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ldyjocelyn

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  5. July through December 2023

    in Fast Forward Clay News

    Posted

    spokesman.com

    Flashback to 2003 with Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken at Northern Quest on Sunday

     

    Quote

     

    Flashback to 2003 with Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken at Northern Quest on Sunday

    Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, who once competed head to head in the finals of “American Idol,” are now on tour together. The friends will perform Sunday night at Northern Quest Resort and Casino. (Courtesy photo)
    By Ed CondranThe Spokesman-Review

    Intense competition doesn’t often turn into friendship. However, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, who battled to win the “American Idol” competition in 2003, are so close that they refer to each other as brothers and are on tour belting out the songs they covered 20 years ago on the music reality program.

    “We’re very good friends,” Aiken said while on the same line with Studdard in Kansas City. “We always have been. We enjoy each other’s company.”

    It doesn’t matter that Aiken won the competition and Studdard placed second. “That’s just the way it went,” Studdard said.

    The tandem are music’s odd couple. Studdard is a Black former college football player, who is straight. Aiken is a white, gay father of a young son.

    “We became good friends and we’re still good friends with those who competed on ‘American Idol’ from 2003,” Aiken said. “We still have a text thread with everyone from ‘Idol’ 2003 but I was surprised that the singers from other years aren’t as close.”

    Asked whether Aiken and Studdard knew of “Idol” reunions from other years, the latter laughed.

    “Absolutely not,” Studdard said. “It was different for us than it was for those who competed in different years.”

    Communal living was the reality for contestants during the first two seasons of “American Idol.” “We had our meals together and hung out since we lived in the same quarters,” Aiken explained. “There was simply no budget for it at the time.”

    However, much changed in 2004 thanks to Season 2’s popularity. From 2004 on, “American Idol” competitors resided in apartments during their run.

    Aiken, Studdard and the rest of the 2003 competitors were living all over each other. It’s surprising that cameras failed to capture their interaction under one roof a la MTV’s “Real World.”

    “I think we would have been too boring for that,” Aiken said while giggling. “They worked us so hard that when we came back after a long day, we would eat and either play video games or sleep. But 2003 was a magical time for us.”

    Aiken and Studdard have so much affection for what they experienced 20 years ago that they’re trying to replicate that period for their concert, which is slated for Sunday at Northern Quest Resort and Casino.

    “We want people to go back in time and revel in nostalgia,” Aiken said. “We made a conscious effort to make the show as reminiscent of 2003 as possible. We chose not to sing songs we recorded after we left ‘American Idol.’ We hope to transfer fans back to those 16 weeks from 2003.”

    Aiken and Studdard will share a stage and belt out duets but they will each perform songs solo which propelled them to the “American Idol” finals. Studdard will sing “Flying Without Wings” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and Aiken will deliver “To Love Somebody” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.”

    The duo will render “Boy Band” medleys and “Idol Mentor” medleys. “The best part of this show is that Ruben and I will be sharing a stage together,” Aiken said. “There’s no other singers who competed in the finals of American Idol doing a tour like this.”

    Aiken and Studdard toured together in 2010 and had a Broadway run in 2018. “Playing Broadway was a lifelong dream for both of us,” Aiken said. “I’m just glad we can do this again. We both jumped at the chance to tour again. I know the fans love going back and reliving the past with us.”

    The same goes for Aiken and Studdard, who enjoy reminiscing about the “American Idol” experience. “People always go on about how mean Simon (Cowell) was but he wasn’t mean,” Studdard said. “Simon was just honest and he was helpful. When the cameras were off, we all know how doting Paula (Abdul) was. She was so maternal but Simon was very nice.”

    And there were the performance highlights. “I love looking back at the icons we got to learn and work with such as Gladys Knight, Lionel Richie and Diane Warren,” AIken said.

    Both Aiken and Studdard both watch “American Idol,” which airs on ABC. However, the latest version of the show, is different than the program which aired on Fox during the 2000s. “That’s the way it is since America is not the same place as it was in 2003,” Aikeen said. “The world is always changing and the show has changed but that’s fine. We’re just trying to allow fans to go back to 2003 and relive some of those memories.”

     

     

  11. Fingers crossed for a date near me!

    in Let's Talk About Clay

    Posted

    Totally missed this one because I was traveling!  Watching this interview now.  I think he did this interview Friday afternoon, as that's the same hoodie he was wearing to the M&G.

    And to be complete, here's Ruben's interview.  Should be a companion piece to Clay's with his perspectives.

    Totally missed this one because I was traveling!  Watching this interview now.  I think he did this interview Friday afternoon, as that's the same hoodie he was wearing to the M&G.

    And here's Ruben's from the same time.  Should be an interesting companion to Clay's.

     

  13. Fingers crossed for a date near me!

    in Let's Talk About Clay

    Posted

    OK, I'm home now.  I'm going to copy and past stuff that I posted on CV because I don't want to write it out again!  But I also have to give a shout-out to beanerknits, who I finally got to spend more time with!

    Red report from St. Charles!

     

    Clay was in EXCELLENT voice this evening.  Ruben too, actually.  Anyway, "To Love Somebody" was simply divine.  He throws his heart and soul into that song.  Also, there was a Ruben fan in the front row, but at some point during "To Love Somebody", Clay swears the woman said "sing it Ruben!"  LOL. This woman also cheered when Birmingham was mentioned early on in the show -- and Ruben was thrilled.  Needless to say, Clay was a bit nonplussed about that, and made light of that the rest of the evening.

     

    "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was very interesting -- Clay sang it as great as usual, but two rows behind me and my seatmate were about 6 young women who were thrilled by the performance, and sang along at least for a bit.  I did record this, and you'll probably hear them.  As much as it probably ruined the clack (and I tried to get a quick video of them, which didn't work), their enthusiasm was really fun.  

     

    I did get some clack, but screwed up by missing the beginnings of a few of the songs.  Also, during "Bridge Over Troubled Water", there was a short lady and her taller daughter sitting in front of me.  The lady was directly in front and that worked well for most of the evening...until she needed to leave for a minute.  So there was one interruption.  Then when she came back and daughter switched to in front of me.  It made getting Impossible Dream....well, impossible.  So I didn't get that.  I'll get what I have to dmom when I get home.

     

    It was great seeing neelie and her sister, and also PI.

     

    I also had a M&G, which was worth every penny.  Clay had on his skort with a yellow hoodie.  The yellow matched the top I had on!  I wore my "I Love Spam" socks, and we talked about the Broadway revival of Spamalot.  Also, Clay doesn't like Spam!  LOL.

     

    Time for some sleep...and nice dreams.  Pictures and videos to come later.    

     

     

    ldyjocelyn, on 28 Oct 2023 - 3:38 PM, said:

    Hey!  Back home after a breakfast and a few hours of driving.  I also did a little shopping in historic St. Charles, Missouri -- bunch of nice quaint shops there.

     

    buckeyebroad, on 28 Oct 2023 - 04:10 AM, said:

    Great report.  IMO hearing the fans so enthusiastic in the background is priceless.  How was the attendance?

     

    re: googling, back in the early days of the internet, when looking for Whitehouse. gov info, ppl would go to whitehouse.com - it was a porn site then.  

     

     

    Well, first of all, this was an ARENA.  Clay mentioned it early on, as he said it reminded him of the AI Tour of 2023.  Having said that, they blocked off half of the arena right off the bat, so the stage went from the middle to the back of the arena.  Most of the seats sold were on the floor, but not all, and the side seats in the bowl areas were left unused.  Having said all that, the crowd there was FANTASTIC and really excited to see the guys.  Sat next to a lady and her husband -- she was probably 30 and was freaking out that she was finally getting to see Clay Aiken!  Her husband had never heard of Clay until a few weeks ago, and he's now a fan.

    From Claygary, on 28 Oct 2023 - 07:39 AM, said:

    Sounds like a great night last night, and every night on the tour.
    Glad you did the M&G ldyjocelyn! Anything new-ish?

    OK, a few stories about the M&G.  First of all, it started later than normal.  There was one person, a guy named David, who was flying in from Minneapolis to go to the M&G, only to have of course the inevitable flight delays.  Gordon was in constant contact with him, and held the M&G as long as he could before he finally said we could go in, and David wasn't there.  He showed up just as we were starting to take pictures!  So he got some special attention from the guys.  I took one picture of him, and will post it later.

     

    Second, we have an African American woman at the M&G who drove all the way from Texas (18 hours).  Her Mom drove with her, but wasn't coming to the concert that evening because she gets panicky in crowds.  Clay made a joke about a crowd not being a problem for this show!  But then, later, he was working his magic to get her there, probably setting her up with a private box so Mom could see the show.

     

    Since we started so late, most of us didn't get a chance to ask questions or anything.  However, Gordon told us that yes, Clay did get a new bus.  Once we started taking pictures though, Clay and Ruben were chatting with us, and that's when we talked about Spam (via my Spam socks).

     

    beedawn, on 28 Oct 2023 - 10:27 AM, said:

     

    Yes, this was very cute.  Clay worked that in to the beginning of the second act; also, those pictures of him sitting on the edge of the stage?  That was him singing Mandy, and I'm pretty sure that was aimed at Grandma.  (He also joked after the song that he was going to wait there until the spotlight was off him so that no one would see him rip his pants as he tried to get up.  LOL)

     

     

    ldyjocelyn, on 28 Oct 2023 - 4:12 PM, said:

    Angel Marie Coleman on FB, is the woman who said "that white boy can SAAAAANG!" (mentioned by [b]hosaa[/b] earlier.  She has several clips on her FB page now.  She was also the woman who was in the front row who cheered when Ruben mentioned Birmingham, so a) Ruben had an ally in the front row; and b) Clay would point at her anytime Alabama was mentioned.

     

    https://www.facebook.com/100000795511967/videos/693910569336814/

     

    https://www.facebook.com/100000795511967/videos/734719185157151/

     

    Most of the rest of her clips have been already put here!

     

  14. Fingers crossed for a date near me!

    in Let's Talk About Clay

    Posted

    The show tonight in St. Charles was AMAZING.  Both guys were in fine voice.  TLS was exquisite -- Clay throws his heart and soul into that song.  

    I also had a M&G.  Clay wore his skort and a yellow hoodie.  The yellow matched the top I had on.  He looked incredibly handsome.

    More later after some sleep.  Clack will be forthcoming.

    • Like 2

  25. Fingers crossed for a date near me!

    in Let's Talk About Clay

    Posted

    Mik — and the Vikings won too!  I think this venue looks great for Clay and Ruben.

    Some great pictures from last night, including M&G pictures.  https://www.facebook.com/1215085337/posts/pfbid035K1BN14VvWM71fvkJNHjaLzGLiV4WPHSQyyCtjQyf9yuL98i1DPFhCRctncYBo6Bl/?app=fbl

    And a Ruben fan posted a few pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/100033236380982/posts/1030234871427716/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

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