December – 2004 had to be one of the most hectic months in Clay Aiken’s life. He was on tour, he had his own special on TV and he made the rounds of the talk shows to chat and sing.
On December 6, 2004, Clay made an appearance on The Tonight Show. He had a great talk with Jay Leno and sang a wonderful rendition of “Mary, Did You Know.”
Jay asked Clay about his Thanksgiving holiday. Clay told him that there were over 30 people who celebrated at his home. This was the interview when we learned about Clay’s relationship with Tupperware and about the importance of glass milk bottles. Remember?? Six bottles, all lined up perfectly!! Clay was clever, well spoken, interesting and very funny.
Clay brought along a video of his throat and showed us his vocal cords…..well, it was different.
Clay was introduced after Kevin Spacey, and instead of starting off by talking to Jay, he began by singing. Clay’s voice showed beauty and power and his love of the lyrics was obvious. It was evident that Clay had completely recovered from the illness he had suffered recently. There was obviously no vocal chord damage from his infection.
As always, Clay was dressed in his own style. His brown plaid pants and blue blazer stood out from the others. All and all, it was a wonderful visit as Clay was able to show his intense and stirring side as he sang and then his humorous, light banter and a set of slightly bruised vocal chords up there on the screen for all to see!
I think the video of “Mary, Did You Know?” shows one of the best performances I have seen or heard.
I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks so much for this blog Martha. What a fantastic year for Clay! I have watch these on YouTube over and over. He has actually had a fantastic life (Ups & downs). It's been a pleasure watching Clay mature into such a wonderful young man. Still anxious to hear what is next for him.
Love this video, Clay is so adorable and love him singing this song, one of my favorites. Thanks Martha.
Thank you so much for posting this memorable video! I know Clay is readjusting his life right now, and hope to see him back into the limelight, In the meantime, reliving all the special memories we have of him is enough for now. Have a wonderful holiday to all my fellow Claymates, please keep in touch.
2004 was a very busy year! Many TV appearances besides his Christmas special, including SNL & the talk show circuit. In addition, he did the first JNT, the Independent Tour with Kelly Clarkson late Feb. -mid April and the NAT in the summer. Also for a good part of the year, he was probably working on "Learning to Sing" w/Allison Glock, as it was published Nov. 16 & debuted at #2 on the NY Times best seller list. He has to be one of the hardest working Idol grads ever & the most versatile male! I believe 2004 is when he was appointed UNICEF ambassador. Thank you for the wonderful MDYK video & Leno memories & highlights! So proud to be a Clay Aiken fan! Christmas time certainly holds very special memories of Clay's multi-talented journey.