_ayy, Tagalong, Clay4me, Recgirl, JessieFaerie, Candi, Pink, LadyofLorien, Jules, Christie, NorthernKitten, Horse, Lessa, I know I'm forgetting many, but to my fellow ClayWhores, I celebrate and honor you, for without you, I wouldn't have discovered talents that lay dormant.

Who would have guessed that I had a little bit of talent for writing. I never wrote anything in my life except for some music. Words? And a theme? Not me. But by partaking on one of the smaller message boards, I learned how to write, how to express my thoughts in a coherent and rational way, how to debate and defend, and most importantly, how to read others' points of view. To consider them, then either accept or reject them. This small board taught me that it's OK to change my position if I find an arguement than makes more sense then mine. Thank you.

To Clay Aiken. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for being you. Warm, loving, kind. For opening your heart to children the world over; founding The Bubel/Aiken foundation, treating people the same, no matter what their disability, inside or out; for being the kind of person who inspires this devotion that your fans feel for you; for being the catalyst that brought us all together, from all over the world, in friendship and community.

For this holiday season and the rest of your life, I wish you joy. I hope you find joy in your family, your career, your friends, your fans, and God willing, joy with your future family. I celebrate you and I thank you for the time of my life. Merry Christmas, Clay.





Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Christmas, American Idol, Clay Nation, message boards, Dirty Dancing, HGTV.com, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation

Respect.... thy name is Clay Aiken

I, along with thousands of other Clay fans, witnessed something this weekend that I'll never forget. I witnessed a courage that one doesn't see much of anymore. I witnessed committment, I witnessed a professional musician doing his job regardless of circumstances.

I witnessed Clay Aiken sing with vertigo.

ver·ti·go: [vur-ti-goh]
–noun, plural ver·ti·goes, ver·tig·i·nes
1. Pathology. a dizzying sensation of tilting within stable surroundings or of being in tilting or spinning surroundings.

2. a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall

3. a disordered state which is associated with various disorders (as of the inner ear) and in which the individual or the individual's surroundings seem to whirl dizzily

A singer uses many different tools in producing a sound, including the sinus cavities, vocal chords, throat, and ears, to get the resonating tones they need to vocalize. To be successful, all these things need to work in unison. When one of the aforementioned is unavailable, singing is much, much more difficult, out-of-kilter, if you will.

Clay has vertigo. It started at the Long Island show. How he managed to not only perform, but to put on a show that was every bit as entertaining as his previous shows during this tour is beyond me. Most performers would have cancelled. Most performers would have put themselves before their audience and fans. Most performers wouldn't even THINK of going on stage, much less try to give as good as, if not better than, the night before, and the night before that, and the night before that.

Not Clay Aiken.

Clay chose to go on that night. Clay chose to NOT cancel. Clay chose to give everything he had to entertain his fans. Not only did he choose to do that on Thursday evening in Long Island, but also on Friday night at West Point, and Saturday night in Red Bank. What I witnessed on Friday and Saturday night left me humbled.

Humbled by Clays courage, his tenacity, his professionalism, his integrity, his complete disregard of his health as to not disappoint his fans. I witnessed a tour-de-force of a performance where Clay definitely struggled with his vertigo, his vision, his balance. Where he would hold on to either the mic stand or the stool with a death grip that turned his knuckles white. Yet he didn't falter, he didn't give up, he didn't quit. In fact, those performances are every bit as good as any other performance he has ever given.

In Long Island, Clay sang what is his most difficult song to date, 'All is Well'. He is visually struggling with his vertigo, death grip on the stool, yet this performance is so powerful that it defies description.




The Clay Aiken that I've followed for the past almost four years has, with the past several performances, changed how I look at him. I see in him a courage that I always knew was there, but this is taking it to a whole new level. I've always looked at Clay through the eyes of love, yeah, corny, I know, but I love him. Now, I see him with a respect that is so profound and deep, it defies description. I've tried to put into words in this blog how I feel and I fear I have fallen short of the mark, but all I can do is try. That's what Clay Aiken does every day of his life. How can I do any less?


Thanks to the following Clack Gatherers who took these amazing photos: MnM, ScrpKym, Invisible926.


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Vertigo, Long Island, West Point, Red Bank, All is Well

All is Well....maybe

I thought it was time to put a period to Handgate. After all, it seems that Clay moved on and so should we. That is, until I found this on YouTube. The first 35 or so seconds are about Kid Rock and Pam Anderson...let it run through that, then listen to this guy's take on the entire incident.





It just warms the cold cockles of my itty, bitty heart to have some stranger see what we saw during that show.


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Kelly Ripa, Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson

Kelly Ripa....you're a foolish, foolish woman

Kelly Ripa, you're a foolish, foolish woman. Let me tell you about the man you ranted over for two days.

This is from Clayzedover, who attended the Regis and Kelly Show. I was there also, and I regret that we didn't get to meet her that day.

I attended the Clay/Kelly show today with my brother who uses a motorized wheelchair, and wish I could tell you more about what went on. They sat him in a corner of the studio in front of the regular seats, and next to a corridor where people congregated and communicated during the show. We were surrounded by camera and craft persons. The large floor camera in front of us, hand held cameras to the side of us, technicians laying and removing cables, as well as by various office-types associated with the show.

All of this was compounded by the need to place stage props, like the high desk, in front of us as well to accommodate the dancers. Am not complaining here, really, just want to give you a "feel" for the atmosphere inside the TV studio. Tickets are free, we got in, and life is good.

I do want people to know about what I witnessed. Clay passed by my brother as he entered that corridor to talk with someone, and again as he came back to the stage. He had to wait for a cue from the director during the dance routines. Not making any kind of deal about it, he quickly knelt down on one knee, waiting for his cue. The first time, I thought it strange because nobody else took that position. They just stood and congregated behind him in front of us, blocking the view. A few minutes later, it happened again. But the second time, others took his lead and knelt down so those behind them could see.

Editing to add this disclaimer from Clayzedover:

I want to clarify that it was a zoo in the studio that day. The crew was only doing their job; they accommodated us as best they could, placing him in what is apparently the designated wheelchair area. That day, there was only so much space to work with, especially because of the dancers. It was the outsiders that seemed to disregard the person in the wheelchair, but it was Clay who took the initiative, kneeling next to the floor camera so that the person could see. It was a simple act by a very compex man who teaches respect by quiet example.


Ms. Ripa, here is a shining example of the kind of man that Clay Aiken is. He quietly goes around thinking of others. He doesn't shout it from the rooftops, he doesn't toot his own horn, he respectfully and gently leads by example. Your show chose to put a person who happens to be in a wheelchair in a spot with an obstructed view. Your show then proceeded to obstruct the view of the person in the wheelchair with people, go-fers, and equipment. Your show didn't think enough of that person to provide him with a decent place to sit so he could enjoy the entire show the way the rest of the audience did.

Clay Aiken saw that man and knelt down when he was in front of him so the audience member could see the show. Clay Aiken is the one who instinctively knew what to do and by example, the staff of the R&K show followed suit.

You said Clay was rude. You said Clay was disrespectful. You said Clay was hostile. All I have to do is read about Clay kneeling down instead of standing in front of a man in a wheelchair. That tells me all I need to know about how Clay respects others. It also tells me all I need to know about how the Regis and Kelly Show respects the members of their audience....ALL members of their audience, not just the able-bodied ones.

I'll take Clay Aiken's brand of respect over yours any day of the week.

Oh, and you're still not off the hook. Hypocrite.

If you'd rather have Simon Cowell's hand over your mouth than Clay Aiken's hand, I question your sanity. Oh, wait...I already do.





Let's see where Clay's hands have been, Ms. Ripa





Where have YOUR hands been?

Thank you to Clayzedover for sharing her story.

This blog is soley the OPINION of the writer.

Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Kelly Ripa, Regis and Kelly

Kelly Ripa...a coward by any other name

From the sublime to the ridiculous................

You know what pisses me off? When someone doesn't have the balls to stand behind their convictions and takes the cowardly way out. Case in point - Kelly Ripa and her unprofessional rant about how Clay Aiken treated her on Friday's show.

I was in the audience on Friday. I witnessed the entire show up close and personal from the very first moment Clay and Kelly entered the sound stage to the very last moment when the audience coordinators ushered us out of the studio.

The first twenty minutes was a snark-fest from BOTH Kelly and Clay. She ripped on him, he ripped right back. Hummmmm....maybe that's why she's so pissed, because Clay Aiken gave back just as much as he took. Come to think of it, he gave back more! That is one freaking funny guy. Kelly zinged Clay and Clay zinged right back. He was funnier than she was. He was quicker than she was, and he was way more entertaining than she was.

I'm starting to see a plot here. Could it be that Kelly felt upstaged? I guess that would be enough to get your dander up when the guest host is funnier than the host. The first twenty minutes had me rolling in the aisles and clutching my sides from laughter. Watch it again:




Clay did what he was hired to do, play host and make the show entertaining. And he did a better job than Ripa. To the studio audience, they were having a blast together. So, what happened?

Kelly and Clay sat down to interview Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke. Both of them had small cue cards in their hands with the questions they were supposed to ask Emmitt and Cheryl. Kelly asked her question, then another, then another, then another until Clay started to feel uncomfortable. Maybe uncomfortable isn't the correct word. How about we use 'third wheel' instead? So he tried to get his questions in. How? By putting his hand over Kelly's mouth in a joking manner. Obviously Kelly didn't like it and made it known in no uncertain terms. Immediately, when Clay realized that Kelly didn't like that, he immediately stopped and was contrite, while still trying to make a light moment out of the incident. They both moved on to the interviews and the dancing and then it ended.




The audience loved the show. There were Clay fans there, Kelly fans, Dancing with the Stars fans, Emmitt fans, Mario fans, all sorts of fans in attendance and we were ALL entertained and we ALL had a good time.

So what happened? Why did Kelly Ripa go ballistic on Clay's ass? What possessed her to be so unprofessional as to air this publicly? When Clay couldn't defend himself?

Coward.

Kelly Ripa is such a coward that she didn't or wouldn't say to his face what she used her TV show for...a bully pulpit. She deliberately used a forum where Aiken couldn't fight back. Where he had no opportunity to explain what happened.

Coward.

And then to turn it around and say that Clay disrespected her through out the entire show? What the fuck has she been smoking? Maybe she'd better eat a sandwich or something because, seriously, the lack of calories is affecting what little gray matter she has in that freakishly large head of hers.

Coward.

To compound her bullying, she called in to The View today and when Rosie called her homophobic, Ripa back-peddled so hard she left skid marks on the floor. Tried to turn it into a 'I don't want to get the flu or germs' rant. Bullshit, Ripa. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. So, not only is she a coward, she's a liar, too.

Liar.

Coward.

Kelly Ripa acted unprofessional, catty, unclassy, and crass. If she really thought that Clay Aiken crossed a line, she should have had the fortitude, the guts, and the balls to call him on it in private, to not air her dirty laundry in public, to not make a fool and a spectacle of herself. That she didn't, speaks volumes to me.

When someone has a guest in their home, their job is to make that guest feel comfortable. If the guest puts his foot in his mouth, or if the guest makes a fax paux, the job of the host or hostess is to put the guest at ease, to make that guest feel welcome. Ripa displayed manners that belong more in a barn than on TV.

Clay made a mistake, but Ripa compounded it with her disgraceful behavior. She ought to be ashamed. At the very least, she owes him a public apology


Coward.

Liar.

Hypocrite.






Related Tags: Kelly Ripa, Clay Aiken, Regis and Kelly, Emmitt Smith, Mario Lopez, Dancing with the Stars, The View, Rosie O'Donnell

Clay Aiken: Of jewels, and stars, and snowflakes....and other precious things

Sometimes, something that a fan writes on a message board or in a private blog so clearly defines a sentiment about Clay that it's impossible to not think about what that poster expressed. When something is that good, it makes one think, it makes one feel, and it makes one feel very lucky that Clay Aiken has come into our lives.

This is one of those posts......by Rockysmom

Of jewels, and stars, and snowflakes....and other precious things

Tiffany's...ah yes Tiffanys. The mothership for those of us who enjoy drooling over the best life has to offer. Only things of the finest quality are connected with that little pale blue box tied with white ribbon. Solid platinum, pure gold, diamonds without flaw-sparkling in their brilliance, shooting off sparks of multi-colored light.

How appropriate then, that they were the retailer associated with the UNICEF Snowflake lighting ceremony in NYC Saturday night.

Platinum - check
Pure gold - check
Flawless, sparkling brilliance - check again

And UNICEF...an organization dedicated to helping children world-wide, whose mission is to nurture and protect the littlest among us...decided to join with Tiffanys and light an enormous snowflake made of thousands upon thousands of the purest and most expensive Baccarat crystal to start the holiday season of love and hope and joy and giving.

A snowflake....each one is different, each one is special, each one is unique...every one is something this world will never see the likes of again.

So UNICEF asked one of their ambassadors to join them in a little ceremony to light this snowflake. A young man whose eyes have not only seen the devastation from a tsunami in Indonesia and witnessed the unspeakable horrors of a nation torn by decades of civil war ...but who has also seen his only brother leave not once, but twice for military duty in possibly the most dangerous spot on this planet. And his eyes have also been forced to look upon the most vindictive, despicable lies spewed out of nothing but pure hatred and selfish greed.

A young man who--like that pure, sparkling crystal in the air above him--has been subjected to the fires....and emerged from them as a thing of unspeakable beauty.

In NYC tonight....

There is the light of a brilliant star
One made of many facets of the purest shining crystal
One that is meant to be a symbol of hope for all the world's children
One that is beautiful and precious beyond compare

It's not the one made of Baccarat and suspended high above the streets
it's the one we know and love and hold dearly in our hearts

You're beautiful, Clay...inside and out....and the world is just beginning to see what we've known all along

Many thanks to Getty Images for providing the beautiful picture of Clay.

Many thanks to the Clack Gatherers who provide the candid pictures of Clay.

Many thanks to Rockysmom for writing this beautiful tribute to a beautiful man. I'm proud to call you friend.


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Tiffany's, UNICEF, Baccarat, UNICEF Ambassadors, New York City, Getty Images

How I purchased MCWL and avoided a heart attack

Two years ago, next week, Clay released his Christmas CD, Merry Christmas, with Love, and his book, Learning to Sing. This is my account of purchasing the new and beautimongeous clack. I did not pull any punches with my language. In other words, I did not clean it up. Heh. Enjoy the trip down memory lane...........


Don't people realize that by getting in between me and new Clack that they are manifesting a death wish??? Huh? HUH?

I leave work about 10 minutes later than I planned. Get in the car and make my way through rush-hour traffic towards the thruway. I note, as I pass over the highway, that the cars are barely moving, I see flashing lights up the road. Idiots. Daring to get in an accident when fresh Clack is near???

I desperately maneuver my car into the left lane to detour through the rich, high-class neighborhood situated on a two lane, macadam road. Past kids and school buses. Get off the road!!!! Clack is here! Like a hyena smelling a scent, I took off down the road, listening to the Demo CD, awash in the glory of The VOX. Get to the first light and sit. And sit. And sit. I sat through 4 freaking light changes. Meantime, my desperation is growing, I need my fix. Like a two-bit junkie, I start to hyper-ventilate, my groans turn to screams as the words, "Why the hell aren't you moving" escape from my mouth at a decibel previously unknown to mankind, a look of terror on my face as visions of a clackless store dance in my head.

The light turns green and as I step on the gas, the car in front of me starts to brake. For no reason. There is no light, there is no traffic. There are no cars in front of her. La-di-da, for a lark, this freaking car brakes on and off, for no reason, for the next.two.miles. Almost went all Clay Aiken fan all over her ass.

Finally I get to the third leg of the journey. Turn left and tear-ass down the road towards Wal-Mart. Pull into the parking lot and by the divine providence of the Gods, a car pulls out and I whip my Ford Escort into the vacated spot, just two spaces from the front door.

I turn the engine off and just sit for a minute or two, taking deep breaths, trying to compose my racing heart. Trying not to leap out of the car and run into the store jumping and screaming and yelling, "I love Clay freaking Aiken". Nope, wasn't gonna go there.

I get out of the car, walk to the doors and grab a cart. Freaking cart wouldn't come out of the cart conga-line. I ripped that sucker out with a look of desperation on my face, start to push it in the store and realized the wheels were all fucked up and out of alignment. I slammed that cart back into the conga-line like a woman possessed and grabbed another one. Luckily for the cart, this one worked alright.

I walk to the electronics department, trying not to skip for joy and look for THE CD. It's not there! My eyes dart left and right, my head whips around faster than Linda Blair's while spewing green pea soup. I see the 'new release' bin and I'm there faster than a duck on a June bug. Search for boyfriend and finally, after my long-ass wait, spy him in a primo location, the two left upper bins. A sigh of relief escapes my lips as I gaze upon the most gorgeous sight of all.....new Clack. Wonderful Clack. Glorious Clack. I pull two of those babies off the shelf and reverently put them in my cart. I look at the other CD's and notice that Destiny's Child is not selling, Live is selling, and boyfriend has one bin half empty.

Furtively glancing around to see who's staring at me, I casually re-arrange the display to boyfriend's advantage. Bought a CD cleaner disk and some blank tapes so I can listen to Clack my CD-less car.

Off to find the book, I head towards the books and magazine section. Wait. It's not there. The area is filled with Rubbermaid, freaking Rubbermaid. Storage bins, trash cans, dish drainers, laundry baskets, but no freaking Clack. Aarrgghh!

Frantically, I dart up one aisle and down the other, looking, looking, looking, and I spy the paperbacks. I was there faster than Clay Aiken talks, faster than a starving penquin on a french fry, faster than a Claymate spying Jerome at the bus.

My eyes dart spastically around the rows of books, left and right, up and down, until I see it! THE book in all it's glory. Boyfriend staring back at me with bedroom eyes, inviting me into his world. I come. Into his world, I mean. Yeah. I come. Alas, no audio book.

As the checker is ringing me up, she remarks, "Oh, I didn't know he had a book out". I told her today was the release date and after educating her in all things Aiken, I happily leave the store, my precious cargo in hand.

Get back in my car to go to B&N for the audio because there's nothing like Clay whispering in your ear as you come. Into his world, I mean. Yeah.

I drive down the brand new highway and get off at the B&N exit and slam on my brakes. Ahead of me are thousands of cars, waiting for the light to turn green. So I brake to a stop and wait. And wait. And wait. I wait at least 10 minutes because apparently the fucking designers of the brand new freaking highway don't have the foresight to plan for traffic around a brand new Mall at the holiday gift-giving season.

As I wait, I think of this morning's news story about automobile head rests and how they don't really protect you from whiplash. As I wait. And wait. And wait...I test my headrest, while watching the cars screech to a stop behind me on the rapidly backing-up exit ramp. Yeah, in an accident, I'm fucked. I'll have the worse case of whiplash ever.

As I pull in the parking lot at B&N, again, by Clack design, a car pulls out and I pop in the space, just two spaces away from the front door. I casually saunter in and look around. I don't see the book. It's not up front. It's not in the second section. It's not with the best sellers. I start to panic. My heart beats faster. The sweat pops out on my brow. Don't they realize that boyfriend deserves to be front and center? I walk towards the middle where the cash registers are and spy a table where a lot of books are lying down. I see a familiar cover. Bedroom eyes, inviting me, tantalizing me, wanting me. I walk over and serependitiously pick one up, open it and place it so it's standing up. The only book on the table that's standing up. I do it to another, and another, and soon, there are quite a few Clay Aikens staring at me, all with those bedroom eyes. Life is good.

I had to reserve one of the two audio books they have on order. Don't know when boyfriend will be speaking to me, but when he does, when he invites me into his world with those bedroom eyes staring at me, I'm going to come. Into his world, I mean. Yeah.

Let's listen to Clay sing Christmas like nobody else on the planet can. The first and last song are from his Christmas CD and the second song is a very special tribute video'ed in Raleigh, NC at the Christmas show. Clay sang it for his grandfather (Papa) who has Alzheimer's, a disease that afflicts many of our senior citizens, my father included.

Don't Save it All for Christmas Day by Spotlightlover





Oh, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, Clay's tribute to his Papa by Aflack





Winter Wonderland





Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Merry Christmas, with Love, Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, Rubbermaid, Clack, Linda Blair, Ruben Studdard, Jerome, Learning to Sing, Hearing the Music in your Life, Don't Save it All for Christmas Day, Winter Wonderland, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Clay Aiken...good to see you after so long

Well, I've been very busy since my last update but I should be able to get here more often now.

I was at GMA on September 19th to see Clay. They let us in the studio around 7:30 - 8:00 and then moved us all around. First we stood here, then we stood there, then we were moved back again, then again. I finally ended up on Clay's left side, against the wall. It was a good spot.



The audience coordinator asked us to cheer for Patrick Dempsey, Dr. McDreamy. Well, cheer we did and he came in and was better looking in person than he is on TV. Gah! If Clay and Patrick spent time together in the green room, there was w-a-y too much pretty in that room. Patrick came up to me and shook my hand and looked into my eyes. I didn't see the clip until this past Saturday and I realized one thing.....ain't no talent scout gonna call me to be a TV Star. Oh, man, I looked AWFUL on TV, just AWFUL. The lights were so bright and of course, I didn't have TV make-up on so the 'hills and valleys' of my face stood in stark relief to each other, making me look ghoulish. Clay is very lucky that he's so photogenic.

Anyway, he was cute and funny and charming and you know, he sings real good *g* Watch both performances again.


Without You:





And 'A Thousand Days' videographed by the ever taltented and lovely SecretlyovesClay:





It was so good seeing Clay again. I hadn't seen him since December 10th, 2005 at the Tweeter Center in Camden. That was nine months too long.

I freaking love Clay Aiken.






Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Good Morning America, Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy