I'll Stand By You

**Spotlight Video**

I'll Stand By You

~Montage by rcknrllmom~
~Song by The Pretenders~



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Reveal Me Completely

From People.com

Following the Aug. 8 birth of his son Parker, singer Clay Aiken is following through on a promise he made to himself as a new dad: to publicly acknowledge that he's gay.

"It was the first decision I made as a father," Aiken, 29, tells the upcoming issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."

Aiken says he expects the news may overwhelm some of his fans. "Whether it be having a child out of wedlock, or whether it be simply being a homosexual, it's going to be a lot," said Aiken, who returned to Broadway last week as Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot.

He adds that he hopes his fans "know that I've never intended to lie to anybody at all. ... But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me."

How He Came Out to His Family
The born-again Christian singer also reveals how he told his mother Faye he's gay four years ago. After dropping off his younger brother Brett, who was being deployed to Iraq, at Camp Lejeune, "I started crying in the car," Aiken remembers. "It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it ... I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out."

So what was his mom's reaction? "She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting." Even now, Aiken admits, "She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way."

As for his own child, Aiken tells PEOPLE that Parker – who was conceived via in vitro fertilization with his best friend, music producer Jaymes Foster – will be raised in an environment that is "accepting and allowing him to be happy."

Says Aiken: "I have no idea if he'll be gay or straight. It's not something I'll have anything to do with, or that he'll have anything to do with. It's already probably up inside the code there ... No matter what the situation you're in, if you're raised in a loving environment, that's the most important thing."



***


People Magazine has scored a two-fer exclusive with Clay Aiken. A first-look at his beautiful baby, Parker and the very big news that Clay is gay. After what must have been a long journey to self-realization in regards to his sexuality, I hope that Clay has found peace and happiness in his life.

As to be expected, reactions to the news are diverse, but the majority is very positive. Here are a few highlights:

In my eyes Clay is still a man of immense integrity. Keeping his sexual orientation to himself doesn't change that one iota. I've been a fan for a long time and I'm going to be a fan forever. I've come to appreciate and respect the man he. His kindness, his compassion, the way he gives back as often as he can and so many more qualities that right now I can't sort out.

Should Clay be reading this I want him to know how proud I am of him. I'm proud of the way he remained a gentleman despite having so many people fling mud at him. I would want him to know this fan, this fan is going nowhere. Well not necessarily true...this fan wants desperately to go to another concert. SOON. Not Clay's soon buy my soon. Say spring time 2009? Yeah, that sounds about right.

He is an amazing man, a singular talent, possessed of a blue-moon vocal ability, a genius for interpretation, a gift for comedy, a compassionate spirit and a loving heart. In service to children's causes, he embodies the concept of servant-leader. He writes with insight and humor. He's becoming a fine actor. He has crafted one of the best and most moving lyrics I have heard in the last decade, and I hope there will be many more songs that he wants to sing, because I will always want to listen.

I have to tell you that the feeling inside of me is one of happiness, relief and joy for him. I just keep thinking "the truth will set you free". After all the years of speculation, taunting, and derision...I am finally hoping that Clay can just live his life in peace. To me it's like the release of a butterfly that has been hidden in a dark chrysalis for a long time. I feel so happy for him...and I feel so proud of him for his bravery and courage at revealing this truth to the world in his own time and terms.

I just listened to "On My Way Here" today coming home from work (before seeing the People Cover). My favorite song is "The Real Me". And I love the lines..."reveal me...completely" (see my designation). That line has always resonated with me partly because I believe one of the greatest journeys as a person is the journey to be an authentic human being. To know oneself. It's not so much "finding oneself" as much as it is "revealing oneself".

Clay, you are still exactly the same man to me today that you were any other day. A humble man with an incredible voice, a man with a desire to make the world a happier and better place, a man with an unbelievable capacity to love the children of the world and do everything he can to make their lives better, a man committed to teaching others about the importance of inclusion of children of all abilities in the world around him, a man who loves and appreciates his fans, and deserves in return their love and appreciation.

Is his heart any different than it was before? Is his voice less beautiful? Is he no longer the loving, caring man he's always been--the man who truly wants to make a difference in this world?
No, he hasn't changed. He's the same man, I'm the same fan. No, I take that back--maybe I love him more.

Clay is exactly the same person he was 24 hours ago. The only difference is that he's chosen to share something deeply private that we had no business or need to know for the sake of setting the right example for his newborn son. To me, this act of sharing now is the epitome of honor, nobility and grace. It only makes me love him and respect him more. I do not care that it took him this long to do it, since it's none of my beeswax anyway. I do not feel betrayed or misled in ANY way. It does not affect his character in my eyes or the fact that he is an amazing musician and humanitarian. My life and the lives of thousands all over the world are better because of him and that's all I need to know.

After Parker was born I started listening very closely to the lyrics on the OMWH CD and "Lover All Alone" 's lyrics stood out to me...when I heard them over and over, the line at the beginning "and I was wrong all along" and at the end "but I was wrong all along" convinced me of Clay's sexuality...I am not normally very analytical with song lyrics, but I felt some revelation that, especially since Clay wrote these lyrics, that he was trying to tell that he was gay through the lyrics of this hauntingly beautiful song. To me it shows that, at first he was not sure, but eventually he had to admit to himself that he was gay... the "and" and the "but" are very telling.

Overall, a very positive fan reaction. Yes, there are some struggling with the news and hopefully they can come to terms with it. If not, it's their loss because in the end Clay is what he always was, a man of honor and integrity. A man worthy of our respect and admiration. Plus the man still sings like an angel.


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Pretty Darn Amazing

From Broadway.com

If you were taking a cab across 44th Street on September 19, chances are it wasn't cheap. With Daniel Radcliffe appearing down the block in previews for Equus, the sidewalks got even more crowded with fans and onlookers, thanks to Clay Aiken's splashy return to Spamalot. After leaving the show in April (and becoming a father last month), the pop phenom reassumed the role of Sir Robin and brought down the house with his seemingly effortless performance and an ace rendition of "You Won't Succeed on Broadway." Aiken's signed on through January 4, so if you missed him the first time, here's your chance to be impressed. And trust us, the guy's pretty darn amazing.

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Sir Robin Returns

Clay Aiken reprized his role in Spamalot this past weekend to the delight of his fans. After a four-month absence from the role, Clay resumed playing Sir Robin, a prison guard, and Brother Maynard as if he had never left.

Here are a sample of comments made on the message boards:

*He was AMAZING! For only one day of rehearsal the man did everything perfectly. He really looked like he was having the time of his life. I think he really loved being back on stage and seeing the fans. And we definitely showed him the love!

*It was so great being back at the Shubert and just being there and seeing everyone again felt like coming home. Clay has brought this family together and it was so amazing to have a reunion tonight and have everyone back together again. This is only the beginning! The next 4 months are going to be amazing!!

*He looked so happy on stage. It struck me at the very beginning and throughout the show how happy the other castmates were. Especially, Rick, Tom, Chris and some of the ensemble who were with Clay the last time. I felt again that the entire cast was enjoying the enthusiasm that the Clay fans had...not just for Clay but all of them. As each of the old cast members hit the stage, there was great applause...it was wonderful. I noticed that Clay spent a good deal of time looking at the audience as her performed. It was as if he was making eye-contact with his fans.

*Just being there again last night was magical! I've seen this show from the orchestra, the mezzanine and in SRO..... last night we chose the balcony . Let me say that it really doesn't matter where you are sitting because the excitement Clay brings to this show just fills the theater!!!

*Still flying from seeing Clay last night. It was what I needed...to laugh...to reconnect with Clay. It was good for the soul. It reminded me why I am here. When his face peeked out of that tower it was just a giddy feeling...almost close to that feeling I had at AI 2 at the concert when I was just...he is real...he is really really real...I think though this time it was he is here again...he is really really here again.

*As I entered the Shubert, the feeling of 'coming home' was overwhelming!!!! Seeing so many familiar faces in the audience, the smiles, the hugs, the hellos were like a warm blanket you could wrap yourself in.

*The house was electric before the show and afterwards in the alley. I think the cast feeds off that energy...and Clay brings so much to the show...his IT his energy...it adds that spark...that magic that makes Broadway at times an experience that can soar.

*Finally, the play started and we held our collective breath until that magical moment when Clay appeared in the tower... and Lord, what a moment!!! The cheering was deafening and would have gone on forever had it not been for the orchestra striking up King Arthur's song who bravely went ahead and started singing above the cheering... To our credit, we did quiet down...

*If there truly is heaven on earth, it can be found at the Shubert Theater from now until January 4th.

*It was also rewarding to hear the cheers that Rick, Tom and David got when they made their first entrances. I respect them so much and appreciate their talents immensely. Again, it was like seeing family again...albeit a Broadway Show Family....when they each walked out on stage in their roles that had grown so near and dear to me. I had a huge smile on my face as each one of them appeared on stage. They were as marvelous as ever.

So it sounds like a like a good time was had by all. *g*

Here's wonderful montage made by sueru to commemorate Clay's opening night.


~Nights in White Satin sung by the Moody Blues~

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A Tale on the Red Carpet

Clay Aiken attend the premiere of A Tale of Two Cities at the Al Hirshfield Theatre on Broadway last night, September 18th where he also walked the red carpet. Other celebrities at the show were theater legend Celeste Holm, actor Matthew Broderick, director and choreographer Susan Stroman, and dancer Marge Champion.




Tonight starts Clay's four-month second run in Spamalot at the Shubert Theatre. For more information visit the Spamalot website

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