Clay Aiken Fans Stretch Around the Globe

CHICAGO REPLAY - Fountaindawg's Park West design rewinds the Oct. 14 Chicago Concert with photos by Permaswooned.

Carolina Visitors Represent 158 Countries

Fans Anticipate Worldwide Tour

If the Carolina blog's visitors from 158 countries are any indication, Clay Aiken's popularity is worldwide and international fans can look forward to a global tour sometime in the future.

According to ClustrMap and Feedjit Live Feed, which have monitored the location of this site's visitors since December 2007, fans from 158 nations have dropped by this corner of the Internet for the latest news about Clay Aiken. On any given day, the number averages from 100-300.

New countries in 2010 include Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (ASIA); Tunisia, Mauritania, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Angola, Senegal, and Zimbabwe (AFRICA); Macedonia, Cyprus, and Armenia (EUROPE); Saint Kitts and Nevis, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, and Belize (NORTH AMERICA).

Click to enlarge Carolina On My Mind ClustrMap.

All continents except Antarctica have followed a trail here, either via search engines or links on other websites. I am always intrigued in how a person lands at the Carolina doorstep; and I was very excited to see the Senegal flag, one of the newest countries from Africa, in the Feedjit feed. Turned out, the newcomer was googling "Ruben Studdard."

Countries registered by ClustrMap are listed at this link. Countries appear on the Feedjit Live Feed in real time.

Google Often Surprise Visitors

Most visitors arrive looking for news about Clay Aiken or his charitable endeavors. However, a wide range of topics bring readers to the Carolina doorstep, accidentally and on purpose.

A frequent search from Singapore is for the storm Kai, and that lands a person squarely in the middle of Hurricane Kai Strikes Texas Home (Oct. 2007):

Many may recall that in answer to my plea for more pictures of our brand new grandson, Kai's grandfather sent images of an apartment in total disarray -- dirty dishes in the sink, newspapers stacked up, you name it, to prove how little picture-taking time was available.

From these photos, my friend Sally created the "Hurricane Kai" graphic with grandson calmly sleeping in the eye of the storm.

Potato Rolls, Music Popular Links

Hopefully, the visitor who googled "what's for dinner?" enjoyed reading about -- and possibly baking -- my Aunt Lill's Potato Rolls (Feb. 2007). My great-aunt, who taught piano into her 90's, often sent a pan of her special rolls home with students, an unlikely event for the young charges of this non-baking music teacher.

Occasionally, I report on rehearsals, performances, and other accomplishments of my piano/string students. Someone searching for a drought remedy came across Spring Recital Yields Surprise. Because "video games" inspire new themes with one of my student composers, the term frequently yields Young Musicians Share Compositions (Aug. 2010).

Regular searches for "Loree oboe" or "John Ellis," oboe professor at the NC School of the Arts, pull up Trusty Oboe Could Tell Tales (Nov. 2006).

Other popular searches yield my experiences as a marching band director, Football Season Stirs Memories (Oct. 2006) and Clay's 2006 holiday tour lessons on "fancy Eye-talian" definitions, Musical Terms Provide Grins (Jan. 2007).

Blogs about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. like Country Honors Legacy of MLK (Jan. 2007) have been magnets for international visitors and, no doubt, students completing homework assignments. Storms Stir F-5 Tornado Memories, subhead in a Sept. 2008 entry, pops up when there's a twister in the forecast.

Just this week a Texan searching for "Sonny James Nashville" arrived at the first blog I posted on the Internet, Real Rebels of Country, Pop, in which I discussed how Sonny and Clay are the true "rebels" in their music genres. My husband played drums for Sonny when we lived in Nashville.

Many thnx to all who stop and leave comments. So far, four countries are represented in the remarks: Indonesia, Kenya, Canada, and the US. It would be great to hear from non-Clay fans who accidentally find themselves in the midst of a blog about the singer.

Thank you, too, for the ongoing geography lesson. No doubt, we are making "Teacher Clay" proud!

Violinist Tatum Davis, 8, earned $34 with impromptu market gig.

Young Violinist Plays First Gig

Tatum Davis, my youngest violin student, came to her lesson last Tuesday with the exciting news that she had played her first paying gig during October's High Point Furniture Market.

Her father, owner of Luke Leather Furniture, was bemoaning the fact that he had not engaged a guitarist for the semi-annual event. His wife reminded him that he has a violinist, and Tatum was "hired."

After a quick trip home for her violin and a "tips" jar, she set up in front of her father's showroom and began playing through her repertoire: "Frere Jacques," "Ode to Joy," "Allegro," "Twinkle Variations," "Go Tell Aunt Rhody," "Long, Long Ago," and "Bile 'Em Cabbage Down."

International buyers visiting her dad's display, filled the young violinist's jar three times. In one hour and 20 minutes, Tatum earned $34, all of which is headed for her new bank account opened just last month.

High Point Furniture Market draws approximately 75,000 furniture buyers to the Triad twice yearly. A second grader at Wesleyan Christian Academy, Tatum is already making plans to perform at the April 2011 market.

LET'S ALL PLAY -- Children with and without disabilities participate in the National Inclusion Project's programs. Too young to vote in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, these two are relying on the dedication of adults.

Pepsi Grant To Fund New Camps

During the past few weeks, I have written numerous blogs and emailed friends, relatives, associates, and current/past music students and their parents asking all to help the National Inclusion Project secure a $50,000 grant by voting three ways daily in the October Pepsi Refresh Challenge.

Vote for Inclusion 3 Ways Daily

1. Login to the National Inclusion Project page at the Pepsi Refresh site. Cast one vote through Pepsi.

2. Log out of Pepsi (lower left corner) and right back with above link, select Facebook, and vote again.

3. From mobile phone, text 102308 to Pepsi (73774)

Voting three ways takes less than five minutes. To vote for alliance/partner charities, use the voting widget in the sidebar below the calendar.

Clay Speaks, Auctions, Sings for NIP

No one explains or exemplifies the mission and accomplishments of the National Inclusion Project better than co-founder Clay Aiken in the speech he gave at the the Oct. 16 Champions Gala; the Dutch Auction he conducted, and his final song, "Both Sides Now," performed as a duet with Debra Leisey, who signed the lyrics.

Even in such tough economic times, numerous NIP supporters pledged multiples of $250, the cost for sending one child to a Let's ALL Play Camp next summer. (middle video)

IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSION -- Co-founder of the National Inclusion Project, Clay reported on foundation's accomplishments and goals in a speech at the 2010 Champions Gala. Video by Robyn 428.

DUTCH AUCTION - Clay conducted a Dutch Auction at the Gala during which attendees donated multiples of $250 to send from 1-10 kids to a Let's ALL Play Camp next summer. Video by Robyn428.

BOTH SIDES NOW - In the final song of his performance at the 2010 Gala, Clay sang "Both Sides Now," as Debra Leisey signed the lyrics. Video by Robyn428.

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Clay Aiken Irish on St. Pat's Day

ALL THINGS GREEN -- Clay Aiken graphic by AmazingCA.

March Honors Irish Traditions

Everyone's a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day. This blog commemorates the week with "Spamalot" green, signature color of Sir Robin, Clay Aiken's recent role in the hit Broadway musical.

The most well-known March observance is St. Patrick's Day, honoring the patron saint of Ireland, the man who brought Christianity to the Irish in the 400's A.D. March 17 is truly a day for celebrating Irish history, ancestry, traditions, and customs.

Around the globe, St. Patrick's Day festivities are generally themed around all things green and Irish. The secular version of the holiday is marked by wearing green or orange, eating Irish food and/or green foods, imbibing Irish drink (usually Guinness), and attending parades.

Irish colonists brought St. Patrick's Day to North America. The event was first commemorated in the 13 colonies in Boston, MA, in 1737.

Everyone's a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

Clay co-hosting 2010 GFI in Palm Beach Gardens.
Double clickable photo by Alicia Donovan

Palm Beach Magazine Features GFI

Golfing for Inclusion is featured in the March 2010 issue of Palm Beach Gardens Lifestyle magazine. Written by Laura Delgado with photography by Alicia Donovan, scans of the article are available at Clay Aiken The Ideal Idol.

Clay Aiken sings, tours, performs on Broadway, raises funds and acts as a spokesperson for various causes. But can he play golf?

Aiken recently teamed up with PGA Professional Wayne Player to hose the 3rd Annual Golfing for Inclusion on February 1 at The Country Club at Mirasol, right here in Palm Beach Gardens.

The three-page spread incorporates the history and agenda of the National Inclusion Project, as well as the 2010 GFI event. Five photos accompany the story.

"I have never golfed, and I think -- in the best interest of others -- we should keep it that way," he said with a laugh.

To read the complete story, link to Clay Aiken The Ideal Idol.

INTERLUDE IN GREEN: Sir Robin's penchant for green lends itself to a clickable St. Patrick's Day interlude. Included are graphics by Amazing_CA with photos by Joan Marcus, 1, and Toni7babe, 3; Claystruck, photo by Disneydeb84, 2.

No One As Irish As Barack Obama

More than 34 million Americans are of Irish descent, nine times the population of Ireland. Among them is US President Barack Obama, whose maternal great-great-great grandfather Falmuth Kearney was born in Moneygall, a tiny village in central Ireland.

Between 1845 and 1851, more than a million people left Ireland on 'famine ships' to escape mass-starvation caused by potato blight; and, according to documents unearthed by an Irish vicar, passenger lists show Falmuth Kearney was among them, arriving in New York in 1850 before settling in Ohio.

Screen cap links to animated montage.

The song "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama," which was written by Hardy Drew and recorded by the Corrigan Brothers, helps fill in the blanks about President Obama's 3% Irish heritage. The concert and animated versions can be viewed at YouTube.

Everyone's a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

Kai, our clan's pot o' gold, is 2 1/2 years old today!
Clickable 2009 St. Patrick's graphic by Ashes

Grandma's on Kai's Radar

Being a long-distance grandmother can be difficult at times; but there are some high moments, too. Kai, who celebrates 2.5 years today, and I are enjoying getting to know each other in telephone conversations. Ten-month-old Lia tries to copy everything he does, so our phone time is coming.

Kai has always loved telephone buttons and now delights in providing a running commentary of all that's happening ("The dogs are getting ready to go out ... Lia is taking a nap"), as well as walking around the room pointing out items ("This is our TV; here's Lia's high chair; and this is my dump truck full of Cheerios.")

"Grandmother" has become the voice on the phone so much so that last week while his mother was talking with a friend, Kai yelled from across the room, "Hello, Grandma!"

I look forward to the time when "across the room" is literally just that. Happy 2.5, Grandson!

Your Carolina blog visits -- and especially thos who stop and comment -- are always appreciated. According to the attached Feedjit Live Feed and ClustrMap applications, visitors from 144 countries have stopped by this year, the newest being Armenia. Greetings to all!

Accompanying the above Irish blessing (graphic by Sally) is a very special wish to all for a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Caro

Clay Aiken Logs Global Fan Base

CITY LIGHTS -- Ashes featured a photo by PermaSwooned in this handsome graphic.

Fans Anticipate 2010 Album

Clay Aiken a Worldwide Success

Press on Clay Aiken's Nov. 30 birthday was especially positive, one article even going so far as to hint that Singer Man is contemplating trying his hand at a rap album.

This is from the MTV story about celebrity birthdays on Nov. 30:

Even if he didn't win "American Idol," there's no question that Clay Aiken is one of the most successful talents to emerge from Fox's musical phenomenon. From a number of widely acclaimed albums to a hilarious run on Broadway as Sir Robin in "Monty Python's Spamalot," Clay has deservedly earned attention and adoration from fans all around the world.

Honestly, there isn't much that Clay hasn't accomplished already in his relatively short career, though I'd personally love to see him try his hand at a rap album. Not only would it be hilarious, but I bet it'd be surprisingly good, too!

THE BEST IS YET TO COME! -- Graphic by cindilu2

An outstanding overview of Clay's entertainment career and humanitarian work was posted with birthday greetings on the American Idol News site:

Clay Aiken, the popular Season 2 runner-up, has done everything from releasing albums to touring to performing on Broadway to acting on TV. The 31-year-old Raleigh native's more recent debut is becoming a father to son Parker.

After a successful run on American Idol's second season, Clay was signed to RCA Records. He released five albums on the label, the multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man in 2003, Merry Christmas with Love in 2004, A Thousand Different Ways in 2006, the 2006 EP All Is Well, and On My Way Here in 2008.

On March 31, 2009, Clay released Playlist: The Very Best of Clay Aiken, a compilation of some of his greatest hits which included "Solitaire" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," songs that Clay sang as a contestant on American Idol.

Clay has launched eight tours and authored a New York Times best-selling book called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life. He's also had a number of television appearances including the 2004 televised Christmas special A Clay Aiken Christmas which he also executive produced, Scrubs, Saturday Night Live, and 30 Rock.

In January of 2008, Clay made his Broadway debut as Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot. We caught up exclusively with Clay in 2008 to learn more about his role in Spamalot. Read the 1/15/08 interview.

Before becoming an American Idol superstar, Clay tutored a child with autism. Due to his passion to help children with autism, Clay co-founded the National Inclusion Project in 2003 with the mother of the boy he tutored.

In 2004, Clay was appointed to National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and in 2006 he was appointed for a two-year term to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. UNICEF has sent Clay to countries around the world.

This month, Clay posted a blog that revealed he's been traveling to record music for his new album. "I am quite happy with what we are doing this time, and extremely satisfied with the direction we are headed in on this album," Clay said.

A great read with much promise for an awesome new Clay Aiken album with the Decca label in 2010 -- probably minus the rap angle, however!

WORLDWIDE STAR - Clay Aiken fans span the globe. (Carolina ClustrMap)

134 Countries Dot 'Carolina' Map

Thought unscientific, indicators of Clay's worldwide popularity appear daily in the Carolina blog's ClustrMap and Feedjit Live Feed, which register home countries of this site's visitors. Since December 2007, residents of 134 nations have dropped by this corner of the Internet for the latest Clay Aiken news.

In the past 24 hours, due in part to a link at Clay Aiken - The Ideal Idol, a whopping 438 fans came to the Carolina site to read and wish Singer Man a Happy Birthday.

New countries this month's list include Nepal, Yemen (Asia); Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Congo (Africa); and Kazakhstan (Europe). The 134 countries representing every continent except Antarctica suggest Clay's fanbase is definitely global:

ASIA: Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Micronesia, Oman, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Taipei, Taiwan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, Azerbaijan (Baku), Bangladesh, Cambodia, Mongolia, China, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Maldives, Palestinian Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Asia/Pacific Region, Jordan, Nepal, Yemen

AFRICA: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Madagascar, Seychelles, Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Algeria, Uganda, Mauritius, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania, Djibouti, Angola, Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Congo

EUROPE: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Belgium, Poland, Russian Federation, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Turkey, Malta, Georgia, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sicilia, Andorra, Latvia, Europe, Moldova, Albania, Kazakhstan

Thumbnail Carolina ClustrMap
Click to view larger version.

NORTH AMERICA: Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, United States, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bermuda, Saint Lucia, Guatemala, Nassau, The Bahamas, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Anguilla, Honduras

SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia

AUSTRALIA: Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Solomon Islands

Right Here Waiting - Graphic by AmazingCA

The ClustrMap will be archived on Thursday, Dec. 3, and a new blank slate open to receive another year's worth of visitors. Hopefully, your red dot will show in an upcoming issue ... SOON!

This "Idol Found, Game Over" CA fandom excitedly anticipates the singer's upcoming chapter with Decca Records. For Clay and his Nation, the best is yet to come!

Below are clickables of the graphics by Ashes, cindilu2, and AmazingCA:

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro