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Clay Aiken -”Interesting” Articles!?!

By musicfan123 · Comments 10270(11)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fclay-aiken-interesting-articles%2FClay+Aiken+-%22Interesting%22+Articles%21%3F%212011-04-10+07%3A31%3A24musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10270
Sunday, April 10th, 2011

On Saturday, April 8th, there were some “interesting” articles about American Idol contestants.  As a popular former contestant, Clay Aiken is most often a part of these articles.  The following are a couple of different articles that were published during the last few days.

The first article is from a web-site titled Oh No They Didn’t!

American Idol’s Top 5 Alumni Based on Album Sales in USA

This article provides a list of albums recorded by alumni of the popular American televised singing competition American Idol in the post-Idol career. It only lists main albums released in the alumni’s post-Idol career. American Idol compilations , individual artist’s pre-Idol recordings, EPs, and compilation albums are not listed here. As of April 3, 2011 – US album sales (Billboard):



1. Carrie Underwood – Season 4 Winner
Total Album Sales: 12, 247,000
First album: 7,090,000 (7x platinum)     Second album: 3,180,000 (3x platinum)    Third album: 1,977,000 (2x platinum) *still charting*

2.
Kelly Clarkson – Season 1 Winner
Total Album Sales: 10,633,000
First album: 2,745,000 (2x platinum)     Second album: 6,160,000 (6x platinum)    Third album: 815,000 (platinum)  Fourth album: 913,000

3. Chris Daughtry – Season 5, Fourth Place
Total Album Sales: 6,044,000
First album: 4,795,000 (4x platinum)     Second album: 1,249,000 (platinum)

4. Clay Aiken – Season 2, Runner-up
Total Album Sales: 4,960,000
First album: 2,785,000 (2x plantinum)   Second album: 1,416,000 (platinum)   Third album: 531,000 (gold)   Fourth album: 165,000   Fifth album: 63,000

5. Fantasia Barrino – Season 3 Winner
Total Album Sales: 2,758,000
First album: 1,793,000 (platinum)          Second album: 530,000 (gold)     Third album: 435,000 *still charting*

6. Ruben Studdard (Season 2 Winner) - 2,562,000  (NO. 7) David Cook (Season 7 Winner) - 1,345,000  (NO. 8) Kelly Pickler (Season 5, 6th Place) – 1,318,000  (NO. 9) Jordin Sparks (Season 6 Winner) – 1,216,000  (NO. 10) David Archuleta (Season 7 Runner Up) - 1,078,000

For the entire article, click HERE

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol_alumni_album_sales


Another fluff piece was found at The Hollywood Reporter.  This site decided that American Idol’s need help with their clothing.  The April 8th article is titled:

10 Worst “American Idol” Performance Outfits

The site lists the “chosen” Idols and includes a slide show to see the outfits.  Be sure and stop by and see the entire article.  HollywoodReporter

The following is what they said about Clay:

10. Clay Aiken “Always and Forever” (Season 2)

If anyone was screaming for a stylist, it was Clay Aiken. Randy Jackson even told him to work on it, and Clay didn’t improve much in Hollywood. But if anything, this early audition clip proves that even a bad fashion choice like a hideous striped shirt can’t hide raw vocal talent.
Comments 10270(11)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fclay-aiken-interesting-articles%2FClay+Aiken+-%22Interesting%22+Articles%21%3F%212011-04-10+07%3A31%3A24musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10270
Categories : Clay News
Tags : American Idol, Billboard, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken, Fantasia, Kelly Clarkson, Oh No They Didn't, Ruben Studdard, The Hollywood Reporter, Tried & True

Clay Aiken – It Was A News Day!!

By musicfan123 · Comments 10266(9)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2011%2F04%2F06%2Fclay-aiken-it-was-a-news-day%2FClay+Aiken+-+It+Was+A+News+Day%21%212011-04-06+08%3A25%3A58musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10266
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Popdust is a celebrity gossip site that reports on musical artists that create and perform the biggest songs in the country.

Craig Marks is the Editor-in-Chief / Co-Founder of Popdust…

Craig served as top editor of Spin and Blender magazines.  He became music editor of CNET in 2008 and was most recently Editor-in-Chief of Billboard magazine.  He has written for GQ, Details, Rolling Stone and the New York Times.

On Tuesday, this web-magazine published a fluff piece about The 15 Best Pop-Star Pet Names.  The cute article includes pets owned by Katy Perry, 50Cent, Michael Jackson and Beyonce.  Number 13 on the list is Raleigh, the cute little dog who belongs to Clay Aiken. Poor Durham!!  I hope he is not feeling left out.  Click on the following link to see the entire list.  POPDUST


Tuesday there was an expose published on the Internet about American Idol, 19 Management, and the business side of being a contestant on the popular Fox Network show.  The web-site is titled:

Lee Bailey’s eurweb – Electronic Urban Report.  It concentrates on Black Entertainment and Urban News.

The article’s focus is on Jacob Lusk, a young black man who is a current contestant on American Idol.  The author, Mo’Kelly says that the information he is relating is from someone who worked a number of years for a number of different music labels within the industry.

Mo”Kelly feels that not winning on American Idol is a blessing in disguise for many of the Idol contestants.  He feels strongly that Jacob Lusk has the potential and talent to win, but that it would not be a good business step for him to be tied with 19 Entertainment.

In the article, Mo’Kelly says”

Presently, the winner and runner-up are required to sign an exclusive management contract with 19 Entertainment (a producer of American Idol) and variations of that agreement (for lesser money) are also offered to top finalists.  The key distinction is offered versus required!

The article is rather long and is filled with some strong suggestions about the difficulities the young singers have to face.  The following are a few interesting points made by the author.

*  Industry estimates are that Idol winners make anywhere from $650,000 to more than $1,000,000 in their first year.

*  The contracts for the winner and runner-up lock them into a 7-year deal, more than twice that of any average, first-time management contract.

*  The contract locks the artist into ancillary marketing, royalty and licensing deals which allow 19 Entertainment the ability to make money off the artist for as long as 10 years.

For Clay Aiken fans, the most interesting part of the articles says:

What has been less discussed is Aiken’s successful lawsuit to be released from his 19 Entertainment contract and subsequent ban from all Idol-related events.

Althought the article focuses on Jacob, it is full of interesting bits of news for all readers who are interested in American Idol and the singers who are the contestants.  You can read the entire album at eurweb.

I loved reading the following announcement.  Quiana Parler is a musician who supports young people and is trying to make the world a bit easier for them.  I wish I could be in Charleston tonight.

The College of Charleston Upward Bound program will present the Third Annual Jazz Benefit Concert on April 6, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. The concert will be held in Physicians Memorial Auditorium.

All proceeds will be used to help the Upward Bound program sustain the residential summer program and provide scholarship assistants to graduates.

Jazz vocalist Quiana Parler will be the featured artist. Parler’s legendary band will include Chuck Dalton; Lonnie Hamilton III; Jamie Harris; James T. Rollerson; Richard White and Joe Wilson.

The Upward Bound program is a college preparatory program designed to give students the skills and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high school. Since 1975, the College of Charleston Upward Bound program has provided special academic and cultural opportunities for students who have expressed an interest in pursuing a post-secondary education and have demonstrated the potential for success in college. In most cases, these students will be the first in their families to earn a college degree.

For additional information contact Upward Bound at 843.953.5249.


Comments 10266(9)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2011%2F04%2F06%2Fclay-aiken-it-was-a-news-day%2FClay+Aiken+-+It+Was+A+News+Day%21%212011-04-06+08%3A25%3A58musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10266
Categories : Clay News
Tags : 19 Management, 50Cent, American Idol, Beyonce, Billboard, Clay Aiken, College of Charleston, Craiag Marks, Fox Network, Jacob Lusk, Katy Perry, Lee Bailey's eurweb, Michael Jackson, Mo'Kelly, Outward Bound, Popdust, Quiana Parler, Rolling Stone, Tried & True

Clay Aiken – Yes…We Can!!

By musicfan123 · Comments 10169(16)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fclay-aiken-yes-we-can%2FClay+Aiken+-+Yes...We+Can%21%212011-01-17+07%3A08%3A36musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10169
Monday, January 17th, 2011

Are you a fan of Clay Aiken?  Do you want to know why you should seriously consider becoming an active member of FaceBook, Twitter, and YouTube…why it is important that you read and comment at blogs and articles about Clay?  If you read the following information, I hope you will see why it is paramount that we all participate in the social/digital world of a musician.

On July 20th, Big Champagne unveiled The Ultimate Chart at the New Music Seminar in New York City.

The purpose of the Ultimate Chart is to update old methods that were used to track the popularity of songs and artists. For years, Billboard charts have ranked musicians by sales only. The Ultimate Chart uses everything from Amazon downloads and YouTube/Vevo views to Facebook fans and Twitter followers to provide the music industry a chart for the digital age.

Eric Garland, the CEO of Big Champagne said:

“For the first time this is getting beyond but not leaving behind traditional sales and airplay. What we’ve tried to do is take everything we know about the ways in which artists and their fans connect and put that into one measure, so that we really know where we stand.”

Big Champagne’s partners and sources for the Ultimate Chart include retailers, online and traditional broadcasters (radio and television), major content companies, subscription services, social networks and other venues where fans demonstrate their passion for music. These include: Yahoo! Music, Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, VEVO, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, MTV, ClearChannel, MediaBase, AOL, Napster, Microsoft Zune, We Are Hunted, LastFM and many more.

Data provided by Big Champagne is being used by major music companies to make decisions about signing artists and promoting music online and to radio stations.   Broadcasters use Big Champagne to help determine the list of songs performed on commercial radio and music television.

Tamara Conniff is the Founder/Editor of The Comet and a former Billboard Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher.  She is a huge fan of the Ultimate Chart:

“This chart is long overdue and represents for the first time an 
accurate view of where popular music is today. Music is not just about sales, it’s about interaction—listening, watching, playlisting, evangelizing and socializing. The Comet will be publishing the Ultimate Chart and using Big Champagne’s data for analysis, prediction, and consumer trends.”

The following chart is an example of how Big Champagne comes up with their figures.  It does seem like a more concise way of measuring celebrity relevance in the entertainment field.

The Ultimate chart is the up and coming way to compare the relevancy of stars.  It is being posted at many of the top music webpages.

I thought a chart that compares some FaceBook and Twitter numbers would help to see the big picture.  The Facebook column is the number of friends and the twitter column is the number of people following the singer.

I have read on many of the Clay Aiken boards that many of his fans are a bit afraid of FaceBook and Twitter.  Well, I think it is time for each of us to get signed up and get counted for supporting Clay.  It doesn’t cost anything and if you are afraid of privacy issues, sign up as whatever name you want and don’t add any information you don’t want to.  And, use it only to support Clay.

If there are those who don’t know how to use the sites, lets set up a “Twitter for Dummies” site and another for FaceBook.  Perhaps someone can host a thread at each board.  AND, if all else fails, send me a message and I will set up something here.

Do you have any suggestions??  Is this something we can work on as a huge group?  If you believe that this information is important, please pass the word around.  Post the chart, copy some of the important facts or, if you have permission, leave a link.  I never ask this, but today, I feel this information should be shared.

Comments 10169(16)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fclay-aiken-yes-we-can%2FClay+Aiken+-+Yes...We+Can%21%212011-01-17+07%3A08%3A36musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10169
Categories : Clay News
Tags : Amazon, Big Champagne, Billboard, Clay Aiken, Clear Channel, Decca Records, Eric Garland, FaceBook, iTunes, MySpace, Tamara Conniff, The Comet, The Ultimate Chart, Tried & True, Twitter, Vevo, Youtube

Clay Aiken – Still Holds The Record

By musicfan123 · Comments 10091(10)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fclay-aiken-still-holds-the-record%2FClay+Aiken+-+Still+Holds+The+Record2010-11-16+09%3A11%3A34musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10091
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Today is an anniversary of sorts in the ClayNation.  On November 16, 2004, Merry Christmas With Love, Clay Aiken’s first Christmas album was released by RCA.

The beautiful holiday album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart with first week sales of 270,100 units.  This fete gave Merry Christmas With Love the biggest debut week sales figure for a Christmas album since the Soundscan era began in 1991.  Additionally, the album opened at #4 on the U.S. Billboard 200.  This chart tracks all album sales regardless of genre.  These numbers give Merry Christmas With Love the highest debut for a holiday album since Celine Dion’s album six years earlier.

Amazingly, the album is still has the highest debut sales of a holiday album in Soundscan history.  No one has beaten the record yet! Merry Christmas With Love reached platinum in only 6 weeks.  The album has sold over 2 million units worldwide.

Clay received many awards for MCWL.

Billboard Awards:

  • 2004: Won – Best Selling Christmas Album
  • 2005:  Won – Best Selling Christian Album

American Christian Music Awards

  • 2005: Won – Outstanding Yule CD

Even with all its success, Merry Christmas With Love had mixed reviews by the critics.  All of them enjoyed Clay’s voice, but a few thought the album was to “old-fashioned”…. ?!?

Christmasreviews.com had a great review of the album.  The author, a self-professed AI junkie, wrote a detailed review that included:

… Aiken has released Merry Christmas With Love, a lovely, heartfelt holiday card to his millions of adoring fans. The release definitely plays to Aiken’s strengths; this is no frivolous pop froth. Aiken sings these Christmas classics with the gusto of a seasoned holiday music icon, somewhat reminiscent of Sinatra or Como. Aiken is often compared with Harry Connick, Jr., and it’s a fair comparison. The arrangements are relatively straightforward, and Aiken’s stylings are old-fashioned, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Although Aiken’s clean voice is accompanied by considerable engineering magic and background vocals, the production is largely restrained and tasteful. No annoying gimmicks clutter the fine music here.

Clay is in great company when you see the list of the best-selling Holiday albums of the different years in 2000.  I tried to find as many numbers as I could for each album, but I was not able to find all the details for all the albums.  The following are the numbers that I could find.

  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2000 was Dream a Dream, by Charlotte Church. The album went platinum after 2 seasons.
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2001 was  Now That’s What I Call Christmas, by various artists. The album went platinum in two seasons
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2002 was Now That’s What I Call Christmas, by various artists.  See 2001
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2003 was Harry for the Holidays, by Harry Connick, Jr. The album went platinum during the second holiday season.  It reached #12 on the Billboard Charts.
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2004 was Merry Christmas with Love, by Clay Aiken.
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2005 was The Christmas Collection, by Il Divo.  The album charted at #12
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2006 was Wintersong, by Sarah McLachlan. 20,000 units sold the first week.
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2007 was Noel, by Josh Groban.  It sold less than 70,000 the first week, but exploded after a performance on Oprah.
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2008 was Noel, by Josh Groban.  It is 5 times platinum.
  • The best-selling Holiday album of 2009 was My Christmas, by Andrea Bocelli. It sold approximately 100,000 the first week.

Clay’s debut sales figure might be challenged this year.  Susan Boyle’s new holiday album, The Gift will get great numbers.  We should get the totals today.  Mariah Carey also has a new album, Merry Christmas II You.  Sales are predicted to be around 56,000.

It is amazing that Merry Christmas With Love by Clay Aiken is still holding the record for most holiday albums sold in the debut week.  I am glad that so many people loved the album.

Do you have a favorite song from the album?

The information for this article came from Reality TV World, Billboard, Amazon, Wikipedia and Paul Grein at Chart Watch.

Comments 10091(10)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fclay-aiken-still-holds-the-record%2FClay+Aiken+-+Still+Holds+The+Record2010-11-16+09%3A11%3A34musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D10091
Categories : Clay News
Tags : American Christian Music Awards, Andrea Bocelli, Billboard, Celine Dion, Charlotte Church. Susan Boyle, Christmasreviews.com, Clay Aiken, Decca Records, Harry Connick Jr, Il Divo, Josh Groban, Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas With Love, RCA, Sarah McLachlan, SoundScan, Tried & True

Clay Aiken – Skilled In The Art Of Juggling

By musicfan123 · Comments 9973(4)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F08%2F05%2Fclay-aiken-skilled-in-the-art-of-juggling%2FClay+Aiken+-+Skilled+In+The+Art+Of+Juggling2010-08-05+07%3A54%3A19musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9973
Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Juggling…verb:  to manage or alternate the requirements of (two or more tasks, responsibilities, activities, etc.) so as to handle each adequately:  juggling the obligations of job and school.

Clay Aiken seems to to be skilled in the act of juggling. He has so many tasks at this time it is amazing that he can keep them all under control.

One of the tasks is the DVD – Tried and True: Live.  The DVD was recently released and great news was published by the Associated Press.  According to Soundscan, the DVD is a hit.

The Associated Press,
(AP) Weekly charts for the nation’s most popular videos as they appear in next week’s issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission:

Top Music Video Sales (Compiled from a national sample of sales reports)

1. “Beyond The Lighted Stage,” Rush.

2. “The Best Of The Hoppers: From The Homecoming Series,” The Hoppers

3. “360 Degrees At The Rose Bowl,” U2.

4. “London Calling: Live In Hyde Park,” Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.

5. “Tried And True: LIVE!” Clay Aiken

6. “Live At Madison Square Garden,” Bon Jovi.

7. “Live In Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour,” Michael Jackson.

8. “Stones In Exile,” The Rolling Stones.

9. “When You’re Strange,” The Doors.

10. “Number Ones,” Michael Jackson.

Copyright 2010, Nielsen SoundScan, Inc

You can see the entire video list at CBS LOCAL

Another part of the juggling act is Clay’s new song for Disney.  Called I Believe We Can, the song is part of an episode of Phineas and Ferb.  Titled Summer Belongs To You, the entire project is getting a great deal of publicity from Disney and news about the show and song has been on most of the mainstream entertainment site.  The entire soundtrack for the show was made available this week at I-Tunes.  Have you purchased it yet?  For more information,  visit Wikia Entertainment


As most of you know, Clay is in the middle of a 17 city tour.  The Timeless Tour with Ruben Studdard is a huge success and is being heavily promoted at most venues.  The tour will visit the MGM Grand – Foxwoods on August 7th.  Susan Podhajski, a correspondent for ctpost.com, wrote an article about the concert and included a nice interview of Ruben.

They sang their hearts out and tried to out-perform one another while winning the hearts of millions seven years ago on TV’s “American Idol.”

Now, “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard  and Clay Aiken are sharing a stage once again — the two will perform their “The Timeless Tour” Saturday at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort and Casino.

To read the entire article, visit ctpost

The PBS special,The Clay Aiken: Tried & True ~ LIVE! started being shown throughout the USA this week.  In most cases, telecast of the program is being used as a part of the fall pledge drives for the individual stations.  If you want to support the station, the stations have different gifts that are given to supporters who donate.  Most of the stations offer a copy of Tried & True CD and the DVD.  Clay was able to visit many of the PBS stations to tape pledge breaks that are run during the telecast.  It’s always fun to see and hear Clay chat about his work.

A selected number of stations will have tickets to the new Tried & True:LIVE tour that is scheduled for February and March.  Two of the areas that are including tickets are East Tennessee and Miami.  They posted some information this week that is fun to read.

American Idol star Clay Aiken will return to the Tennessee Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011.

Aiken’s live concert special, “Tried & True,” will air on East Tennessee Public Television at 8 p.m. this Thursday, Aug. 5. Filmed at the Memorial Auditorium in his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, the special is a preview for the upcoming tour. Aiken will perform standards from the ’50s and ’60s with a full orchestra. The special airs again at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8.

Tickets for the Tennessee Theatre show go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 6, at the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Tickets Unlimited outlets, by phone at 865-656-4444 and online.

Posted by Randall Brown on August 4, 2010 at 10:14 AM.  You can visit the site at News Sentinel

Clay Aiken Live In Concert at Adrienne Arsht Center

The Premier Guide – Miami has a wonderful article about the concert on February 10th.  They also included a short bio about Clay.  You can read the article at  Premier Guide.

The juggling isn’t over………In October, Clay has a concert in Chicago and then flies directly to Raleigh for the National Inclusion Project Gala.  I wonder what else he will add the the activity list!!

Don’t forget that tonight, Clay and Ruben will be performing in Windsor, Ontario tonight.  I hope all his Canadian fans have a great evening.

Comments 9973(4)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F08%2F05%2Fclay-aiken-skilled-in-the-art-of-juggling%2FClay+Aiken+-+Skilled+In+The+Art+Of+Juggling2010-08-05+07%3A54%3A19musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9973
Categories : Clay News
Tags : Adrienne Arsht Center, American Idol, Associated Press, Ben Cohn, Billboard, Casey Thompson, Clay Aiken, Decca Music, Disney, I Believe We Can, MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort and Casino, National Inclusion Project, PBS, Phineas and Ferb, Quiana Parler, Randall Brown, Ruben Studdard, SoundScan, Summer Belongs To You, Tennessee Theatre, Timeless Tour, Tried & True, Tried & True Live

Clay Aiken – Always In The News

By musicfan123 · Comments 9903(7)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fclay-aiken-always-in-the-news%2FClay+Aiken+-++Always+In+The+News2010-06-30+07%3A47%3A07musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9903
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Each day there seems to be new articles that mention Clay Aiken. Some are excellent, informative articles that report about what he has been doing or, perhaps, what is in his future plans.  Then there are the rumor sites that take one sentence and take it out of context and use it as a headline.  An example of the latter is the over 100 sites on google that are claiming that Clay wants to replace Simon Cowell on American Idol.  It really is crazy, but I guess it means that his name still equals hits!!

The UPI is a legitimate news source. Their web page says the following about their organization:

Since 1907, United Press International (UPI) has been a leading provider of critical information to media outlets, businesses, governments and researchers worldwide. UPI is a global operation with offices in Beirut, Hong Kong, London, Santiago, Seoul and Tokyo. Our headquarters is located in downtown Washington, DC, surrounded by major international policy-making governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Over 2.8 million unique visitors visit our web site every month and the number is rising. In December of 2008 alone, UPI.com received 6.5 million page views.

Each day UPI publishes its content directly to UPI.com, reaching an online audience that is constantly growing.

On Tuesday, Jun 29th, UPI posted the following article about co-hosts on The View.

NEW YORK, June 29 (UPI) — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kate Gosselin and Clay Aiken have signed on as guest co-hosts of the U.S. chat show “The View,” ABC said Tuesday

The show’s regular hosts are Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd.

Numerous celebrities, including actor Ferguson, reality TV personality Gosselin and singer Aiken, have agreed to fill in for the regular hosts as they take days off in June and July, Bill Geddie, the show’s executive producer, said.

Also to appear as guest co-hosts are actresses Valerie Bertinelli, Yvette Nicole Brown and Rachael Harris; Jamyce Lee, winner of the “Good Morning America” Living the Dream contest and a 27-year-old mother of three; TV personality Bryant Gumbel; political commentator/talk show host Laura Ingraham; chef Marcella Valladolid; and TV/radio personality Jacque Reid.

Interesting that the one picture they have with the article is one of  Clay Aiken.  To see the article and the picture visit UPI

Robert W. McDowell is a writer for The Triangle Arts and Entertainment site.  According to their site, it is A News Magazine Devoted To Visual and Performing Arts.

On Tuesday, McDowell wrote a nice review of the  Bringing Broadway Home concert that was held in Raleigh on June 21st.

IN “BRINGING BROADWAY HOME,” CLAY AIKEN DELIGHTED HIS FANS, BUT LAUREN KENNEDY AND QUIANA PARLER WERE SHOWSTOPPERS, TOO

Last Monday night, the North Carolina Theatre, whose gala home-grown productions of big Broadway musicals compare favorably with many of the bus-and-truck tours that play the Triangle, staged BRINGING BROADWAY HOME: CELEBRATING 27 SEASONS OF BROADWAY, a spectacular benefit concert last Monday night, featuring effervescent performances by NCT alumni Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mann, and Quiana Parler and a splendid orchestra led by frequent NCT musical director and conductor Edward G. Robinson.

Aiken is the 2003 “American Idol” runner-up and a multi-platinum recording artist who also played Sir Robin in MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT; Kennedy is a rising Broadway star, who has played Betty Schaefer in SUNSET BOULEVARD, Fantine in LES MISÉRABLES, and the Lady of the lake in SPAMALOT; and Lawrence is a television star probably most famous for playing assistant district attorney Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the ground-breaking crime drama “NYPD Blue.”

Mann created the roles of the irrepressible Rum Tum Tugger and the implacable Inspector Javert in the American versions of CATS and LES MISÉRABLES, respectively, as well as starred as the Beast in the original Broadway production of DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST; and Parler is a superlative African-American actress and singer who gave a career-making performance as troubled diva Effie Melody White in the 2008 North Carolina Theatre production of DREAMGIRLS.

Hometown favorite Clay Aiken opened the show with a rousing rendition of “Home” from THE WIZ, then delighted his legion of local fans with two saucy selections from his new album “Tried and True,” released June 1st on Decca: “Mack the Knife” from THREE PENNY OPERA and “What Kind of Fool Am I?” from STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF. Aiken also added crowd-pleasing performances of “This Is the Moment” from JEKYLL & HYDE and “Those Magic Changes” from GREASE, and sang dynamic duets of “Last Night of the World” from MISS SAIGON with Quiana Parler and “In Whatever Time We Have” from CHILDREN OF EDEN with Lauren Kennedy.

Another highlight of the evening was the delightful reprise of “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” from CAMELOT by Terrence Mann and Sharon Lawrence, who played Arthur and Guenevere in NCT’s very first production in May 1984. Mann also reprised his role as Inspector Javert with brio as he sang “Stars” from LES MISÉRABLES, and his vibrant version of “Where’s the Girl?” from THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL also earned applause.

From the moment she sashayed onstage to sing “Popular” from WICKED, wearing a rhinestone tiara and a purple boa over her little black sequined and fringed dress, with a white sash emblazoned with “Raleigh’s Own” printed on it tied diagonally across her chest, Raleigh’s own Lauren Kennedy OWNED the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium audience lock, stock, and barrel. Her perky performance continued with vivacious versions of Jason Robert Brown’s sassy “I Can Do Better Than That” from THE LAST 5 YEARS, Fantine’s (and Susan Boyle’s) showstopper “I Dreamed a Dream” from LES MISÉRABLES, the wistful “Send in the Clowns” from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and “Hold On” from THE SECRET GARDEN.

Sharon Lawrence served as an informal mistress of ceremonies and contributed a charming version of “Shy” from ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, and Quiana Parler’s solo on “What I Did for Love” from A CHORUS LINE sparkled. But even if Clay Aiken was the evening’s most flamboyant showman, his erstwhile singing partner Quiana Parler one-upped Aiken and the rest of this stellar cast with her simply fab-u-lous rendition of “(And I Am Telling You) I’m Not Going” from DREAMGIRLS. After that next-to-last number, the company’s grand finale of “Imagine” by ex-Beatle John Lennon seemed anti-climactic.

All in all, BRINGING BROADWAY HOME was a bracing program of music and reminiscences in which backstage tales were told and North Carolina Theatre founder and head honcho De Ann Jones and her son and successor, Wally Jones, were given their due. NCT is a shining jewel in this state’s cultural crown and, for one magical evening, a fabulous quintet of NCT alumni, emphatically demonstrated how excellent this critically acclaimed regional theater is as a springboard to show business fame and fortune.

The article includes nice pictures of Lauren Kennedy, Quiana Parler and a picture of Clay’s CD,  On My Way Here.

Please take a moment and give the site a visit and leave a positive comment.  It is important for the publication and Mr. McDowell to know that we support Clay and enjoy news and reports about him on their site.  You can see the article at  TRIANGLE ARTS

On Tuesday evening, the following was posted on Facebook by Universal Music Singapore:

Universal Music Singapore Gooood morning Singapore! First update of the day: To Clay Aiken’s fans. Tried and True will be available at all record store this coming July. Visit us more to find out the exact date.

It looks like the International Promo for Tried & True is starting.  Of course, sales outside the United States do not show on the Billboard sales charts, but they do count towards total album sales statistics.  RIAA recently awarded Clay a sales plaque for 6 million sales internationally.

Today is the last day of the month.  We can only hope that the buzz around Clay Aiken continues in July.  Are you ready?

Comments 9903(7)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fclay-aiken-always-in-the-news%2FClay+Aiken+-++Always+In+The+News2010-06-30+07%3A47%3A07musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9903
Categories : Clay News
Tags : American Idol, Barbara Walters, Bill Geddie, Billboard, Bringing Broadway Home, Bryant Gumbel, Clay Aiken, Decca Records, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, FaceBook, Google, Joy Behar, Lauren Kennedy, North Carolina Theatre, On My Way Here, Quiana Parler, RIAA, Robert W McDowell, Sharon Lawrence, Sherri Shepherd, Spamalot, Terrence Mann, The View, Triangle Arts and Entertainment, Tried & True, Universal Music Singapore, UPI, Valerie Bertinelli, Whoopi Goldberg

Clay Aiken – At The Very Top!

By musicfan123 · Comments 9851(13)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Fclay-aiken-at-the-very-top%2FClay+Aiken+-+At+The+Very+Top%212010-06-10+21%3A51%3A22musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9851
Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Chart Beat is a section of Billboard that posts the latest news in the world of Billboard’s definitive sales and airplay charts.  The following was a part of today’s article:

FEAT OF CLAY: With “Tried & True” becoming his fifth top 10 on the Billboard 200 with a debut at No. 9, Clay Aiken passes Kelly Clarkson for most top 10s on the tally by an “American Idol” graduate.

Carrie Underwood ranks third among the Fox TV series’ former finalists with three top 10 albums, followed by Daughtry‘s Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks and Ruben Studdard, each with two top 10s.

Aiken first appeared on the Billboard 200 with “Measure of a Man,” which spent its first two weeks at No. 1 in November 2003. He revisited the top tier with “Merry Christmas With Love” (No. 4, 2004), “A Thousand Different Ways” (No. 2, 2006) and “On My Way Here” (No. 4, 2008).

WELL DONE, CLAY!! We are all proud of your accomplishments!!

To see the entire article, visit BILLBOARD

Comments 9851(13)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Fclay-aiken-at-the-very-top%2FClay+Aiken+-+At+The+Very+Top%212010-06-10+21%3A51%3A22musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9851
Categories : Clay News
Tags : Billboard, Clay Aiken, Decca Records, Tried & True

Clay Aiken Talks With Larry Flick

By musicfan123 · Comments 9791(19)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F07%2Fclay-aiken-talks-with-larry-flick%2FClay+Aiken+Talks+With+Larry+Flick2010-06-07+07%3A51%3A23musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9791
Monday, June 7th, 2010

Larry Flick is a radio host on Sirius Radio.  His weekday show is The Morning Jolt.  It offers many genres of music and high-profile interviews with many celebrities.  The program also takes calls from listeners.

On the weekend, Larry hosts a music-driven show called Feel The Spin.  The show airs on Sundays fro 2-4pm EST.  Larry tries to present a balanced show, featuring music from current pop to classics.

Larry worked for Billboard for 14 years.  He worked his way up from being a part-time assistant to a senior talent editor.

On Sunday, Clay Aiken was a guest on Feel The Spin. Larry, who has a reputation of not always being the nicest man on his shows, shocked the Clay fans by conducting one of the best interviews with Clay ever.

The segment started with Unchained Melody from Tried and True.  Not a bad way to get started.  Larry spent almost 45 minutes talking to Clay.  Both men seemed relaxed and seemed to enjoy the conversation.  The first half of the interview was a discussion of the new album and working with Decca.  Clay and Larry also talked about Decca, song choice, and recording in Europe.

The second half of the article was an interesting conversation about Clay’s personal life.  Being a gay man, Larry seemed to understand much of what Clay has gone through in his life as he traveled a difficult path to where he is now.  Clay was upfront and seemed comfortable as he chatted and joked about life as a gay man.

The response from Clay fans was extraordinary.  So many commented on how relaxed the conversation was and how much information was talked about in a short time.  The following are a few comments that were posted on the net:

That was the best interview ever!

I think Larry truly was bowled over by how entertaining and down to earth Clay was. He said more than once…I could talk to you for hours.

This was by far the best interview Clay has ever done and LF was a wonderful interviewer. They just seemed to hit it off great.

That was the most insightful, heart wrenching, laying his life out to the public interview Clay has ever done. I’m so emotional and have such feelings right now. I admire him so much…..

I just loved the interview. At times he had me laughing and other times I wanted to cry for him. He indeed is one special person and I will continue to support him in all he does. (Even if he does not like Touch)

Clay needs to write another book. Yes, I’d run to buy it. He’s just so clever and intelligent, and he has a lot to say that could help a lot of people.

Yes it was a great interview. The interviewer was respectful and gave Clay time to answer his questions. So many of the ones who have interviewed him don’t give him time to complete his answer and jump right into the next question.

Wonderful interview! He sounded more relaxed and candid than we’ve ever heard him. He felt completely at ease with Larry, who asked intelligent questions, and could relate.
It was obvious he was a fan of Clay’s, not just pretending to like him.

One thing that worked was there was enough time to talk candidly, without watching the clock, as many interviewers have to do. It probably also helped that he, himself, was gay so he could relate to what Clay had to go through.

I wish everyone could have the time to get such an interesting, candid interview and get to know the real Clay, as Larry did. Love when he admitted he could talk to him for hours.

The Claynation let Larry know how much they enjoyed the interview.  Did you see the tweets from Larry?

And, for the record, there are other pop stars whose fans can learn a lesson about manners from Clay-mates.
about 2 hours ago via web

It’s less than 2 hours since my interview with Clay Aiken has aired, and I have been BOMBARDED by Clay-mates showing love. Wow.
about 2 hours ago via web

If you haven’t had a chance to hear this wonderful interview, you can download it at ClackUnlimited and hear the entire program.  Please don’t forget that you need to download…..don’t play if from the site.     CLACKUNLIMITED

You can now listen to the interview by clicking here:
OutQ Interview

If you want to add your thanks to Larry, you can e-mail him at:

lflick@siriusxm.com

Comments 9791(19)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F07%2Fclay-aiken-talks-with-larry-flick%2FClay+Aiken+Talks+With+Larry+Flick2010-06-07+07%3A51%3A23musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9791
Categories : Clay News
Tags : Billboard, Clay Aiken, Feel The Spin, Larry Flick, Sirius Radio, The Morning Jolt, Tried & True, Unchained Melody
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It is not always about performance art, but about receiving positive energy from people with positive spirits. Sometimes we can see someone's spirit, and those are the people with great energy. Those are the people that get me through the day, especially on Broadway. -Clay Aiken

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