claytonic

Right, and look what a icon she is, she is a major MAJOR superstar that no one can deny whether or not they like her. She's not only an extraordinary recording artist, her music is POPULAR, upbeat music people love, she's been in the movies, her music vids are hard to forget, her theatrical concert tours go down in history among the greats of all-time, she's an author.... plus her personal life has been the stuff of substantial media fodder for decades. Plus, the energy and dedication she puts into publicising every project, be it a movie, CD or book launch is second to none. If Madonna's sales are down, imagine the kind of work other artists have to put in... to generate sales. Leona Lewis is actually a phenomenon - but if Simon hadn't taken her under his wing as a pet project, I doubt she'd have this kind of success. Leona pretty much owes Simon her career, because even great talent, unmanaged, will fizzle out. And advertising and promotion is everything. I don't know if you guys have heard of Delta Goodrem, she was a popular juvenile Australian soapy star who launched a singing career, and I'd never heard of her because I don't watch Australian soapies. BUT her album was flogged and flogged on television to the point where not only did I get to know how to spell her name, what she looked like and recognize her music, but I started to LIKE her music. OK, I admit she is very talented, she writes her own songs etc but the ONLY reason I got to know about her was purely on the subliminal programming that is called saturated television advertising. That's why I believe we'll see a huge publicity campaign for OMWH.

Absolutely agree. In the absence of any serious personal circumstances, (and it would have to be extreme) there is no way Clay could not or would not make himself available for the kind of publicity schedule that is a prerequisite for the release of a new album. It is part and parcel of the business, it goes without saying. The break he takes will be what he needs to do immediately to recharge his batteries before he embarks on promoting his new CD. I have no doubt about that. Those are obligations he has to his record company, but besides any obligations, Clay has always demonstrated how meticulous and conscientious he is about everything he does, especially when it affects others. He would already have a gruelling schedule that is kept under wraps for now. I am counting on being able to download lots of new clack this year.

Measure of Intelligence A stranger was seated next to a little girl on the airplane when the stranger turned to her and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that flights goquicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.' The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, 'What would you like to talk about?' 'Oh, I don't know,' said the stranger. 'How about nuclear power?' and he smiles. 'OK,' she said. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass - . Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?' The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.' To which the little girl replies, 'Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know shit?

Generally (but there are exceptions), major tours are set up and managed by the concert promoters, whose business is to research potential touring artists. Usually a tour coincides with a new album, so the promoter gets a deal with the record company as well since they obviously stand to benefit from the publicity and interest generated by the publicist for the tour. Often, the opening act is an artist that the record company wants to promote, so its a win/win. When a tour is negotiated, the artist's management negotiates with the promoters, and it often is a 70%/30% either net or gross (usually the latter); of course the artist gets the bigger slice. Promoters are highly selective but are also risk takers since a tour that does not meet ticket sale expectations can really be devastatingly costly. Because the promoters carry a lot of the financial burden, they often have private investors, a bit like investors in a movie production although they have absolutely nothing to do with the entertainment industry. This is generally for big name artists, especially with international touring, whereby the artist's manager has to rely on the promoter's experience and knowledge about the artist's potential for their specific location. For Clay, I imagine that they would also use the Fan Club database to determine where the fans are mainly located.

Coordinating tour dates and venue/location is not straightforward and can be very expensive. I wonder how many people are in Clay's touring entourage. There are a lot of expenses that are not obvious, that is why concert tickets are expensive and why they have to coordinate the dates and venues in terms of suitability, practicality and availability so that it doesn't become something that just isn't financially viable. For example, if Clay's touring schedule meant he would be in location X on (say) September 15 and 16, the venues that are suitable in location X for his kind of concert, in terms of seating capacity etc, may not be available for those dates as they may have been booked and paid for in advance by someone else. It is not possible to get the perfect touring schedule because so many factors are involved and can create massive headaches for the organizers. From what I understand, Clay wants to keep the ticket prices reasonable so that it doesn't become an experience only for the wealthy elite. In LTS, Clay commented on Madonna's priciest concert tickets costing more than $300 etc but I don't think Clay realized back then in 2004 just how expensive it would be to take a theatrical production like a Madonna concert on the road. (Of course, if I had $300 to spend on a concert, I know which one I'd be willing to spend it ALL on!) And KAndre, I'm like you with regards to re-reading my favourite books, re-watching a movie I've seen several times and need I say it, watching the same Clack over and over and over...... ETA I just love the new banner... mind you all the banners have been amazing, I am always gob-smacked at the talent in this forum.

If Clay's fan base happens to be saturated with middle-aged women, it goes to prove one thing and one thing only ... that middle-aged women of the third millennium have impeccable taste! (After all, they were around to experience the best of the best musical legends of the 20th century and are now qualified to recognize class and pure talent when they come across it!)

The reason I would like to see Clay on Idol is because despite my love/hate attitude towards reality shows and frustration with the way Idol has evolved, there is no denying that AI has a huge audience; I've noticed some people love to watch it even if for no reason but to be able to whine/b*tch about it**. At the end of the day, a large mixed audience for Clay will mean new and/or renewed fans. I have pragmatic reasons for wanting Clay to have a growing audience - a growing fan base means more CD sales. More sales means he will remain on the list of artists that record companies will consider a safe bet, and songwriters will write for him. I don't really care what it takes (within reason) for Clay to maintain a high profile in the business. I don't live in the USA so I don't know or understand the dynamics behind what's going on with the judges and Ryan in terms of their attitude towards Clay. However, they can't deny that Clay is really what "American Idol is about" ... I can't think of a single contestant in 7 years that has had the kind of impact Clay has had on fans... from day one he was a fascinating contestant, and he defied every stereotype of what kind of image a potential pop star is supposed to have. For these and other reasons, Idol would be stupid to not invite him very nicely to show him off as one of their major success stories. He is certainly their MOST INTERESTING success story by far. ETA ** I am mainly talking about Idol in my own country, but feel it is consistent with the music industry/reality show trend in the USA and other countries.

Here are the MP3s from the QVC performances to keep us nourished until the album is available. If anyone prefers to get the MP3 via email, please PM me your email address! Something About Us http://download.yousendit.com/EE68C0442FC7442B Where I Draw The Line http://download.yousendit.com/02BFB34B0BDCEE8B Everything I Don't Need http://download.yousendit.com/2B8887BE7C21933E The Real Me (Partial) http://download.yousendit.com/F4BC29786F7F374A I didn't cut out the audience clapping etc, thought I'd leave it in since it is live.

It was worth repeating!!

Clay Aiken - Where I Draw The Line - QVC A whole bunch has been uploaded to YouTube in the last few hours http://www.youtube.com/results?uploaded=d&...uery=Clay+aiken (Now I know what QVC is about!!! Never heard of it until it was mentioned on the boards here!)

If you love animals, here's their answer to You Tube: :image13: PET TUBE! http://www.pettube.com.au Check out this barking cat! hhttp://www.pettube.com.au/view_video.php?viewkey=af9573aa5dff913df997

It is probably a good thing that he is taking a break, because honestly, he may be young and healthy but he really was burning the candle at both ends doing Spamalot and recording the album at the same time. It is also important for his emotional health that he touches base with the people who loved him when he was Clayton Grissom. I don't know the facts behind everything of course but I just feel that Clay owes it to himself to not take his health for granted. It is amazing to me that he only missed one (is this correct?) Spamalot performance since January 18. Considering it was his first experience on Broadway and being completely out of his comfort zone, it is one heck of a feat.

Thanks ldyjocelyn And while I was at YouTube, I stumbled across this one What a prediction from Clay about making it to at least #2! And I also like the comment from the person called gingertea, "Clay has done pop, Clay has done tours, Clay has done comedy one his tours, and now he sings, dances, and does comedy - sometimes all at the same time! Simon, wherever you are - give it up to Clay. As one song goes, "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere, here's to you New York, New York"! lol" It's just amazing - 5 years later, people are still watching this audition and posting their comments.

Extract FROM: http://www.fanbolt.com/musicinterview.php?id=69&page=1 What's the tug?

This reminds me of one of my favourite parts in LTS.... where Clay says I used to be far more stubborn. I remember one time in high school when I got into an argument with my mom at dinner. She wanted me to eat some pork dish she had made. I refused. And she said, "The only way you're not going to have to eat that dinner is if you're a vegetarian." Now, I loved meat. I ate hamburgers all the time. But because she challenged me, I snottily announced that I was, in fact, a vegetarian. And here's the stubborn part - I didn't eat meat for two years. The reason I love this story is because it revealed Clay's incredible willpower, and therefore could be why Clay seems to achieve anything he puts his mind to. p.s. That's a verbatim extract ..... that's the benefit of having LTS as an ebook.... all I did was do a search on the word "vegetarian" and bang, there it is! If anyone ever wants to find something in LTS quickly, PM me some key words and I'll get it for you printo, I mean pronto!

Genealogy Explained A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?' The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so all mankind was made.' Two days later the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.' The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?' The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.' _________________________________ **Urgent** Very important!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT LET KIDS PLAY WITH FLIP PHONES!! A new study has revealed that flip phones can have very serious side effects to the reproductive development of young children. As the photo shows it can also lead to localized pain and discomfort. Pass this on for the sake of all children. http://claytonic2007.googlepages.com/flipphonebaby

I enjoy Jimmy Kimmel, buit don't think he is any better or worse than any other late night host. They have to talk a lot every night and I thinkthey run out of material a lot. Don't forget Kimmel is good friends with Conan and with Ripa and that since people got bored with complaining about Conan, he has cut back tot he occaisional joke. He was more stubborn about outlasting us, I think, not to mention his main writer was pissed about having his peta campaign pulled and being malighned by people suddenly not a fan. So much of show buiness is dealing and getting over it and moving on with career opportunities. I think this is one reason why I am so offthe Clay relationship roller oaster. I won't dislike people because they were mean to Clay. Maybe the exception is Ripa because I saw her diatribe live and was quite horrified at the fact she was allowed to go on so long without someone slapping her. I guess that makes two shows that will never make the best of R&K. WIth Clay and complaining about Clay. Gossip, if it were only a few, but it pervades our society, I know I have talked about Britney, so obviously, I too, and guilty of following celebrity. I have definitely gossiped about Ripa, and she so deserved it. The fascination with sexulaity is an issue., but whatcha gonna do? Clay has to deal because real news is not followed anymore by the decreased ability to understand real information and all the boringness of actually having to understand about the issues with things like the international relationships and treaties that affect our dealings with Pakistan and the ilk. So much easier to judge a celebrity and adopt their opinion because we like them. I so agree with you Playbiller!! I'll go one step further and say that comedy is SERIOUS business, and although I have never watched a live Kimmel show, I have looked at tons of his stuff on YouTube, especially all the Clay ones, and the impression I have is that Kimmel (and his GF Sara) would do anything for a laugh, (read: would stoop at nothing to promote their own careers). And ditto for Ripa. Clay has never publicly said a negative word about her. The only reason Clay did the hand-to-mouth thing was in gest, total and complete fun because after all, that was the relationship Ripa herself "created" when she did that spoof on Clay doing Invisible. I totally understood why Clay would have felt comfortable about what he did AT THAT TIME. If Ripa genuinely didn't like it, she could have been a lot more gracious about it. And THEN to go on and on about it to Regis. I just don't understand why she is so popular. I find her voice irritating. As Clay WOULD say, if he wasn't such a gentleman, FFFFFFFFForget Ripa!

I VOTED!! If he was losing before, he ain't losing right now... but let's keep voting.

SEE what you miss when you don't go to church...

These two guys reared this lion from a babyhood in England but the authorities would not allow them to keep it once it reached maturity so they were forced to give it up. They took it back to Africa and placed it in a wildlife sanctuary, a year later they went to see it and were told by "experts" it would not remember them......

I can't believe the countdown to closing night is so close.... It is going to be strange to not read any more recaps. But I can't wait to hear every detail about closing night. I wonder if Clay is feeling a little sad to be leaving his Broadway 'family'.

I had no idea who Denise Richards was, so I Googled her name and BOY, I see what you mean! I didn't know she was married to Charlie Sheen .... and by coincidence, just as I was Googling her, I had Two and a Half Men on TV in the background - it has a prime TV slot here in Oz - 7pm weeknights. Charlie's brother Emilio was married to Pawler. LOL how incestious it is in showbiz!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjYAJ--SHlY...feature=related If there are any Roseanne fans, I found this amongst a bunch of others. I LOVED this show, especially the characters of DJ, Darlene and Jacky.

OMG those pics are too much! To think the Clay-train could have been permanently de-railed at Charlotte just because "they" didn't think he could possibly be a pop star!! Who is K-Rock, listed as a top 7 friend on Clay's MySpace? She's the only one who doesn't look familiar.

OK OK, now that I have had time to read Tara's story, I see where Tyra fits in. I should have read it all first but thought I wouldn't have time to and was trying to only read what was "relevant". LOL, whatever that means!