Year End--2006 In Review

~Collage by FountainDawg~

2006 is finally at an end. It's probably not a bad thing in the Clay fandom. We started out the year with such hope and anticipation for the great things that were in store for Clay. In 2005, we were highly anticipating news of a new album, had a great summer Jukebox Tour which seemed like a gift to the fans, and a two-month Joyful Noise Tour that featured vignettes that Clay wrote himself. The fandom had been divided on the JNT for a variety of reasons, but the main reason was that there was just not enough interaction of Clay with his audience. Clay's personality is a big draw in his shows, and the play aspect of the show did not allow that to shine through. Though I was proud of him for spreading his wings (he did play an angel *g*) artistically.

The Ugly
If we only knew how good we had it in 2005. Starting the year was rough because we weren't sure when we would hear from Clay again. We had been waiting on news of an album for almost a year. We knew that he had been recording, so we were still in wait mode. We actually didn't have to wait to long to hear from Clay because on Jan 17th he blogged with a quote from the bible -- Isaiah 51:7. "Do not fear the reproach of others, and do not be dismayed when they revile you." At that time we didn't really know what he meant, but we didn't have to wait long before the crap hit the fan. Clay had become a target of a nefarious character looking to capitalize on Clay's fame by spreading vile rumors and lies about him. Vile because Clay was made to look like some desperate loser when we all know he is anything but. The one really positive that came out of this MESS was that the fandom and Clay grew stronger. Our bond is deeper than ever. Clay has proven to be a man of strength and character, a man worthy of admiration and devotion. If the plan was to divide and conquer the fandom, it was a dismal failure. You had only to look at the "Circle the Wagon" thread at the Official Fan Club to see hundreds and hundreds of messages of support for Clay. We weren't going anywhere.

The Let Down
All the while, we were still waiting for some positive news. I don't think I'm wrong in saying the vast majority of the fandom was looking forward to an album of original mid-tempo pop/rock songs with perhaps a couple of ballads. In February we finally had some concrete information in regards to the album when Entertainment Weekly printed that Clay's album would be "both original tunes and "lots of covers"" released sometime in May. Not.Good.News. If fact, the news hit the fandom like a ton of bricks. It was a "you gotta be kidding me" kind of moment. We didn't wait this long for "lots of covers", did we? Upset would be too mild a word about the emotions that were running rampant in the fandom after this news. Finally most people starting accepting the inevitable, but still hoping for some kick-ass rockin'songs. (Well, not all people were accepting, as there were conspiracy theories to derail Clay's career aplenty.) As we got closer and closer to May with no album announcement, we should have known something was up especially as Clay was blogging for us to "expect something different" and hinting at love songs.

The Different
Dates were coming and going. Mother's Day came and went, a date of June 11th went up on the RCA site (for about a day), then there were opening for the GMA Summer Concert series in August and we were sure that Clay would be performing. At one time Clay had blogged that we would hear new "quite soon". Those words along with Clay's sense of time became a bit of a fandom joke. By July, Clay was having fun making us guess acronyms for his new album, so we knew it was close. The winner would get a phone call from him. Middle of July we had the title of A Thousand Different Ways. On August 3rd came the press release with the track list. HELLO!!!- Where are the rockin' songs? Nope, we were getting an album of schmaltzy love songs--ballads.

The Songwriter
When we got the cover art and photos from the photo shoot we got Ooh-la-la, one hot, sexy man. Dang, he grow-ed up real nice. When the song list was released, I admit I was not thrilled with some of the song selections, but when I heard the album, I was instantly sold. Clay did something different to the songs plus his vox was intoxicating as ever. I loved the ethereal quality to "Broken Wings". We learned later that the arrangement was his vision. He also had a writing credit on "Lonely No More" my second favorite song on the album, but the very best did not make the album. For some strange reason it was part of a iTunes exclusive. "Lover All Alone" was a beautiful, haunting song written by Clay with music by David Foster. We have David Foster to thank for giving Clay the music, and David's sister Jaymes who executive produced the album for nagging Clay to write the lyrics. The song talked of someone having a lot of love to give someone, but not finding that right person to give it to. Something to which many can relate. Why wasn't it on the album? Another mystery. It wasn't like the album was only songs of happy love. There were also songs of heartache like "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and “Without You”. “Lover All Alone” should have been on this album. At least now we know that Clay Aiken can write, and write beautifully. Clay has a talent for songwriting, now he needs to be able to open up and share his inner feelings. I hope he is ready to do that soon. With all the people and causes he is passionate about, I think he has a lot to say.

The Look

At the the AI Finale in May, Clay unveiled a new look. No more spikes, instead there was a head of dark long hair with bangs hanging into the eyes very reminiscent of a young Paul McCartney. It was a bit of a shock at first, but many grew to love it. One thing is for sure, the man got a lot of buzz from that 3-minute appearance where he sang "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me". Every media outlook and watercooler were buzzing about him the next day. Taylor who? The look changed somewhat throughout the rest of the year, the hair lightened and grew longer. The bangs were eventually discarded for a side part, but it suited Clay's more mature look. His body and face had filled out. Gone was the boy next door. Welcome to the hawt sexy man.

The Bonus
One nice little surprise was receiving a four-song Christmas EP entitle All Is Well. The songs included "My Grown Up Christmas List", "O Come O Come Emmanuel", "Christmas Waltz", and the title track "All is Well". Unfortunately, the EP was a Walmart exclusive with limited availability. Why? Again it's a mystery, but there are some theories that RCA wanted the CD to lure customers into Walmart to buy other Idol CD's because as we know, Idols are pretty much interchangeable. *snerk* Clay did perform all four songs on the Christmas Tour. "All I Well" is an especially difficult song as it spans Clay's whole range of almost two octaves. Clay performed it as the encore. His voice was not quite ready for it at the first show because after all the singing and bantering, he totally missed the last glory note. Not that it took away from an otherwise vocally stellar show. The haters of the world tried to make a big deal out of it, gleefully putting it up on YouTube. His voice was declared shot by them, but too bad Clay didn't oblige them because his voice grew better and better with each show.

The Humanitarian
As always, charitable endeavors were a big part of Clay's year. I'm sure we don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes, but what we do know is pretty impressive. Clay continued his work with UNICEF raising money for children in the war-torn Middle East, and even lighting the UNICEF star in New York. The biggest honor this year had to be being named 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. Clay also took part in the "David Foster and Friends Charity Gala" which raised money for children of organ transplants. Clay and David Foster raised $1 million for two performances in the auction. Teacher Clay was in full evidence at Nazareth Elementary where the authors of "My Friend Mikayla" were honored by a reading by Clay, and then the young authors were treated to a limo ride back to school.

The Comedian
The man loves his Christmas music without a doubt, so while there was no actual Joyful Noise Tour complete with band and back-up singers, there were spot dates with symphony orchestras for the month of December--eighteen dates in all. Due to the short timeframe, these concerts were concentrated on the East Coast and Midwest to the dismay of the West Coast (and Texas) fans. The image of a guest singer with a symphony conjures up images up beautiful, reverent singing done in tails or at least a tux. Leave it to Clay to never do what you think he will do. Yes he sang, yes he looked good in a suit, but who knew he would be so funny. His banter sections were almost as long as the singing sections. He engaged and played off his audience poking fun at them and himself. The audience loved it, laughing uproariously throughout the show. He even introduced some rather bawdy humor. I think he converted a male fan or two with this show. This was a whole other side of Clay Aiken.

The Trooper
The show must go on. That is a credo by which Clay Aiken lives. Whether he has to perform after an allergic reaction, or just getting over an illness, if he can remain upright, he performs. Sometimes even if he can't remain upright, he performs, as was the case in Long Island where Clay performed with vertigo. He had been suffering from an inner infection which caused bouts of dizziness, but in Long Island it was so bad, he got out to the stool, and sat clutching it and the mike stand the rest of the performance. He gave what was arguably his best vocal performance of the tour, and was uproariously funny to perhaps compensate for sitting the whole concert. He even came back out helped by his cousin Jamie, and performed 'All Is Well". He had to wait for Jamie to come get him to help him off the stage because he couldn't on his own. The fans could not have loved him more.

The Future
Here are waiting again once again to see what the future holds. The end of the year seems to have shades of much beginning 2006, this time with a bratty kid who feels a sense of entitlement bashing Clay in the media with the usual scum and bottom-feeders in on the frenzy. Clay as always holds himself above the fray with dignity. Perhaps we have come full circle, and good things are in store for 2007. Our resident astrologers hint that it should be good year. Clay left a year-end audio message at the Official Fan Club where he said he hopes we all are ready for a "fresh start in 2007". Yeah, I am.

dudley at Clayversity had a wonderful quote, which pretty much sums it up:

Dang, Clay has had a busy 2006! Consorting with all forms of people he has never met and with whom he has never communicated, canceling phantom concert performances by local acts who were never properly booked in the first place AND breaking up Regis & Kelly! Forget superstar, the man is some force of nature! One can only imagine how he'll surpass himself in 2007.

and from divayenta at the Clack House:

You said it! And here come the headlines ad absurdum: Homo Dead Beat Dad and Childhater is Homewrecker to America's Sweetheart Talk Show Hosts While Singlehandedly Bringing Down Western Civilization!!!

Yup--that Clay Aiken is one busy guy.



Please don't miss the fantastic montage by Smarty PantsSuz that summarizes some of the wonderful memories of 2006 (set to My Favorite Things)



Technorati Tags: Clay Aiken, 2006, fandom,, humanitarian,, singer, comedian, A Thousand Different Ways, "My Friend Mikayla", "David Foster and Friends Charity Gala", UNICEF, American Idol, Christmas Tour, vertigo, All Is Well

Clay Aiken Fans: A Craz...er...Enthusiastic Group of People

Clay Aiken fans can be called many things and usually are. Crazy...not most of us. Enthusiastic...well, Mr. Aiken has called us that himself, so I guess it would be accurate for many. Descriptions of Clay Aiken fans have been, on a whole, less than flattering. We've been described as screaming-grannies, screaming-teens, rabid, right-wing, conservative,...pictures are painted of fans as mumu-wearing, mid-western, e-mail writing desperate housewives, or the young tween in the throes of her first puppy love. In truth, Clay Aiken fans cross all demographics, walks of life, religions, political affiliations, and gender...they are lawyers, teachers, accountants, computer analysts, small-business owners, actors, singers, writers, a rocket-scientist or two, mothers, wives, fathers, sons. What the fans do have in common is intelligence, good taste and admiration of Clay Aiken.

The moniker that seems to used the most for the fandom is ClayNation. An estimated 10,000-15,000 fans are part of the online community. That's not counting the international communities. The Korean fansite has over 9000 members basely mostly on a commercial that used Clay's song "Shine". When Clay is in an active cycle, the boards are like a speeding train with comment after comment posted in rapid-fire succession. Communities have been built...of friendship, caring, and good conversation. That bonding has allowed the communities to be sustained despite a rather lengthy inactive cycle. We have been waiting for CD news for over a year now. Non-the-less the message boards have barely slowed down.

Just an example, a recent discussion was RCA and their perceptions of Clay past and present. The past perceptions come from a Time magazine article written in October 2003 where an unnamed RCA executive was quoted as saying that "Idol as proof that "Americans have no taste" and described Aiken as "Barry Manilow, but with less talent." Hum...nice to have the record company in your corner. That was then, now Clay Aiken returned to the American Idol stage that created a buzz that still has not stopped.

Here are is sampling of the conversation from Clay Aiken's message boards. The names are withheld to protect the innocent. *g*


"If some execs at RCA "didn't get" Clay until Wednesday's AI, maybe it was because this is the first time in a long time that Clay performed in front of a crowd that was composed of Not.Just.Us? I know that people have mentioned RCA execs at concerts, but perhaps those execs assumed that the crowd response was biased (because we're fans and buy tickets, therefore are expected to respond enthusiastically)."

"I think it's important to remember that "RCA" is not one big blob of groupthink. It's a company, with real people. Lots of them. Those not directly involved hear gossip, they hear through the company grapevine. Heck, I know my company has one. RCA is predominantly a rock label, and the people who work there probably do so because of that. RCA didn't voluntarily take on the AI contracts 5 years ago - it was thrust on them by their European parent. It was also seen as a stopgap until they could find "real stars". I believe that mentality has changed, but still. With respect to Clay, not everyone who is at RCA has worked with him or knows him or has even met him. They are subject to the same gossip and stereotypes. As a whole, the AI thing probably *was* a huge wakeup call."

"The execs at RCA understand and believe Clay has TALENT. They may not have always gotten the MAGIC. It is highly male-dominated. I have met some of them in BMG. They understand money, and they know Clay can sell. But there have been some who didn't necessarily get that Clay has a charisma that is THAT powerful that 2 minutes made him THE talk of the whole show. They don't understand the "SONIC PHEROMONES".... that visceral reaction that changes our behavior involuntarily. Something like what happened the other night causes that cognitive dissonance, and it can turn on light-bulbs. So what happened the other night may have just brought the whole of RCA/RMG on board, when there were always some too-cool-for-school doubters (but they wouldn't necessarily be the people assigned to work directly on Clay's project - there are hundreds of employees covering their artist roster). What I interpret is this: THEY GET IT NOW. And maybe, they'll finally really do the things even bigger and better than the big and good we would have gotten."

"It took something totally unexpected to shatter any lingering perception or idea that people had regarding him being a "geek" or "nerdy" or "runner-up" or "loser" or "unsexy" or whatever. Once their mind was cleared and reeling from the disconnect of what they thought they knew, they could form a completely new opinion based on what they really were SEEING, not just what they had been fed by the media."

"It's not that I don't believe that Clay's performance on the AI5 finale was a tremendous success for him, because I do. And I think it was a meaningful success for him, as well -- it sent a clear message about his star power with a huge audience 3 years after his Idol season ended. I just don't see it as an "it.changed.EVERYTHING" moment for the people who've been working with Clay, though with the right follow-up, it might end up being precisely that for the masses and for the rest of the industry."

In depth music discussion has always been part of many of Clay's message boards. It's been an educational and enlightening experience. Not to say there aren't hair debates, skits, humor, personal stories, pictures--many, many pictures, and also interspersed with industry talk: liver, soffits, vacuum cleaners and dog food have also been discussed.

So don't believe everything you read in the media about the fans. The media likes to use stereotypes, but the reality is a diversity in a group of people with the common denominator of Mr. Aiken and a love of music.

Welcome to the Wild West of Clay Aiken fan message boards.

A great site to find anything you might want on Clay Aiken is at Finding Clay Aiken


A few recommended Blogs:

Clay Musings: How the Use of the Internet has Helped Clay Aiken's Career
Lyrichord's Music Musings: More Cute Clay Fan Interaction
The Big Dawg: The Buzz
The ClayBlog: Clay Aiken - My Thoughts on a Life Uncommon
Casper's Place: Clay fans aren't the only ones
Something That Really Happened: What It Means To Be A Fan




Related Tags: Clay Aiken, Message Boards, Time Magazine, RCA

Transformation--It's Not Just the Hair!

Hair doesn't really make the man, but from all the talk in the media about Clay's look you would he was a model not a singer. The consensus seems to be that he is a great singer. No need to discuss that anymore, at least not until the new CD is released. This is why Clay appearing on AI at this time was brilliant. Focus on his new look, and get all the attention to that out of the way before the promotion for the new CD, whenever that may be starts. Let the focus of the promotion be the CD not "the look", Not that I don't expect it to be mentioned , but the shock of will have worn off. Clay's hair style certainly has changed, but is much more than that. Hair is the tangible change, but only a small part of what is different. A poster at the Clackhouse said it perfectly:

It really isn't "just the hair", IMO, that is making people sit up and take
notice. The hair is a gimmick people can remember and talk about as a
conversation starter, but in my opinion, it is Clay's confidence, his matured
good looks, his swagger and smile that are "new" to people who really did
remember AI2 Clay as someone resembling Michael Sandecki. The Clay Aiken who
strolled onto the stage last night was shockingly confident and not at all
"geeky". He was always handsome, but those who dismissed him because of his
self-deprecating demeanor may never have looked at him all that closely before.
They see the hair, a far cry from the spiky do of memory...and then take a
closer look at the whole package...maybe for the first time. And then he sings
and they are caught off-guard with their resistance down. They trip over their
own expectations of him and fall right into that voice. But when ASKED what they
noticed, they will search their minds to get a handle on "why" and come up with
"the hair". They might not even realize that the hair was just some interesting,
shiny bait...the real danger lurks in that face, in those eyes, in that
smile...and of course, in that voice. Resistance is futile. ~~00lsee at the Clackhouse

There is no doubt that Clay Aiken's look has evolved in the three years since he first came to our attention in the Atlanta AI2 auditions. He's gone from a slight geeky, but still cute college boy to a mature self-confident man. Everyone was able to see the transformation at the AI5 Finale where he commanded that stage with grace and assurance. Not only has Clay matured physically, but now carries himself with a self-confidence that was missing in his AI days. The media has fixated on the hair as the big change because that is a tangible change. The bigger change is Clay's demeanor. He has faced my challenges, worked hard, and expanded his view of the world in the last three years. He is now a Star-- with all the confidence of one.

A lovely illustration of the transformation comes in a montage by the talented Clay Aiken fan and Clayversity poster, Aspiegirl. Enjoy!




"What a Feeling" Montage by Aspiegirl


Blogs to check out:

• Clay Aiken Hangover!


• Hair & There: A Look At The British Invasion

Related Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol

Above The Fray

There was a man,
a wonderful man - a man who had been bullied his whole life
and still made lemonade out of lemons.

A man who wore his heart on his sleeve,
who always said "what you see is what you get"
a man who became a sensation overnight and suddenly became the target once
again for the bullies.

This wonderful man just kept on going - trying to help those less
fortunate, working hard on his craft
and gave his fans more than they ever imagined.
He gave it all with warmth and humor and talent.
This made the man an even bigger target of the people with hate in their
hearts and jealousy in their blood.
I pray that his man can continue to stand tall and know he will win - we
will be
be here by his side
and give him the love he so deserves.

~~Posted Board by a Clay Aiken fan on the Clayversity Message Board

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's a sad world that you can assess the level of celebrity by making it into the sleazy rags. People want to read about you if you are famous. If there were no buzz around you, the tabs would not sell papers on your name. There is no such thing as journalistic integrity in the tabs, we all know that. They take rumors and gossip started on the internet by anyone with an agenda and call it fact. Gossip columns in legitimate papers pick it up, give it a patina of truth which gives even more legitimate outlets a way to report it. No one really gets their hands dirty. The tabs have their sources even if it is lies, Page Six picks up the stories that are "sourced" by the tabs, legitimate outlets start talking about like it is fact since it was in the Holy Grail of Gossip, Page Six, and so it goes. No one seems to care that there are real people being lied about. Lies that can verge on character assassination. Lies that can damage reputations. Lies told about people who have done nothing other than to be famous. It's really sickening.

Clay Aiken has been the object of tabloid rumor-mongering. He has chosen to remain silent for the time being. Answering every lie told about you is not an answer. Clay Aiken is a man of honor and class. He is a man who walks a path and will not be swayed.

His time will come.

Related Tags: Clay Aiken,, Tabloids,, Integrity