This blog is about my passions: family, friends, music, journalism, Carolina basketball, and Clay Aiken. Since 2007, visitors from 121 countries have dropped by. Hope to see you again soon! -- Caro
IN ALL THINGS LOVE -- Animated graphic by cindilu2.
On Humanitarian Stage
Clay Aiken Makes a Difference
We came for the voice, but stayed for the man.
Since bursting onto the national stage in 2003, Clay Aiken has generated far-reaching degrees of the global influence that can accompany an entertainer's career. With an expanded platform and larger classroom, the teacher-turned singer is making a difference and so are his fans.
Not all celebrities choose to use their influence in humanitarian ways to benefit others. However, within a couple of months after his American Idol season, Clay co-founded The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, whose mission of inclusion serves to bridge the gap between young people with special needs and the world around them.
In 2008, TBAF celebrated its five-year anniversary, having touched thousands of children through more than 35 programs across the country. Fundraising totals and 2009 accomplishments will be focal points of the Oct. 17 Champions of Change Gala in Raleigh, NC.
Global Commitment with UNICEF
Clay's commitment to the education and health needs of children went worldwide when he was appointed a UNICEF Ambassador in 2004.
Everyone deserves the best start in life, which is what UNICEF is working to provide the world's most vulnerable children.
Education is essential to a child's development. I hope that as an Ambassador I can encourage people to join UNICEF's mission to make education a reality for children throughout the world.- Clay Aiken
Since then, he has visited several countries, including Indonesia three months after the devastating 2005 tsunami; UNICEF-supported shelters in northern Uganda; health centers and schools in Afghanistan; flood-ravaged states in Mexico; and conflict-worn northwest Somalia.
Following each mission, the singer relays through field blogs and media interviews his observations of an area's circumstances and the difference UNICEF makes. His fans have become supporters of UNICEF projects, helping to raise, for example, "$100,000 in 10 Days" to provide lifesaving programs for Afghanistan.
"We came for the voice and stayed for the man" long ago became a mantra of CA fans. There is nothing more handsome nor heartwarming than this incredible singer involved in the humanitarian projects that are so much a part of him.
Looking good? Oh, yeah!
PHOTO INTERLUDE: In this clickable collection, graphic artists have captured some of Clay Aiken's humanitarian endeavors with UNICEF. Represented are Clayquebec1, photo by Invisible926, 1; A Beautiful Mind, 2; AmazingCA, 3 and 4; and Claystruck, 5.
At a Clay Aiken message board this week, members were asked what they thought the singer's signature song should be. The pop hit "Invisible" and "This Is the Night," his AI2 single, were among those named.
I was in the group that immediately thought of "Measure of a Man," title track from the first mainstream album. Below is gerwhisp's 2007 montage that shows the Measure of a Man named Clay.
Measure of a Man (UNICEF) - Montage by gerwhisp
Other blogs featuring various aspects of "Clay Aiken Looking Good" include:
Clay Aiken performs at Canandaigua Concert -- Photo by Dylan.
Here He Comes Again
Entry Becomes Obstacle Course
Taking off to the tune of "Here You Come Again," the Clay Aiken Virtual Tour Bus could only be headed to upstate New York where the singer surprised Soft Rock Hard Place audiences with his concert entrance but ran into a few unexpected turns himself.
This was the Carolina blog's lead on July 20, 2007:
Clay Aiken proved this weekend he really, really knows how to make an entrance.
In the second and third performances of the Summer Tour's "New York Three-fer," he surprised Canandaigua and Chautauqua audiences filled with fans who know his concert set list as well as he does and -- at times -- the lyrics even better.
On both evenings, the entertainer's normal casual stroll onto the stage while singing "Here You Come Again" [from the new 'A Thousand Different Ways' album] took decidedly ingenious twists.
Canandaigua concert goers watched Clay circle a high walkway behind the stage and eventually make his way down an aisle to center stage, all the while singing the opening number with the orchestra.
The unexpected turns in this concert entrance are played out in the video compiled by goldarngirl and luckiest1. The talented duo have created concert montages from several CA tours that can download at their Goldarngirl & Luckiest1 Productions website.
'Here You Come Again' concert montage from SRHP Canandaigua performance.
Imsnoqueen of the Clayboard described the concert's opener this way:
Clay surprised everyone by entering through the crowd. It was pretty funny because there are box seats in Canandaigua.
He later explained that Jerome told him there were steps going down from the box seat sections, but he was trapped because there were no steps down from that area.
So Clay kept going into a box seat section and turning around almost immediately. He did this three times.
Finally, we could see Clay and Jerome running -- yes, running! -- across a walkway, making his way down the center aisle, still singing all the while.
PHOTO INTERLUDE: SRHP 2007 tour graphics featured in this clickable collection include Amazing_CA, photos by toni7babe, 1; cindilu2, photos by cameocat and Tangerine, 2; opening photo by Dylan, 3; Ambassador of Love, photos by LynninNJ, 4; and cindilu2, photos by Kareneh, 5.
July 6-7 mark the anniversaries of the Houston and Tulsa Concerts of the 2007 SRHP Summer Tour. To rewind all the performances, see the July and August 2007 archive entries in the sidebar. The earliest dates will be at the bottom of the column, so you will need to scroll up.
Logging a request for "Here You Come Again," Singerman! Have an awesome week, Clay Nation!
FREEDOM FEST - Graphic by Amazing_CA, photos by Farouche.
Canada, USA Celebrate Birthdays
Clay Aiken Fans Welcome July
As Canada and the USA celebrate national birthdays this week, Clay Aiken fans will also include a rewind to Independence Day 2007 when the singer launched the 20-city Summer Symphony Tour at Freedom Fest in Frisco, TX.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, the United States of America On was born as the Second Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.
President John Adams said the Fourth of July should be celebrated with, among other events, "pomp, parade, games, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.
Taking President Adams at his word, link to Fireworks Pop by clicking on the photo below where you can create your own "illuminations" in the sky above Lady Liberty with your mouse. Linking fireworks show below compliments of Claystruck.
Originally "Dominion Day," July 1 officially became Canada Day in 1982; and today Canadians commemorate their country's heritage, history, and achievements from coast to coast. Graphics for Canada Day and the new month's calendar are by Amazing_CA, 1; cindilu2, 2 and 4; and Fountaindawg, 3. Wide screen versions of the calendar blends are available at cindilu2's Yuku page.
One of the most cherished pieces of clack occurred during the "stump the band" segment at the Toronto Jukebox Tour Concert when Clay sang an a capella version of O Canada. The performance, uploaded by Ashes2isme, can be viewed in the player below or at YouTube.
Clay Sings 'O Canada' at the Toronto Jukebox Tour Concert.
Fans Recall 2007 Frisco Festivities
For CA fans, Independence Day will forevermore be associated with the 2007 Freedom Fest in Frisco, TX, opening performance of the summer tour also known as Soft Rock Hard Place. The festivities included food, fun, fireworks and a "hawt" Clay Aiken Concert.
Anniversaries of events from Clay's singing career are marked in various fashions. Last year,xxx4clay reminisced about July 4, 2007, and then posed the question to her online friends: "Where were you a year ago today?"
A host of memories were shared not only by those who endured every degree of the humid, 90-plus temps in the Frisco soccer stadium, but also those who listened via cellstream in air-conditioned comfort. Beginning with xxx4clay, here are a some of the Indepdence Day 2007 recollections:
Prior to this concert, we knew very little about what Clay would sing although the speculators amongst us had run amok with their possible scenarios. That afternoon someone had listened to the rehearsal and some of that info had drifted back to us but still, the lack of knowledge just added to the excitement.
Finally, finally, finally, Clay entered the stage singing “Here You Come Again.” There really are no words to describe what I felt at that moment. It was beyond exciting. Beyond mesmerizing. And he was soooo close. That crowd let loose with a collective squeal that I can still hear to this day.
All those heat related miseries just disappeared when Clay showed his face and I never gave it another minute's thought until the concert was over. There’s just something about the first concert of the tour and not knowing everything that’s gonna happen that makes it very, very special.
These response represent a cross-section of those who gathered in Texas and the many who listened from afar on Independence Day 2007:
IRISHBOOKGAL: Right here with my headphones on listening to a beautiful voice that gives me goose bumps.
SMARTYPANTSSUZ: Glued to my computer drinking in every morsel I could through the cellstream and recaps. What a night!
JCLAY: Basking in the afterglow of my very first Meet & Greet. It was the first of the "sit down with all of you and talk for 1/2 hour" variety.
WINDSTAR2: I was also in Frisco right in the middle of the screaming teenagers. What a great night that was to be with fellow Clay friends, to see Clay again live in concert and in TEXAS!
ANAMERIAIKENINTX: I'd bet anything the Frisco temperature was pushing 100 before the humidity was factored in! The weather was terrible. I forgot all about it, too, while Clay was with us.
PLAYBILLER: Deep in the heart of Texas!
PHOTO INTERLUDE: From seasons past, the fandom's visual artists have created clickable patriotic graphics for this week's fireworks. Included are designs by A Beautiful Mind, photo by Invisible926, 1; Ashes, 2; Amazing_CA, photos by Farouche, 3; and CLAYPERFECT, 4.
ROLE MODEL -- Clay Aiken "walks the walk" as a successful entertainer committed to a myriad of charitable projects for children. Graphic by Amazing_CA, photo by toni7babe.
Philosophy 101: Life Lessons
Column Recalls Axioms of Clay
Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger ... Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does ... The best is yet to come.
How many times Clay Aiken fans have heard the singer or those close to him reiterate these axioms? "The best is yet to come," attributed to Jaymes Foster, producer, friend, and mother of their son Parker, has become a rallying slogan for fans anxious to hear the next career move.
With a host of food allergies, Clay has no connection to #10 and the worldwide majority's futile resistance to chocolate.
Sunday's sidestep into Philosophy 101 was jump started by my reading the September 2007 Life Lessons column by Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, OH.
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update.
After almost two years, this popular column is still making email rounds and this weekend traveled through Clay Cyberspace via the message board route. As I read the list, I thought of Clay Aiken's commitment to children in need through projects with The Bubel/Aiken Foundation and, since 2004, as a UNICEF Ambassador.
I notice that some readers of the September listing suggested several more "lessons" in their comments. Hopefully, you will, too. Meanwhile, here is the starting point:
Life Lessons and 5 To Grow On
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Regina Brett's column appears in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. In April 2010, her "lessons" column will be released in book form: "God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours."
A breast cancer survivor, Regina can be heard on WCPN 90.3 FM, Cleveland's NPR radio affiliate. Click on Regina Brett to read her latest columns.
PHOTO INTERLUDE: Below are clickables of recent graphics by Amazing_CA (1, 2, 3, 4) and Ashes, 5. Featured photographers are Scrpkym, 2, and Kareneh, 4.
As a CA fan, I recognize many more "life lessons" that have found their way into the singer's writings, interviews, and even his spontaneous remarks at live concerts. Some parallel my own road map and, no doubt, yours, too.
Below is a clickable of the opening graphic:
If you have "lessons" to add, please share them in your comments below. Have an awesome week, Clay Nation!
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS -- Clay Aiken celebrating the finale of the Joyful Not a Tour with a performance in Greensboro two days before Christmas 2006. Photo by Shine in NC.
Christmas in June
Music, Fun, Culture Define JNaT
With recent news that Clay Aiken will pen a Christmas book, the Carolina blog's "virtual tour" bus hit the road for a look back at the musical, comedic, and educational highlights of the December 2006 Joyful Not a Tour.
IN REMEMBRANCE -- With grateful acknowledgement for the music and life of Michael Jackson (1958 -2009), thoughts and prayers are with family, friends, and fans of the King of Pop.
Memorable vocals are a given when Clay & Company are on stage. The singer's genuine gift for bantering with audiences assures spontaneity, humor, and grins. The educational segments of the holiday symphony tour were Clay's nightly lessons of "fancy Eye-talian" musical terms.
To relive the three-week tour, start with the first of Chardonnay's "Best of NACT Banter" montages. After viewing the opener, link to all 12 NACT videosatherYouTube Channel. The initial montage merges videos by Scarlett and jojoct from the Waukegan and Merrilville concerts.
Best of NACT Banter, Part 1 - Montage by Chardonnay
Snow Greets Tour Opener
Winter storms arrived in the Midwest for the opening curtain; but Clay, musical director Jesse Vargas, and the touring crew were soon treated to more pleasant weather as the entourage made their way up and down the eastern seaboard Dec. 1 - 23, entertaining audiences on many levels.
Cousin Jamie Displays Word Clickable by Cotton
Throughout the 2006 holiday tour, Clay returned to the classroom and taught fans a new musical term at each concert. The performances were beamed throughout Cyberspace, so the nightly lessons benefited fans in the theater as well as those listening at home.
The 18 musical terms introduced to JNaT audiences are listed below. With few exceptions, Clay's cousin Jamie walked across the stage holding up a sign bearing the name of the evening's "Eye-talian" term.
CAROLINA CROONER-- Clay dazzled the Greensboro audience and symphony musicians during the final JNaT concert. Photo by xxx4clay.
Violinist Shares Backstage Scenes
Since Greensboro is home base for me, I have played gigs with several of the symphony members performing in the final concert. The morning after the concert I talked with Jean, a violinist, about the orchestra's interaction with my favorite singer.
According to my friend, the Greensboro musicians really enjoyed working with Clay, who was "personable, professional, and lots of fun" during their rehearsal and dinner.
He arrived in last half hour of the rehearsal and started singing where they were, checking sound and warming up. "He was very involved with the orchestra and sang to us during the rehearsal," she said.
My friend was surprised to learn the concert was beamed via cellcert throughout the US and Canada. As with most orchestras, Greensboro's JNaT audience was definitely out of the norm for symphony musicians.
Orchestra Players Pick Term
During dinner, Clay explained about the "musical term of the night" and asked for the orchestra's assistance in choosing an unusual definition. Every word they suggested had been used. Jean even knew about the "made up" term at the West Point Concert. When concertgoers began bringing music dictionaries to look up correct answers, Clay and crew "created" a term.
Talking amongst themselves, the Greensboro string section came up with flagioleto or flagioletto, which means "playing overtones with a slide touch of the string in the points where it is divided in two, three, and four equal parts." In the music, this is indicated with an "o" over the note.
A more recognizable description might be "playing harmonics." Basically, this happens by barely pressing the string while bowing versus firmly pressing the string on the fingerboard and bowing. The violin section demonstrated both sounds very effectively.
As with all concerts, Clay plugged the Greensboro Symphony's next performance, which was slated for Dec. 31. "What are you doing New Year's Eve?" he hinted to the local audience. "I'm not singing, just asking," he quipped, referencing the popular track on his 2004 Christmas CD, Merry Christmas With Love.
PHOTO INTERLUDE: The JNaT's final leg escorted Clay home for the holidays. Clickables from the tour's closing concerts are by photographers xxx4clay (1), All4Clay (2), Simonncharge (3), and ClaysCharlotteGirl(4), Greensboro; PinkCocoa/Ztilb (5, 6), Charlotte; and Clayzthe1, Norfolk, when Clay danced with his mother while singing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"(7).
JNaT Terms Educate Audiences
Musical terms for the nightly pedagogical segments of the 2006 tour are listed below. How many do you remember?
1. CRESCENDO (Merrillville) - Soft to loud.
2. DECRESCENDO (Merrillville) - Loud to soft.
3. FERMATA (Verona) - Held note.
4. SFORZANDO (Engelwood) - A sudden burst of sound on a chord.
5. TREMOLO (Baltimore) - Tremble; a string player shakes his bow reeeeaaal fast on the string for effect such as in scary music. Another set of definitions: (a) A tremulous effect produced by rapid repetition of a single tone. ( b) A similar effect produced by rapid alternation of two tones. A tremolo performed on a piano would be two notes one octave apart played in rapid succession, i.e., low E high E low E high E.
6. PIZZICATO (Norfolk) - I-talian (™CHA) term meaning "pinching." It is used for string instruments to indicate that the strings must be pinched instead of playing with the bow.
7. COL LEGNO (Williamsport) - "Playing with wood"!!! Bwah!!!
8. PONTICELLO (Wilkes Barre) - Playing close to the bridge of a stringed instrument
9. GLISSANDO (Easton) - Rapid scale passage produced by sliding over keys or strings, e.g. piano, harp, violin, trombone.
10. BISBIGLIANDO (Hartford) – Whispering, i.e., a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume. A fluttering of the strings of the harp.
11. FLUTTER TONE (Greenvale/Long Island) -- Jaimie's sign showed 'flutter-tone,' but the terms dictionary had 'flutter-tongue.' In wind instruments, a "coloristic" effect produced by the performer rolling "R" sound while playing.
12. MALLANCAZZIO (West Point) - Playing with the mouthpiece only. (The night of the MADE UP term!)
13. RALLENTANDO (RAL-lin-TAHN-doe) (Red Bank) - A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with a gradual slowing of the tempo
14. SCORDATURA (skor-dah-TOOR-rah) (Detroit) - The practice of tuning the strings of a stringed instrument differently than the standard tuning. Scordatura is generally used to extend an instrument's range, or to make certain passages easier or more possible to perform; it is also used to achieve certain special effects. Scordatura was popular between 1600 and 1750, and is used rarely now.
15. MARCATO (Grand Rapids) - With strong accentuation, strongly accented.
16. SALTANDO(Jacksonville) - Proceeding in leaps or skips. In bowed string playing, a saltando is a technique of bouncing the bow across the strings, producing a rapid, staccato arpeggio.
17. TACET (Charlotte) - Don’t Play. An indication in the music that a performer is to be silent for some time. Typically, for an entire section or movement of a composition.
18. FLAGIOLETO (Greensboro) - Playing overtones with a slide touch of the string in the points where it is divided in two, three, and four equal parts. In the music, this is indicated with an "o" over the note. A more recognizable description might be "playing harmonics." Basically, this happens by barely pressing the string while bowing versus firmly pressing the string on the fingerboard and bowing. The violin section demonstrated both sounds very effectively.
Hope you enjoyed the JNaT rewind. No doubt, we will hit the virtual tour trail again; so keep your bags packed.
'I Want To Know What Love Is' from SRHP Tour Finale
Celebrating Mama Mac
Exquisite SRHP Finale Replayed
Today, June 22, would have been my mother's 97th birthday; and I can't think of a more appropriate lead-in than the magnificent Soft Rock Hard Place Orlando rendition of "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Clay Aiken and backup singers Quiana Parler and Angela Fisher.
The song embraces Mama Mac's special talent for singing beautiful harmony. The lady also knew a lot about love and laughter.
Throughout the Summer 2007 Tour, Quiana and Angela had cleverly teased Clay as to which would be his singing partner on the nightly IWTKWLI duet. At each concert, Clay sang the opening phrase but had to guess which backup vocalist to face for the reply.
During the Orlando finale, they both answered. As soon as Clay committed to singing with one partner, the other vocalised the next phrase. In the process, the trio spun gold, ending with Clay improvising low register riffs with Quiana and soaring into high altitudes scats with Angela.
In the memorable version of I Want To Know What Love Is, posted at YouTube by kb0326, Singerman renamed his backup singers "Heartache" and "Pain."
My mother would have loved it!
Sail On, Silver Girl, Sail On
Our family celebrates a joyful life that almost spanned a century. We have fond memories, full hearts, and the knowledge that this very special woman is still singing glorious harmony through her offspring and the many students she touched.
Mama Mac died on July 12, 2005, sailing peacefully to her next portal where no doubt she is alto section leader in the choir or maybe even directing it.
Many readers have "met" Mama Mac though this journal. In fact, I started the OFC version that parallels the Carolina blog during the week of her death. Snapshots from her colorful life have been shared almost every Mother's Day [i.e., A Very Special Clay Aiken Fan on 5/11/08] since.
Neighborhood 'Beach Lady'
As a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, musician, gardener extraordinaire, Alleen McDonald worked hard and lived a full life. An alto in the First Baptist Church-Wilmington Chancel Choir for 42 years, she appreciated good music and was a very enthusiastic fan of Clay Aiken. She particularly loved to hear him sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
Besides her three children, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, our spirited matriarch was special to a large extended family of friends, former students and coworkers, caregivers of the nursing home where she lived after breaking a hip.
Even with 35 years in the public schools, all the successful operettas and other musical productions, Mother is best remembered in our Wilmington neighborhood as "the beach lady." On any given summer day, we would load up her old 1939 Chevy, which she kept way past its prime just for these beach outings.
Bursting with neighborhood children in bathing suits, inner tubes, fishing/crabbing gear, and picnic lunches, the old jalopy bopped the 10 miles between Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach several times a week during the summers.
A Blue Ribbon Finale
One of my favorite Mama Mac stories happened during National Caregivers Week in May 2005. A month shy of her 93rd birthday, Mother was relatively cognizant 99% of the time, although she occasionally had "moments," such as contending she needed to get ready for choir practice or pack for "our trip" to Wilmington.
Awakened from a mid morning nap with a visit from her granddaughter and toddler twin great-grandchildren, Mother immediately insisted she needed to get dressed for a rehearsal with her physical therapist.
No one in the family knew the two had been rehearsing a duet for the nursing home's talent show that afternoon; so it was assumed our matriarch was groggy and still getting her bearings.
When my sister dropped by after choir practice later that evening, proudly displayed on Mother's door was a shiny lst Place Blue Ribbon. Mama Mac could sing harmony at the drop of a hat, a talent she shared with Clay and one of the many reasons she admired him so much.
My sister and I grew up singing three-part harmony with our mother at church functions. However, Mama Mac was the only one to win a blue ribbon for it!
BABY OF MINE -- In this graphic design,Cindilu2 included the words to a lullaby Clay sang to his son Parker on "Good Morning, America."
Cyber Celebrations for Clay, Parker
Fans Fete First Father's Day
Clay Aiken will celebrate his first Father's Day with son Parker on Sunday, but his fans are already waxing poetic in posts throughout Cyberspace and commemorating the occasion with creative graphic designs and video montages.
On August 8th, 2008, at 8:08AM, celebrity Clay Aiken and his dear friend and noted record producer Jaymes Foster became parents. On June 21st, 2009, Clay -along with other fathers around the country- will celebrate his own first Father's Day.
Clay has said many times in the past that he wanted children. After the birth of his son, he stated publicly that "coming out" was the first real decision he made as a father. He also said that he "could not raise a child to lie or hide things", and added that he wants his son to always be free to be who he is and to know that he is accepted.[snip]
Fans of 'Clay Aiken the Performer' know that he brings them joy when he sings - and laughter as he banters hilariously with the audience during his concerts. But just as importantly, 'Clay Aiken the Father' will bring joy, laughter and integrity to the very important job of parenting his own precious child.
Happy Father's Day, Clay!
Happy First Father's Day, Clay - Montage by Luluasst
The montageHappy First Father's Day, Clay combines photos and videos from Parker's first 10 months with the Brahms Lullaby sung in English and French by Celine Dion. The montage by Luluasst can be viewed at YouTube and downloaded with this Sendspace link.
PHOTO INTERLUDE:Below are five Father's Day graphics from Parker's first year, featuring Fountaindawg, 1 and 5; Amazing_CA, photo by PermaSwooned, 2; Amazing_CA, 3; and Laura08, 4.
With permission, this is the Father's Day poem written for Clay by ymarie, a Clayveristy member:
For Your First Father's Day
by ymarie
He looks down at his son with pride His heart is so full of love inside For this precious, precious gift of love Bestowed on him by God above.
I’m sure there’ll be times, as he dries his son’s tears, When he’s suddenly plagued by doubts and fears. Will he be able to teach him right from wrong? Will he be able to help him grow up strong?
Will he always do what’s best for his child? Will he grow up meek, will he grow up wild? How will he know if he’s doing what’s right? Will he know when to run, will he know when to fight?
Well, Clay, you’ll do what you’ve always done, You’ll teach by example, and your small son Will learn what it means to be a man Of character and integrity, who will take a stand.
He’ll make mistakes, as we all do, But you’ll be right there to help him through. He’s already got the foundation he needs. His father’s love will help him succeed.
So, Clay, on your very first Father’s Day, I wish you such joy, more than I can say. Enjoy your day with your sweet little son, In the game of life, you’ve already won.
Below are clickables of new Father's Day graphics by Fountaindawg, 1 and 3, and the opening "Baby of Mine" design by cindilu2. Thnx to Gerwhisp and Ashes, a download of Clay singing Baby of Mine is also included:
As in seasons past, this blog pays homage to our family'sThree Father Lions, whose narratives were shared here in 2007 and 2008.
This June I am delighted to include Father's Day greetings for a very special Singer Man. I wonder if Parker whipped out a credit card and purchased his Dad a new iPhone. *g*
Clickable by Sally
Wishing the Father Lions of your life a very memorable celebration. Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!
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