Clay Aiken: Through the Eyes of a Child

By RockysMom:

Any other Moody Blues fans here?

I was looking through my pictures of Clay recently (yeah,I know...a tough job but someone has to do it, right?) and I had to stop and spend a few moments with one of my favorites...




...and I found I had these lyrics of John Lodge's running through my head:

With the eyes of a child you must come out and see
That your world's spinning round and through life you will be
A small part of a hope of a love that exists
In the eyes of a child you will see.

Now, there are tons of wonderful pictures of Clay to drool over - I mean to look at. But the pictures of him with children always hit me in a special place.

Singing with Brianna in Raleigh.









Cradling Quiana's tiny son in those beautiful hands of his.









Backstage with the choirs from the first Joyful Noise tour.









The picture above from a UNICEF event.

But none are more special, more meaningful, more powerful, more poignant than those of Clay with the special children that mean so much to him.

Pictures of Clay singing to Mikayla in front of her classmates. Staring at sleeping children in Uganda. Dancing and singing and laughing with children struggling to re-build their lives after a devastating tsunami in Banda Aceh.


And of course the photos of him with Mike Bubel....whose mother Diane we all have so much to thank for.


But that's how WE see Clay Aiken....the caring, compassionate, dedicated man who sets time out of his busy schedule to make sure these children's voices are heard. While his contemporaries are partying from nightclub to exclusive nightclub.... Clay is testifying before Congress for additional funds for the ravished areas of Indonesia. Instead of spending small fortunes on "bling" and imported champagne, Clay is making sure he manages to get from a television appearance in California to his meeting of a Presidential committee he's been appointed to. And he makes that meeting, even through bad weather that stopped many members who had much shorter distances to travel. The same man who is, apparently, scheduling his long-awaited summer pop tour around his next trip for UNICEF.

And who, at the end of March is hosting a special benefit performance in his hometown for his very own successful and highly regarded Bubel/Aiken Foundation for the inclusion of special needs children into mainstream programs.

We see all that when we look at this man named Clay Aiken....all that and more. We see the loveable dork that shaved his leg and got a "tattoo" of Jimmy Kimmel for laughs. We see our Hot Rock Star God tossing his long mane while rocking out with his band. We see someone that has persevered and maintained his dignity and integrity while being the target of scurrilous tabloid lies. We see a man with a razor-sharp wit and impeccable comedic timing teasing his die-hard fans about their foibles and fantasies. We see the man who has the voice of a generation....who sings like "nobody else on this planet" (thank you, Shelly)

That's what WE see when we look at Clay Aiken. But looking through the eyes of a child....all those children in the photos above and many, many more whose pictures we haven't seen....what do THEY see when THEY look at this beautiful, wonderful man named Clay Aiken?

I think they see....caring....and hope....and most of all I think-no, make that-I know....they see love.

Thank you Clay, for being the man you are and showing so many of us how to be ...." a small part of a hope of a love that exists in the eyes of a child "


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, UNICEF, Moody Blues, Jimmy Kimmel

The Wearing 'o the Green...Clay Aiken style

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.


When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.





For your smile is a part
Of the love in your heart,
And it makes even sunshine more bright.
Like the linnet's sweet song,
Crooning all the day long,
Comes your laughter and light.
For the springtime of life
Is the sweetest of all
There is ne'er a real care or regret;
And while springtime is ours
Throughout all of youth's hours,
Let us smile each chance we get.



When your sweet lilting laughter's
Like some fairy song,
And your eyes twinkle bright as can be;
You should laugh all the while
And all other times smile,
And now, smile a smile for me.


Clay Aiken has an uncanny ability to bring a smile to one's eyes, a joy to one's heart, and a lilt to one's step. He has the ability to make us laugh out loud, to embrace life, to feel the joy in simply being.





He is curious.







He is sexy.












He stops to sign autographs.










And he sings like nobody else on the planet.





Now how'd THAT get in here?



Mucho thanks to all who bring the Clack. You are much appreciated.



Related Tags: Clay Aiken, When Irish Eyes are Smiling, Wango Tango

The Shaming of America, aka pig-slop Politics

These ramblings are solely the opinion of the writer.

I usually don't write political blogs, I leave that to the writers who really know their subjects but I am so pissed off right now that I have to have my say.

Ann Coulter, that wonderfully ignorant, hate-filled bitch spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC. The remark that so pissed me off is this:

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word "faggot," so I — so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards."

Listen to her hate-filled speech. Watch the expression on her face afterwards. She is The Ugly American.






The conference was attended by 2008 Republican presidential candidates: former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, and former California congressman Duncan Hunter. Vice President Dick Cheney also was there.

What is not clear is who was in attendance when Coulter made her hateful remarks. Why? Because after doing a Google search for more information, I can't find one major news organization that even mentions her disgusting slur in relation to who was there. However, it is reported that after she made that remark, those conservative attendees applauded her.

That's my first WTF moment. WTF were these people thinking? WTF is going on in America where hurtful slurs upon a good man's name are applauded? WTF is it about when the major news organizations don't even report that fact that by not speaking out, these so-called Presidential contenders tacitly agree with her remarks.

I did a Google of The New York Times and The Washington Post. I consider myself a pretty savvy computer person, certainly better than the majority and I spent time putting in keywords to search and.....nothing. These two newspapers are two of the most respected in the world so why didn't they cover this? CNN? Zip. zilch, nada.

The Republican candidates are all back-pedaling now. After the fact, after the outrage, to cover their political asses. Assholes.

I'm going to post my "Wall of Shame"

Ann Coulter:

Previously, Coulter has put “even money” on Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) “[c]oming out of the closet,” said Bill Clinton shows “some level of latent homosexuality,” and called Vice President Al Gore a “total fag.”
She is, perhaps, the ugliest American I've ever heard. I'm ashamed that she's calls herself American and I'm not ready to make nice. Fucker.

Mitt Romney: flip-flopper extraodinaire

"Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, said: “It was an offensive remark. Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect...."
First he was pro-choice, now he's anti-choice, first he wants equal rights for all, now he's anti-gay. Make up your fucking mind. Back-pedal much? Idiot.


Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani






Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee







Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO)






Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)







Former Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA)







And of course, Vice President Dick Cheney who doesn't even want equal rights for his own daughter. I get down on my knees every night and thank whomever that he's not my father. I would be embarrassed to have to claim kinship to him. And if this little rant is going to put me on a list, well, list away.


And because this is usually a blog about Clay Aiken, let's talk about his charity work:

I was going to make a list, but Berkeleylovesourclay blogged it last September at the ConClayve.

Here are the highlights

President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Community Alternatives Program for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities
Bubel/Aiken Foundation
National Ambassador to UNICEF
Ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities

I urge everyone to re-read Berk's blog about an admirable man with admirable qualities. Maybe this will cleanse your mind of the pig-slop that passes for politics these days.



Related Tags: Ann Coulter, Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo, Sen. Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, Conservative Political Action Conference, John Edwards, Clay Aiken, President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Community Alternatives Program for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, Bubel/Aiken Foundation, UNICEF, Ronald McDonald House Charities

Clay Aiken and Steven Curtis Chapman

Last night, Steven Curtis Chapman performed at the Winter Jam, one of Christian music’s biggest annual tour shows. Unknown to anyone, he had a special guest come on stage to sing a song. That special guest was none other than Clay Aiken. They performed a song called 'The Great Adventure', a song that Clay recorded on one of his demos before he shot to fame with American Idol. Clay recorded the following songs of Chapman's:

The Great Adventure
More to this Life
I Will Be Here

Clay has often said that he liked and admired Chapman's music and songwriting skills. In fact, Clay has sung several songs by Chapman on tour:

All About Love
The Music of Christmas, and Chapman's arrangement of
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

The Clay Nation got wind of Clay's appearance through someone who was there and before the concert ended, we already had Clack of the song. When you think about it, that's pretty amazing. In this day of technological advances, a bunch of fans can record, upload, download, and watch a performance within hours of it taking place.

While the quality of the video and the audio is not the greatest, enjoy watching this special song:






Enjoy this video by Aflack. It's Clay singing another Steven Curtis Chapman song, 'All About Love', from the Independent Tour in Spring of 2004, co-headlining with Kelly Clarkson:




Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Steven Curtis Chapman, American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, Winter Jam

Clay Aiken gives the finger, er, hand, to tabloids

MSNBC.com

Aiken’s creative writing project


Clay Aiken is giving the finger — oops, make that a hand — to the tabloids.

The “American Idol” runner-up is so miffed about what he says are fabricated tales and pics involving his sex life that he’s invited fans to do a little creative writing about him.

“It seems over the past few weeks, the tabloids and gossip mongers have had their hands full coming up with new and exciting ‘scandals’ for me to be a part of. Yet, for all of their efforts to be on the ‘cutting edge’ and the forefront of bull---- journalism, it seems that some of them may be running out of ideas and resorting to recycling and re-hashing some of their older tall tales,” Aiken recently wrote on his blog. “With this in mind, we thought maybe we would try to give them a finger... er... a hand.”

The “Invisible” singer then invites fans to “Build-Your-Own-Scandal.” He explains: “Come up with the most outlandish story you can that places me (either alone or with others close to me) in a really juicy, tawdry, scandalous, shameful story. Then, use any photos, videos, audio clips of me that you can find along with your favorite multimedia enhancing/‘doctoring’ program (like a Photoshop or a sound/video editor) to create your ‘evidence’! Maybe you have ‘pictures’ of me being ‘abducted by oversized turnips’ or ‘video’ of me ‘dancing with a three-legged gorilla.’ Be creative!”

You go, Aiken, get down with your bad self!


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, MSNBC.com, American Idol, tabloids

Clay Aiken...Do you want to know a secret?

By RockysMom:

Anyone else remember that old Beatles song that goes...

Listen...do you want to know a secret?
Do you promise not to tell?
Closer...let me whisper in your ear....

A little while ago, on Clay's birthday,the night before the start of the JNaT... I was eating dinner and my computer went to screen-saver...the first picture that came up was of Clay during his Atlanta audition. That day when his life....and so many of ours as well...changed forever. And I thought that if I could go back in time to that day and somehow manage to whisper in the ear of that innocent, hopeful, unsuspecting young man and tell him of some of the things the future held for him....what secrets would I share? What would I whisper in Clay's ear?

Would I whisper that even though you've just been told that you don't look like a pop star (and you'll hear that line again...and again) you will become one. You will set records of some type with virtually every recording you release. Your latest CD will see your first efforts as a lyricist and you're Executive producer on your new Christmas EP. You'll be a sought after guest on TV shows, both for your singing ability and your humor, charm, and quick-wit. Just the fact that you've changed your hairstyle will have the entertainment shows buzzing for weeks.

You will tour seven times in the next four years. No one from the show....even those with more CD sales or more radio airplay will match your gross ticket sales....well over 28 million dollars before you've been in the business for even 4 years. And that's not the only traveling you'll be doing...you'll fly everywhere from London to Slovenia to Malaysia to Uganda. You'll even get to spend some time in Santa Monica.

Now,about this American Idol thing....you're going to see women in the audience when you do these TV shows....they'll be holding signs with silly sayings and wearing T-shirts with your name and face on them and screaming when you look in their direction. Try to get used to them because they're not going to go away. Not a chance (even when you're wishing they would because they just ripped the grass out of your mama's lawn again).They are going to drive themselves crazy trying to get tickets to every single television show you appear on. And you're going to be on a lot of them. Not just singing,either. Your quick wit and sense of humor is going to make you a favorite guest because not only do you "bring" every live singing performance,but you're funny and entertaining "on the couch" as well. Just one word of advice here though....be careful where you put your hands....you don't know where some people's mouths have been.


Do you remember that girl that beat you at the audition in Charlotte? That girl named Quiana Parler? You'll get to know her better in Hollywood. Not only will she become your back-up singer (yes, you heard me right) but she will become one of your closest friends. You'll even become Godfather to her first-born child, a beautiful little boy. And the friends you take with you to Hollywood....Nick and Kristy? Nick will become your personal assistant for a while when you try to adjust to living in LA and the pressures of stardom. And Kristy will be in charge of your foundation for the inclusion of special-needs children.

Yes...you heard that right too. YOUR foundation, started with contributions from those craz....enthusiastic women you'll see in the audience. And that won't be the only way you'll get to make a difference....you'll be a UNICEF ambassador and serve on a Presidential committee for people with disabilities. You'll publish a book and set up summer camps. If you're concerned that following your dream to Hollywood might mean losing your chance to help those children you care so deeply about...don't be. You'll be doing wonderful things that will help children all over the world. Why,just by writing a post in your blog, asking your fans to help, you will be able to raise over $70,000 in a few days for children in a war-torn nation(And by the way....those two little words "He Blogged" will be a cause for celebration in your nation....the word "soon"-not so much).

And you'll be able to help your mom too...by the end of 2003 you'll have paid off her mortgage. And you'll buy Brett another Firebird to replace the one you had sell. What's that? No....you won't be living at home with your mom. You'll have a brand-new custom built 2 million dollar, 9,000 square foot home of your own not too far away though. You'll be taking WRAL and ET on tours of it. It will hold the many awards you've received and include mementos of your trips for UNICEF. You'll share it with friends and family and your beloved four-legged "kids".

But those won't be the only lives you change. Those obsess..craz..enthusiastic fans of yours....their lives will forever be changed by you as well. They'll form their own message boards and have vaults where they'll keep their "Clack"....you don't know what that word means now, but you will. You'll learn all their words and habits and you'll tease them about them endlessly and they'll love you even more for doing it. Those vaults will hold every bit of audio or video of you that they can get their hands on. Remember when you sang GBoF when you were in the Raleigh's Boy Choir? They'll have that. And your high school production of "Oklahoma". And that little bit of song you just sang in there a few minutes ago? That will be there as well. They'll proudly tell you that you had them at that first word "Take" and the title of that song...."Always and Forever"....it won't be just a song title. It will become their promise and their pledge to you.

They'll develop computer skills they never would have dreamed of...they'll become incredible photographers and become able to take videos under some pretty unusual circumstances. They'll discover a new way to share your shows with each other using their cell-phones. They'll find that they have the talent to write funny skits about you and your friends and your dogs and themselves. But most importantly...they'll develop friendships they never would have been blessed with if you hadn't come into their lives.They'll fly across the country just to see you perform live and meet and travel with people that they only know by name on the Internet. They'll wait for hours in the cold or the rain or blistering heat just for the touch of your hand. Even though many of them will be old enough to be your mother (and don't let that fool you) you'll make them feel as though they're 12 years old again with their very first crush. You'll bring smiles to their faces,joy to their souls, love to their hearts, and tears to their eyes.

Why tears,you ask? Because they want the best for you, always and in all things and they won't always be able to give that to you. Because you hate to disappoint them and they'll be times when they'll watch you sing to them when you shouldn't even be out of bed...you'll be barely able to stand,much less perform a show. But perform for them you will...and sing flawlessly and be hysterically funny to boot. And then there will be times when they'll be forced to read and watch and listen to all manner of vile lies being told about you and not be able to stop them. But those lies and that hatred will only draw them closer together....they'll become more than just a fandom, they'll be a family. And those dark days are when their love for you will shine the brightest and they'll reach out to let you know that they are there for you "unconditionally". And you will feel that love and they'll pray that it's helped you cope, if only for a little while.

So go get ready for your drive back home to North Carolina now, Atlanta Clay. Take off that piece of paper that has the number "5230" emblazoned on it and tuck it safely away somewhere.

And prepare for the ride of your life....while we do the same.

Take care Clay....you mean the world to me and so many others. Always remember....you are so very dearly loved.


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, A Thousand Different Ways, The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, UNICEF, WRAL

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