-
Posts
17,920 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
453
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by ldyjocelyn
-
-
New print interview, from the St. Pete Catalyst. Full text in the news section.
https://stpetecatalyst.com/the-catalyst-interview-ruben-studdard-and-clay-aiken/
-
Boyband video from last night, via Facebook.
-
Professional photographs from last night in Bethesda:
Also, a sweet story about from a son regarding his mother's love for Clay:
-
FYI, nicki at CV is home after her trip to see Clay and Ruben these final shows. She's posting her pictures publicly on Facebook. Just search for Nicki McMinn.
-
1 hour ago, jmh123 said:
And at least one
foolpoor unlucky person will show up tomorrow in a cast.Hopefully not! As I suspected, there were already people at work when the call came, but as far as I know, everyone made it back home safely. There’s a lull in the rain at the moment, but it’s supposed to start up again overnight again. Eventually though it is supposed to turn to just rain, which will melt everything.
Oh, and my husband made it to work, only for his boss to tell him to go home and work remotely. Fortunately, he made it home safely. It’s really the side streets, parking lots, and sidewalks that are the issue.
-
-
Lots of videos from last night.
MORE professional photographs from last night!
I will post some of them after listening to the new interview. Thanks beanerknits!
-
Another snow day for me! Actually, it's an "ice" day -- it's freezing rain at the moment, and supposedly the side streets and sidewalks are very slick. I woke up at about 5 am this morning and checked the local news' listing of closings, and there was nothing. At 6:30 am, though, most schools in the area were closed. I got the call for my college at almost 7 am. That's really late for us, as I'm sure there were some people already on campus and starting to work.
-
MORE professional photographs in this Instagram series:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2X5yy1PDzI/?img_index=1
And in this series:
-
Some good Instagram links from last night, videos and some photos. Glad to see so many people are enjoying the show.
https://www.instagram.com/the_real_melly_mels/
https://www.instagram.com/mickki03/
- 1
-
More professional photographs. The lighting at that show was very…blue…but I’m really loving this photo.
-
ajc.com
INTERVIEWS: Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken reunite on stage 20 years after ‘Idol’
QuoteINTERVIEWS: Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken reunite on stage 20 years after ‘Idol’
They are touring, including a stop at Buckhead Theatre Jan. 24.Credit: HANDOUT
By Rodney HoTwenty years ago, “American Idol” was on its way to becoming the biggest show in America, bigger than “C.S.I.,” bigger than “Friends,” bigger than “ER.” It was one of the final broadcast shows that cut across generations, before social media atomized TV viewership.
And that spring of 2003, two very different 24-year-old men — Ruben Studdard of Birmingham, Alabama, and Clay Aiken of Raleigh, North Carolina — found themselves at the center of the pop culture universe, landing on magazine covers, awards shows and late-night talk shows.
Aiken, a gawky teacher with an enchanting voice, made quite the visual counterpoint to Studdard, the cuddly R&B singer who picked up the nickname “Velvet Teddy Bear.” In the end, Studdard beat Aiken in a controversial finale where Aiken’s “Claymates” complained that jammed phone lines had cost their man the title. (Yes, it was so long ago, voting could only be done by calling.)
data:image/svg+xml;base64,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
Credit: FOX PUBLICITY
Two decades later, the pair decided to hit the road to celebrate that magical time period by reprising many of the classic tunes they did on the show. At the tail end of their tour, they are coming to Atlanta’s Buckhead Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tickets are still available at livenation.com from $43 to $97.50.
Studdard has toured and recorded music regularly over the past 20 years. Aiken did the same for much of the first decade before embarking on a career in politics and raising his son. Studdard is the one who came up with the idea for this reunion tour.
“I put a gun to Clay’s head,” Studdard joked in a Zoom interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“It was the only way he could get me out of the house,” said Aiken, an admitted “hermit.”
While Aiken was campaigning for a House seat in North Carolina in 2014 and 2022, Studdard would support him but say, “One of these days, you’re going to get tired of this and get back on stage.” Aiken would reply, “Okay, sure, sure.”
data:image/svg+xml;base64,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
Credit: AP
“Lo and behold,” Aiken said, “after the last campaign, I said, ‘Yup! You’re right! I’m ready!”
The setlist includes a mix of solo covers and duets from legends who showed up on “Idol” that season, like Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier and pop superstar Barry Manilow. They also tell the audience stories from their time on the show.
“I remember Lamont Dozier because I’m a music nerd that way,” Studdard said.
“I remember all the arguments because I’m a drama queen!” Aiken said, chuckling.
Good news for fans who may not have heard either of them in awhile live: they believe their voices sound better than ever. For Aiken, going on tour was a bit scary because, except for a short stint on Broadway with Studdard in 2018, he hasn’t sung much the past decade.
“I can hit high notes better than I used to,” Aiken said. “That last note on ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ has been in the past a cross-your-fingers moment, though I always got it. Now it’s just easier. The high notes are there. My range has gone up.”
Overall, he said, “this tour we’ve been in fighting form the whole time.”
Studdard said the fans have been a delight though “every single night, there is someone who wants to dictate how our show goes or tells us our story as we tell it on the stage.”
One fan at a recent concert was actually helpful. Studdard had come on stage and forgotten to zip his pants. So the woman came to the front of the stage and quietly showed Studdard her phone. “I thought she was showing him a picture of Ruben with her,” Aiken said. But instead, she had written in big letters “ZIPPER.” Studdard appreciated the discretion.
“A few months ago, my zipper was down the whole act and nobody said anything until I got offstage!” Aiken said.
The Atlanta date will be a homecoming of sorts for Studdard, who has plenty of family and friends in the area and comes here often. He recorded his last album at a studio in Dunwoody. Aiken said Atlanta is where he auditioned for “Idol” in 2002 so “it will always have a special place in my heart.”
While on “Idol” in 2003, they said they became quick friends. “We both realized we were barbecue aficionados,” Studdard said.
“Except he likes the wrong kind,” Aiken shot back.
More seriously, Aiken said he loves their differences. “We are brothers and all the good that comes with that,” he said. “We are just enough alike that we have things to talk about. But I don’t expect him to know who is going to win the Tony for best musical this year. And he doesn’t expect me to know about whatever sports ballgame is on tonight.”
They bonded even more after “Idol” was over once they absorbed the intense fandom during the “Idol” tour. Aiken’s Claymates were so rabid, he felt the need to have security whenever he left the house for about seven years.
But neither has regrets. Studdard felt the show came at the right time after 9/11 and as a war brewed. “We needed the comfort,” he said. “‘Idol’ was a break from what was going on in the real world.”
“‘Idol’ seasons one to five were the last time everybody in the country watched the same show,” Aiken said. “We are now just fractured media wise.”
Aiken has no desire to get back into politics. Even between his losing 2014 and 2022 campaigns, he saw the divisions between people grow to untenable levels.
“I refuse to lie about somebody,” Aiken said. “I refuse to slander somebody because I want to win. I didn’t want it that bad.”
And his own inherent shyness meant the social interactions politicians have to do took a lot out of him. When these concerts end, Aiken will scurry off the stage, jump on the tour bus and change into his pajamas before the last fan is out the door. In comparison, Studdard will be happy to hang out in the lobby and schmooze with departing fans.
“He is so laid back and casual,” Aiken said. “He’d take the shirt off his back if someone wanted it.”
-
Thank you beanerknits for finding the interviews! So much promo this time around, or at least it feels like it!
jmh, I'm glad you were able to sell your tickets! Hope you find a home for all your "stuff!"
Yes, I'm crazy busy -- too many meetings! And major things that need to be done by the end of March. AAAAAAGH!
-
Instagram Story, also done as a FB reel from Clay.
-
They are really pushing the Bethesda show, aren't they?
-
Thanks beanerknits, will be listening now before my schedule gets incredibly busy.
Good video of The Impossible Dream from last night, banter included.
https://www.facebook.com/sherricl/videos/1335482240455969
And a great picture from nicki's public FB page.
-
Another new interview (scroll down a bit for it).
-
-
First day back to work this week. MLK day was Monday, and then it was so bitter cold yesterday that almost all the schools in the area went to either e-learning or a snow day. It was supposed to be our first day of school yesterday at my college, but I think they may have called it a no-work day because of all the other schools; many of our faculty/staff/students have children of their own and would have been scrambling for child care! Me? I made a pot of chili, made some hummus for lunches this week, cleaned out a drawer in my kitchen, read some of Patrick Stewart's memoir, and just relaxed. It was nice.
My Clay stash is in a closet as well. I went through it several years ago and got rid of a lot of duplicates, and many of the things where Clay was only briefly mentioned in one article. Past that though...it's still a lot. Ugh. My niece will probably toss it all when I pass on (if I don't do it before then!).
-
jmh, I'll take the details of your post to CV and see if anyone can take you up on your offers. I'm sorry you're not going to be able to make it to the tour this time.
I'll also try that with the post. It's TextWriter in the Mac contingent.
Some pictures from nicki's public FB page -- she's finally having travel issues. She's actually lucky at this point!
-
newsday.com
QuoteRuben Studdard, Clay Aiken Team for "American Idol" Nostalgia Show at Westbury
By David J. Criblez
david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez
January 12, 2024 5:00 am
Back in 2003, singers Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard were presented as rivals on the second season of “American Idol.” But that was just on screen. The truth is these two southern gentlemen, winner Studdard and runner-up Aiken, have been the best of friends off-screen and they are currently celebrating their bond with the “Twenty Years / One Night Tour,” which comes to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Jan. 19.“The competition between Ruben and I was hyped up for the benefit of the viewing audience,” admits Aiken, 45. “I don’t think we felt competitive against each other at all. We played it up on stage for the benefit of the joke, but we never felt that way.”
Studdard, 45, adds, “It couldn’t be further from the truth. Basically, everybody was competing with themselves. On ‘American Idol,’ your job was to be better than you were the day before.”
SHOW HAS LI ROOTS
Surprisingly, the seed for the current tour originated on Long Island in the venue the duo are about to headline.“In 2014, I semi-left performing and wanted to try other things. I stopped singing from 2014 to the beginning of 2018,” says Aiken. “Then in early 2018 I went to see Ruben perform his ‘Ruben Sings Luther’ show in Westbury. It was at that show that I realized I wanted to perform again but only if I can do it with Ruben.”
Studdard says, “We have built a friendship on the show that we have continued over the years. When I say that I mean we are like family. Our current show is the 20th anniversary of our friendship. We want to share 20 years of great memories with the public, which is why we decided to go out on tour.”
TURNING BACK THE CLOCK
The current show is a nostalgia fest for “American Idol” fans featuring a revue of songs both Aiken and Studdard famously knocked out of the park on “Idol” combined with behind-the-scenes stories.“The show is broken down into sections and it’s about the people that inspired us,” says Studdard, who recently released his 8th album, “The Way I Remember It.” “We tell stories about the things we did, the people that we worked with and we have songs that coincide with the people that we are talking about.”
Aiken adds, “Ruben sings by himself quite a bit and I sing by myself as well. We perform medleys together and reminisce. Our goal is to recreate the magic that was 2003 because it was a pivotal moment in our lives.”
What made “American Idol” stand out from other talent shows was that it was the first time people at home got to vote.
“This element created an ownership and competition among the viewers because they were devoting their own time to being on the phone after every episode trying to vote,” says Aiken. “I think that’s what made the show fun and created the 21st century variety show featuring a little bit of everything from country music to disco to Broadway to pop. Our tour celebrates all of that. We touch on every genre that we hit on ‘Idol.’ ”
Highlights of the show include performances of Aiken’s version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as well as Studdard belting out “Flying Without Wings.”
“I love singing those big power ballads,” says Studdard. “It still makes the hair stand up on my arm when we sing those songs. I feel something special is happening.”
Aiken adds, “Those are the moments when people are most pulled back to 2003. I find myself even making the same arm motions when I sing.”
WHEN RUBEN MET CLAY
Aiken and Studdard first met at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale, California during Hollywood Week on “Idol.”“I was holding court with a couple of people and in comes Clay,” recalls Studdard. “I saw he was the only guy around a whole bunch of girls. So I came over and introduced myself.”
Aiken, who came out as gay in 2008, notes, “He thought I was a player!” (laughs)
For Aiken being on “Idol” was quite an awakening because he had never been around people who shared the same musical interest as he did.
“Nobody in my world sang at all,” says Aiken. “It was sort of like this interesting, cool summer camp club where everybody was into the same thing and we all had that in common to talk about.”
'IDOL' LESSONS
Both men walked away from “Idol” learning some big life lessons that they still carry with them today.“It was not as easy to be proud of the skills I had or develop confidence in myself until ‘Idol.’ Being on the show taught me to like myself for who I am and celebrate the gifts God gave me,” says Aiken. “I think it does that for a lot of kids that are on the show now. That’s something that hasn’t changed in 20 plus years. It gives people a chance to shine and build confidence.”
Studdard says, “The biggest lesson that I learned is that hard work and dedication pays off. The people that made it to the top 10 were extremely serious. We took pride in the work that we did and they made sure to get every ounce of energy out of us for sure.”
Although Aiken and Studdard are simpatico that doesn’t mean their fans are fully on the same page.
“Our fans were the ones that were competitive with one another and they continued that even after the show was over,” says Studdard.
Aiken says, “There are still people who come to our shows that are primarily there for Ruben or me, but they know how much we love each other and that there’s no animosity between us. They now come and enjoy the show with both of us. We’ve all matured a little bit.”
RUBEN STUDDARD & CLAY AIKEN
WHEN/WHERE 8 p.m., Jan. 19; NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury
INFO 516-247-5200, thetheatreatwestbury.com
ADMISSION $29-$129.50
-
beanerknits, I grabbed some of those too. Loved that.
Newsday article; definitely behind a paywall, so I'm posting the entire thing here, thanks to a generous soul at CV. Note: for some reason, when I copy and paste from CV, the background stays there; when I copy it to a Google Document and then copy and paste it from there, it turns the entire article bold (see below); when I copy it to a Microsoft Word document and then copy and paste it to here, it makes it into a jpg attachment! jmh, do you know what's going on?
Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken Team for "American Idol" Nostalgia Show at Westbury
By David J. Criblez
david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez
January 12, 2024 5:00 am
Back in 2003, singers Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard were presented as rivals on the second season of “American Idol.” But that was just on screen. The truth is these two southern gentlemen, winner Studdard and runner-up Aiken, have been the best of friends off-screen and they are currently celebrating their bond with the “Twenty Years / One Night Tour,” which comes to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Jan. 19.“The competition between Ruben and I was hyped up for the benefit of the viewing audience,” admits Aiken, 45. “I don’t think we felt competitive against each other at all. We played it up on stage for the benefit of the joke, but we never felt that way.”
Studdard, 45, adds, “It couldn’t be further from the truth. Basically, everybody was competing with themselves. On ‘American Idol,’ your job was to be better than you were the day before.”
SHOW HAS LI ROOTS
Surprisingly, the seed for the current tour originated on Long Island in the venue the duo are about to headline.“In 2014, I semi-left performing and wanted to try other things. I stopped singing from 2014 to the beginning of 2018,” says Aiken. “Then in early 2018 I went to see Ruben perform his ‘Ruben Sings Luther’ show in Westbury. It was at that show that I realized I wanted to perform again but only if I can do it with Ruben.”
Studdard says, “We have built a friendship on the show that we have continued over the years. When I say that I mean we are like family. Our current show is the 20th anniversary of our friendship. We want to share 20 years of great memories with the public, which is why we decided to go out on tour.”
TURNING BACK THE CLOCK
The current show is a nostalgia fest for “American Idol” fans featuring a revue of songs both Aiken and Studdard famously knocked out of the park on “Idol” combined with behind-the-scenes stories.“The show is broken down into sections and it’s about the people that inspired us,” says Studdard, who recently released his 8th album, “The Way I Remember It.” “We tell stories about the things we did, the people that we worked with and we have songs that coincide with the people that we are talking about.”
Aiken adds, “Ruben sings by himself quite a bit and I sing by myself as well. We perform medleys together and reminisce. Our goal is to recreate the magic that was 2003 because it was a pivotal moment in our lives.”
What made “American Idol” stand out from other talent shows was that it was the first time people at home got to vote.
“This element created an ownership and competition among the viewers because they were devoting their own time to being on the phone after every episode trying to vote,” says Aiken. “I think that’s what made the show fun and created the 21st century variety show featuring a little bit of everything from country music to disco to Broadway to pop. Our tour celebrates all of that. We touch on every genre that we hit on ‘Idol.’ ”
Highlights of the show include performances of Aiken’s version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as well as Studdard belting out “Flying Without Wings.”
“I love singing those big power ballads,” says Studdard. “It still makes the hair stand up on my arm when we sing those songs. I feel something special is happening.”
Aiken adds, “Those are the moments when people are most pulled back to 2003. I find myself even making the same arm motions when I sing.”
WHEN RUBEN MET CLAY
Aiken and Studdard first met at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale, California during Hollywood Week on “Idol.”“I was holding court with a couple of people and in comes Clay,” recalls Studdard. “I saw he was the only guy around a whole bunch of girls. So I came over and introduced myself.”
Aiken, who came out as gay in 2008, notes, “He thought I was a player!” (laughs)
For Aiken being on “Idol” was quite an awakening because he had never been around people who shared the same musical interest as he did.
“Nobody in my world sang at all,” says Aiken. “It was sort of like this interesting, cool summer camp club where everybody was into the same thing and we all had that in common to talk about.”
'IDOL' LESSONS
Both men walked away from “Idol” learning some big life lessons that they still carry with them today.“It was not as easy to be proud of the skills I had or develop confidence in myself until ‘Idol.’ Being on the show taught me to like myself for who I am and celebrate the gifts God gave me,” says Aiken. “I think it does that for a lot of kids that are on the show now. That’s something that hasn’t changed in 20 plus years. It gives people a chance to shine and build confidence.”
Studdard says, “The biggest lesson that I learned is that hard work and dedication pays off. The people that made it to the top 10 were extremely serious. We took pride in the work that we did and they made sure to get every ounce of energy out of us for sure.”
Although Aiken and Studdard are simpatico that doesn’t mean their fans are fully on the same page.
“Our fans were the ones that were competitive with one another and they continued that even after the show was over,” says Studdard.
Aiken says, “There are still people who come to our shows that are primarily there for Ruben or me, but they know how much we love each other and that there’s no animosity between us. They now come and enjoy the show with both of us. We’ve all matured a little bit.”
RUBEN STUDDARD & CLAY AIKEN
WHEN/WHERE 8 p.m., Jan. 19; NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury
INFO 516-247-5200, thetheatreatwestbury.com
ADMISSION $29-$129.50
-
Lots of great professional pictures here. This leg of the tour seems to be bringing out the pro photographers! ETA: video clips too!
https://dalelaut.smugmug.com/Special-Events/Ruben-Studdard-and-Clay-Aiken
-
mlive.comRuben and Clay do a throwback-style variety show with plenty of Motown in Motown
Quote
Ruben and Clay do a throwback-style variety show with plenty of Motown in Motown
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI - They have a lot of chemistry on stage and not just with their powerful harmonies, but also with their witty banter. Rubben Studdard and Clay Aiken teamed up for a concert in Kalamazoo earlier this week and a show at the Macomb Center in Clinton Township tonight.
We talked to the “American Idol” season 2 winner, Studdard, and season 2 runner-up, Aiken, last week before seeing them perform, what we can only describe as, a fun-filled variety show, of sorts.
Studdard and Aiken, backed by a band, were mostly on stage together, either performing duets of popular songs, harmonies with one another, or background vocals for the other singer. Kalamazoo’s Nashon Holloway was also on backup vocals and even had a few leads throughout the night.
Studdard and Aiken performed all or parts of around 40 songs with many fan favorites from their time on “Idol” through their audition process all the way to the finals with songs like “Superstar,” “Open Arms,” “To Love Somebody” and “Midnight Train To Georgia.”
The two also told stories of what went on behind the scenes during their time on the show, like how Aiken dreaded finding out what the song themes were because he said he doesn’t know a lot of popular music, while Studdard, a music guru, always seemed to know what song he wanted to sing each week right away.
The two talked about some of the big names they got to sing with on the show or work with over the last 20 years, legends like Babyface, Olivia Newton-John and legendary Motown writer, Lamont Dozier.
The two also performed a medley of Motown hits including “I Can’t Help Myself,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Dancing In the Street” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
The two also did a boy band medley and Studdard, who has an entire album of Luther Vandross songs, had a chance to do a few of the legendary singer’s hits, while Aiken did some Barry Manilow and Simon and Garfunkel.
The two capped off the show with Studdard’s, “Flying Without Wings” and an encore showstopper with both of them performing “The Impossible Dream.”
Ruben and Clay put on such a fun night of music, stories and comedy, they could probably record this two hour show and run it as a prime-time network or Netflix special. Or, you can check them out at a city near you as this tour continues for a few more weeks with shows all over the country.
January through June 2024
in Fast Forward Clay News
Posted
stpetecatalyst.com
The Catalyst interview: Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken