Clay Aiken Fans Catalog Song, Video Favorites

Clay Aiken performs 'It's Impossible.'
View montage by hosaa full screen at YouTube.
Download video with this Sendspace file.

On Clay Aiken Fan Boards

Drought Brings on 'Listomania'

For some Clay Aiken fans, the weeks the singer is not performing are just like the song -- impossible. For others, there is no such word in their vocabulary, and a kaleidoscope of activities has begun filling this go round of down time.

The opening montage by hosaa features clips from the singer's 2011 Tried & True Tour by farouche, Scarlett, goldarngirl, and MBlovesClay. Venues represented include Towson, Minneapolis, Glenside, Cleveland, Sarasota, Knoxville, and Houston.

This weekend, along with the usual recipe exchanges, family graduation/wedding posts, and latest photos of grandchildren, Clay Cyberspace celebrated New York's passage of the Marriage Equality Act Friday night.

And then, thankfully, there's the "listomania" phenomenon.

Fans Create 'Favorites' Lists

Polls have become an ideal pastime on fan boards. Perhaps you'd like to share your choices for two message board lists started this month by katymom.

Below are the guidelines, as well as her selections for the first list.

Songs for Singerman To Record

GUIDELINES: Clay must have performed the song at some time; he has not recorded it since 2003; and it is not a holiday song. Here are katymom's choices. What would yours be?

Where Do I Begin, Love Story Theme
Home
Tears Run Dry
Alone
Iris
My Eyes Adored You
The Prayer
Fields of Gold
Kyrie
Hello
Those Magic Changes
I Will Be Here

Expandable graphic by AmazingCA with screencaps by Scarlett.

'Best of Clay Aiken' Tracks

Earlier this month katymom originated a "Best of Clay Aiken" album poll. Her listing, representing 12 non-holiday songs that Clay has recorded, includes tracks from the Measure of a Man, A Thousand Different Ways, On My Way Here, and Tried & True albums.

Sacrificial Love - OMWH
Ashes - OMWH
Where I Draw the Line - OMWH
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - TNT
Unchained Melody - TNT
Perfect Day - MOAM
Shine - MOAM
Everything I Do - ATDW
As Long As We're Here - OMWH
Suspicious Minds - TNT
Because You Loved Me - ATDW
The Way - MOAM

Scrpkym's photo links to Clay Gathers Clack.

Register Video/Montage Favorites

Taking this polling pastime a step farther, I'll pose the question. Choosing from Clay Aiken tours, concerts, TV performances, and montages, what are your 5-10 favorite videos?

In no particular order, my list begins with three from the Soft Place Hard Rock Tour. Remember when Clay turned the tables on Scarlett and used her camera to take his own clack?

That was the 8/16/07 Fort Myers, FL, concert of the SPHR Tour. Always ready with a backup, the clack goddess pulled a second camera out of her bag and continued videoing.

Clay, Quiana sing 'Listen' in Sterling Heights, MI.
View video by goldarngirl/luckiest1 full screen at YouTube.

Impromptu Duet Performance Magical

One of the best examples of Clay's innate ability as an entertainer was the unplanned "Listen" duet he and Quiana Parler performed in Sterling Heights, MI.

Whether seated in the Freedom Hill Amphitheater at Sterling Hills, MI, or connected via a cellcert stream thousands of miles away, fans immediately recognized that the unscheduled duet by Clay and Quiana would long be remembered as one of the most incredible, magical moments in a long line of stellar performances.

Subbing for the ailing Angela Fisher, who nightly sang the "Dream Girls" song in concerts, the unrehearsed duo brought down the house and elicited exclamations that continue to this day wherever fans gather.

Totally unrehearsed, the glorious vocals soared with beautifully balanced harmonies. At the conclusion, music director Jesse Vargas joined the amazed audience in a spontaneous standing ovation.

Photo by Irishbookgal links to IWTKWLI 'Trio.'

Orlando Duet Becomes Classic Trio

Scat singing, amazing vocal ranges, and uninhibited ad libs never had it so good as in the gorgeous "I Want To Know What Love Is" duet that evolved into a magnificent, classic trio in the Orlando, FL, finale of the SRHP Tour.

Throughout the tour, Quiana and Angela had cleverly teased Clay as to which of the two would be his duet partner on the song.

In Orlando, they both were.

If You Don't Know Me By Now - Clay Aiken
Montage by Aspiegril can be viewed full screen at YouTube.

Set to a bonus track from Clay's A Thousand Different Ways album, Aspiegirl's 2006 montage features video clips by gerwhisp, Scarlett, SecretlyLovesClay, and canfly172.

Also accompanying "If You Don't Know Me By Now" are photos and graphic designs by Sally, AmazingCA, fivegoldens, ABeautifulMind, and Ambassador of Love.

Clay Aiken Sings Signature 'Unchained Melody.'
View montage by Wowzers4Clay full screen at YouTube.

There are many wonderful videos of Clay performing his signature version of "Unchained Melody," arranged for the Tried & True album/tour by Ben Cohn.

I chose the 2/16/11 Atlanta Concert montage by Wowzers4Clay from the T&T Tour. Videographers represented include ImAllEars, MBLovesClay, goldarngirl, and Scarlett.

Now it's your turn.

1. List 10 songs you would like to hear Clay record.
2. List 12 tracks for a Best of Clay Aiken Album.
3. Name/provide link for 5-10 favorite performance/montage videos.

New Fan Finds Clay Through NIP

A recent incident relayed by aikim demonstrates how information, videos, and montages attract and educate new Clay fans.

Last night in the OFC Chat Room I met a woman who is a new fan. She has a son with autism and was looking around the internet for information and found the National Inclusion Project.

She knew nothing about Clay, never watches American Idol, but mentioned him to someone she knows and they turned her on to his music. Now she is hooked!

It was so much fun talking to someone who doesn't know anything of the last 8 years and is just a fan of his voice. Her husband has been deployed, and she is home with her kids. Clay has become a diversion, but a good one.

We explained some terminology, and she got a laugh out of that. She doesn't know anything about the message boards, Right now she is lost at YouTube watching clack.

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation, and Happy Listomania!

Caro

Clay Aiken Videos Create Traffic Jam at YouTube

Clay Aiken on the Tried & True Tour trail.
Double click to expand graphic by queen.

YouTube Round the Clock

Past Performances in Full Swing

Clay Aiken may not be on tour, but videos and montages of his past performances definitely are as round the clock traffic to the singer's incredible vocals and humorous concert banter is in full swing at YouTube.

The varied selection of videos and montages are entertaining, funny, moving, and highly addictive; so be sure to block some time for a YouTube adventure. Because of the "research" required for this entry, I am speaking from personal experience.

Selections in this blog link to performances from 1999 to American Idol 2 and subsequent tours. Some of Clay's vocals are combined with current events or TV shows while others feature concert clips and the singer's charitable endeavors with the National Inclusion Project and UNICEF.

Dancing With the Stars Season 12
'Suspicious Minds' by Clay Aiken
View montage by LCV full screen at YouTube.

Dancing With the Stars seems a natural fit for Clay's songs. In the montage above, LovesClaysVoice partnered DWTS Season 12 dancers Lil' Romeo and Chelsie Hightower, Hines Ward and Kym Johnson, Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy and "Suspicious Minds" from the Tried & True album.

DWTS Season 11 - Viennese Waltz
'Unchained Melody' by Clay Aiken.
Montage by LCV can be viewed full screen at YouTube.

In the second DWTS montage, LovesClaysVoice combined the Viennese waltz routines of Season 11 contestants with Clay's signature version of "Unchained Melody" as performed on The View.

Dancers include Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough, Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke, Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Montage Spotlights Royal Wedding

Montages frequently blend newsworthy events with Clay's tracks. An excellent example from the On My Way Here CD is "Something About Us," which accompanies visual art from the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Prince William and Kate - Something About Us
'On My Way Here' Vocals by Clay Aiken
View LCV's montage full screen at YouTube.

Another popular "Something About Us" montage is Hotshortie's compilation featuring images of the First Family set the Clay's OMWH track. To date, An Obama Love Story has registered 766,166 views.

Clay Aiken, a Retrospective, Part 1 - The Music
See four-part montage series by SueReu at YouTube.

Encompassing 2003-2009, SueReu's retrospective videos of Clay's career are subtitled "The Music," "Small Screen Fun," "A Special Guest," and "Photographs & Memories."

View all four videos in the Retrospesctive Playlist at SueReu's YouTube Channel.

Clay Aiken's AI5 BUZZ
View montage by zimarazi full screen at YouTube.

AI5 Appearance Epitome of BUZZ

A fan favorite since it was uploaded in 2007, zimarazi's montage presents an overview of the hoopla surrounding Clay's surprise performance at the AI5 Finale.

As the video shows, there was much more buzz about Clay Aikn around water coolers the next morning than the announcement of the Season 5 winner.

If You Don't Know Me By Now - Clay Aiken
Montage by Aspiegirl can be viewed full screen at YouTube.

Set to a bonus track from Clay's A Thousand Different Ways album, Aspiegirl's 2006 montage features video clips by gerwhisp, Scarlett, canfly172, and SecretlyLovesClay with photos/graphic art by Sally, AmazingCA, ABeautifulMind, and fivegoldens.

Here are more montages you may enjoy. Suggested in the comments will be added to the list.

Clay Aiken's Atlanta Audition Reconstruction by hosaa does exactly what the title implies and shows the singer as he began the Idol journey.

As Long As We're Here by Aspiegirl. From the OMWH CD, this song incorporates Clay's charitable endeavors with the National Inclusion Project and UNICEF.

Solitaire Then and Now by SueReu features Clay performing the Neil Sedaka hit on American Idol 3 (2004) and during the 2011 Tried and True Tour.

Dancing With the Stars Season 10 by LCV highlights "Everything I Have," another OMWH track.

Clay Aiken Is 'Still the One' by Hope/Wowzers4Clay includes performances of the song from 1999-2010.

Reserve a block of time, and enjoy! Have a great week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Fans Recall Clay Aiken-Jimmy Kimmel Valentine Tradition

VALENTINES OF NOTE - Previous Clay Aiken-Jimmy Kimmel Valentine's Night shows have become rewind favorites among the singer's fans. His second mainstream album, A Thousand Different Ways, seems the perfect accompaniment. Clickable graphic by A Beautiful Mind, photos by Scrpkym.

'Valentine's Day Is Clay Aiken Day'

Aiken-Kimmel in Classic Rewind

February 14 traditions centuries old continue throughout the world, but none closer to the hearts of Clay Aiken fans than the Valentine Nights the singer appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show.

Valentine's Night 2011 is destined to provide new traditions as Clay & Co. present a special Tried & True Concert in Houston's Jones Hall at 7:30 p.m. this evening.

But back to the 2010 Kimmel-Aiken rewind of Valentines past. For the most part, this blog is a reprint of the Feb. 14, 2010 entry. In the host's words, "Valentine's Day is Clay Aiken Day."

Clay and Jimmy celebrated Valentine's 2005 together, and the CA fandom literally took charge of the stage decor, sending flowers, stuffed animals, balloons in the shape of hearts, and enough pizza for the crew and half the audience.

Valentines encompass 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' set.

At the heart of the "Climmel" happenings is a special friendship, complimented by a unique chemistry that has developed through the years. In 2008, Clay was performing in Spamalot on Broadway; and in 2009, he was on vacation. With Singer Man putting final touches on an upcoming PBS Special, this Valentine's Day isn't looking very promising.

The Aiken-Kimmel reunion on Feb. 14, 2007, was a classic and worthy of a rewind. Grab your popcorn; it's almost time for Clay's introduction ...

In addition to being a multi-platinum recording artist, the author of a New York Times bestseller, and tireless UNICEF ambassador, our first guest has been my Valentine for two out of the last three years running. Please welcome Clay Aiken!

Clay Arrives Bearing Gifts

As with past appearances, pandemonium greeted Clay as he entered bearing gifts -- a giant heart of red balloons, the Clay face shirt for his host, and special "Aiken 4 Kimmel" M&Ms. Jimmy immediately whipped off his jacket and put on his new shirt.

The two friends chatted about Clay's break, his upcoming UNICEF trip, his "enthusiastic" fans" ("Do you realize you command a larger army than Fidel Castro?"), some recent dental work ("I heard that you got a visit from the tooth fairy yesterday and had some work done on your teeth"), and what not.

Jimmy's hint that Clay had promised to compose a special Valentine's Day song was met with comical and totally convincing bafflement. As a pianist quietly started playing an intro offstage, Clay relented, "Well, I can make one up."

Valentine Song Lyrics

Mischievously eying the bowl of candy beside him, Clay began picking up pastel-colored hearts, improvising a song with the Valentines and tossing them over his shoulder after their usefulness. Miraculously, a microphone appeared; and the improvisational flavor of the song and skit progressed:Here's to a very special 2011 Valentine's Day start to finish, Clay Nation!

Love me ... true love,
Fax me ... got love,
You're so sweet ... yours forever,
You're so sweet ...
(speaking) I've got Stage 2 diabetes; that's not going to work!
(singing again) Angel ... dear one. (chuckles)
You're a tiger ... you're mine, Jimmy!!!

Back on the message boards came reports that, during commercial breaks, Clay picked up the bowl of candy and passed out sweets to audience members. Definitely a Valentine's Night to remember ... again and again!

Yollie950 incorporated these events into her montage Valentine's Day with Aiken & Bacon.

Valentine's Day with Aiken & Bacon
Montage by Yollie950

Throughout the many Valentines fans have shared with Clay, graphic artists have provided special visual treats. In this artistic 2/14 rewind are clickable designs by Sally, 1; A Beautiful Mind, photos by KarenEh, 2; cindilu2, 3; AmazingCA, photos by Katy4Clay, 4; and A Beautiful Mind, 5.

The most recent Aiken-Kimmel Valentine get-together was featured in the annual My Favorite Things montage by SmartyPantsSuz.

Other events highlighted in the 2007 MFT montage were the Mike and Juliet Show, Clay's UNICEF trip to Afghanistan, another JKL appearance, summer and holiday tours, and his $300,000 win for the National Inclusion Project on Smarter Than a Fifth Grader.

My Favorite Things 2007 by SmartyPantsSuz
JKL grid links to MFT montage on YouTube.

It's fun to look back. Here's to a very special Valentine's Day 2011 and a wonderful concert in Houston!



Signature by Linda/ABM

Aiken-Kimmel a Valentine Tradition

VALENTINES OF NOTE - Previous Clay Aiken-Jimmy Kimmel Valentine Night shows have become rewind favorites among the singer's fans. His second mainstram album, A Thousand Different Ways, is the perfect accompaniment for this weekend. - Graphic by A Beautiful Mind, photos by Scrpkym.

Team Clay Delivers 2010 Valentine

Aiken-Kimmel in Classic Rewind

February 14 traditions centuries old continue throughout the world this weekend, but none closer to the hearts of Clay Aiken fans than the Valentine Nights the singer appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show.

In the host's words, "Valentine's Day is Clay Aiken Day." Clay and Jimmy celebrated Valentine's 2005 together, and the CA fandom literally took charge of the stage decor, sending flowers, stuffed animals, balloons in the shape of hearts, and enough pizza for the crew and half the audience.

At the heart of the "Climmel" happenings is a special friendship, complimented by a unique chemistry that has developed through the years. In 2008, Clay was performing in Spamalot on Broadway; and in 2009, he was on vacation. With Singer Man putting final touches on an upcoming PBS Special, this Valentine's Day isnt looking very promising.

NEWS BULLETIN: Fan club members, check your inbox! You probably have an email from Team Clay RE the March 12 "Classic Memories" PBS Special that starts like this:



GET READY RALEIGH...

We're happy to be able to put an end to the suspense and the waiting by finally letting you know about the exciting "mystery" event happening on March 12!

After a long wait for all of you, Clay will be "unveiling" the material from his forthcoming album, "Tried & True" in a live concert in his hometown at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium!

This one night only special event will be a full production filmed for national television so seating is exclusive and limited.

LINKS TO INVESTIGATE:

International Media
Progress Energy Center in Raleigh
Ticketmaster
Clayonline/Appearances
Clay Aiken To Perform One-Night Only Concert
Entertainment My NC
Clay Aiken's Raleigh Concert in March

Fan club members will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets in a pre-sale from 12 noon EST Tuesday, Feb. 16, through 10 p.m. Feb. 18. Instructions for the pre-sale code are in the email. Tickets will be open to the general pubic at 12 noon Friday, Feb. 19.

Meanwhile, see Clay's "Non-Scientific Survey" thread in The Man Forum at the OFC to assist with pre-sale ticket count.

If you have HBO, a Bill Maher Special taped this weekend in Memorial Hall of Raleigh's Progress Energy Center, will be televised several times Feb. 13-16.

The Aiken-Kimmel reunion on Feb. 14, 2007, was a classic and worthy of a rewind, which will easily fill this season's Valentine vacuum. Grab your popcorn; it's almost time for Clay's introduction ...

In addition to being a multi-platinum recording artist, the author of a New York Times bestseller, and tireless UNICEF ambassador, our first guest has been my Valentine for two out of the last three years running. Please welcome Clay Aiken!

Clay Arrives Bearing Gifts

As with past appearances, pandemonium greeted Clay as he entered bearing gifts -- a giant heart of red balloons, the Clay face shirt for his host, and special "Aiken 4 Kimmel" M&Ms. Jimmy immediately whipped off his jacket and put on his new shirt.

The two friends chatted about Clay's break, his upcoming UNICEF trip, his "enthusiastic" fans" ("Do you realize you command a larger army than Fidel Castro?"), some recent dental work ("I heard that you got a visit from the tooth fairy yesterday and had some work done on your teeth"), and what not.

Jimmy's hint that Clay had promised to compose a special Valentine's Day song was met with comical and toally convincing bafflement. As a pianist quietly started playing an intro offstage, Clay relented, "Well, I can make one up."

Valentine Song Lyrics

Mischievously eying the bowl of candy beside him, Clay began picking up pastel-colored hearts, improvising a song with the Valentines and tossing them over his shoulder after their usefulness. Miraculously, a microphone appeared; and the improvisational flavor of the song and skit progressed:

Love me ... true love,
Fax me ... got love,
You're so sweet ... yours forever,
You're so sweet ...
(speaking) I've got Stage 2 diabetes; that's not going to work!
(singing again) Angel ... dear one. (chuckles)
You're a tiger ... you're mine, Jimmy!!!

Back on the message boards came reports that, during commercial breaks, Clay picked up the bowl of candy and passed out sweets to audience members. Definitly a Valentine's Night to remember ... again and again!

Yollie950 incorporated these events into her montage Valentine's Day with Aiken & Bacon.

Valentine's Day with Aiken & Bacon
Montage by Yollie950

Throughout the seven Valentines fans have shared with Clay, graphic artists have provided special visual treats. In this artistic 2/14 rewind are clickable designs by Sally, 1; A Beautiful Mind, photos by KarenEh, 2; cindilu2, 3; AmazingCA, photos by Katy4Clay, 4; and A Beautiful Mind, 5.

The most recent Aiken-Kimmel Valentine get-together was featured in the annual My Favorite Things montage by SmartyPantsSuz.

Other events highlighted in the 2007 MFT montage were the Mike and Juliet Show, Clay's UNICEF trip to Afghanistan, another JKL appearance, summer and holiday tours, and his $300,000 win for the National Inclusion Project on Smarter Than a Fifth Grader.

My Favorite Things 2007 by SmartyPantsSuz
JKL grid links to MFT montage on YouTube.

Below is a clickable of A Beautiful Mind's opening graphic:

Have a very special Valentine's Weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Fans Remember 'Take'

ATLANTA AUDITION - The Clay Nation honors the anniversary of "Take," Jan. 28, 2003. Graphic by Fountaindawg.

'Always and Forever' in Atlanta

Clay Nation Marks Anniversary

Celebrations are in full swing throughout Cyberspace as fans recall the night in 2003 that Clay Aiken was introduced to the world with the American Idol 2 telecast of his Atlanta audition.

Take time to tell me you really care
And we'll share tomorrow together
Baby, I'll always love you forever.

Always and forever
Each moment with you
Is just like a dream to me
That somehow came true.

Sign into any message board in Clay Cyber and you will note a stream of "Happy Take!" greetings honoring the opening lyrics of "Always and Forever," his audition song.

What a Feeling, a montage by Aspiegirl, commemorates the Atlanta event and the memorable AI5 finale appearance three years later.

What a Feeling - Montage by Aspiegirl

On January 28, 2003, an unassuming redhead from North Carolina took his first step on the path of pop culture. The text below has been adapted from a seven-year highlights post by Fountaindawg.

2003: We watched Clay Aiken rise through the ranks of American Idol and take his initial steps as a successful independent performer by the fourth quarter of that year. The early days were just a peek at both the "Measure of a Man" and a natural entertainer.

2004: Three tours! And a book! And a Christmas special! Clay was one of the hardest working people in the entertainment business. We were definitely spoiled.

2005: With the Jukebox Tour's Elvis-Motown-Beatles-Disco-New Music, Clay certainly showed his range. He showed that he "Scrubs" up nicely, too.

2006: Silence and patience as we waited for the man to talk and to sing ... the AI5 finale water cooler moment ... and the "Clay Aiken Traveling Christmas Music and Comedy Banter Show."

2007: This year brought a tour that showed "A Thousand Different Ways" to sing slooooooowwwww songs and, later on, the "Clay Aiken Traveling Christmas Music But *Not* Talking to You This Year (Nope No Way) Show"!

2008: Clay "Spammed" … a lot! Stage doors galore meant plenty of pics for the truly obsessed. (Yes, that would be me!) He also began his own family and spoke his Truth. He was "out" in every meaning of the word, reclaiming his life. "On My Way Here" had some interesting stops along the way!

2009: A quiet year fandom-wise, but we did catch Clay between a "30 Rock" and a Tyra place. While "Fostering" his relationships quietly, he made a few appearances and, after kicking the old "Arsey, Eh" label to the curb, announced that he would begin a new "Deccade" with a release in 2010.

If You Don't Know Me By Now - Montage by Aspiegirl

The montage If You Don't Know Me By Now encapsulates highlights from tours, television appearances, UNICEF trips, and National Inclusion Project events. IYDKMBN is a bonus track from the singer's A Thousand Different Ways CD of 2007.

Here are Sendspace downloads for both montages -- What a Feeling and If You Don't Know Me By Now -- by Aspiegirl.

See Fountaindawg's Year at a Glance Timelines, annual collages from 2002 - 2009, at the Clay Aiken Kids site.

NEW YEAR - The Clay Nation celebrates Years 1-7 and the beginning of Year 8. Graphic by Fountaindawg.

So here’s to what was,
The memories are sweet.
And here’s to what will be.
Hey, maybe he’ll even Tweet!

Below are clickables of commemorative graphics by Fountaindawg, 1 and 3, and Cotton, 2:

Happy "Take" anniversary ... the beginning of Year 8 ... and the new decade, aptly spelled "Deccade" by the Clay Nation!

Caro

Recently featured in this blog, the Retrospective montages by SueReu provide an outstanding rewind of the past seven years. The Atlanta audition appears in Retro 1. Enjoy!

Clay Aiken, A Retrospective, Part 1 - The Music

Clay Aiken, A Retrospective, Part 2 - Small Screen Fun

Clay Aiken, A Retrospective, Part 3 - A Special Guest

Clay Aiken, A Retrospective, Part 4 - Photographs and Memories