Thoughts of Clay

I Can't Liiiiive, If Living is Without Yoooouuuu!!

2006-08-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Run, don't walk, to Clay's MySpace and listen to the full version of "Without You". It's his first single, and it's absolutely GLORIOUS!! Well, at least, that's what I hear. See, I'm on dial-up. The song is streaming, and on dial-up, you only get to hear about two seconds of singing before it stops to buffer. From what I read though, this song may cause one to weep, fall out of one's chair, or simply to get a killer case of goosebumps and chills. I guess I'll have to wait until September 19th to hear the full version. *cries*

Oh, and that beautimous picture down below may not be the official CD cover after all. I fear for us all if there's something hotter than that picture.

In other Clay related news, he'll be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel on Sept. 26th. Also, Clay blogged, and said that he would be on GMA close to his release date. Hopefully, there are just the first of many promotional appearances on my teevy.

Don't forget to preorder "A Thousand Different Ways" at Amazon.com.

Album Cover?

2006-08-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

This showed up at Walmart.com. Me likey. It also says that Clay will be doing a Soundcheck on Walmart.com. Basically, there will probably be exclusive interviews and performances. Can't. Wait.

My Clay Aiken Wishlist

2006-08-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

With "A Thousand Different Ways" coming out in just over a month, and the Great Clay Drought of '06 coming to an end, I've been thinking a lot about what I'd personally like to see happen in Clay's career in the next year or two. I have no experience or expertise at all in the music biz. I'm just a fan with a very high interest in a very talented performer who rarely ceases to surprise me. I mean, remember the HAIR!?

Keep in mind, this is MY wishlist. Some might disagree with things, like how I want another Christmas album next year.

1. First of all, I want a single released to radio right now. Preferably something that will make people say "Holy crap! That's Clay Aiken? That's awesome!"

2. I want more pictures from the Library Boy photoshoot (see pic in previous post) to be leaked onto the internet, one at a time. Preferably one a day. A girl can only handle so much pretty.

3. I want promotion for this CD in a BIG way. I want the usual suspects. I want the Tonight Show, Letterman, GMA, Today show, Ellen Degeneres, The View, Regis & Kelly, Jimmy Kimmel, and Oprah. Megan Mullaly and Rachael Ray are getting new shows. I want him on there too. I want a major primetime interview with the likes of Diane Sawyer or Matt Lauer. I want an SNL appearance. I want at least three major magazine interviews and at least one high profile cover. I want interviews with all the major radio stations in all the large markets. I want performances on the fall music awards shows. (Hello, AMAs!)

4. I want his single to be a bona fide radio hit. I want the teens who are into 80s music right now to freak out and say "Like, OMIGAWD! I totally love this song!" and the old fogies to say "Awww, that brings back memories. And what a great voice!"

5. I want a video. A HAWT video. A video that can and will be played forwards, backwards, and in slo-mo. The TITN video leaked onto the internet awhile back. It was hot, but didn't fit the song or Clay's public image at the time. I think he's ready for a sexy video. I want it to blow the roof off that crap-ass show TRL.

6. I want his album to sell millions. And I want it released internationally this time.

7. I want him to promote this album hardcore all through the fall and winter. Come spring, I want a major tour throughout the U.S. and Canada.

8. At the beginning of the summer, I want him to record another Christmas album. I want songs like "The Christmas Waltz", "Please Celebrate Me Home", "Good News", "Emmanuel", and a "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" duet with Bing Crosby.

9. The rest of the summer can be spent touring internationally while his third single burns up the charts here in the U.S.

10. In the fall, he can have a vacation. Who said I was a slavedriver?

11. In the winter, he can promote the new Christmas album, and do one of those Christmas tours he loves so much.

12. In the spring of 2008, he can start recording his third mainstream album and release it two years from now. None of this three years between albums crap.

13. Somewhere in all of this, I'd like him to have a major endorsement deal. Just for the money, ya know.

14. In the meantime, I want his to have the chance to do the charitable things that he likes to do. Because he's a great spokesman and people respond to him.

After that, we'll see.

It's Official!

2006-08-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hmm...that's a nice picture. Have I ever mentioned that I love his new haircut? Clay's one of those lucky guys that's going to look better at 50 than he did at 20.

Anyway, I've been away from the computer for awhile, but there's all kinds of CD news. For one thing, we have an official date of September 19th. We have an official track listing, which I'll break down in a minute. And we have the official press release, which you can read here.

Also, you can pre-order the album at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. It's only $9.99 at Amazon right now though.

Also, Clay's Official Website is getting revamped, and he now has an official MySpace page.

Promosquad has clips of three songs by Clay including "Without You", "A Thousand Days", and "I Want To Know What Love Is", which is a duet with Suzie McNeil for Rockstar:INXS.

So there's lots of great stuff going on in the Clay world! Oh, and he was on Entertainment Tonight with footage of the photo shoot for his CD cover, and he is lookin' HAWT!

I'm going to address the negatives really quickly and then talk about the track list. First, we're six weeks away from the album release, and we don't have a single yet. No talk of a tour. And as far as I can see, there are no scheduled promotional appearances. Now, that doesn't mean that these things aren't happening. We just don't know about it yet.

Now, the track listing:

RIGHT HERE WAITING: Not a huge fan of this song, but that's because I don't like Richard Marx. However, that's because of this jerk I dated in high school who would dedicate "Now and Forever" to me while he was screwing my best friend on the side. So anything Richard Marx gets my back up. Not Clay's fault. Not Richard's either.

WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE: This is an awesome song! It reminds me of junior high, which is always a good thing. I honestly believe that the power ballads of the 80s are where Clay can truly kill with his voice.

WITHOUT YOU: This is an incredibly gorgeous song. The clip on Promosquad was understated and stunning. I'm not sure if this is a radio song, but it's definitely a "lay on the bed in the dark during a rainstorm with this coming through my headphones" kind of song.

LONELY NO MORE: Clay has co-writing credits on this song. That's all I know about it. Whenever I read the title, I hear Rob Thomas, but I'm sure it'll sound nothing like that.

SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD: Originally by Elton John. Great song. I can see Clay giving one of his softer, more tender performances with this one. Sort of like when he sang "I Can't Make You Love Me" during the JBT. Very excited about this one.

EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY: Sung originally by Paul Young. Great 80s song. I'm interested to heard the arrangement of this.

EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU): Yeah, it's the Robin Hood song!! This song defined junior high for me. Everybody loved it back then. Will they love it today? Of course, Clay will kick this song's ass.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS: This is the duet with Suzie McNeil. The clip on Promosquad sounds awesome, even though there's not much Clay in it. I'm dying to heard the whole thing.

THESE OPEN ARMS: This is considered to be a new song, but it's actually a remake of a Bon Jovi song. It really has a rockin' bridge, so I'm excited to hear Clay growl his way through it.

BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME: Yup, it's Celine. Definitely opportunity for some killer glory notes here.

HERE YOU COME AGAIN: Now this is definitely the one I'm looking forward to the most, which kind of goes against most other Clay fans it seems. I think the melody is beautiful, and if Clay were to slow it down a bit, and just croon it, I think it just might kill me. I'm predicting that despite the WTF?! reaction to it's inclusion on this album, it will turn out to be a fan favorite and a possible single. By the way, it's originally by Dolly Parton.

EVERYTHING I HAVE: This is a new song, which features William Joseph on piano. WJ opened for Clay during the JNT. He's a lovely pianist, so I'm guessing this song will be piano heavy.

A THOUSAND DAYS: I'm not surprised this one is on here. I said earlier that Clay wanted singer's songs on this album, and he sings his face off on it. It's the only one of the four previewed last summer that made the cut. I think it's purty.

BROKEN WINGS: By Mr. Mister originally. I think this will be another fan favorite and possible single.

So, to sum it up, I'm excited about 95% of this album. I'm dying to hear the Dolly song. To quote the press release:
"The album shows off Aiken's vocals in a big way with songs like the Bad English hit "When I See You Smile" and Harry Nillsson's "Without You." But Aiken will surprise fans by singing in a more relaxed style on some tracks than they have heard before, showing a different, sexier side."

I think we will hear that sexier side on the Dolly Parton song. I already know that this will be better than MoaM, just from what I've heard so far. The songs are better, the production is better, and Clay is simply a stronger, more capable, and more confident singer than he was three years ago. I think we'll hear more crooning, more growling, and more wailing than ever before.

Will this CD be huge? I'm not sure. Clay's been gone a long time, and I'm getting nervous about the lack of promotion.

Will this CD be great? Absolutely.

A Thousand Different Ways

2006-07-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

"A Thousand Different Ways". Yup! That's the title of the NEW CLAY AIKEN ALBUM! Wooooo! Great title, in my lowly opinion. Not too cheesy, self-indulgent, or obnoxious. Yes, I'm looking at you, Justin Timberlake. However, just like "Measure of a Man", ATDW can be interpreted in a completely naughty and sexual manner. But only by those with dirty minds. And there's no one of that ilk here. Heh.

No, there's still no release date, although Variety reported it as September 19th. Several stores have September 19th as well, so I think they're going to try their darndest to make sure that's the date. No sense in missing out on the itty-bitty bit of publicity this has gotten so far. Anyway, I'm pencil-ing it in for now.

There's a song on the ASCAP database called "A Thousand Different Ways". It currently has no performer listed. The writers are Stephony Smith and Judith Owen. Stephony Smith wrote "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Judith Owen seems to be mostly a singer/songwriter. Go to towerrecords.com or something to listen to her stuff. Very melodic and pretty. Speculation is that this song will be on Clay's album.

Jaymes Foster Levy is the executive producer. She blogged at the official fanclub about the album, and was very complimentary. She said Clay was very talented and had great instincts. She also said we were going to hear him in ways that we've never heard before. That's the most exciting part to me. I can't imagine a way that we haven't heard him, so I'm preparing myself to be amazed.

Mark your calendars, people! The freight train's a'comin'.

Since He's Been Gone

2006-07-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Clay was with Ruben the other night at Kelly Clarkson's tour stop in Raleigh. Apparently, they were both having a grand ole time waving at the audience, signing Kelly Clarkson t-shirts, and having their pictures taken. I love seeing him out and about with a big grin on his face.

In other news, Entertainment Tonight asked viewers to vote for their favorite All-American stars. Guess who made the top ten amongst superstars such as Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Jennifer Aniston? Yep, Clay! He was #5 and the only singer who made the list.
Clay is All-American!!

Still no CD news. There's a contest at the official fanclub, asking the fans to guess the acronym of the four word album title. The contest ends July 14th, so speculation is that we'll find out more news then.

Soon? Whatev.

2006-06-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

So, back in 1996, Clay blogged that there would be CD news coming soon. He lied!! (He does that sometimes.) So, there's still no official release date, although some ambitious Clay fan picked up the phone, called Barnes & Noble, and asked about it. According to the manager dude, it's supposed to be out September 19th. Which is a pretty realistic date.

Also, three different Clay fans with different insiders all said that some of Clay's new music was played for some radio bigwigs who were all impressed and amazed that it was Clay. Maybe the bastards will play his music this time. So, that's all I got that's Clay related. I still love Clay, but what has he done for me...lately? I've had to get my kicks elsewhere, so here's some stuff to keep you occupied until "soon" becomes "now".

So You Think You Can Dance
I love this show. I don't dance. I don't know anything about dance. But it sure is fun watching really pretty people dance around in sexy outfits. For some reason, I'm crushing big time on Benji Schwimmer. He's cute and dorky and really funny and hella good. Check out
VIXEN: on the EDGE a great blog by a Benji and Clay fan. You can find some great pics of Benji and download his performances.

Band of Brothers
Buy it, rent it, add it to your Netflix queue. This is an amazing HBO miniseries from 2001 about the 101st Airborne Division in WWII. Sometimes we need a reminder of what these men went through so that we could enjoy the life we have today. Oh, and read the book as well. It was written by Stephen Ambrose.

iTunes...Nuff said.

More CD Chatter

2006-06-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Don't hate me becoss I'm beautiful.

So Clay blogged today. He said that CD news would be coming "very soon". Yeah, thanks Clay. I'm just go run and mark it on my calendar.

Why is this so hard for us in Clay land? For most of my favorite artists, I don't usually know in advance when their album will be released. I usually find out about it when I hear a single on the radio, see something on Itunes, or sometimes I don't even know about it until I see it sitting on the shelves. So why can't I do that with Clay? Why can't I just hang out and listen to the other stuff on my Ipod and realize that there's nothing that I can do to make this album arrive any faster?

Because I'm a Clay fan. And we are all about instant gratification. Remember when he was on American Idol, and we got to see him every week, twice a week, singing and wearing something new? Yeah, me neither. But I think it spoiled us rotten. Then, when AI was over, he was on all the entertainment and talk shows. Then his single came out and we could drool all over that. Then we had Rolling Stone to gush about. Next came the AI tour and the Invisible shirt tugs. MoaM came out, and that kept us occupied with appearances and radio requests for a good eight to nine months. Add in the co-headlining tour with Kelly Clarkson, the summer tour of '05, and we were set through fall.

But wait! We weren't done yet! There was a Christmas special and a Christmas album and all kinds of promo appearances for that. Oh, let's not forget the Joyful Noise Tour. Yeah, 2004 was a busy year for the Clay fans. Oh, and Clay worked kind of hard too.

Then came the spring of 2005. Oh, that was a rough one. We got through it though. There were a few tidbits here and there. He was on the Jimmy Kimmel show, Oprah, Dr. Phil, etc. Lots of press on his UNICEF work. We thought we had it rough then, but we had no idea. Anyway, the Jukebox Tour came along, then the second Joyful Noise, along with a few Christmas related appearances.

Then we hit January of 2006, and we got nothing. I mean, nothing. A few weird random mentions in various publications. Some tabloid drivel. But absolutely nothing of substance.

So on May 24th, Clay decides to saunter casually on the AI finale stage, looking all kinds of sex-ay and HAWT with his new haircut, belt out a few lines of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and then...disappear. Suddenly, we were like crackwhores with a tiny hit of crack. Talk about leaving us wanting more. I was watching old AI videos that I hadn't pulled out in over a year. I listened to MoaM for the first time in months. The man knows how to tease a woman, that's for sure.

Anyway, it's been a rough few months, but I feel confident that it's coming to an end. Soon, Clay will bless us with his presence again, and I can't wait. I don't think I've been this excited for an album since...well, his first one.

There's still lots of speculation about the style of his album. We've heard talk of a new sound for Clay. We've heard talk of an album of sappy love songs. I already mentioned the new songs listed in ASCAP on a previous blog. Kyle Jacobs said on his MySpace page that his songs have been recorded by the likes of Clay Aiken. A Clay fan asked him to elaborate. Apparently, Clay recorded a song called "Taken" that was originally recorded by Plumb, but Clay's version is "very different". He's not even sure it will be on Clay's album. You can hear a clip at Amazon.com.

We know that Clay is putting some covers and some originals on his album. Would "Taken" be considered a cover? If so, it's definitely one that Clay could make his own and not be compared to the original artist. Most people don't know that "Hound Dog" was a cover for Elvis. It was originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton. I think that if Clay's covers were songs like "Taken", unknown to the general public, then the covers idea might not be so bad after all.

Anyway, I'm on pins and needles here. Please hurry, Clay! I need a hit.

Just Some Random Thoughts

2006-06-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want you all to go check out Clay Blogs. It's a great site that somebody set up to keep track of all the Clay blogs that are out there now. Clay fans are so smart, aren't they?

Anyway, still no official album news. Come on, Clay! Hook a girl up! There are a few fans who know music industry insiders who occasionally post with a lots of positives about this album and the upcoming promotion. So far, the buzz for the album itself seems to be excellent. The word "stunning" has been thrown around. Also, July is supposed to "red hot", so keep an eye out.

If you haven't already, go to Clay Nation News and sign up for the e-newsletter. The women who created this thing did an amazing job. They put Clay's official site and the fanclub to shame with their thoroughness and timeliness. If Clay has been mentioned in the media, or if he has any appearances coming up, these emails will let you know. And they look so attractive and professional. I highly recommend signing up, especially since there should be lots of Clay appearances in the coming months. You don't want to miss a thing!

Other than that, not much going on in the Clay world, other than lots of anticipation and excitement. To get me through this drought of clack (Clay+crack=clack), I've been watching some old videos of Clay performances. He's so incredible on stage. Love him! Anyway, here's a taste of awesomeness that is Clay onstage!

Here's a great video of Clay singing "1000 Days", one of the songs that might make the album. This is from last summer on the Jukebox Tour. The man can sing his face off.

This is one of my favorite songs from the Joyful Noise Tour. It's a gorgeous song called "Good News".

Most people know about The Voice, but only those who have seen Clay live can really understand how much of an entertainer he is. He's so funny and quick on his feet. Here's one of him playing "Stump the Band", where he lets the audience pick a song for him to sing.

And this one has always been on of my favorites. During his summer tour of 2004, he would bring an audience member on stage to sing "Without You" with him. Well, on this particular night, the audience member was a gorgeous 4 year old little girl. Watch how great Clay is with her.

Anyway, hope those tide you over til we get some concrete album news and more Clay appearances.

They Just. Don't. Get. It.

2006-06-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hey baby, do you want to gather food or build the shelter?

So E! had this crappy little show on last night called Stranded with the Stars or something. Basically, E! has been running this online poll, where you vote for which star you'd rather be stranded on a deserted island with. They put Angeline up against Jennifer, Britney against Christina, Princess Leia against Princess Amidala. Really high-class stuff, right? Well, they put Clay up against Marilyn Manson.

Seems to me to be a no-brainer, right? Well, all of these asswipe D-list celebrities, including Bret Michaels and a bunch of people I've never heard of, think that Marilyn Manson is going to win. What would possess someone to choose Marilyn Manson over a nice, fun guy like Clay? Maybe in some worlds Marilyn Manson is cooler than Clay, but I think most of us outgrew the desperation to hang out with the cool kids in about 10th grade or so.

Anyway, Clay got 73% of the vote (thank God!) and these morons are shocked! But that's not the best part.

At the end, there was an overall write-in portion where you just pick the male celebrity that you would most like to be stranded with. And guess who wins!

CLAY!

He beat out Johnny Depp, Matthew McConaughy, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and all these other guys that society tells are are paragons of manliness.

Needless to say, the D-listers were shocked! Shocked, I tell you! Too funny.

One of these days, the self-proclaimed cool people will realize that a good sense of humor, a generous heart, a genuine smile, and sparkling green eyes will always trump an overinflated ego and bulging muscles.

I mean, look at that picture. Who wouldn't want that man sitting on those rocks on your deserted island, looking at you like that? And that's not even with his new, sexy, rockstar hair!

Way to go, Clay!

Picture from http://www.clayaiken.com

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken

How the Use of the Internet has Helped Clay Aiken's Career

2006-06-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, that's a pretentious title, isn't it? And probably grammatically incorrect as well.

I've been a Clay fan from the very beginning. I mean, the VERY beginning, when he had his first American Idol audition in a puka shell necklace, bad hair, and glasses. The voice was undeniable. I wasn't obsessed yet though. I blame the internet for that one.

The first place I went to for more Clay info was the internet. More specifically http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com. American Idol has its own forum there, and each contestant has his or her own thread. Well, Clay's thread grew quickly. Apparently, I wasn't the only one interested in the kinda-cute-southern-guy-with-the-great-voice.

And then came the clincher. The one thing that sealed the deal for me as a Clay fan. Someone, somehow got their hands on a couple of demos that Clay did when he was younger. Just some cover songs. Things he'd done for weddings and such. Well, I downloaded them. And I was absolutely hooked. Most of the songs I had never heard of with titles like "I Will Be Here" and "I Know How the River Feels". His voice was stunning. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous in its strength, power, and tone. I was screwed. Oddly enough, those demos have sold for hundreds of dollars on Ebay.

Information travelled ridiculously fast on the internet. Rumors of what he would wear and what he would sing on each AI episode would flare up and die out rather quickly. Fan sites and message boards were springing up all over the place. You could get online within minutes of his performances and download both the MP3 and the video.

And then there was the finale of AI2. Oh, we all knew Clay was going to win. Some of our foreign fans who couldn't vote coordinated with U.S. fans to help pay for text messages for Clay. It was quite the effort, and the first real sign that Clay fans could actually use the internet to accomplish something positive for Clay.

And then he lost. Whoop-di-doo. (Okay, I admit I cried.)

We started saying our goodbyes online. Many of us had made friends, bonding in our Clay love. We were sure our little community was disbanding. However, it didn't quite work out that way.

Clay was all over the TV. He was on the entertainment shows. He was on Oprah, for crying out loud! And then, there was Rolling Stone. Our baby got the cover! Of course, the cover picture was released days before the actual magazine. Clay wasn't going anywhere, and neither were we.

In the months that followed, all of the Clay boards worked together. Whenever there was an online poll featuring Clay, hundreds of Clay fans would be on it in minutes, attacking it like a dog attacks a steak. Don't even get me started on the combustion that occurred when the first video of Clay singing "Invisible" on the AI2 appeared. Thousands of Clay fans flocked to the AI2 shows, screaming their hearts out whenever Clay appeared.

We were an army, with one goal. To promote Clay Aiken and help him rise past the stigma of being the "AI Loser".

When Clay sang on the Jerry Lewis telethon, the internet boards raised $25,000 for the MDA. Jerry Lewis even mentioned it on the air.
We coordinated worldwide CD release parties when Measure of a Man was released.
We learned how to use the internet to help the "Invisible" video retire at #1 on TRL.
We've exchanged literally hundred of concert videos and MP3s.
We tracked his radioplay and position on dozens of radio countdowns.
We've voted on dozens of internet polls.
He won the AMA Fan Choice award that was determined by an internet poll.
We've created multiple blogs so that those looking for Clay Aiken info could find something positive.
When an RCA power-that-be said Clay was vanilla, the RCA offices received a large delivery of vanilla ice cream from internet Clay fans who happen to like vanilla, thank you very much.
Clay's official fanclub has nearly 10,000 members.

Go to http://www.youtube.com. You'll find over 600 videos of Clay. Many of them are good quality concert videos.

Go to http://www.claynationnews.com. This site is awesome. If you want to know what Clay is up to, go here. It's more up-to-date and comprehensive than any of Clay's official sites. And you can sign up to get regular e-newsletters on what Clay is doing and what the media is saying about him. Oh, and it's done completely by fans, with no compensation whatsoever.

Yes, the internet can be used for both good and evil when it comes to Clay, but I think the positives have far outweighed the negatives.

Clay's New CD

2006-05-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Don't get so excited! I have no idea when it's coming out. Hopefully this fall sometime.

I also have no idea what the cover looks like, or what songs will be on it. Clay said in his blog on the official fanclub site that there would be some covers with some original "gems". He also said the covers would be some of his favorites from the last 25 years.

He doesn't give us much, does he?

However, he did preview four new songs on the Jukebox Tour last summer. They may or may not be on the album.

"Back For More" : Very catchy and upbeat. The basic theme of the song is that he keeps hearing a song on the radio, the radio, the radio that reminds him of her. He's addicted to it, despite the fact that it's playing on his emotions. It's a fun song.

"Tears Run Dry" : Beautiful love song. Clay is in fine voice here. It's your basic broken-hearted love song.

"Just You" : Honestly, I can't get into this song. It's a wee bit generic for my taste.

"1000 Days" : There's a couple of cringe-worthy lyrics here, but the chorus is quite lilting and pretty. And Clay absolutely sings his face off on it. Clay loves "singer's" songs, and this is definitely a singer song. I can see it being on the album.

http://www.ascap.com/ace/ also has Clay listed as the performer for songs called "Try", "Dream", and "Compromise". I have no idea what these songs sound like, or if they'll definitely be on the new album. Interestingly enough, the only song of the four listed above that is included on ASCAP is "Back For More". Did the others get scrapped? Hmmm...

To me, the big question is...what will the covers be?

Clay has sung so many songs, that it's hard to pin it down. Hopefully, there will be some new stuff that we've never heard him sing before. Here's a short list of some of the songs he's covered in concert from the last 25 years or so:

Rosanna
Kyrie
When I Need You
Fields of Gold
When Doves Cry
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Livin' La Vida Loca
Iris

And trust me, that is a SHORT list.

So anyway, hang in there. It's coming! And I predict it will be huge.

I Just Can't Help Myself

2006-05-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is PiddlyPink. And I am a Clay fanatic.

Notice I used the word fanatic. I am a fan of many things. Peanut butter cookies, guacamole, "Lost", Harry Potter, and 80s music. But when it comes to Clay, it reaches fanaticism.

I've seen him in concert...ummm..a "few" times. I've read all of his print interviews, listened to his radio interviews, and watched all of his television appearances. I know that he once had a pet goat named Zoe. I know all of the words to his songs. I can tell you what he was wearing on each performance on American Idol, and that was three years ago. Oh, and did you know that he doesn't like Mexican food. Sad that.

I've had people ask why I like Clay so much. Well, my initial response is easy. The Voice. It's gorgeous, it's strong, it's versatile, and it uplifts me every time I hear it. But there are other Voices out there in the world. So why Clay? Well, he's funny. Watch any of his appearances on the Jimmy Kimmel show or the Tonight Show. He's got a big heart too, that's for sure. Most of his charitable work goes unnoticed, but he has done so much. He created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation because he believes that children with disabilities should be given the same opportunities as those without. He was a spokesman for Toys for Tots and Trick-or-Treating for Unicef. He has done charitable work for Ronald McDonald House. And he visited Uganda and Thailand as the Unicef Ambassador for Education. This doesn't include numerous smaller appearances for things like Broadway Cares.

And don't even get me started on how incredibly gorgeous he is.