Clay Aiken

Template:Infobox musical artist 2Clay Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom on November 30, 1978) is an American pop singer who rose to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract and his debut album Measure of a Man was released in October 2003. Based on album sales, he has become the most successful second-place finisher in that show's history. Aiken also has the second highest total CD sales out of all the American Idol alumni.

Biography

Early years

Clay Aiken, who changed his last name from Grissom to his mother's maiden name, was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a young boy, Aiken trained with the Raleigh Boychoir, and later performed with a local Raleigh band, "Just By Chance". He attended Raleigh's Leesville Road High School before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Although his American Idol activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken graduated with a bachelor's degree in special education in December of 2003. He found his interest in special education while directing YMCA children's camps as a teenager; at age 19 he served as a substitute teacher for a classroom of students with autism at Brentwood Elementary School. While attending college in Charlotte he took a part-time job as an assistant to a boy with autism, and it was this child's mother, Diane Bubel, who urged him to audition for American Idol.

American Idol

Television viewers' first glimpse of Aiken came during the audition episodes at the beginning of American Idol's second season. The show's judges first saw Aiken as a nerdy type unlikely to be any kind of idol, but they were immediately impressed once he began singing Heatwave's "Always and Forever". The clip of the judges' surprise during this audition performance was replayed many times over the course of the competition.

Aiken made it to the round-of-32, but was cut from the show on his first try, a performance of Journey's "Open Arms". He finished third in his semifinal group of eight behind eventual winner Ruben Studdard and eventual third-place finisher Kimberley Locke. However, during the "wild card" round, Aiken's well-received performance of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" propelled him into the final 12. Within the first few weeks (aided by a makeover from the show's producers), Aiken and Studdard emerged as the clear favorites of both the judges and the fans. While Aiken was especially noted for his performance of ballads, such as the dramatically-lit rendition of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire", his upbeat performances, including The Foundations' "Build Me Up Buttercup", were also met with considerable enthusiasm from the voters.

On 21 May, 2003, Aiken came in a close second in the contest, with Studdard winning by a narrow margin--just over 130,000 votes out of more than 24,000,000 votes cast. The result was somewhat controversial as some hypothesized that Idol's voting system was incapable of handling the number of attempted calls, thereby possibly yielding a random result. In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season of American Idol, Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed for the first time that Aiken had led the fan voting every week from the Wild Card week onward until the finale, when the possibly-random voting result gave Studdard the win. Though officially Aiken was the show's "first runner-up," he has since gone on to be the second season's best-selling star.

The single "Bridge Over Troubled Water"/This Is the Night", released June 10, 2003, was RIAA certified platinum on July 15, 2003. Debuting at #1 on both the "Billboard Hot 100" and the Hot 100 Single Sales Chart, it was the fastest-selling single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" and the best-selling single of 2003. It was the first CD single to go platinum since 2002, when Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" sold a million copies after being out for over a year. The single also topped the charts in New Zealand where it was certified platinum, and went six times platinum in Canada.

2003-2005: Measure of a Man

On October 14, 2003, Aiken released his first solo album, Measure of a Man, which debuted at #1 on the "Billboard 200" and was, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years, and to date the highest debut of any Idol. The album received RIAA Double Platinum certification November 17, 2003 (a Double Platinum plaque was presented to Clay by Clive Davis on October 21, 2003, during Good Morning America) and has sold more than 2,750,000 units to date. The album spawned both the hit single "Invisible" and his first hit song, "This Is the Night". Later that year, Aiken won the Fan's Choice Award at the American Music Awards ceremony, and his CD single "This Is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" won the Billboard award for the Best-selling Single of 2003.

Aiken appeared in numerous television specials during the winter of 2003, including Disney's Christmas Day Parade and The Nick At Nite Holiday Special, where he sang a duet with Bing Crosby via special effects. The song was "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth", which was originally sung by Crosby and David Bowie on a 1977 Christmas special.

From February to April 2004, Aiken embarked on the "Independent Tour" with Kelly Clarkson, winner of the first American Idol contest. He was also scheduled for only a few summer tour dates, but high demand ultimately led to the booking of fifty dates across the United States, culminating in what many fans called the "Not-a-Tour." Disney's Aladdin Special Edition 2-Disc DVD was the exclusive sponsor of Clay's Summer Concert Tour. Each concert previewed Aiken's rendition of "Proud of Your Boy", a song originally intended for the first release of the film but cut when the Aladdin storyline changed during production. A music video, featuring Aiken, is presented on the Aladdin Special Edition 2-Disc DVD. He also performed a duet on Kimberley Locke's debut album released in May 2004, titled "Without You".

In November 2004, Aiken launched his third tour of the year, which revolved around a Christmas theme. "The Joyful Noise Tour", sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities, featured a conductor and a 30-piece orchestra. In some cities, Aiken was supported by the local philharmonic or symphony, such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Local choirs from high schools and elementary schools participated at each concert. "The Joyful Noise Tour" was well attended, with sellouts or near-sellouts at every venue.

That same month, Aiken also released a holiday album entitled Merry Christmas With Love, which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era (since 1991). The album debuted at #4 on the "Billboard 200" and tied Céline Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of Billboard magazine. "Merry Christmas With Love" sold over 1,000,000 copies retail in 6 weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004, receiving RIAA Platinum certification on Jan. 6, 2005. At the same time Aiken made the New York Times Best Seller List, debuting at #2, with his "inspirational memoir" entitled Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, written with Allison Glock, published by Random House. In December 2004, Aiken starred in his first TV special, titled A Clay Aiken Christmas, with special guests Barry Manilow, Yolanda Adams, and Megan Mullally. He was also Executive Producer for the Christmas special, which was released on DVD later that month.

In February 2005, Aiken played the role of Kenny, a cafeteria worker whose job was in jeopardy, on the sitcom Scrubs. In May, he helped Oprah Winfrey fulfill the "Wildest Dreams" of Nebraska twins with learning disabilities headed for college and appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil concerning bullying among teens. During the summer of 2005, Aiken, along with a seven-piece band and three back-up singers, toured part of North America with the "Jukebox Tour," performing songs of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, as well as a few favorites from Measure of a Man. He also tested a few songs which may appear on the next album.

In September 2005, Aiken was a celebrity guest of designer Kenneth Cole during the Fashion Week shows in New York City. Cole provided a tuxedo and accessories for Aiken to wear during his appearance as a guest reporter for The Insider later that month at the 2005 Emmy Awards. The outfit was then donated, along with a number of other items worn by celebrities at the Emmys, to the Clothes Off Our Back charity auction, where the tuxedo, cufflinks, and shoes sold for a combined total of $27,250. The Emmy appearance with The Insider was followed by several more guest reporting stints on the show.

In early November 2005, Aiken launched his second Christmas tour. The 2005 Joyful Noise tour featured a series of vignettes, written by Aiken, which told the story of an older woman who has lost the Christmas spirit and a young boy who helps her find it again. A cast of actors, dancers and back-up singers traveled with the tour, and members of local theatre groups were added in each venue for smaller, non-speaking roles and crowd scenes. The tour opened in Vancouver, Canada, on November 2, and ended in Clearwater, Florida on December 30.

2006: A Thousand Different Ways

Aiken made a surprise appearance in the star-studded Season 5 finale of American Idol. Failed auditioner Michael Sandecki returned to the show to receive a "Golden Idol" award for Best Impersonator for his Clay Aiken-like appearance. During the middle of his victory serenade, Aiken walked out, debuting a new look, joining him in "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". The entrance brought the crowd to their feet, and Sandecki was left speechless.

Aiken's third album, A Thousand Different Ways, was released September 19, 2006. He worked on the album under the guidance of Canadian producer and A&R executive Jaymes Foster. The album contains ten cover songs, and four new songs, one which Aiken co-wrote. Debuting at #2 on the Billboard chart, Aiken is the 4th artist ever to have his first 3 albums debut Top 5 and scan over 200,000 in the first week. Clive Davis is credited with the covers concept which some critics and reviewers are panning. Promotion for the album has been focused on daytime and late night television appearances. Aiken will take a break from album promotion in December to appear with various local symphony orchestras in their Christmas shows as a replacement for LeAnn Rimes. Album promotion is set to resume with a tour beginning early in 2007.

Charitable work

Apart from his music career, Aiken has been dedicated to advocating for education and for children's causes. His interest in autism issues led him, along with Diane Bubel (whose son Michael is autistic and was tutored by Aiken), to found the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers. The BAF runs summer camps which reflect this mission, and also presents Able to Serve awards to support the volunteer efforts of children with physical and mental disabilities. The BAF was presented with a $500,000 grant from the US government to develop a curriculum for inclusion to be used in schools across the country. In addition State Farm has granted $1.5 million dollars to The Bubel/Aiken Foundation to help develop a primary education curriculum focused on teaching social and life skills through service to children of all levels of ability.

Aiken has donated his time and his voice to multiple benefit events and concerts, including the 2004 Rosalynn Carter Benefit, the America's Promise Benefit, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (where he sang a duet with Heather Headley). He was one of the celebrity readers for the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook (Stories for Heroes Series)," which benefits the BAF and other charities, and served as spokesperson for the series. He was also a spokesperson for the 2004 Toys for Tots drive, and is an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®). In addition, Aiken donated his clothes from his American Idol March 11, 2003 "I Can't Help Myself" performance to the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh.

In 2004, he was appointed United States Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador, with a mission to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a primary education. Through his work with UNICEF, he participated in the NBC4 telethon, which raised over $10 million, and recorded public service announcements in support of South Asian tsunami relief. He later recorded a video, featuring the song "Give a Little Bit," to be used as a public service announcement (PSA) to raise money for tsunami victims.

In March 2005, UNICEF sent Aiken to tsunami-stricken Banda Aceh area to raise awareness for the need to restore education quickly to the children who survived this disaster, in order to provide stability in a time of great loss. In April 2005, on behalf of UNICEF, he appeared before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations. In May 2005, UNICEF sent Aiken on another mission, to northern Uganda, to witness the plight of children called "night commuters," who flee the villages each night to sleep in streets and shelters in hopes of avoiding being kidnapped by the Lord's Resistance Army [LRA].

Aiken was the 2005 spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF drive. In May 2006 he visited Middlesex Middle School in Darien, CT - the No.1 school fundraiser in the country, accepting a check on behalf of UNICEF and to thank the students for their efforts.

In September 2006 Aiken was appointed to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the President and the Secretary of The Department of Health and Human Services on matters relating to programs and services for persons with intellectual disabilities. Appointees serve a two-year term and Aiken was sworn in September 14, 2006 by HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Wade F. Horn, Ph.D.

Philosophy

While Aiken has recorded no contemporary Christian songs since American Idol, his pre-Idol demo albums each included several CCM and gospel songs. He has also sung a few CCM songs at concerts, and his Christmas tours, featuring both secular and sacred songs, have become an annual tradition. In his book he described a journey away from his Southern Baptist roots in search of a religion with more liberal social policies, and a return to that church on the strength of family and social ties. He described himself as a proud Southern Baptist, although remaining at odds with the church on some issues. Aiken was featured in Christian Music Planet as an "American Idol Christian" and in a cover story in January/February 2005. A performance of the Commodores' "Jesus is Love" earned Aiken and Ruben Studdard a standing ovation at the American Music Awards in 2003, but as a recording artist he has chosen to stay within the pop genre. His public philosophy, geared towards inclusion and service to others, is expressed in primarily secular terms.

Controversies

• In a July 2003 article in Rolling Stone Aiken discussed accidentally running over his kitten, saying, "There's nothing worse to me than a house cat. When I was about sixteen, I had a kitten and ran over it. Seeing that cat die, I actually think that its spirit has haunted me. I wasn't afraid of cats before. But now they scare me to death." In November 2003 PETA, based on Aiken's comment, drafted an ad featuring Triumph the Insult Comic Dog promoting neutering—by way of saying that it “didn’t hurt Clay Aiken” to have his balls cut off. Behind the scenes Aiken's attorneys stepped in and the ad campaign was never launched. "We're in a slight holding pattern. We're always flexible," PETA spokeswoman Ingrid Newkirk told the New York Daily News. "We got a lawyer calling and our lawyers said maybe we can work something out, make the ad evaporate, and put a leash on the insult dog."
• In July 2005, WRAL reported that after acquiring tax documents, critics mounted an internet campaign questioning how Aiken's foundation, the Bubel Aiken Foundation used its money. WRAL news investigated the claims and provided this statement: "WRAL asked an independent accountant to break down the numbers, who pointed out that program services totaled $920,000 -- around 85 cents on every dollar donated -- which is considered a solid percentage compared to other charities." .
• Aiken has been the subject of gay jokes by Conan O'Brien, Kathy Griffin, and Mad TV, among others. While a few communities among his internet fan sites speculate about his sexual orientation , many do not. In an interview with Rolling Stone in July 2003 Aiken stated that he is not gay. When he appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 7, 2004, he lampooned such speculation in the opening monologue, which featured him as a member of a gay men's chorus. Aiken has also been the subject of tabloid speculation and in early 2006, The National Enquirer launched a new series of tabloid stories alleging proof of a liaison with another man. Aiken describes the jokes and gossip as "...like having a gnat in your nose. You just want to kill it. It becomes unfortunately a negative part of what you do, and you need to kind of live with it. But if you could get up your nose and kill it, you would do it."

In September 2006 Aiken sat down for televised interviews with Diane Sawyer of Good Morning America, Lara Spencer of The Insider, Larry King (Larry King Live), and spoke to People magazine (October 2, 2006 issue) to discuss the rumors about his sexuality.

When Sawyer asked if he was ready to come out he laughed and said that would not make any sense as it was preposterous for him to do that. He also told Sawyer that he was done answering questions, it was no one's business and those were the type questions he thought were rude. When Sawyer asked him about the prurient stuff on the Internet purporting to be from him he said "Even though stuff I read about me in the magazines isn't true... it still makes me lose sleep." He said he hurts, not just for his mother, and he doesn't know why people are offensive.

In his televised sit-down with Lara Spencer she asked if he was ready to set the record straight about his sexuality. Aiken replied "I'm just not commenting anymore. There's no point, I've answered before (Rolling Stone, 2003). I feel like a kid who is in trouble in school and is called in, did you do this? did you cheat on that test? and, of course no, but it doesn't matter what you say." Spencer asked him if reading the speculation in the tabloids upset him. Aiken replied "At first it's a little bit painful, a little bit harmful, you know, to see that and think, 'Oh God there actually are gonna be people who see that and believe this,' which is preposterous." He went on to say it was painful for his mother to see such outrageous and fabricated stories.

Aiken told People "It doesn't matter what I say. People are going to believe what they want. I don't like having crap spread about me to everybody. But I've kind of unfortunately come to know that it's part of what I'm doing."

Discussing the tabloid stories with Larry King Aiken said the people who know him know the stories are not true.

• On August 4, 2006 Jeannie Holleman filed a lawsuit against Aiken, his mother and others for more than two million dollars. In her lawsuit, filed August 4, 2006 in Wake County Superior Court, Holleman alleges that Aiken, his mother and others defamed her and conspired to depress sales of her "vanity press" published, "unauthorized tribute to Clay Aiken and his passionate fans": "Out of the Blue – 'Clay' it Forward." In addition to seeking monetary damages, she is asking the court to order Aiken to retract his critical comments or to endorse Out of the Blue on his official Web site and write an introduction for the book and sell it at his concerts for at least five years.
• In a statement issued August 7, 2006 through his record company, RCA, Aiken said "As a so-called 'celebrity', I have become used to scurrilous allegations and untruths being made about me and my work. I have always taken the path of not reacting to these matters and have accepted them as, somehow, coming with the "job". However, I cannot, and will not, stand by when these attacks are made on my family and my charity. So, I have instructed my attorneys to not only vigorously dispute the claims that have been made but to also pursue all possible remedies against those involved in the perpetration of these untruths."

Fans

Some of Aiken's fans have been referred to as "Claymates," a name that originated on the message boards during the second season of American Idol. However, the term is not embraced by all within the fandom and some portion of the group has been criticized at times as being obsessive, both in the media and by Aiken himself. In most cases, however, Aiken defends his fans as just being "enthusiastic". Another variation for Canadian fans is "Claynadians" and for Asian Clay fans, "Claysians." Male fans began their own group and call themselves "The ClayDawgs". The umbrella name including all of his many fan groups is "The Clay Nation." The fandom includes a wide range of ages.

Aiken was voted the Favorite Reality Star of 2003 by TV Guide readers, and “the most-loved reality star of all time” in a TV Guide poll conducted in the summer of 2005.

In February 2006, Aiken was voted "Favorite American Idol" by People Magazine with 69% of the vote.

Tours

File:Clay Aiken JNT poster.jpg

Clay Aiken JukeBox Tour poster

2003: The American Idols Live! Tour

• 40-City U.S. Tour (July - August 2003)
• Two-month arena tour starring American Idol 2 finalists.

2004: The Independent Tour, co-headlining with Kelly Clarkson

• 40-City U.S. Tour (February - April 2004)
• Kelly and Clay opened and closed the concert on alternate dates. Each concert ended with a duet of Journey's "Open Arms".
• The opening act was The Beu Sisters.

2004: The Not a Tour 2004 Summer Solo Tour

• 50-City 2 hour U.S. Tour (July - September 2005)
• The "2004 Summer Tour"'s official sponsor was Disney, marking their first sponsorship of a concert tour.
• At each concert a video was shown that previewed Clay's performance of "Proud of Your Boy", which was included in Disney's DVD re-release of "Aladdin"; the video also featured the work of the DisneyHand and Bubel-Aiken Foundation charities.
• Opening acts were Cherie for the first half of the tour and Ben Jelen for the second half.

2004: The Joyful Noise Tour

• 28-City Holiday concert 2 hour concert (November - December 2004)
• Featured 30 piece orchestras as well as both adult and children's choirs invited from each host city
• The "Joyful Noise Tour"'s official sponsor was Ronald McDonald House Charities.

2005: The Jukebox Tour

• 26-City tour of cities mostly in the eastern U.S. and Toronto (July - September 2005)
• 2 1/2 hour show including music from each decade from the 50's to the 2000's, including some current and future releases planned by Aiken.
• Over 70 songs were included in this concert, some incorporated as medleys from each decade.
• There was no opening act; however, each of the 3 backup singers contributed a solo and some spotlight segments to the concert.

2005: The Joyful Noise 2005 Tour

• 36-City, 40-Concert U.S. and Canada tour (November - December 2005)
• The concert featured a traveling cast of actors, singers, and dancers, as well as a supporting cast recruited from each host city, to provide the theatrical component that threaded together the musical performances.
• The opening act and contributing musician was pop-classical pianist William Joseph.

Awards and nominations

File:Clay Aiken - Billboard Awards.jpg

Aiken singing at the 2003 Billboard awards

American Music Awards

• 2003: Won - Fan's Choice Award
• 2003: Nominated - Favorite Male Artist - Pop or Rock

Billboard Awards

• 2003: Won - Best Selling Single of 2003 - "Bridge Over Troubled Water / This Is The Night"
• 2004: Won - Best Selling Christmas Album - Merry Christmas With Love
• 2005: Won - Best Selling Christian Album - Merry Christmas With Love

New Music Weekly Awards

• 2004: Won - Top40 Male Artist of the Year

American Christian Music Awards

• 2005: Won - Outstanding Yule CD - Merry Christmas With Love

Discography

Albums

Album information
File:MOAM albumcover.jpg	Measure of a Man Released: October 14, 2003 Peak Chart Positions: #1 US U.S. sales: 2.8 million Worldwide sales: 4 million RIAA Certification: 3x Platinum (November 17, 2003)	Singles Released Invisible The Way I Will Carry You
File:MCWL albumcover.jpg	Merry Christmas with Love Released: November 16, 2004 Peak Chart Positions: #4 US U.S. sales: 1.4 million Worldwide sales: 2 million RIAA Certification: 1x Platinum (January 6, 2005)	Singles Released n/a
	A Thousand Different Ways Released: September 19, 2006 Peak Chart Positions: #2 US U.S. sales: 324,983 [1] RIAA Certification: TBA	Singles Released Without You

Singles released to retail

Retail Singles information
	Bridge Over Troubled Water / This Is The Night Released: June 10 2003 Peak Chart Positions: #1 US Debut RIAA Certification: 1x Platinum (July 15, 2003)
	The Way / Solitaire Released: March 17 2004 Peak Chart Positions: #4 US U.S. sales: 322,000

Videos released to retail

Video information
File:Acac cover.jpg	A Clay Aiken Christmas Released: Dec 10 2004 RIAA Certification: Gold (December 9, 2005)

Singles charting on radio

• 2003 "This Is The Night"
• 2003 "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
• 2003 "Invisible"
• 2003 "The First Noel"
• 2003 "Silver Bells" featuring Kimberley Locke
• 2004 "The Way"
• 2004 "I Will Carry You"
• 2004 "Solitaire"
• 2004 "Winter Wonderland"
• 2004 "Hark the Herald Angels Sing / O Come All Ye Faithful"
• 2004 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
• 2004 "Mary, Did You Know?"
• 2004 "O Holy Night"
• 2006 "Without You"

See also

• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors

External links

Official websites

• Official Clay Aiken Fan Club website
• Official RCA website
• Template:Myspace
• Clay Aiken at IMDb

Fansites

• Clay Nation News - newsletter subscription
• Finding Clay Aiken - with a listing of Clay related sites