Thursday, April 23, 2009

Clay Aiken Presented Family Award


ALL SMILES -- There's nothing like a Clay Aiken smile. Graphic by Amazing_CA.

April Schedule Amps Up

Recaps Amplify Aiken's Honor

With a bulging "real life" calendar, the normal three-day blog routine hit a misstep this week. Three weeks into April, I finally remembered I had not even posted the monthly calendar, so you know my schedule is in overdrive.

This blog will make amends for the calendar slip up and try to catch up on the latest happenings.

Tuesday platinum recording artist Clay Aiken and Terry Boggis, director of Center Kids in New York City, were honored with Family Equality Council Awards at the fourth annual Night at the Tavern in NYC. The event was well-covered by several CA bloggers [see sidebar], as well as the FEC site.


Honoring Clay Aiken
Double clickable

In the FEC blog are video clips by Tavern attendees plus articles about the event. Below are a couple of reports from CA fans that you won't find in official news articles. The first is from the recap of claynov30:

[Clay] was so warm and friendly mingling with everyone. We never thought we would have such close proximity to him last night but we did. It was great to see him in a totally different setting and be so relaxed.

And the people on the Family Equality Council did a fantastic job. They were warm and inviting, and I had some great conversation with a few of them.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and last night I learned what it means to people in the LGBT community to have the support of ALL people, not just their own gay community. A truly memorable and enlightening evening!



Photo of Clay with special performer Linda Eder
links to Broadway.com slide show.
(Bruce Glikas)

Winner Donates Prize Poster

Big winner of the silent auction's life-size Spamalot poster of Sir Robin, the Lady of the Lake, and the king was CA fan crazyglue91152. Clay, who had signed the poster with the words "Find Your Grail," planned to personalize it with the name of the winner. Here is a paraphrase of her recap:

After the auction, she congratulated Clay on his award, and he hugged her. Laughing, he jokingly asked her twice what she planned to do with that huge poster.

She told him she planned to donate it to The Bubel/Aiken Foundation. Clay replied, "Wow, that's wonderful! Thank you very much!" It was decided that instead of inscribing the poster to her, he and crazyglue91152 would have their picture taken with her prize.

With his assistant positioned behind the poster so it wouldn't fall over, Clay stooped down next to the winner for her photo memento. She thanked him, and he promised to see her again soon.

The singer, TBAF, and fans throughout Clay Cyberspace are celebrating this thoughtful gesture that will eventually raise lots of funds for Foundation. CA fans are also hoping "soon" really means SOON!

PHOTE INTERLUDE: This clickable interlude features graphics by cindilu2, 1 (April calendar) and 5, and Amazing_CA, 3, as well as photos by robyn428, 2 and 4. For widescreen versions of the calendar and its matching graphic, see the artist's Yuku page.









Boyle Recalls 'Clay Aiken Era'

You'd almost have to be a hermit on a desert island not to have come across Britain's Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle. Not a few have compared the Scottish singer to diamond-in-the-rough emergence of Clay Aiken during American Idol's Season 2.

Somewhere along the way AI, now in its 8th season, moved away from its innocent appeal and original premise to find the best "undiscovered talent" in America. One of the latest to examine the phenomenon is Philadelphia Inquirer staffer Amy S. Rosenberg.

In her Thursday (4/23) column Has a Brit Knocked 'Idol' off its pedestal? column, she quotes Jason Mittell, associate professor of American Studies and Film & Media Culture at Middlebury College.

Television critics are calling for a return to the simple pleasures of the undiscovered gems in the rough of the earlier Clay Aiken era. Feminists are charmed. Priests are seeing God's work. As for age, Barack Obama already made 47 sexy and powerful; now Susan Boyle is standing up for the unlucky-at-love set.

"It plays into a narrative that seems authentic," says Mittell. "The idea that she is just a real person, following her dreams. There's a sense of discovery of something authentic. It tweaks that pleasure. It plays especially well in the U.S. because our frame for the genre is American Idol. American Idol is about young people who look the part, act the way in which we expect a pop star to act."

In case you have been on the proverbial desert island, here is Boyle's April 11 performance of I Dreamed a Dream from "Les Miserables," which is about to hit 13 million views on YouTube.

Recital Calendar Marches On

Recently I mentioned that due to double booking, my sister and I had to rearrange the location for our Spring Recital of woodwind, string, and piano students. Symphony harpist Helen Rikas will accompany the woodwind solos, as well as the joint selections in the middle of the two recitals.

We spent the better part of Easter Week searching for an alternate locale. Because of our harpist's schedule, the date was not movable. After checking with area churches and trying a grand with a troubling rebound action in a nearby chapel, we decided to go with the academy's bandroom and a really fine upright ebony piano.

Our first joint string-woodwind rehearsal is next Thursday; and, hopefully, there will be no major surprises. The students range in age from Grades 4 - 12, so you never know.

The May 17 main event will be followed by another the next day when grandson Kai welcomes a baby sister -- or "Sissy" as he already calls her. Between the two happenings many miles away, their maternal grandmother will no doubt be off the wall all weekend long!

Below is a clickable of Amazing_CA 's opening graphic:

Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

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33 comments:

SueReu said...

Caro, great blog!

I'm so proud of Clay, so proud to be a fan of such an amazing, humble, generous talented man.

Gorgeous photos and great recaps!!

Thank you!!

Ashes said...

Excellent review of the recent FEC awards. Great to read the fan reports.
AmazingCA's blends are awesome :)

Best of luck on the upcoming recital..and the new baby about to enter the family circle too.

Thank you!

musicfan said...

Caro........so much information. Thanks for all the recaps and pictures. Clay is a special person and I am very proud of him.

You are a special person too. I am sure Clay is proud that you are a fan.

CLM said...

Wow Caro.........nice blog. I love that Clay is finding new ways of making a difference. Thanks for the pics too.

diane

clayam said...

Nice blog.
Love all the pictures of Clay Aiken, and I am very proud of him winning the FEC award.

katy said...

Thanks for all the good pics and info, Carol.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful honor for Clay Aiken. Thank you for the report... and the pictures!

PaulaBear said...

Great blog, caro! So much information and pictures. I would love to see us get back to the Clay Aiken era on TV. Clay Aiken every week on my TV would be a great start!

Truth Rules said...

Caro, great blog!

Beanblossom said...

Great blog - we sure picked a winner, when we picked Clay.

jbc4clay said...

Love the blog, Caro.
Beautiful blends and I love that Clay Aiken smile, too!

Anonymous said...

Love your blogs! Thanks!

ImGranny said...

What a great honor for Clay! Thank you for the wonderful blog!

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken is such a generous man. No wonder his fans love him so much. Thanks for this blog.

fgs said...

Clay Aiken is a special person and people are just now catching on to the fact that he has done so much to try to make a difference.

Very nice blog and beautiful graphics as usual.

Anonymous said...

Totally ASSUME!!! Is'nt it great to follow such an amazing man as Clay Aiken!!

And lot's of pretty's here too!!

hugs, Shy

Anonymous said...

Love me some Clay Aiken. Thanks for all the work you do posting these wonderful blogs.

Anonymous said...

Caro~ Liked your blog, the info is always good ! You are gonna and are a busy person , i hope your recital , etc. all goes good! And sure hope and pray, all goes well for your new family member, soon!
Thanks! Take care, Donna in WI.

Anonymous said...

Great blog, caro, about an outstanding gentleman, Clay Aiken. He continues to do good works.

Anonymous said...

Clay Aiken is amazing and talented young man. He's very deserving of this award, and it's obvious he loves and cherishes his fans!

katy said...

Have enjoyed the videos an pictures from the FEC. Enjoyed Clay Aiken's speech so much.

Ashes said...

Clay Aiken said he wanted to use his voice to make a difference, and he is.
I'm so proud to be a fan of his.

PaulaBear said...

You are so right!! There's nothing like a Clay Aiken smile!!

Anonymous said...

Love Clay and Linda Edder!

Kim said...

Great blog Caro!

Clay Aiken is one special man!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the wonderful Clay Aiken blog!

PaulaBear said...

Always the giver, Clay Aiken provided a special gift to his fans last night, spending time chatting with them at his fan club and then letting them download a never before released song! What a generous man!

SueReu said...

I forgot to say

Clay Aiken never ceases to amaze me - what an amazing man. I am so proud (and pretty darn pleased) to be his fan.

Beanblossom said...

Sure wish I could have been there to show Clay Aiken my support. He really is special.

T said...

Thanks so much Caro for another great blog! Your blog always bring very interesting & entertaining topics. So glad that you featured Clay's FEC awards. Congrats to CA and just read now the write-up they did for him -- very impressive! Nice photos too!

All the best on the rehearsals for your upcoming recital and also, the second grandchild coming soon. Keep us posted.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Congrats Clay Aiken. He is one of the good guys. Grate speech. LOVE him!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the beautiful pictures and the great fan recaps from the FEC event! I love reading all the information about Clay Aiken.

Anonymous said...

Congrats Caro on the new grandbaby that is coming.... I miss being around the OFC site and talking with everyone. Hope to be back in a couple of months.
Just wanted to stop by and say hello...

Nance