HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Awwww

Halloween Creativity By Clay Aiken Fans


Pumpkin posted by Clays Ohio Wannabe Mom


Pumpkin posted by my2shadowz


Pumpkin posted by tiffer66


Pumpkin posted by clayladylei


Pumpkin posted by GodBlessedClay


Pumpkins posted by ncsupack88


Technorati Tags: Clay Aiken, Pumpkin, Halloween

Too Lost In You

Featured Montage by the incredibly talented rcknrllmom of Clayversity.

"Too Lost In You" sung by Cosima


Warning: Hotness factor: Elevated



Lyrics

You look into my eyes
I go out of my mind
I can't see anything
Cos this love's got me blind
I can't help myself
I can't break the spell
I can't even try

I'm in over my head
You got under my skin
I got no strength at all
In the state that I'm in

And my knees are weak
And my mouth can't speak
Fell too far this time

[Chorus:]
Baby, I'm too lost in you
Caught in you
Lost in everything about you
So deep, I can't sleep
I can't think
I just think about the things that you do
I'm too lost in you

Well you whispered to me
And I shiver inside
You undo me and move me in ways undefined
And you're all I see
And you're all I need
Help me baby (help me baby)
Help me now

Cos I'm slipping away
Like the sand to the tide
Flawing into your arms
Falling into your eyes
If you get too near
I might disappear
I might lose my mind

[Chorus]

I'm going crazy with love for you baby
I can't eat and I can't sleep
I'm going down like a stone in the sea
No one can rescue me

[Chorus]



Technorati Tags: Clay Aiken, Montage, Too Lost In You, Lyrics, Cosima

Sales--Fall Releases from Idol Contestants

I'll be tracking some of the Idol contestants album sales numbers (Soundscan)that are released this Fall. So far Clay and Ruben have released their third albums, and Mario Vazquez, Idol dropout, released his first album. I'll be updating as soon as I have first week sales for the rest of the Fall releases.

Note: Both Mario (Top 10) on Top 40 and Ruben (Top 2) on Urban AC have radio hits. Clay has not been promoted to radio by RCA.

Clay Aiken- A Thousand Different Ways (Third Album)
First week: 211,234 (#2)
TTD: 366,138 (Fifth Week)

Clay Aiken- Merry Christmas With Love (Second Album/Christmas)
First Week: 270,010
TTD: 1,189,295 (as of 4/23/06)

Clay Aiken- Measure of a Man (First Album)
First Week: 612,859 (#1)
TTD: 2,742,989 (as of 4/23/06)



Ruben Studdard- The Return (Third Album)
First Week: 70,501 (#8)

Ruben Studdard- I Need An Angel (Second Album/Gospel)
First Week: 96,389
TTD: 437,114 (as of 4/23/06)

Ruben Studdard- Soulful (First Album)
First Week: 416,569
TTD: 1,780,823 (through 4/23/06)


Mario Vazquez
First Week: 11,812 (#80)
TTD: 27,000 (Fourth Week)

Ayla Brown*
First Week: 300 (per Ken Barnes Idol Chatter Blog)
*Independent label release


Schedule of other Idol related releases:
Kellie Pickler Oct 31
Chris Daughtry Nov 21
Katharine McPhee Nov 28
Taylor Hicks Dec 5
Fantasia Dec 12
Jon Peter Lewis Nov 7 (Independent release)



Technorati Tags: Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Mario Vazquez, Ayla Brown, Album, Sales, Idol Contestants, Fantasia, Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler

Good Deeds Unacknowledged

Last month Clay Aiken was one among twenty new officers sworn in to serve a two-year term in the U.S. President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The committee acts in an advisory capacity to the U.S. President and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on matters relating to programs and services for persons with intellectual disabilities.

It's unfortunate not more of the good works done by Clay and other celebrities is reported in the mainstream media, not only media darlings like Angelina Jolie, but the countless others who work to support causes that could use some positive press to bring awareness. Our culture seems to be very tabloid-centered, negative, and often times cruel. Why are not the good things done by celebrities worth a mention? Why do we only hear about punches thrown at paparazzi, drunken outings, car wrecks, break-ups, hook-ups, one-night stands etc? Why don't we ever hear about what might make a difference? Why is it that we only hear about Clay's "crazy" blue-haired fans when with a little research the media could report on how Clay Aiken fans support the BAF, Beads For Life, UNICEF because Clay Aiken brought awareness to the cause? Why not report something positive? I guess it is just too much fun to ridicule what you don't understand. Only one show that Clay recently guested on mentioned the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, and that was Jimmy Kimmel Live. It was a quick mention, but good for Jimmy. It's a honor worth mentioning. I know Clay will do a good job for a cause that is so close to his heart.

Clay Aiken's Bio posted on the committee's website is as follows:

Clay Aiken became an international sensation in the wake of his appearance on the hit television show, ‘American Idol.’ In spite of his growing stardom, Aiken has remained steadfast in his desire to remain true to the simple values he learned as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I still live in the town where I grew up,” he says. “I like surrounding myself with people I know and love.” It is this authenticity that his millions of fans have responded to, an almost supernatural earnestness that feels unconventional in the cynical world of today. While the accolades that followed his stunningly close second-place finish on the second season of American Idol have validated him in ways that he never could have dreamed of, it is the charitable work that his musical career has enabled him to do that means more to him than anything else these days. Mr. Aiken created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation in 2003, an organization that promotes and funds educational and recreational programs for children with special needs. “I worked with Mike Bubel, who has autism, when I was going to school at UNCC,” says Mr. Aiken. “His mother was very instrumental in encouraging me to get into this business.” The Foundation remains close to the singer’s heart at all times. “My music career has allowed me to do the same thing I was doing before—work with kids with disabilities,” he says. “It has given me a big stage to talk about the same things I always cared about. I don’t get to be as hands-on with the kids anymore, but I do get to work toward enacting change on a much larger scale.” Also important to Mr. Aiken’s life as a humanitarian is his work as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Since 2005, the singer has been passionately committed to supporting the organization’s education programs. Not only has Mr. Aiken testified before Congress urging the government to allocate more funds for UNICEF’s global work for children, he has also traveled to Indonesia and Uganda to see the devastating conditions affecting millions of the world’s children first-hand—disease, malnutrition, kidnapping, and war, chief among them. “You just cannot believe how some of these kids are forced to live,” says Mr. Aiken. “It’s truly heartbreaking, yet many people don’t even know these conditions exist. I am hoping to shed light on some of these problems and so that more resources can be allocated to help make things better.” Mr. Aiken’s upcoming album A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS expresses the many different kinds of love in the world, including his deep love for his fellow man, particularly the littlest ones among us. Where did such a driving need to help others come from? “The need for help!” he answers matter-of-factly. “You know, my mother has always been someone who urged me to help people in need. Maybe that’s it. I don’t think it’s something you can learn. It’s just something you do.”

The bio used by the government site is from the RCA Press Biography, but it is nice to see that some people will read some good things about Clay Aiken because God knows we won't be reading them in the press. **click the link for the whole biography**





Technorati Tags: Clay Aiken, Biography, President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Jimmy Kimmel, Media

Getting Better Looking As Time Goes By

I've been away so haven't been able to update my blog. Due to time constraints, this one will be mostly a pictorial, not that anyone should mind.

I was hoping for more print media promotion for A Thousand Different Ways. When a man photographs like a model, it is crime not to share the beauty. Luckily we had a People feature which gave us this:


and this


Here are some pictures that didn't make the magazine:







A creative fan did come comparison People Magazine pictures:









Some people, like fine wine, just get better and better with age.

TechnoratiTags: Clay Aiken, People Magazine

Numb3rs: Week 2

Hits Daily Double

A Thousand Different Ways Sales:

% stores reporting/units sold

.64% ....... 164
1.61%......3,206
14.61% ...19,983
17.06% ...21,400
19.78% ...22,048
21.19% ...22,783
22.60% ...23,071
26.37% ...25,166
37.26% ...42,950
41.80% ...43,790
41.87% ...43,790
41.93% ...43,790
55.80% ...53,322
57.74% ...56,385
74.34% ...62,776
84.31% ...80,381
100.0% ...80,381

Drop-off rates of artists debuting 9/18/06 (thanks to beachgal):

CLAY AIKEN RCA/RMG-- 80,381 -61%
FERGIE A&M/INTERSCOPE-- 72,102 -55%
DIANA KRALL VERVE-- 47,964 -48%
KENNY CHESNEY SBMG NASHVILLE/BNA-- 43,645 -69%
CHINGY CAPITOL-- 32,696 -56%
ELTON JOHN ROCKET/UNIVERSAL-- 22,551 -53%
JESSE MCCARTNEY HOLLYWOOD-- 17,455 -67%

Official Soundscan Numbers:

Week 1: 211,234 (#2)
Week 2: 74,053 (#8)

Drop from last week: 65%

Total sales: 285,766

Tags: Clay Aiken, Hits Daily Double, Sound Scan, Sales, Numbers, A Thousand Different Ways, Week 2