A few years ago, there was a cute tweet on Clay’s page….

99% sure @clayaiken is sitting across from me on the subway right now…Do I tell him I loved his cover of “When Doves Cry” back in 2004?!

Response on twitter!

Corinne…Clay rides the subway a lot in NYC.  I bet it was Clay!  And…thanks for mentioning When Doves Cry. (From Clay?)

  This tweet made me get on my computer and hunt  for some information about Clay Aiken and his performances of When Doves Cry, a favorite song by Prince.  It ended up being a really great evening!  It was fun going back to 2005. I found a great article that I hope you enjoy as much as I do.    The Jukebox Tour stopped at the Clio Amphitheater on August 13, 2005.  The Flint Journal wrote a nice review of Clay and the concert:

Aiken Croons and Claymates Swoon at Concert

FLINT JOURNAL REVIEW CLIO

By Misty R. Gower 

CLIO – In 2003, he captured the hearts of gals ages 7-70. In 2005, he’s captured the soul of five decades of rock ‘n’ roll.

“American Idol” standout Clay Aiken brought his Jukebox Tour to the Clio Area Amphitheater on Saturday night, singing rapid-fire snippets of hits from the 1950s to ’90s to a crowd of about 2,500 at the 3,100-seat venue.

Make that a crowd of about 2,475 women and 25 men, a lopsided fan base that didn’t go unnoticed by Aiken.

“I know you’ve either been bribed, threatened or tortured to be here,” he told the men in the audience.

From the time Aiken stepped onto the stage dressed as The Fonz, licking his thumbs and bumping a “malfunctioning” jukebox with his forearm, the Claymates were on their feet and screaming.

Fans sat silently only when Aiken belted out ballads, the only songs he sang in their entirety throughout a 2 1/2-hour show that felt like part Broadway musical and part rock ‘n’ roll history lesson.

Aiken – decked out in costumes from each era – introduced each decade of songs with a narration about what was going on in the world at the time and who touched the nation’s hearts with their music.

Of course, the 26-year-old crooner wasn’t shy to admit that his vast knowledge of each decade wasn’t firsthand.

“Truth is, I was a fetus in the 1970s,” he said to a roar of laughter.

Covering the 1950s and ’60s during the first hour of the show, Aiken embraced the aw-shucks corny factor that made him a star on Season 2 of “Idol” – think judge Simon Cowell telling him to never dance again – and he ran with it, knowing that each shake of his tush and wink of an eye would send the crowd into a frenzy. A jump on the piano during “Great Balls of Fire” had women fanning themselves.

In addition to seeing Aiken’s ever-improving dance skills and his ability to play the piano, fans got to hear quite the range in his voice, often amazing listeners with low tones that many didn’t know he had.

He adapted well to the style and sound of each artist whose songs he sang, but in true “American Idol” fashion, he, well, made it his own.

He also unselfishly helped his fantastic band and three phenomenal backup singers make things their own, often singing backup for them.

But there was no doubt that Aiken was the heartthrob star of the show. His grinding dance with a backup singer during his version of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” during the ’80s segment had many swooning.

“This is too much for my heart,” said Jean Roman, 65, of Toledo, who had never attended a concert until Aiken stole her heart on “Idol” in 2003. The Clio show was the third Aiken concert she had attended in a week.

It was Aiken’s six-song set of his own works at the end of the show that garnered the biggest applause of the evening, proving that while he has built a 2005 tour around songs of the past, he’s going to have plenty of fans in the future.

~~~~~ 

SueReu put together a great video of Clay singing When Doves Cry.

The video is from the Independent Tour!

The beginning has a bit of a shake, but the singing is amazing.

And…the shaking stops too!!

Did you get to see Clay sing When Doves Cry Live?