Aiken Fans Set CD Release Parties

TRIED & TRUE - The vintage 1950's green hues in this album cover graphic by AmazingCA help the Carolina blog celebrate Earth Week.

First Official Press Photo Revealed

Fans Plan T&T CD Celebrations

With countdown clocks steadily ticking toward the June 1 drop date for Tried & True, Clay Aiken's first album with Decca Records, fans have begun organizing parties to celebrate the new CD.

Pulling out all the stops is the Hollywood CD Release Party with a website coordinated and designed by Pam Bassett. The above link and double clickable image below will take you to "The Celebration Team 2010" page where you will be greeted by Clay singing "Mack the Knife."

Fans planning to attend the Hollywood CD Release Celebration should register as soon as possible. Payment is not due until May 12.

Double click on image to see Hollywood party website.

In the early planning stages, other CD release parties listed at Clayonline (Anything Clay >> Clay Soiree) include Raleigh and Southeastern Michigan (May 31) and Toronto, Ontario (June 5). More will be listed as plans are posted.

To set up a celebration website Hollywood style, click on this link and get started. You can choose from 2,000+ templates; customize the site with your own logo, graphics, text, domain name; and publish to the web with a click of a button.

Easy-to-use tools include point-click-drag images and text with no HTML required. Following a 30-day free trial, the fee is only $4.99/month.

Are You Ready for Clay Aiken 2010?
Montage by gerwhisp

In Are You Ready for Clay Aiken 2010, her latest montage, gerwhisp combined an earlier CA favorite, "Here You Come Again," with excerpts from the singer's March interview in Raleigh and promotional images from the PBS concert taping and upcoming Timeless Tour.

PHOTO INTERLUDE: Featured are double clickable T&T and Timeless TourAmazingCA (1, 3) and Fountaindawg (2).

Tour Ticket Sales Dates Revised

Despite conflicting reports, Timeless Tour tickets for the MGM Grand Foxwoods (Marshantucket, CT) venue are on sale through Ticketmaster now. For more information, check with the venue (866-646-0050) if you want to attend the Aug. 7 concert. This is the promo for Clay and Ruben from the MGM site:

Since coming to national attention on the second season of American Idol in 2003, where he was the unexpected runner up, only to become the biggest selling male artist the show has ever featured, Clay Aiken has evolved into a versatile and beloved popular entertainer.

He has also toured nine times, written a New York Times bestselling memoir, sold more than six million albums, produced and hosted television programs, starred on Broadway, and devoted considerable energy and resources to improving the lives of children all over the world.

After Idol, Ruben Studdard released his first single, "Flying Without Wings" and it debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Advance orders for his debut album, Soulful, topped the 1 million mark before it was released and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Studdard received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R & B Vocal Performance and in March 2004, Ruben won the NAACP Outstanding New Artist Award.

Other public ticket sales for the Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard 17-city summer tour slated for Friday, April 30, include the following venues:

The Hammerstein - New York City, NY (Aug. 11 concert): Phone 212-279-7740. American Express Pre-sale Thursday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. EDT - Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. EDT; live nation pre-sale Tuesday, April 27, 10 a.m. EDT - Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. EDT; general public, Friday, April 30, 10 a.m. EDT.

**Horseshoe Casino - Hammond, IN (Aug. 13 concert): Phone 866-711-7463. (Originally set for April 30, tickets will be on sale through Ticketmaster and at the box office on Friday, May 21.)

Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL (July 26 concert): Phone 727-791-7400, 800-875-8682. Ticketmaster and box office April 30. (Check back for time).

The coast to coast tour, which has been added to Clay's Decca site (under "Events"), begins July 23 in Asheville, NC, and ends in Biloxi, MS.

Clay Aiken Official T&T Press Photo/Vincent Soyez

A few minutes before I started teaching Friday, Clayonline added the final piece of the T&T photo shoot puzzle. Below are clickables of full-length and cropped versions of Clay on the train at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC.

Clickables of official T&T press photo.

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Fans Solve CD Puzzles

AmazingCA integrated photos by Jim R. Bounds in new PBS graphic.

For Aiken CD, Tour, Special

Snippets Unravel Puzzle Pieces

Everyday Clayonline, the official fan club site for Clay Aiken, reveals a new square of a Tried & True photo shoot picture.

Add to that the snippets of information popping up via Tweets, Facebook posts, and routine Cyber searches; and the insatiable Clay Nation slowly but surely is unraveling one puzzle piece after another.

Members of Clayonline can check the news section a little after noon EDT for the latest addition. So far, three pieces of the photo have been unveiled. Accompanying all this are the harmonious sounds of a new official website under construction.

Decca Records has scheduled a June 1 release date for the TNT CD, which can be pre-orderd at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and CD Universe, as well as in countries outside of North America, including Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Over the weekend, additional promo pictures from Clay's PBS Special were discovered at AP Images. Glimpses of the photos shot by Jim R. Bounds following the March 12 Raleigh concert appear in the opening graphic by AmazingCA, as well as the Time Square design by LovesClaysVoice in the clickables below.

Even more proof that life is a giant puzzle is the site Jig Zone where fans can solve jigsaws of recent graphics by Fountaindawg. Fastest and average solve times are shown for each puzzle.

In addition to the graphic jigsaws linked below, you can upload images to create your own puzzles.

Graphic by Fountaindawg
91-piece online CD puzzle at JigZone

Graphic by Fountaindawg
79-piece online Timeless Tour puzzle at JigZone

One venue of the Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard 17-city Timeless Tour -- MGM Grand Foxwoods (Marshantucket, CT) -- will begin selling tickets Friday, April 23. The Hammerstein (New York City, NY) and Horseshoe Casino (Hammond, IN), originally set for the 23rd, have rescheduled ticket sales for April 30 and May 21, respectively. The Hammerstein also has designated pre-sale times.

The latest ticket sale information is outlined in the previous Carolina entry. The coast to coast tour, which is now on Clay's Decca site (under "Events"), begins July 23 in Asheville and ends in Biloxi, MS.

PHOTO INTERLUDE: Featured in this clickable interlude are graphics by AmazingCA (1, 2, 3) and LovesClaysVoice, 4. Photos by Jim R. Bounds appear in the second and fourth graphics.

DLTS Fundraiser Concludes Sunday

Supporters of the National Inclusion Project have until 11:59 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 24, to cast a vote and make a donation in Raleigh's annual Dancing Like the Stars fundraiser for the charity co-founded by Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel in 2003.

Biographical information and videos of the participating dance couples are provided at the DLTS link. Every dollar donated counts as one vote toward the contestant of choice with a minimum online bid of $10. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible. Vote and donate for inclusion here.

Sponsored by the Inclusion Project and A Step to Gold International Ballroom, the event will conclude with a 1 p.m. Sunday performance during the Southern Women's Show, emceed by Faye Parker, Clay's mother.

Anoop Desai to perform at fundraiser.

Pop artist Anoop Desai, finalist from the eighth season of American Idol, will perform at the Sunday's finale. The singer's first independently-released EP All is Fair is due out this spring.

New York Teachers Meet Mikayla

The April edition of New York Teacher features an article by Kimberly Rush, "First Person: Mikayla's Voice," chronicling the mother's pride in her daughter's accomplishments and the support the young girl has received from her friends and schoolmates.

Mikayla is our beautiful daughter. Now 15 years old, she was born with profound brain damage resulting in spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, severe mental retardation, seizure disorder, legal blindness, hearing impairment, and numerous medical conditions related to her disabilities.

Despite the severity of Mikayla's disabilities, my husband and I have always strived to give her as normal a life as possible. When we moved to Pennsylvania eight years ago, the idea of full inclusion for a child with severe developmental disabilities was relatively new to our school district.

In keeping with our own personal philosophy, we requested that Mikayla be included in a regular first-grade class. This year Mikayla is in eighth grade, still fully included, and very popular with her friends.

A class project by third-grade students at Lower Nazareth Elementary resulted in the book Our Friend Mikayla, is an honest portrayal of the children's first reactions to Mikayla, their barriers to acceptance, and finally the true friendships they formed with her.

Our Friend Mikayla was made possible by a grant from the National Inclusion Project, whose mission is to create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities that inclusion can bring.

The book, which makes an excellent gift for teachers, schools, and other children, can be purchased at the Inclusion Project site. Proceeds help fund programs for children with disabilities in other schools and communities.

Spring Recital To Feature Variety

My piano and violin students are polishing pieces for this year's Spring Recital on May 23. In addition to classics, a fiddle tune medley, piano duets, student compositions ("Midnight Sea" and "God's Painting"), and an Evanescence finale ("Good Enough") with piano, violin, and vocalist are planned.

If any of these musicians are reading, go practice, LOL!

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Aiken-Studdard Finale Still Tops AI

Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard, Timeless
Montage by SueReu
Link to You Tube for full page view.
Download video with this Sendspace

Best AI Season Ever

Clay-Ruben Pairing 'Timeless'

Through eight editions of American Idol, the 38.1 million viewers garnered by the Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard Finale of May 21, 2003, not only confirms the popularity of the two singers but also the high bar set by the Season 2 contestants.

The faltering ratings of Season 9 all but guarantee that when the confetti falls and a new Idol is crowned in May, the Aiken-Studdard Finale will still be the champ.

An article by Lisa de Moraes in the Sunday, April 18, Washington Post -- Fallen 'Idol': The champ stumbles -- outlines the evolving problems of American Idol as its competition, Dancing With the Stars, has stepped up.

Click to enlarge AI overview. (Best viewed at Washington Post online.)

Accompanying the article is Seasons of 'Idol'-atry, an overview of the show's nine seasons to date. With 38.1 and 36.4 million viewers, respectively, the finales of Seasons 2 and 5 maintain their gold-silver ranking.

Ironically, Clay Aiken participated in both, as a finalist in his season and as a surprise guest performer with a suave makeover that momentarily fooled loyal fans and Idol personnel alike.

Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me
Clay Aiken surprises AI5 Finale audience.
Link to YouTube to view full screen.

Lythgoe Reveals AI5 Secrecy Plan

In an interview on KTLA-TV's Morning News Show later that week, Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed that details of Clay's appearance and performance on the AI5 Finale were kept secret from almost everyone.

The singer arrived at an obscure entrance in an SUV with tinted windows. Sporting a suave new look and attracting no attention whatsoever, he walked in unnoticed with wardrobe personnel and the garments they were transporting, secretly watching the show in a nearby building before being escorted to the stage for his entrance.

Clay was there to surprise Michael Sandecki, an early contestant who supposedly had won the Golden Idol Award for "Best Impersonation" of a previous finalist. As the stage doors parted, Clay entered singing DLTSGDOM. The theater audience and television viewers went wild.

It was the same incredible voice, but the maturity and difference in Clay's appearance were so striking that the panel of judges and emcee Ryan Seacrest didn't recognize him at first.

The event easily became the most discussed water cooler topic of the AI5 Finale, surmounting the buzz about the evening's newly-crowned Idol, Taylor Hicks.

TIMELESS - Clay and Ruben (Graphic by Fountaindawg)

CT, NY, IN Venues Set Ticket Dates

The popular "Timeless" duo of Clay and Rubin will again share the concert stage when they launch this summer's much-anticipated 17-city tour throughout North America.

On Friday, April 23, one the MGM Grand Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT, will begin selling tickets for the Timeless Tour. Two that had been scheduled for the 23rd (The Hammerstein, New York City, NY) and the Horseshoe Casino (Hammond, IN) have been changed their dates.

Phone numbers and additional information are provided courtesy of toni7babe, who maintains the Summer 2010 Timeless Tour Forum at Clayversity. Mark your calendar for these sites:

MGM Grand Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT, (Aug. 7 concert): Phone 866-646-0050. General public: 9 a.m. EDT., Friday, April 23.

The Hammestein, New York City, NY (Aug. 11 concert): Phone 212-279-7740. American Express Pre-sale, Thursday, April 22, 10 a.m. EDT - Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. EDT; Live nation pre-sale Tuesday, April 27, 10 a.m. EDT - Thursday, April 29, 10 a.m. EDT; General public, Friday, April 30, 10 a.m. EDT.

Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN (Aug. 13 concert): Phone 866-711-7463. Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster and at the box office at noon Friday, May 21.

Upcoming ticket sale dates on the books include the following:

May 7 - Ruth Echerd Hall, Clearwater, FL (July 26 concert)
May 7 - King Center for the Arts, Melbourne, FL (July 25 concert)
May 7 - Club Nokie, Los Angeles, CA, May (Aug. 1 concert)
May 8 - Mountain View Plaza, Snoqualmie, WA (July 29 concert)
May 21 - Caesar's Colosseum, Windsor, ON (Aug 5 concert)
May 21 - Horseshoe Casion, Hammond IN (Aug 13 concert)
May 28 - Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI (Aug 3 concert)
TBA - American Music Theater, Lancaster, PA (Aug 8 concert)

The 17 Timeless Tour concert sites are linked below. For up-to-date information on ticket sales, see Clayonline News, Ticketmaster, and the venue links.

Click to enlarge scan from 4/19 Star Magazine.
Posted by Clayfulthing.

2010 Timeless Tour: Concert List

Jul-23 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estate (Tickets on sale NOW)
Jul-24 - Jacksonville, FL - The Florida Theater (Tickets on sale NOW)
Jul-25 - Melbourne, FL - King Center For Arts (Ticket sale: May 7)
Jul-26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (Ticket sale: May 7)
Jul-29 - Snoqualmie WA - Casino- Mountain View Plaza (Tickets: May 8)
Jul-31 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-01 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia (Tickets: May 7)
Aug-03 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Casino (Tickets: May 28)
Aug-05 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor (Tickets: May 21)
Aug-06 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Foxwoods (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-08 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-10 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-11 - New York, NY - The Hammestein (Tickets: April 30)
Aug-12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-13 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe Casino (Tickets: May 21)
Aug-14 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage (Tickets: NOW)

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken To Bring Broadway Home

Clay Aiken performs on Raleigh stage. AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds

Dancers To Benefit Inclusion

NC Theatre Slates Fundraiser

Clay Aiken will be among five featured performers for "Bringing Broadway Home," June 21 fundraiser for the North Carolina Theatre Group. Subscriber tickets for the musical evening at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium got underway yesterday with general seating set for Monday, April 19.

In addition to Singer Man, the benefit concert celebrating 27 seasons of Broadway at the NC Theatre will star Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrance Mann, and Quiana Parler. Brief bios of all five are printed below.

Tuesday afternoon WRAL's Out and About column and Playbill posted stories promoting the NC Theatre benefit. Broadway World is also featuring the release, Aiken Joins Broadway Stars for NC Theathre Concert:

North Carolina Theatre, the region's only producer of professional Broadway musical revivals, announces "Bringing Broadway Home," a spectacular benefit concert on Monday, June 21st at 8 PM in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.

This one-night-only event will celebrate 27 seasons of Broadway at North Carolina Theatre and will feature Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mann and Quiana Parler.

Clay Aiken is a multi-platinum recording artist and is set to release his sixth album, Tried and True, this summer.

Since his meteoric rise to fame on the hit TV show American Idol in 2003, Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Times best-selling book called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, starred on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot, and has guest starring roles in TV's Scrubs, 30 Rock, and Saturday Night Live.

Before all of these accomplishments and more, Aiken performed on the North Carolina Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776 in 1996.

Theatre Benefit Flier

Cotton, a Clay Aiken fan from North Carolina, outlined the following plan for those who would like to secure tickets during this week's NCT membership pre-sale. Pricing is shown on the double-clickable flier above.

For the subscriber membership, you can buy two of the three shows offered in the Mini Pack (Cinderella, Annie, Little Shop of Horrors). You have to order tickets for specific shows and locations (i.e., Sun Aug 1 2PM, Mezz).

If you choose weeknights and balcony, you can become a subscriber for $100 or so plus fees. A weekend ticket subscription comes to around $120. I was able to buy eight benefit tickets Tuesday morning with no problem.

NC Theatre on Facebook suggests: Call 919-831-6941 x6943 or x6944. Hurry - tickets are going FAST!

Benefit To Celebrate 27 Seasons

Abbreviated bios and clickable photos of the five featured NC Theatre fundraiser performers are printed below. Their benefit concert will celebrate the theatre's 27 seasons. The above flier is double clickable.

Clay Aiken

CLAY AIKEN, a Raleigh native, rose to fame in 2003 as the runner-up on the second season of American Idol. The multi-platinum singer has recorded five albums with RCA Records; and his first CD with Universal Decca, "Tried and True," is scheduled for release June 1.

Aiken has launched eight North American tours and performed on a variety of holiday, comedy, and talk shows on television. His 2008 Broadway debut as Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.

The singer won honors in North Carolina when he performed "This Is The Moment" from Jekyll and Hyde. In 1996, he performed on the NC Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776.

Lauren Kennedy

LAUREN KENNEDY, a native of Raleigh, is an actress and singer who has performed many roles on Broadway. She most recently originated the role Off-Broadway at Second Stage last summer.

Among her Broadway roles include Lady of the Lake in "Spamalot," Fantine in "Les Miserables," and Betty Schaefer in "Sunset Blvd." Kennedy is a member of the Board of Directors at The North Carolina Theatre, an Artistic Advisor at Farmer’s Alley Theatre, and Producing Artistic Director at Hot Summer Night’s at The Kennedy.

Sharon Lawrence

SHARON LAWRENCE, a seasoned stage actress, Sharon Lawrence was recently nominated for an Ovation Award and won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for her acclaimed performance as Vivian Leigh in Pasadena Playhouse’s Off-Broadway hit "Orson’s Shadow." Her last Broadway appearance was as Velma Kelly in "Chicago."

Among her many TV credits are NYPD Blue, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Law and Order:SUV, Grey’s Anatomy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. She will star in a new comedy pilot for CBS entitled Hitched.

Terrence Mann

TERRENCE MANN made his big break-through in the original Broadway cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, playing the lead role of Rum Tum Tugger. Other Broadway performances include Javert in the original Broadway cast of Les Miserables, Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Mann is currently playing the role of Mal Beineke in The Addams Family, which opened on Broadway on April 8.

Quiana Parler

QUIANA PARLER, a native of Charleston, SC, began her professional career singing for Calvin Gilmore of the "The Carolina Opry." In 2003 she parlayed a Top 48 placement on American Idol Season 2 into touring vocalist with Clay Aiken.

Parler's vocals can be heard on albums by Clay, Bianca Ryan, and Renee Olstead. She has recorded with some of the industry’s most respected producers and performed on numerous national television programs. She debuted in 2008 as Effie in the NC Theatre production of Dreamgirls.

After years on the road, the singer has returned home and assembled an incredible group of players and singers. Quiana Parler and Friends is an exciting, interactive band, a group with deep-rooted musical sophistication and an extremely diverse song list that travels throughout the USA and abroad.

Celebs Dance for Inclusion Project

In an annual benefit for the Foundation, the National Inclusion Project and A Step to Gold International Ballroom will co-host Dancing Like the Stars at Raleigh's Southern Women's Show on April 25.

Local celebrity participants have been practicing with their professional dance partners to provide great entertainment for the show attendees. Bios of the celebrity participants and their dance partners, as well as each couple's practice video, are provided here.

DLTS participants include Renee Chou (weekend morning anchor/reporter for WRAL-TV) and Dan Barber; Billy Dukes (music director/night DJ at 94.7 WQDR) and Kay Truitt; Scott Fitzgerald (WPTF 680AM radio personality, author, playright) and Melanie Dale; Bill Reh (meteorologist for NBC-17) and Amanda Shannon; Tina Seldin-Cash (WRAL TV) and Mike Gepner.

After watching the practice videos, use this link to vote for your favorite couple and make a donation to the National Inclusion Project. Every dollar donated will count as a vote towards the contestant of your choice (minimum online bid of $10).

Donations are 100 percent tax deductible. Voting will end at 11:59 EDT Saturday, April 24.

A MUSICAL STROLL - Founaindawg's latest graphic highlights Clay Aiken's six RCA albums and the much anticipated June 1 release with Decca, "Tried & True."

Fans on TNT Snippet Alert

Clocks have slowed to Larghissimo and Lenton assai tempi as time draws near for Amazon to post snippets of the upcoming "Tried & True" CD tracks. You can bet CA fans are staying in close contact with sites that will soon reveal smidgens of the new album's songs.

Another safe bet would be the Clay Aiken page at Decca Records.

Animation by gerwhisp

Larghissimo and Lento assai are slower than Largo, Lento, and Grave. I know I'm ready for the Vivace, Vivacissimo, and Vivacissimamente variety. How about you?

Below is a clickable of Fountaindawg's wallpaper:

Have a great week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Venues Set Ticket Sales

Season 10 Dancing With the Stars - Viennese Waltz
With Clay Aiken singing 'Everything I Have'
Montage by LovesClaysVoice

More Venues To Sell Tickets

Video Pairs DWTS, Aiken Vocals

Hampton Beach, NH, and Beau Rivage, MS, venues will this week be among the seven Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard "Timeless Tour" sites selling tickets. Contact info for the new locations has been added to the listing below.

The opening Everything I Have montage by LovesClaysVoice pairs the beatiful vocals of Clay Aiken with three popular Dancing with the Stars couples from Season 10's recent renditions of the Viennese Waltz.

The dancers include Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough, Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower, and Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya.

EIH is a track from Clay's A Thousand Different Ways album. The montage can be viewed in the player above or full screen at YouTube. You can download the montage with this Sendspace file.

NH, MS Venues To Sell Tickets

When Hampton Beach and Beau Rivage open for business on April 14 and 16, respectively, seven of the 17 venues of the three-week summer tour of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard will be dispersing tickets.

Hampton Beach will begin selling tickets to Insider Club Members at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, April 14, in person at the box office or by phone (603.929.4100). General public tickets will go on sale Friday, April 16.

Beginning at 9 a.m. CDT on April 16, Beau Rivage will sell tickets through Ticketmaster and via phone at the casino (888.566.7469, 888.567.6667).

The 17 Timeless Tour concert sites are linked below. For up-to-date information on ticket sales, see Clayonline News, Ticketmaster, and the concert sites.

TIMELESS - Clay and Ruben (Graphic by Fountaindawg)

2010 Timeless Tour: Concert List

Jul-23 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estate (Tickets on sale NOW)
Jul-24 - Jacksonville, FL - The Florida Theater (Tickets on sale NOW)
Jul-25 - Melbourne, FL - King Center For Arts (Ticket sale: TBA)
Jul-26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (Tickets: TBA)
Jul-29 - Snoqualmie WA - Casino- Mountain View Plaza (Tickets: May 8)
Jul-31 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-01 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia (Tickets: May 7)
Aug-03 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Casino (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-05 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-06 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Foxwoods (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-08 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-10 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino (Tickets: April 14)
Aug-11 - New York, NY - The Hammestein (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-13 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe Casino (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-14 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage (Tickets: April 16)

Clay performs for PBS Special. (Fountaindawg graphic/photos Jim R. Bounds)

TNT CD/DVD Set List a Hot Topic

Both Amazon and New Music Tipsheet have three listings for "Tried and True," Clay's CD set to drop on June 1. They include a CD, a CD/DVD combo [Deluxe Edition] and the single DVD, for which Clay is listed as director.

The CD's playlist parallels songs performed during the PBS Special concert in Raleigh March 12; so fans have fingers crossed that the video represents a similar set.

According to the new album cover, CD tracks include Can't Take My Eyes Off You / What Kind of Fool Am I? / It's Only Make Beleive / Misty / Mack the Knife / It's Impossible / Unchained Melody / Suspicious Minds / Crying / A Kind of Hush / Moon River.

Not counting the Big Band Medley performed during PBS taping, that leaves You're Just Too Good To Be True / You Don't Have To Say You Love Me / Eso Beso / Who's Sorry Now / I'll Take Romance / Breaking Up Is Hard To Do / Build Be Up Buttercup / In My Life in the "available column" also.

See the complete concert set list in the 3/13 Carolina blog: Clay Aiken PBS Concert Magical.

Fandom Sleuths Cover Bases

Facebook members are keeping a watchful eye on several sites: PBS, International Media, Decca Label Group, Decca Records, Clay Aiken. The same is true at Twitter.

Another much-visited portal in the information search is the recently-opened Clay Aiken page at Decca.

While "suspicious minds" speculate about the DVD's fare, only time will tell, which --according to the countdown clocks throughout Clay Cyberspace -- is a mere 50 days away today!

Below are regular/wide screen clickables of Fountaindawg's "Timeless" and "It's Impossible" graphics plus the high resolution TNT cover edit by cindilu2:

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken's TNT Promo Takes Off

Decca reveals new TNT cover. (High resolution edit by cindilu2)

Label Requests Fan Opinions

'Tried & True' Train Leaves Station

The "Clay Aiken: Tried & True" promo train is leaving the station!

In the past two days, Decca Records has replaced the CD's cover photo and begun constructing the singer's page at the label website.

Decca has even asked @ClayAiken fans their opinion about the new TNT cover art via Twitter. As expected, the CA fandom's responses are running the gamut. One person asked what happened to Clay's green eyes; others offered additional editing suggestions; and another hinted for a single soon!

At the New Music Tipsheet, there are three specific "Tried & True" listings for June 1: a CD, a CD-DVD combo (deluxe edition), and a DVD.

The Clay Aiken page at Decca's website currently includes the cover shot and several fan "reviews." Biographical info and news will be added, along with media, photos, and a player that stands ready to help promote selected tracks of the new TNT album.

Cindilu2, Kareneh, ClaySTO, Cotton, and SueReu are among the visual artists who expanded and/or edited the new cover. Their clickables/double clickables are posted below:

Inclusion Project Goes International

It won't be long before the National Inclusion Project might have to change the first word of its name to "International." According to an includingkids tweet on Thursday morning, the Project met with with visitors from Oman's Ministry of Education to talk about Let's All Play.

A couple of hours later, the word was:

How about this? Let's ALL Play and Together We Make a Difference in Arabic? Yep! Possible training in Oman? Yep!

Timeless Tour Tickets on Sale

Word of the three-week, 17-city summer tour of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard has spread like wildfire and not a minute too soon. Five sites are already selling tickets with more set to start next week.

All 17 concert sites are linked below. For up-to-date information on ticket sales, see Clayonline News, Ticketmaster, and the concert sites. The Hampton Beach site is featuring a video of the AI2 finale duet by Clay and Ruben, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now."

One of the most attractive advertisements for the "Timeless Tour" appears on the Lancaster, PA, website:

Clay and Ruben are coming to the American Music Theatre in central PA (Aug. 8, 7 p.m.)!

Timeless Tour at Lancaster, PA, site.

Summer 2010 Tour: Concert List

Jul-23 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estate (Tickets on sale NOW)
Jul-24 - Jacksonville, FL - The Florida Theater (Tickets on sale April 9)
Jul-25 - Melbourne, FL - King Center For Arts (Ticket sale: TBA)
Jul-26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (Tickets: TBA)
Jul-29 - Snoqualmie WA - Casino- Mountain View Plaza (Tickets: May 8)
Jul-31 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-01 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia (Tickets: May 7)
Aug-03 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Casino (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-05 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-06 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Foxwoods (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-08 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theatre (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-10 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino (Tickets: April 14)
Aug-11 - New York, NY - The Hammerstein (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino (Tickets: April 9)
Aug-13 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe Casino (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-14 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage (Tickets: TBA)

Clickable by Fountaindawg

Tornado Talk Starts Music Lessons

When music students returned for piano/violin lessons after Spring Break, several who had been in the path of the Triad's Palm Sunday tornadoes first had to to share their storm stories. Having lived in West Texas for several years, their teacher has a few of her own.

In 2008, I included recollections of the Lubbock Tornado of 1970 in a Carolina blog. Warnings that I should get to the storm cellar went unheeded, and I unwisely rode out the center of the F-5 storm in a mobile home.

One of the most interesting twists of the this tornado occurred at the Lubbock Club where my husband, a Texas Tech student at Texas Tech, worked as maitre d' part-time.

Betty, keyboardist in a duo performing at the Lubbock Club, was using a wonderful old fake book that my husband had discovered in a long-forgotten pile in a symphony rehearsal hall.

Patrons and employees alike had evacuated the Lubbock Club in haste the night of the tornado.

A month later when the musicians returned for the club's reopening, Betty apologized for just leaving that wonderful old book of tunes on the organ.

She was flabbergasted when Mr. Caro explained that the tornado had apparently closed the book and placed it safely beside the organ pedals.

I still own the infamous fake book, which this week served as a great segway from tornadoes to the music at hand.

Have an awesome weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro

Aiken-Studdard Tickets on Sale

Clay and Ruben Together Again
Montage by LovesClaysVoice
Link to YouTube for full page view.
Download video with this Sendspace file.

Summer 2010 Timeless Tour

Ticketmaster Tango on the Move

The Ticketmaster Tango for the summer's Timeless Tour by Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard officially got underway in the wee hours Tuesday as fans unexpectedly discovered a "live" purchase button for the Chautauqua Institution venue.

Word quickly spread throughout the fan club network, and the stressful ticket-buying dance began ...

I can't get the purchase page to give me a link for Asheville tickets! Is anyone else having this problem? ... Now the page has crashed! HELP!!! ... Tickets for Chautauqua went on sale at midnight with no warning or announcement!!!

If anyone in the US can help, the Chautauqua site seems to be throwing errors for Canadians. I can paypal the money immediately! . . . This is insane. I can't even get through without the site crashing.

This is a freaking nightmare. Biltmore crashes, and the phone line is constantly busy ... I got tickets!!!

Got reserved and did it online. I was on hold when the web page started working again ... I can't believe we got second row center seats! That never happens for me!!!

What a ticket mess -- couldn't get through on the phone and by the time I finally got online, the premium tickets were gone. Oh, well, we're in the door!

It's a good frakkin' thing I love this guy!

Tickets on Sale at Five Venues

Kicking off July 23 in Asheville, NC, Clay and Ruben will take their Timeless Tour to 17 cities across North America. This is the first time the two artists will tour together.

Tickets for the 17-city summer tour are on sale this week at the following sites:

Biltmore Estate: Ashesville, NC, July 23, 8 p.m. Tickets on sale NOW!

Concert is Friday, July 23, 8 p.m. EDT. Tickets became available through the estate at 8 a.m. Tuesday, April 6. Use the above link or call the box office: 800.411.3812 or 828.225.1333.

Silver Legacy Casino: Reno, NV, July 31, 8 p.m. PDT. Tickets on sale NOW!

Concert is Saturday, July 31, 8 p.m. PDT. Tickets availabe through Ticketmaster, or call the site: 800.687.8733.

Chautauqua Institution: Chautauqua, NY, Aug. 6, 8:15 p.m. Tickets on sale NOW!

Concert is Friday, Aug. 6, 8:15 p.m. (Eastern). Unannounced, Chautauqua tickets went on sale around 11 p.m. Monday night. Use the aboe link, or call the box office: 716.357.6250.

The Florida Theatre: Jacksonville, FL, July 24. Tickets on sale Friday, April 9.

Concert is Saturday, July 24, 8 p.m. in Jacksonville's Florida Theatre. Tickets will be available Friday, April 9, at 10 a.m. EDT online through Ticketmaster or by calling the box office (904.355.2787).

Turning Stone Resort and Casino Showroom: Verona, NY, Aug. 12. Tickets on sale Friday, Aug. 9.

Concert is Thursday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m., at Turning Stone. Tickets will be available at Friday, April 9, at 10 a.m. EDT through Ticketmaster. Site phone numbers (800.771.7711, 315.361.7711)

Clay performs in Raleigh Concert. AP photo/Jim R. Bounds

Decca To Unleash Incredible Voice

So what's all the excitement about? PermaSwooned described it best in a message board post about Clay's March 12 PBS Special taping, a prelude to to the June 1 release of "Tried & True, his first album with Decca Records. The special airs this summer.

The thing I tried to tell everyone who would hold still for it was that Clay was able to do things that no one else on today's music scene could do. He got both praise and pans for his unique phrasing, but I loved it.

Clay could bring out the meaning of the lyrics because he could tie two phrases together without a break. He could do that because he had amazing breath control.

Most other singers couldn't do that if they wanted to because they couldn't sustain a phrase that long. It made him unique. He could dramatize a song because he could change keys and head for the stratosphere because he had no serious breaks between his lower, middle and higher registers.

Me, I always had to at least take a breath between B natural and C because I had a break between registers the size of the Grand Canyon.

Gif by ezz

He could change key for drama also because he had a HUGE range. Two octaves in a song?? Child's play. Just wait until you hear the four key changes in "Build Me Up, Buttercup" from the taping. Left me breathless, as well as Clay!

So when the PBS taping started and he grabbed ahold of that microphone and bit into "Mack The Knife" with everything he had and more, I was just ecstatic.

And when he finished it with that endless last note, I leaped to my feet with tears pouring down my face because finally, FINALLY a label was going to unleash him and let him just let it rip!

And he did! And it was incredible!!! And NO ONE was going to mistake him for anyone else. That was CLAY AIKEN, truly one of a kind!

Below are clickables of graphics by Fountaindawg relating to the Summer 2010 Timeless Tour of Clay and Ruben:

Summer 2010 Tour: Concert List

Jul-23 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estates (Tickes on sale NOW)
Jul-24 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theater (Tickets on sale April 9)
Jul-25 - Melbourne, FL - King Center For Arts (Ticket sale: TBA)
Jul-26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (Tickets: TBA)
Jul-29 - Snoqualmie WA - Casino- Mountain View Plaza (Tickets: May 8)
Jul-31 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-01 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia (Tickets: May 7)
Aug-03 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Casino (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-05 - Windsor, ON - Caesar’s (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-06 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre (Tickets: NOW)
Aug-07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Foxwoods (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-08 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theater (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-10 - Hampton Beach, NH - HB Casino (Tickets: April 14)
Aug-11 - New York, NY - Hammerstein (Tickets: April 23)
Aug-12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino (Tickets: April 9)
Aug-13 - Hammond, IN - Horseshoe (Tickets: TBA)
Aug-14 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage (Tickets: TBA)

For up-to-date information/links, see Clayonline News, Ticketmaster, and (via Google) the concert sites.

Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro