Clay Aiken
(born Clayton Holmes Grissom
on November 30, 1978) is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol
in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man
was released in October 2003. He released four more albums on the RCA label: Merry Christmas with Love,
A Thousand Different Ways,
and the Christmas EP, All is Well
. [1] [2] His fourth studio album (the first album of original material since 2003's Measure of a Man
), On My Way Here
was released on May 6, 2008. [3]
In the years following his American Idol
appearance, Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Times
best-selling book Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life
with Allison Glock, and was the executive producer for a 2004 televised Christmas special, A Clay Aiken Christmas
. He has been a frequent talk show guest, particularly on The Tonight Show
and Jimmy Kimmel Live
. He appeared as a guest star on Scrubs
and participated in comedy skits on Kimmel
, Saturday Night Live
and 30 Rock
.
Aiken created the National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation) in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2004, and in 2006 was appointed for a two-year term to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. [4] [5] [6]
Aiken made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot
in January 2008. [7] His run ended in May but he rejoined the cast as Sir Robin in September and remained through January 4, 2009. [8]
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CLAY AIKEN TICKETS
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Biography
Personal life
Clay Aiken was born and raised in
Raleigh, North Carolina. As a young boy, Aiken sang in the
Raleigh Boychoir, and as a teenager, he sang in school choirs, church choir, musicals and local theatre productions.
[9] After high school, he sang lead with a local band, Just By Chance, cohosting and performing with the band at "Just by Chance and Friends" shows in
Dunn, North Carolina.
[10] He was also
MC and performer at the Johnston Community College Country Showcase in
Smithfield, and at the North Carolina Music Connection and Hometown Music Connection shows in
Garner and
Benson. He performed the national anthem numerous times for the Raleigh Ice Caps and the
Carolina Hurricanes.
[11] At the age of 19, with his mother's and grandfather's permission, he legally changed his last name from Grissom to Aiken.
[12] Three demo albums of Aiken's vocals were created before
American Idol
with the aid of studio time given as a birthday gift by his mother: a cassette called
Look What Love Has Done
(by Clayton Grissom), a cassette and CD entitled
Redefined
(by Clayton Aiken), and a CD that combined some songs from each of the previous demos: "Look What Love Has Done, Vol 2" (by Clay Aiken).
[13] [14]
Aiken attended Raleigh's
Leesville Road High School and took courses at
Campbell University before enrolling at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He found his interest in special education while directing
YMCA children's camps as a teenager, and at age 19, he served as a substitute teacher for a classroom of students with
autism at Brentwood Elementary School in Raleigh. While attending college in Charlotte, he took a part-time job as an assistant to a boy with autism, and it was this child's mother, Diane Bubel, who urged him to audition for
American Idol
. Although his
American Idol
activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken completed his course work while on tour and graduated with a bachelor's degree in
special education in
December 2003.
[15]
On August 8, 2008 Aiken announced, on his personal
blog, the birth of his son in North Carolina: "My dear friend, Jaymes, and I are so excited to announce the birth of Parker Foster Aiken"
[16] The child's mother, Jaymes Foster, is the sister of record producer
David Foster and the executive producer of Aiken's last three albums on the RCA label. "The little man is healthy, happy, and as loud as his daddy," Aiken wrote. "Mama Jaymes is doing quite well also."
[17] Aiken said in his book,
Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life
, that "It's a Southern tradition to be given your first name from your grandmama's maiden name."
[18] His middle name came from his paternal grandmother's maiden name; using instead the married surnames of their mothers, he and Foster followed that tradition in choosing their son's name.
After several years of public speculation, Aiken
confirmed that he is
gay in a September 2008 interview with
People
magazine.
[19] In April 2009, Aiken was honored by the
Family Equality Council advocacy group at their annual benefit dinner in
New York City.
[20]
American Idol
Aiken had filled out an application to participate in the reality show
Amazing Race
when a friend of his insisted that he try out for
American Idol
instead.
[21] Television viewers first glimpsed Aiken during the audition episodes at the beginning of
American Idol's
second season. The show's judges first saw Aiken as a
nerdy type unlikely to be any kind of idol, but after hearing him sing
Heatwave's "Always and Forever" decided to advance him to the next round. The clip of the judges' surprise during this audition performance was replayed many times over the course of the competition.
Aiken made it to the round of 32 before being cut from the show, but he was invited to return for the "Wild Card" round; his performance of
Elton John's "
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" sent him on to the final 12 as the viewer's choice. While noted for his performance of ballads, such as
Neil Sedaka's "
Solitaire", his upbeat performances, including
The Foundations' "
Build Me Up Buttercup", were also appreciated. Aiken received enough votes every week to keep him out of the bottom three. Part of his appeal was his "geek to chic" transformation in appearance. "I looked like
Opie," Aiken said to
People magazine regarding his appearance at his
American Idol audition in 2002.
[22] He replaced his glasses with
contact lenses and agreed to let the show's stylists change his hair style.
[23] With longer, flat ironed, spiky hair and a penchant for wearing striped shirts, Aiken had established a trademark look by the final American Idol season 2 show.
On May 21, 2003, Aiken came in a close second to
Ruben Studdard, who won the contest by 134,000 votes out of more than 24,000,000 votes cast. The result was controversial, as some hypothesized that ''Idol
s voting system was incapable of handling the number of attempted calls. [24] In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season of
American Idol'', Executive Producer
Nigel Lythgoe revealed for the first time that Aiken had led the fan voting every week from the Wild Card week to the finale, when the possibly-random voting result gave Studdard the win.
[25] Though officially, Aiken was the show's "first runner-up," he has since gone on to be the second season's best-selling star.
Rolling Stone
featured Aiken on the cover of their July 2003 issue. In the cover article Aiken said, "One thing I've found of people in the public eye, either you're a womanizer or you've got to be gay. Since I'm neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me."
[26] In subsequent interviews he expressed frustration over continued questions about his
sexual orientation, telling
People
magazine in 2006, "It doesn't matter what I say. People are going to believe what they want."
[27]
Aiken made a surprise appearance on the final show of
American Idol season 5, when failed auditioner Michael Sandecki returned to the show to receive a "Golden Idol" award for Best Impersonator for his Clay Aiken-like appearance. Aiken appeared without introduction in a well-tailored designer suit and longer, darker hair with bangs, looking so different that many did not recognize him until he began to sing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."
[28] [29]
The second season of the
American Idol Rewind
series (2007) was narrated by Aiken.
[30]
Music
On October 14, 2003, Aiken released his first solo album,
Measure of a Man
, which debuted at #1 on the
Billboard 200 and was, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years, and to date the highest debut of any Idol.
[31] The album received
RIAA Double Platinum certification on November 17, 2003 (a Double Platinum plaque was presented to Aiken by
Clive Davis on October 22, 2003, during
Good Morning America
). The album spawned both the hit single "Invisible" and his first hit song, "
This Is the Night" (both co-written by British songwriter
Chris Braide). Later that year, Aiken won the Fan's Choice Award at the
American Music Awards ceremony, and his CD single "This Is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" won the Billboard award for the Best-Selling Single of 2003.
On November 16, 2004, Aiken released a holiday album titled
Merry Christmas with Love
, which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the
Soundscan era (since 1991).
[32] The album debuted at #4 on the
Billboard 200 and tied
Céline Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of
Billboard
magazine.
Merry Christmas with Love
sold over 1,000,000 copies retail in 6 weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004, receiving RIAA Platinum certification on Jan. 6, 2005.
Aiken's third album,
A Thousand Different Ways
, was released September 19, 2006.
[33] He worked on the album under the guidance of Canadian producer and A&R executive Jaymes Foster.
[34] The album contains ten cover songs and four new songs, one of which Aiken co-wrote.
Clive Davis is credited with the cover concept.
[35] One additional song, "Lover All Alone", written by Aiken and
David Foster, is included with the album on
iTunes. Debuting at #2 on the Billboard chart,
A Thousand Different Ways
made Aiken the fourth artist ever to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5 and scan over 200,000 in the first week.
[36]
Aiken's fourth album,
All Is Well
(an
EP of four Christmas songs), was released exclusively to
Walmart on November 28, 2006, and was released to
iTunes as a digital download in December 2007.
[37]
Aiken stated in an April 2007 interview with
People
that he was planning a new album, and during his
May 2007 appearance on
Jimmy Kimmel Live
, he mentioned that he was in
Los Angeles interviewing producers for the new album.
[38] Aiken found a song, "On My Way Here", written by
OneRepublic frontman
Ryan Tedder, that struck a chord with him and became the inspiration for the album's theme in addition to the album title. For a cohesive sound, Aiken chose Mark '
Kipper' Eldridge to produce the entire album.
On My Way Here
was released May 6, 2008 on the
RCA label.
[39]
According to an article posted on
Billboard
.com Aiken and RCA parted ways shortly after his
On My Way Here
album was released. Aiken's rep confirmed to
People
magazine that Aiken left RCA.
[40] [41] A fifth album was released at the end of March 2009 on Sony's
Legacy Recordings Playlist Series.
[42]
On August 10, 2009 it was announced on Aiken's official website that he had signed with
Universal Music’s
Decca Records and he would have new music out by early 2010.
[43]
Television
Aiken has made many television appearances.
[44] He sang
The Star-Spangled Banner on opening night of the 2003
World Series and appeared in numerous television specials during the winter of 2003, including
Disney's Christmas Day Parade and the
Nick At Nite Holiday Special, where he sang the "
Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" with
Bing Crosby via special effects. Aiken starred in and executive produced his first TV special (December 2004), titled
A Clay Aiken Christmas
, with special guests
Barry Manilow,
Yolanda Adams, and
Megan Mullally; the special was released on DVD later that month. On July 4, 2004, Aiken was one of the performers in the
A Capitol Fourth
concert in
Washington, D.C. and performed in the
Good Morning America
Summer Concert Series in 2004 and 2005.
Aiken was the musical guest on
Saturday Night Live
in 2004 and participated in several skits. He has appeared multiple times on
The Tonight Show,
interviewing with
Jay Leno as a guest in addition to singing, and has become a regular guest on
Jimmy Kimmel Live
. The Kimmel appearances often feature skits: in one,
Jimmy Kimmel's then girlfriend
Sarah Silverman confessed to an affair with Aiken, and in another, Aiken expressed his distaste for Kimmel's jokes about him by beating him up. In May 2007, he spent the first half of his interview on horseback while talking about his recent
UNICEF trip to
Afghanistan. A few weeks later he appeared as a spokesperson for "Guillermo's Mustache" in Kimmel's fictional DVD informercial shown on the
Dancing With the Stars
finale. Aiken made his acting debut on
Ed
in early 2004, playing himself, and in 2005, he was interviewed by
Erica Kane on
All My Children
. He played the role of cafeteria worker Kenny on the
Scrubs
episode "
My Life in Four Cameras". In December 2006, he made an appearance as himself on
Days of our Lives.
After hosting and performing in the
American Idol
Christmas special in 2003, Aiken has had several subsequent hosting jobs. He was a special correspondent for
The Insider
for the 2005
Emmy Awards, and on the sets of the sitcom
Reba
with
Reba McEntire and
Dancing With the Stars
. He co-hosted
The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet
in 2006, and on November 17, 2006, filled in for
Regis Philbin as guest host on
Live with Regis and Kelly
. During an interview, Aiken covered
Kelly Ripa's mouth with his hand.
[45] The incident drew considerable media reaction after Ripa complained at length about the incident on her show the following Monday.
[46] Aiken made fun of the controversy on the
2006 American Music Awards
the next night with
Tori Spelling.
[47] On the
The Tyra Banks Show
in 2006, filmed before the Ripa incident, Aiken mentioned wanting to have his own talk show someday, and Banks switched seats with him and let him interview her for one segment of the show. Aiken was a guest judge on the April 8, 2009 segment of Banks show
America's Next Top Model; in what the show refers to as a teach, he worked with the remaining 8 contestants on their acting skills prior to the judging.
In November 2007, Aiken was a contestant on a celebrity edition of the game show
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
.
[48] Playing for his charity, the
Bubel/Aiken Foundation, he chose to drop out after the ninth question with $300,000, despite having a copy and a save at his disposal. If he had played the tenth question, he would have won $500,000; Aiken and the 5th grader both had the correct answer.
In May 2009, Aiken made a guest appearance on
30 Rock in the season 3 episode
'Kidney Now!'. It was revealed in this episode that he is the cousin of the show's character
Kenneth [49]
Broadway
On January 18, 2008, Aiken made his
Broadway debut when he joined the cast of
Monty Python's Spamalot
for a four-month run, ending on May 4, 2008. He played
Sir Robin, in the
Tony Award-winning musical directed by
Mike Nichols. In addition to Sir Robin, Aiken played the 1st Guard and the Brother Maynard roles.
[50] On August 12, 2008, it was announced that Aiken would resume his role as Sir Robin beginning on September 19 and ending on January 4, 2009.
On December 23, 2008 Aiken had his
caricature unveiled at world famous
Sardi's restaurant.
[51]
Tours
From February through April 2004, Aiken and
Kelly Clarkson embarked on the "Independent Tour" as co-headliners. Following this tour, he was scheduled for a few summer solo tour dates, but demand ultimately led to the booking of 50 dates across the United States, resulting in what many fans called the "Not-a-Tour".
Disney (Buena Vista) was the exclusive sponsor of this unnamed summer tour, promoting their
Aladdin
Special Edition 2-Disc DVD with a preview of Aiken's rendition of "
Proud of Your Boy", a song originally intended for the first release of the film but cut when the Aladdin storyline changed during production. A music video featuring Aiken is on the
Aladdin
Special Edition DVD.
[52] On this tour, he also performed a duet, "Without You," which was released on
Kimberley Locke's 2004 debut album
One Love
.
In November 2004, Aiken launched his third tour of the year, which revolved around a
Christmas theme. "The Joyful Noise Tour", sponsored by
Ronald McDonald House Charities, featured a conductor and a 30-piece orchestra.
[53] In some cities, Aiken was supported by the local philharmonic or symphony, such as the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Local choirs from high schools and elementary schools also participated at each concert.
[54]
175px During the summer of 2005, Aiken, with a seven-piece band and three back-up singers, toured with the "Jukebox Tour", performing songs of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, as well as a few favorites from
Measure of a Man.
He also performed a few new songs being considered for his next album.
[55]
In early November 2005, Aiken launched his second Christmas tour. The 2005 Joyful Noise tour featured a series of vignettes, written by Aiken,
[56] which told the story of an older woman who had lost the Christmas spirit and a young boy who helps her find it again. A cast of actors, dancers and back-up singers traveled with the tour, and members of local theater groups were added in each venue for smaller, non-speaking roles and crowd scenes. The tour opened in
Vancouver,
British Columbia, on November 2, and ended in
Clearwater, Florida on December 30. According to
Pollstar, Aiken's first five tours grossed $28 million dollars.
[57] [58]
In December 2006, Aiken began his third Christmas tour, comprising performances in 18
Midwest and
East Coast cities. Aiken was supported by local orchestras, which also opened the concerts with a program of seasonal music.
[59]
A 23-date tour in support of his third album,
A Thousand Different Ways,
began on July 4, 2007 and ended in
Orlando, Florida on August 19. On this tour Aiken hired local symphonies to back him, along with tour regulars Jesse Vargas, pianist, conductor and arranger; Sean McDaniel, drummer; and Quiana Parler and Angela Fisher, backup singers. Three days into the tour, Aiken and a woman were involved in an in-flight altercation in which she allegedly shoved him. As a result of the scuffle, Aiken and the woman were later questioned by the
FBI.
[60] Aiken told
ET
that he had been sleeping when the incident occurred.
[61]
His fourth annual Christmas tour, "Christmas in the Heartland," began on November 26, 2007 in
Wichita, Kansas.
[62] That 21-date tour ended on December 22, 2007 in Merrillville, Indiana.
He has ended all of his Christmas tours with his signature Christmas song, "
Don't Save It All for Christmas Day."
Faith and philosophy
In 2004 Aiken made the
New York Times
Best Seller List, debuting at #2, with his "inspirational memoir" titled
Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life
, written with Allison Glock, and published by
Random House. Barely mentioning
American Idol
, in the book he instead turned his focus to the people who had the most influence in his life — his mother, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and friends — and to the importance of religion in his life.
While not self-identified as a
Christian music artist, Aiken was featured in
Christian Music Planet
as an "American Idol Christian" in 2004, and in a cover story, "Clay Aiken's Balancing Act", in the
January/
February 2005 issue.
[63] [64] His pre-
Idol
demo albums included several selections of
contemporary Christian music (or CCM) and
gospel songs. A performance of the
Commodores' "Jesus is Love" at the American Music Awards in 2003 earned Aiken and
Ruben Studdard a standing ovation. Aiken has sung a few CCM songs at his pop concerts, and has made Christmas albums, Christmas television specials and performances, and Christmas tours essential elements of his career.
He described himself in
Learning to Sing
as a proud
Southern Baptist who had journeyed away from those roots in his late teens in search of a religion with more
liberal social policies, and then returned to that church because of family and social ties although he remains at odds with the church on some issues.
[65] When asked in a
PBS Kids
interview to name his idols, he responded, "When people ask me what three people I’d like to have dinner with, living or dead, I say
Jesus Christ,
Mr. Rogers, and
Jimmy Carter."
[66]
Aiken makes it clear that he is aware not everyone shares his religious beliefs and it is not his intention to press these beliefs on others. When he worked as a camp counselor at the
YMCA, he challenged other camp faculty by insisting that singing "overtly Christian songs" was inappropriate, as some of the kids were
Jewish. "I stood firm... no child is going to have a spiritual crisis on my watch."
[67] His public philosophy, geared towards inclusion and service to others, reflects his stance that decisions about religion should be made at home.
[68] [69]
Activism
Aiken has donated his time and his voice to multiple benefit events and concerts, including the 2004
Rosalynn Carter Benefit, the America's Promise Benefit, and
Heather Headley's
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit, "Home," where he sang a duet with Headley.
[70] He was one of the celebrity readers for the
Arthur Celebrity Audiobook (Stories for Heroes Series)
, which benefits the
Bubel/Aiken Foundation and other charities, and served as spokesperson for the series. He was also a spokesperson for the 2004
Toys for Tots drive, and acted as an ambassador for the
Ronald McDonald House Charities. Aiken worked with the
Make a Wish Foundation to make one little boy's dream of singing on stage with Clay Aiken come true.
[71]
In September 2006, Aiken was appointed to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President
George W. Bush. Appointees serve a two-year term; Aiken was sworn in September 14, 2006 by HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
Wade F. Horn, Ph.D.
In April 2008, Aiken told
People Magazine
that he was too busy to do as much as he would like, but "If there's something I can do remotely, I would've been happy to do it."
[72]
While appearing in Spamalot, Aiken used his free time and celebrity to help raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) during their fund drives and auctions.
[73] [74]
National Inclusion Project (formerly BAF)
Aiken has been a dedicated advocate for education and for children's causes. His interest in
autism issues led him, along with Diane Bubel (whose son Michael is diagnosed with autism and was tutored by Aiken), to found the
National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation), which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers.
[75] The Foundation runs summer camps which reflect its mission,and also presents Able to Serve awards to support the volunteer efforts of children with physical and mental disabilities.
[76] [77] In July 2005, Raleigh's
WRAL-TV reported on an internet campaign mounted by critics questioning how Aiken's foundation used its money. WRAL news hired an independent accountant who reported that program services totaled $920,000 in 2004—around 85 cents on every dollar donated—which is considered a solid percentage compared to other charities.
[78] CNN picked up the story, and Aiken appeared on
Showbiz Tonight
to provide details about the Foundation's programs.
[79] In late 2004, the Foundation was awarded a $500,000 grant by the US government to develop a K–12 model for inclusion in community service projects to be used in schools across the country. In addition,
State Farm granted $1.5 million dollars to the Foundation to help develop a primary education curriculum focused on teaching social and life skills through service to children of all levels of ability.
[80]
On August 5, 2009, in an open letter from the founders, Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel stated "As we realized the impact the Foundation has already made, it became apparent that even bigger accomplishments could be on the horizon. To that end, we along with the rest of the Board decided that a new name for the Foundation would establish long-term credibility and stability. We sought a name that would signify the Foundation’s position as a national leader on inclusion as well as recognize the Foundation’s start and the efforts of its faithful supporters. After much thought and deliberation, we are proud to introduce the organization we co-founded as the National Inclusion Project."
UNICEF
In November 2004, Aiken was appointed a
U.S. Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador, with a mission to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a
primary education.
After the
tsunami at the end of 2004, he participated in the
NBC4 telethon, which raised over $10 million, and recorded
public service announcements in support of South Asian tsunami relief. He later recorded a video, featuring the song "
Give a Little Bit", to be used as a
public service announcement to raise money for tsunami victims. He was the 2005 spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF drive.
[81]
In March 2005, UNICEF sent Aiken to the tsunami-stricken
Banda Aceh area to raise awareness of the need to restore education quickly to the children who survived this disaster.
[82] UNICEF sent Aiken on another mission in May 2005, to northern
Uganda, to witness the plight of children called "night commuters", who flee the villages each night to sleep in streets and shelters in hopes of avoiding being kidnapped by the
Lord's Resistance Army. He was sent to
Kabul and
Bamyan in
Afghanistan in April 2007, where he was able to spend time with children in their classrooms; he also visited a health center for women and children where he administered oral
polio vaccinations to babies. He observed that
Afghani children, after being forbidden for so many years by the
Taliban regime to attend school, are eager to return to school now that they are once again allowed to receive an education.
[83] Aiken spent his 2007
Christmas in
Mexico with the children affected by the floods in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco.
[84] [85] In late June and early July 2008, UNICEF sent Aiken to
Somalia and
Kenya.
[86] [87]
Fans
Aiken was voted the Favorite Reality Star of 2003 by
TV Guide
readers and “the most-loved reality star of all time” in a
TV Guide
poll conducted in the summer of 2005.
[88] In February 2006,
People
magazine readers voted Aiken their "Favorite American Idol".
[89]
No one is quite sure where the term "Claymates" originated, but Aiken has
trademarked the term.
[90] While in
Los Angeles in September 2006 for a CD signing and appearance on
Jimmy Kimmel Live
, Aiken talked with
Jann Carl of
Entertainment Tonight
about the names various sub-groups have given themselves: "Claysians" (Asian fans), "Claynadians" (Canadian fans), "Clayropeans" (European fans) and "Claydawgs" (male fans). She then teased him about having his own "Clay Nation".
[91] At the CD signing, two young fans asked Clay to autograph their shoulderblades and then went to the local tattoo parlor to make them permanent; later that day on
Jimmy Kimmel Live
they were brought on stage to show the tattoos. Although some of his fans have been criticized at times by the media as being obsessive,
[92] he defends the group as a whole. When Kimmel said to Aiken that his fans were "crazy", Aiken stated that they were merely "enthusiastic". In 2003, in anticipation of the release of
Measure of a Man
, fans all over the country decided to get together and hold parties to celebrate the release of the CD and purchase copies at midnight. In 2006, for the release of
A Thousand Different Ways,
release parties were held in more than 80 cities in the United States, Canada, and Singapore.
[93] [94] [95]
Discography
Studio albums
- Measure of a Man
(2003)
- Merry Christmas with Love
(2004)
- A Thousand Different Ways
(2006)
- All Is Well
(2006 EP)
- On My Way Here
(2008)
|
Compilations
- The Very Best of Clay Aiken
(2009)
DVDs
- A Clay Aiken Christmas
(2004)
|
Awards and nominations
Professional
American Music Awards
- 2003: Won
- Fan's Choice Award
- 2003: Nominated - Favorite Male Artist - Pop or Rock
Billboard Awards
- 2003: Won
- Best Selling Single of 2003 - "Bridge Over Troubled Water/This Is The Night"
- 2004: Won
- Best Selling Christmas Album - Merry Christmas with Love
- 2005: Won
- Best Selling Christian Album - Merry Christmas with Love
New Music Weekly Awards
- 2004: Won
- Top 40 Male Artist of the Year
American Christian Music Awards
- 2005: Won
- Outstanding Yule CD - Merry Christmas with Love
Achievement
- 2005 Robert M. Barg Memorial Achievement Award [96]
- 2006 UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Outstanding Young Alumnus Award [97]
- 2007 National Center for Learning Disabilities' Children's Advocacy Award [98]
American Idol
season 2 performances and results
Week
| Theme
| Song Sung
| Artist
| Order
| Result
|
Audition
| Free Choice
| "Always and Forever"
| Heatwave
| N/A
| Advanced
|
Top 32/ Semifinal Group 2
| Free Choice
| "Open Arms"
| Journey
| 1
| Top 3 Wild Card
|
Wild Card
| Free Choice
| "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
| Elton John
| 2
| Selected Public Vote
|
Top 12
| Motown
| "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
| Four Tops
| 7
| Safe
|
Top 11
| Movie Soundtracks
| "Somewhere Out There" - An American Tail
| Linda Ronstadt/ James Ingram
| 4
| Safe
|
Top 10
| Country Rock
| "Someone Else's Star"
| Bryan White
| 10
| Safe
|
Top 9
| Disco
| "Everlasting Love"
| Carl Carlton
| 4
| Safe1
|
Top 8
| Billboard #1
| "At This Moment"
| Billy Vera
| 1
| Safe
|
Top 7
| Billy Joel
| "Tell Her About It"
| Billy Joel
| 7
| Safe
|
Top 6
| Diane Warren
| "I Could Not Ask for More"
| Edwin McCain
| 2
| Safe
|
Top 5
| 1960s Neil Sedaka
| "Build Me Up Buttercup" "Solitaire"
| The Foundations Neil Sedaka
| 5 10
| Safe
|
Top 4
| Bee Gees
| "To Love Somebody" "Grease"
| Bee Gees Frankie Valli
| 2 6
| Safe
|
Top 3
| Random Choice Judges' Choice Idol's Choice
| "Vincent" "Mack the Knife" "Unchained Melody"
| Don McLean Bobby Darin The Righteous Brothers
| 3 6 9
| Safe
|
Top 2
| Finale
| "This is the Night" "Here, There and Everywhere" "Bridge over Troubled Water"
| Clay Aiken The Beatles Simon & Garfunkel
| 2 4 6
| Runner-Up
|
Note 1: No one was eliminated that week due to the disqualification of Corey Clark.
See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
- List of Decca Records artists
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- {{imdb name|id=1341750}}
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Original Air Date:
1 November 2007 (Season 2, Episode 9)
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