On December 13, 2012, the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee published a fun article about Clay Aiken. Clay was about to present his Christmas concert at the Northern Lights Theater, Potawatomi Bingo Casino so the site presented some fun information about Clay in their Tap Milwaukee site. The article was written by Piet Levy who is the Journal Sentinels’s music writer. He has also been published in USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post. The article included a great picture and three wonderful videos.
Clay Aiken’s Three Favorite Christmas Songs
by Piet Levy
Besides his appearances on “American Idol” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” (on both of which he famously, and unjustly, came in second place), Clay Aiken has earned a reputation in recent years as a musical Mr. Christmas, thanks to the success of 2004 album “Merry Christmas With Love,” (the fastest-selling Christmas album documented by Nielsen SoundScan), and by performing old holiday standards on several different tours across the country.
“I say sometimes to people that I was born about two decades too late for my musical style,” Aiken told me in a recent phone interview. “Christmas music is timeless…and my voice fits the older-sounding, crooner-type stuff.”
This year’s holiday tour comes to the Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Bingo Casino Dec. 16 (local Claymates have already snatched up all the tickets). As he’s done in the past, an orchestra of Milwaukee musicians will provide Aiken with musical backing, and a handful of real-life holiday stories will be shared, including a couple that happened to and will be read by locals.
And of course, there’ll be a lot of Christmas songs. We asked Aiken to name his favorites, and while he says they typically “change from minute to minute and day to day,” he said there were three he loves to perform the most.
1. “Don’t Save it All for Christmas Day” – “I do it at the end of the show every night. The message is so valuable and important. We’re so friendly around the holidays, we get shoes for homeless people and are nicer usually, and then January comes around and we forget about that stuff. That song is about not letting that happen.”
2. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” — “We change some of the chords and we do a different version of it. I never loved it as a kid, but the producer that did the song for me in ’06, the arrangement of it is spectacular, and I love it for that reason.”
3. “The First Noel” — “It’s the first Christmas song I recorded, for the ‘American Idol’ Christmas album. Again, the producer did a really great job of it. Especially on this tour with the orchestra, its got this really triumphant and incredible brass choir that happens at the end. The brass section just blows the roof off. I love the sound.”
I wonder what three songs Clay would pick today?
What are your three favorite “Clay” Christmas songs?
What a fun article. I am glad you found it. So, only 3 songs? I enjoy them all.
As a trumpet player, I also enjoy the brass in The First Noel, but then vote for All Is Well and The Christmas Waltz.
Thank you for giving us some fun info everyday. I appreciate it all.
Fun info…so my favs??? Hmmm
O holy Night is right up at the top. Also love Grown Up Christmas List and All Is Well
Thanks for this!
1. Mary Did you Know
2. Merry Christmas With Love
3. Oh Holy Night.
I love Clay singing Christmas. Then again, I love Clay singing anything.
My favorites to hear him sing are the ones that showcase the resonance in his voice. Gets me every time.
Some of my favorite songs, they're all so beautiful, have the Christmas CD in my car, also All is Well. Thanks for all your posts Musicfan. Bless you..
My Grown Up Christmas List, Don't Save It All for Christmas Day, Mary Did You Know and all the other songs on Clay's Merry Christmas With Love and All Is Well cd. For me, Christmas will never be complete without Clay's Christmas songs. I just hope he'll do another Christmas concert maybe next year and God willing, I maybe there to watch and hear him sing live… Thanks Martha!!!
Those are my three favorites also. Nice pick. Just like you, I love the entire album.
Love the new title design and Clay's picture on it. Have it as wallpaper on my computer at the office as well…
Any song that CLAY sings is my favorite.It would be unfair of me to choose 3, when ALL of his songs make you love them He puts his all in whatever he sings or does. Makes you love him & his singing all the more.Not just his holiday songs ,but whatever song comes out of his mouth.
Just want to add, whatever song he sings is a JOY TO THE WORLD.
Amen!!!!
1. Mary Did You Know
2. Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel
3. Christmas Waltz
4. All the rest of the 2 Christmas Albums
I recall seeing Clay on the Christmas program with the other Idol performers. I was pleasantly surprised that Clay acted as the emcee for the program. I guess the producers were aware even back then that Clay had something special.
The First Noel
The First Noel
The First Noel
hee
Thx for posting the vidoes!