Clay Aiken and the Tried and True Tour had a day off on Thursday as they made their way from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Waukegan, Illinois.  The Friday concert at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan is the 17^th stop on the successful tour that began on February 10^th.

Although Clay was not performing on Thursday, there were three great article about his musical career and the Tried and True Tour.

Founded in 1872, The Republic in Columbus, Indiana is one of the oldest family-owned newspapers in the country. The Republic focuses on its unique role as the provider of in-depth coverage and analysis of local news affecting the lives of readers in Bartholomew and surrounding counties.

On March 3^rd, The Republic, published a short article and interview with Clay by Glenn Gamboa, a writer for Newsday.

NEW YORK — For Clay Aiken, it’s all about being comfortable.

After a slight adjustment period, the former special education teacher from North Carolina who shot to prominence on “American Idol” in 2003 has come to terms with his post-“Idol” life.

“I really loved the TV aspect of ‘American Idol’ and the idea of doing something different for people every week,” said Aiken, calling from a tour stop in Pittsburgh. “In high school, I would always say, ‘I can do other things, too.’ That’s followed me into adulthood. … I have a lot of different irons in the fire.”

Aiken’s current priority, aside from his 2-year-old son, Parker, is his current “Tried and True” tour.

Q: “Tried and True” features songs from the ’50s and ’60s. How did you get an attachment to songs written before you were born?

A: The biggest reason is my mom. She loved that music and would sing these songs around the house. … Another reason is that in that era people really sang well. They were singers instead of artists where the producer makes them sound like a robot the whole time.

Q: It should make for a different tour than your last one with Ruben Studdard.

A: It lets me be more flexible. We even let the audience take a song and choose the style. We had a calypso style the other night. … The important thing for me is to make sure the songs all fit the show and feel like they’re from that era. We even take contemporary songs and give them a lush, orchestral arrangement. … We’ve done “Invisible” that way, and even “Footloose” and “Baby One More Time.”

Q: You don’t have a record label at the moment.

A: The industry is more interested in immediate hits rather than careers that last. If I was going to sign a deal, it would be a short-term one, not for multiple albums. I don’t really want to be in the studio as much right now. I love touring. I love what I’m doing.

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“Feat of Clay” was the title of an article written by Rich Lopez.  He writes for the Dallas Voice: The Premier Media Source for LGBT – Texas.  This interview and article is interesting and Lopez writes in a casual, relaxed way.  He did ask some personal questions, but Clay let him know immediately that he did not choose to talk about his personal life.

Lopez wrote a great deal about Clay’s involvement with GLSEN.  He wrote:

“I think that I chose to work with GLSEN more vocally than other equality organizations because it hits home more,” he says. “All the organizations are incredible, but I got picked on growing up as a kid. For being a nerd, for being gay before I knew I even was. And I still get picked on. Being a celebrity doesn’t protect you and it can be worse when it’s more public.”

Aiken says that without any sign of whining. He focuses less on what people are saying about him (there is a lot out there that’s not-so-nice, starting when he was still an American Idol contestant) and is more interested in directing his attention to anti-bullying causes and making schools safe.

Be sure and read the entire article.  Mr.Lopez had a great conversation with Clay and it is an interesting article.

You can see it at: DALLASVOICE

The AZ Central.com is the internet section of The Arizona Republic.  In anticipation of the Tried and True concert on March 10^th, Randy Cordova interviewed Clay and wrote an article about the  tour, Clay’s singing career and even asked some questions about TV and Radio.

Cordova  asked Clay about an article from Perez Hilton.  Clay’s answer was  great:

Q: Speaking of the record biz, Perez Hilton just reported that you lost your record deal.

A: It’s very inappropriate to believe anything you read on the Internet. We finished this particular album for Decca, and now we’re working on what our next steps will be. We never had any extremely long-term plans with this label.

Q: What do you think of the way the media writes about you?

A: We have got this 24-hour news cycle. People have to have it first, like Perez, without getting anything from me, without waiting to get confirmation. It used to be people just read the newspaper and watched the news at 6:30, and you had 24 hours to get it right. People don’t take the time to find out what’s really happening anymore, because they have to get it out really quick.

You can read the entire article at azcentral

It is important that we comment at these articles when we can.  It is important to let the site and author know that Clay still will bring hits to their site.  It is also a way to thank them for a positive Clay mention.