Memories of AI2: Top 12-- Our Very Own Sugar Pie Honey Bunch

On March 11 and 12th, 2003 American Idol 2 aired it's Top 12 with a Motown theme. Lamont Dozier was a guest judge. Clay brought magic to American Idol that has not been there since. His voice and his personality melded to together for a Tour de Force to be reckoned with. The whole show had an innocence. A bunch of kids trying out for their dream. These days it's seasoned professional looking for their last chance break. Whatever happened on AI2, the manipulation and unfairness that went on, I will never regret the show that gave us Clay.


Performances:
1. Kimberley Locke- "Heatwave"
2. Josh Gracin- "Baby I Need your Lovin' "
3. Charles Grisby- "How Sweet It Is"
4. Kimberly Caldwell- "No Where to Run"
5. Ricky Smith- "1-2-3"
6. Julia DeMato- "Where Did Our Love Go?"
7. Clay Aiken- "I Can't Help Myself"
8. Vanessa Olivarez- "Keep Me Hanging On"
9. Corey Clark- "This Old Heart of Mine"
10. Carmen Rasmussen- "You Can't Hurry Love"
11. Trenyce- "Come See About Me"
12. Ruben Studdard- "Baby I Need Your Lovin' "


Contestants each had a profile before their performance. Clay segment gave us the first insight into his humanitarianism with his words, "It's important that I make a difference in some way. If it's performing and touching someone that way, that's great; if it's being a teacher and helping some kid understand something, that's even better ... it's not necessarily how I make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do."


~Performance of "I Can't Help Myself"~


It's obvious from the beginning that Simon does not really get Clay. The Broadway comments start this night.

Transcript of the judges' comments:
Randy: Clay, Clay, Clay, what's up dawg? what is up, Clay... what's up, man...
Clay: I have no idea...
Randy: Let me tell you how I felt about that - you get the standin O, dawg, brilliant, baby, brilliant man.
Paula: What's so much fun to watch about you, Clay, is you have this confidence about you, that you're just goin, I can't believe, the second he walks out here, you're just like, "yeah just another day and I'm on American Idol, it's no big deal...
Clay: (laughing, shaking head) A whoa...!
Paula: ...I'm just gonna sing and I'm gonna sing the best I can
and it's no big deal"
Randy: brilliant, dawg...
Paula: It's amazing! It really is!
Clay: Thank you so much.
Paula: Thank you!
Clay: Noooo, thank you!!
Lamont Dozier: Clay, you look like you've already arrived, you look like a professional,
Clay: Aww, thank you so much...
Lamont: ...you look like you've been doin it for years, and that's the look of a star.
Clay: Thank you so much, thank you very much, Mr. Dozier.
Simon: Prepare to duck... I thought you sounded very good, but if I'm being honest, I thought that performance was Motown the musical.
Randy: Naw, come on, baby, don't even go with it, Clay, he don't know what he's talkin about...
Paula: Boooooooo
Randy: Booooooooo


Related Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, AI2, Can't Help Myself, Sugarpie Honeybunch, Lamont Dozier, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul