Tonight, Clay Aiken will be in Carmel, Indiana as part of the entertainment for The Entertainment Encore.  This event is a benefit for the Center of the Performing Arts.

The program, hosted by multi-platinum selling artist, Michael Feinstein, is the inauguration of the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame.

Michael Feinstein

According to the Feinstein Initiative:

The Hall of Fame will elevate the Great American Songbook, much like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame have done for their respective musical genres. The Great American Songbook Hall of Fame will induct new members annually. The Palladium concert hall in Carmel, Indiana serves as the official home of the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative and the Hall of Fame. The awards will be displayed in the south lobby on the gallery level of the Palladium concert hall. Plans exist for the construction of the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame Museum and Archive on the campus of the Carmel, Indiana-based Center for the Performing Arts.

Award categories include:

Legend: Awarded posthumously to an artist who made a significant contribution to the Golden Age of American popular music, typically defined as the period from the early years of the 20th century through the 1960s. Inductee: Cole Porter, 2012.

Songbook: Awarded to living songwriters, both lyricists and composers, who have made a significant impact on American pop culture by creating the most beloved songs from the American popular songbook. Inductees: Alan and Marilyn Bergman, 2012.

New Standard: Awarded to the artist, songwriter and/or performer, who continues to create the soundtrack of our lives by writing and/or performing music that will stand the test of time and become the pop standards of tomorrow. Inductee: Barry Manilow, 2012.

Michael Feinstein is the artistic director of the Palladium Concert Hall.  He will be joined by Clay Aiken to perform a tribute to Barry Manilow.  Lari White will sing hits by Marilyn and Alan Bergman, and Broadway star, Andrea McArdle will honor Cole Porter with some beautiful songs.  What an honor to be a part of the inaugural class of the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame.

Feinstein is committed to celebrating the American popular sing and feels it is important to preserve its legacy for the next generation.

Michael’s website says:

In 2007, he founded the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual High School Vocal Academy and Competition, which awards scholarships and prizes to students across the country. Michael serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.

I can’t wait to hear news of Clay’s performance in Indiana.  He will be surrounded by talented musicians and will be singing the style that he seems to like the most.

Fortunately, there are some fans that will be at the concert.  Hopefully, they will take good notes and be able to share their excitement with the rest of us.  The theater has a “no camera” policy so photos might be scarce.

 Have you ever heard Michael Feinstein sing?  If so, do you have a favorite song that he sings?

The following video is of Clay Aiken, singing the Barry Manilow hit, Mandy!  Somehow, I would rather hear Clay sing this than Barry!