# 19: Clay Aiken: glorious voice, excellent comic actor, master of character and man in tights!

[atinal]

Then I did something for keepingfaith, she knows what it is. (Watch the mail, sweetie!) Then, I came home, called atinal, and we plotted and planned for ticket buying for the St. Louis show. She, her friend, and I all ended up in the mezzanine.

I wish I could be there with you guys! That's gonna be one lovely mezzanine at the Fox Theatre with ldyjocelyn and atinal -- two certified sweeties I am honored to know. I think if I could pick just one show to go to this Christmas, it would be St. Louis.

keepingfaith, I wish you could join us in St. Louis, too. It is always so much more fun to experience Clay with another enthusiastic Clay fan, When LdyJ told me she had already tried the fan and venue presales and not had much luck on tickets, I figured anything very close on the floor would be gone. I told her I thought I'd just try for the Mezzanine and see if I had any luck. When the girl told me she had first row in the mezz pretty close to center, I felt pretty lucky. Usually, I'm just happy to be in the house when Clay sings. So this will certainly work for me.

Play, I'm glad Holly is going to be okay I was worried about her when I was catching up yesterday and read your posts.

Aikim, let me add my congratulations to you for Clay acknowledging your post, you made so many good points in that post and it was great that it touched Clay as it did so many others.

[sheiladownunder]

Such pretty dogs and a beautiful little girl, keepingfaith.

I eeeeeeeeeeeed watching AIR when I saw the credits--Clay is listed as a Supervising Producer. Has this been discussed and I missed it? Does anyone know what it means?

I'm so thrilled to see so many great things happening for him right now, he so deserves it.

Never mind, I'm losing my eyesight, it wasn't his name.

[keepingfaith]

Such pretty dogs and a beautiful little girl, keepingfaith.

I eeeeeeeeeeeed watching AIR when I saw the credits--Clay is listed as a Supervising Producer. Has this been discussed and I missed it? Does anyone know what it means?

I'm so thrilled to see so many great things happening for him right now, he so deserves it.

Well "she-down" I've never noticed it. Wow, supervising producer ... what does that mean? Sounds muy importante!

[playbiller]

Forthose who are curious - this

is Holly

But you might have seen her as my avatar standing on the back of a chair barking her fool head off at squirrels outside.

Watching rewind, and enjoying the little Clay inflections, bad auditions were never my thing.

I thought it was pretty much a board concensus last year that good things were ahead for Clay. The only problem I have during this happy time is that the same things are happening that happened before the album, building everything up to be THE thing that catapults Clay to be loved by everyone. I think this is a good thing, I think Clay's career is chugging along on his own special path for longevity, but I never believe he will ever be cool and I think he is fine with that. If cool is drugs and alcohol, as it seems for so many, well, then I don't like cool anyway. Clay is building a career, but I don't think there will ever be just one thing, but a culmenation of each step.

Maybe Cay was supervising producer because he produced his own over dubbing.

[jmh123]

I had read that on a board, but when I reviewed my video, I didn't see it. Supervising Producer Cindy Kain is listed, second, I think. There's about four names, and then Clay's. Maybe some confusion because it goes by fast?

[Guest Toots]

Just butting in quickly to apologize for posting-and-running-and-disappearing a few days back. RL over the last 2 days were my absolute worst in years.

Aww Scarlett, hope and it wasn't anything too serious.

[sheiladownunder]

Clay is building a career, but I don't think there will ever be just one thing, but a culmenation of each step.

I think of it as him building his resume. I don't have a crystal ball or the ability to see into the future but my thoughts are that this will gain him a few new fans but more importantly it will present new opportunities and eventually one of those will catapult him to another level, if he wants it, which I believe deep down he does.

I'm not going to be destroyed or disappointed if it doesn't happen because whichever way his paths lead him, it will be an adventure. I don't particularly want it to or need for him to be superstar in order to enjoy his career--I just think it is inevitable.

[Kareneh]

Somebody's here gnawing at my ankle because I haven't put his picture up yet. He says...."Hurry up or they'll have moved on and you'll be posting a picture of that Clay shrine thing you've got going on there."

He also suggested I might leave the "shrine thing" in storage in favor of more Milk Bones since our shipment is going to Baku by volume rather than weight. He's a silly boy but he's cute.

Scarlett, I'm going to try to take in the Shanghai exhibit next Saturday. Thanks for the reminder. I am running out of weekends when John is going to be here to go with me.

I love to look at that Vegas countdown....less than three weeks! :7:

[luckiest1]

CG, just thinking .... With Eric Idle, Clay now has a George connection. George was the invisible member of Monty Python and Eric Idle one of his closest friends for thirty years.

You had to bring this up? Seriously, if I get any more excited about Clay being in Spamalot, I may spontaneously combust!

I've had a very Clay day today....which has been great, since RL has been hectic and worrisome lately. I started out doing some work on the FCA Media DCAT page this morning, which involved listening to various mp3's, then went off to a wonderful Cluncheon hosted by our very own goldarngirl. We EEEEEEE'd about Spamalot, watched some Spamalot on youtube and EEEEEEE'd some more imagining Clay in the role, then rounded out the afternoon by watching some JNaT06 and getting excited all over again about the Vegas skating show and the upcoming Christmas tour. *waves* to fellow Cluncheoners cindilu2, heartsocean, FromClaygary, OntarioClayFan, and canfly172

This evening, I've been watching some Houston DCAT clack, and of course watching AI Rewind. On my WGN station, they showed the Austin audition episode, followed immediately by last week's Atlanta audition. I wasn't expecting it, so got a jolt when Clay was on the screen suddenly. Wheeeeee! I love listening to his voice, and since I never saw any of these auditions originally, I'm enjoying them.

There's some interesting discussion going on around the boards tonight, about clackgathering and Spamalot. Whether it's advisable, whether anything gathered should be shared publicly, etc. I wonder if Clay might either blog about it or mention it during the Christmas tour or the m&g's at the Christmas tour, if he is concerned? On the one hand, I think I will go squirrely if I have to wait until March 12th to see it for myself. But on the other hand, I don't want it to cause any problems for Clay on Broadway. I hope that we can find some sort of happy medium - I'm thinking audio clack wouldn't be as distracting to gather as video. I also hope that there will be some Spam-certs, for at least the first few shows. Done discreetly, of course.

[muskifest]

keepingfaith, your free association post blew me away. I was such an 'AM radio girl' during all the 60s and much of the 70s...I was listening to the 'lite' rock songs before there was a category called lite rock...I only knew OF bands and people like the ones you mentioned. I remember when I was just beginning to date my now hubby and was working at a steamed crab place in the summer...Mr Muski-to-be came by with a couple of friends and said they were going to see a ZZTop concert.

I had no idea who ZZ Top was until he described them and then I just shook my head, wondering why in the world anyone would want to pay money to go see them.

I hadn't really seen too many concerts---Chicago, Three Dog Night, Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne...you get the drift...

Mr. Muski helped me get "cool", though...I even caught a tamborine from one of band members at a Marshal Tucker Bank concert!

Nah. I'm still not cool. I still tend to like more 'mainstream' music...

Getting ready to help Daughter #1 get ready for the homecoming dance...she just came downstairs to show me that she was so excited she cut herself shaving her underarms! OUCH!

(and bwah...)

[jmh123]

I do agree with Jenna that most of the publicity lately is due to the particular entitites he's involved himself with (Spamalot, AYSTAFG, and now UNICEF). But then, that's my opinion, I could be wrong [tm Dennis Miller before he turned into a major asshole]. Unless Clay tells me, I'll never really know.

Keepingfaith,

Thanks for the stream of consciousness there on George--good stuff. I'll be looking for that one for sure.

Scarlett I'm so so sorry about the bad days stuff. Just know that you are very much loved. Not to worry about pictures--just think of me when you're there. I have my pretties to look at once again, thanks to that bit of serendipity with you. MUAH big time for that.

I can just imagine the shift in perception that's about to happen for a lot of people--a lot like you describe, keepingfaith, as happening on the AI5 finale for you.

[Claygasm]

CG, just thinking .... With Eric Idle, Clay now has a George connection. George was the invisible member of Monty Python and Eric Idle one of his closest friends for thirty years. "So Sad So Bad" --- that George is gone. Has anyone ever heard the song SSSB that George wrote and played guitar on that was on a Mylon LeFebre album way back when called On The Road To Freedom? He's credited on the album as Harry Georgeson. Or, is anyone familiar with the song The Bluest Blue from the album Pure Blues? That song has two of the all-time best blues solos ever performed in one song, first by George Harrison, followed by Alvin Lee. And was I the last to know that Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) was born Graham Barnes and changed his name to Alvin Lee?

Which reminds me that I have wondered on occasion if Clayton Grissom changed his name to Clay Aiken at age 20 not just because of his relationship with his father, but because Clay Aiken is such cool name -- a perfect superstar name.

Good God, I'm free associating all over the place. Better stop, who knows where this will go!

I had been thinking about George being "a part" of Monty Python and how that means, in a way, he's a part of Clay and my too fandoms are colliding! Ok, so my dear George has been dead for 6 years. Who cares. His spirit lives!

But I haven't heard those songs. Where can I find them!!!! How did I miss them??????

{{{Scarlett}}} Hope RL starts treating you better - and soon!!!

[ldyjocelyn]

I have cats. 2 cats. 1 pure black and 1 tortie colored cat.

Yay! Another cat person! I know I've posted these pictures before of my "kids," but since there's been a few new additions to these parts, I'll post them again....

Here is Spot, our big dumb yellow cat (who is a total sweetheart):

And here is Quincy, our little chatterer:

Clay is building a career, but I don't think there will ever be just one thing, but a culmenation of each step.

I think of it as him building his resume. I don't have a crystal ball or the ability to see into the future but my thoughts are that this will gain him a few new fans but more importantly it will present new opportunities and eventually one of those will catapult him to another level, if he wants it, which I believe deep down he does.

I'm not going to be destroyed or disappointed if it doesn't happen because whichever way his paths lead him, it will be an adventure. I don't particularly want it to or need for him to be superstar in order to enjoy his career--I just think it is inevitable.

sheila, you said a mouthful -- and I agree with every.damn.word.

It was an interesting Clay day for me. My husband and I ran several errands today, and I decided to wear my "Invisible" t-shirt, from the NAT. First response was at the coffee shop. The "hip" guy only saw the front of the shirt, and told me "that's a cool shirt." I then showed him the back of the shirt -- and I actually think he was a bit embarrassed. I just shrugged him off. Then, at the grocery store, I was picking out some apples, when I heard someone say Clay's name. Another lady saw the back of my shirt, and mentioned that she saw him last week on AIR (this is going to turn out to be FABULOUS publicity for him, heh). She then said something like "I can sort of understand why THEY didn't want him to win, he looked kinda weird," and then another lady also picking out fruit said -- "yeah, but we all look kinda weird." I could tell she was pretty much of a "he should have won" person. I actually kind of liked that exchange.

keepingfaith, I wish you could come to St. Louis too!!!! Bring your sister as well!!! And as I said....check your mail early next week. Twice....

[Cotton]

Playbiller, Holly is a cutie!

Droopy does the same thing wanting to go after the squirrels (and other dogs, and people and cars and anything else that passes our house!

(Clickie to Biggie!)

There are other pics - here at my mac site.

Muski! I don't remember your doggie's name, but he is beautiful! Gorgeous coat!

Luckiest - "Seriously, if I get any more excited about Clay being in Spamalot, I may spontaneously combust!"

Thread Title?

ETA:

ldyjocelyn, Quincy appears to be smiling!

[liney23]

Pretty doggies and kitties, you guys. I have no animals now, but in my many years as a mom and a gramma, I have lived with the following: dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, pet rats and mice, snakes, fish, birds, hamsters, iquana and chameleon. I don't think I forgot anything.

Vegas is getting closer and closer. I am hoping to meet everyone of you who are representin' there! I lost the person who was riding to Vegas with me, so if anyone lives anywhere near North Orange County and would like to share a drive to Vegas, pm me.

I think Clay is going to try just about everything there is to try in the entertainment industry. I think eventually he will be loved by the masses. I plan to take really good care of myself, cause I want to be around to watch it happen and I'm no spring chicken! (Oh... a degree of separation from Clay and his chicken...)

[keepingfaith]

I thought it was pretty much a board concensus last year that good things were ahead for Clay. The only problem I have during this happy time is that the same things are happening that happened before the album, building everything up to be THE thing that catapults Clay to be loved by everyone. I think this is a good thing, I think Clay's career is chugging along on his own special path for longevity, but I never believe he will ever be cool and I think he is fine with that. If cool is drugs and alcohol, as it seems for so many, well, then I don't like cool anyway. Clay is building a career, but I don't think there will ever be just one thing, but a culmenation of each step.

Well, play, I was obviously on the wrong board last year. I know lightmyfire and clayzor and jmh know what I'm talking about. Clay's career was all but over and people were weeping over the sabotage that was victimizing him. Unfortunately, that's where that board was.

As for cool. True cool is in the heart of the true cool. Not in the force feeding of failed celebrity and dubious talent by the corporate media. And the definitions change. As Dylan said (to excise some lyrics here):

Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who

That it's namin'.

For the loser now

Will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is

Rapidly fadin'.

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.

And muski, Jackson Browne's music of the 70's -- transcended cool altogether. Music so sad it made me intensely happy. Reminds me of the Bee Gees' I Started A Joke.

You all must know by now, I had a good time in the 60's -- and as the only Houston native in the eHP, I remember Love Street Light Circus (on Commerce at Allen's Landing in downtown Houston), that opened on the day I got married -- June 3, 1967. I was 18. This place was happening until 1970 and closed the same month that that particular marriage ended. At Love Street, you reclined on big cushions on the floor and listened to live music ....

And the bands that performed semi-regularly included the 13th Floor Elevators, the Moving Sidewalks, and Shiva’s Headband. Never heard of the Elevators and their legendary singer/songwriter Roky Erickson? The Elevators invented the word "psychedelic" and had a hand in transforming Janis Joplin from an Austin folk singer into a blues/rock goddess. She almost joined the Elevators in Austin, but they were too hot and she was afraid of getting busted so she hitchhiked to San Francisco with Chet Helms, an old Austin buddy who had gone out to San Francisco in the early 60's and was then doing things like Summer of Love and Family Dog. Helms went back to Austin to get Janis to come to California and front Big Brother and the rest is history. Roky stayed in Austin, was busted for a single joint and facing ten years he plead guilty by insanity and was sent to a state asylum where after repeated escape attempts he ended up at the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane for three years, and then into full blown schizophrenia. The 60’s.

I first heard of Janis when I was in high school and she was a waitress turned folk singer at a coffee house called Sand Mountain. She sang very traditional folk in the hootenanny tradition.

Oh, and the Moving Sidewalks? They changed their name to ZZ Top in the 70's. Here they are with less facial camouflage:

No frills back then ... some 1968 concerts at the Houston Music Hall (now torn down):

Hendrix:

and Cream:

But back to Roky …

The band's biggest hit was You're Gonna Miss Me ... and here's a You Tube of a clip of the Elevators on a Dick Clark afternoon show in 1966 (Where The Action Is?) . The sound has been replaced with the original song track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJvgSF6aO2E...ted&search=

Okay, I now return you to 2007.

So what did cool ultimately deliver for Roky and Janis? Cool ain't shit.

[sheiladownunder]

She then said something like "I can sort of understand why THEY didn't want him to win, he looked kinda weird," and then another lady also picking out fruit said -- "yeah, but we all look kinda weird."

I'd love to see the look on her face as she watches him go from weird to wow

[jmh123]

Fascinating stuff keepingfaith!

[lightmyfire]

keepingfaith

Strange fascination, fascinating me

Changes are taking the pace I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-Changes

Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers................... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-Changes

Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

I said that time may change me

But I can't trace time

[sheiladownunder]

Fascinating stuff keepingfaith!

Yes, it is, how sad for Roky - I liked their sound. I lived in Australia in the late 60s/early 70s so missed a lot of music here.

[keepingfaith]

keepingfaith

Strange fascination, fascinating me

Changes are taking the pace I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-Changes

Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers................... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-Changes

Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

I said that time may change me

But I can't trace time

Now you have really kicked my ass with that one.

[ausdon]

Happy late birthday to laughn and anyone else whose birthday I missed. cha cha I'm glad you didn't get seriously hurt. How scary that must of been. I love the spam, emoticon. Welcome to the newbies. Did I say how much I love Aussie men? Blue eyes, blonde hair. Can you say Greg Norman and Keith Urban boys and girls? Here is some eye candy for ausdon.

Thanks Clayzor

I am quite keen on Aussie men myself, but mine is not of the blond variety but has red hair, big green eyes and long pale lashes. Sound like anyone?

OK OK, the red has faded to almost blond and the figure is on the more cuddly side but that sort of suits my "cuddly and well lived in " appearance! :laught31:

{{{ Playbiller & Cha Cha}}}}

[muskifest]

Know what I've been doing for the last two hours? (well, except for a couple loads of clothes)...I've been sitting ALONE in my house watching DCAT Orlando on my tv...with the surround sound jacked up...and drinking cabernet while laughing and crying and drooling and feeling downright overwhelmed by how much I can love someone who's not even in my 'real' life...

News Flash! Clay Aiken is a bona fide entertainer of the ages!

Damn. And I was freakin THERE in Orlando! But watching this tonight? God ,I missed some things the first time around! Holy shit.

This man has such a voice. Such a stage presence. Such a talent for making you feel loved and genuinely appreciated. I dare ANYBODY to watch him singing BYLM that last night of the tour and then suggest that he does NOT love us, does NOT understand us, does NOT feel a bond with us...

He is such a smart person. So wise. I sat here and enjoyed that DVD as though I'd NEVER seen the damned show before. As though it was my first time, yet I...knew, too. I felt I was his friend, yet I don't even know him.

I will never, never apologize to ANYONE for being this man's fan. He is a blessing. He could rest today, knowing that he has already done more to change others' lives for the better than most people can lay claim to in their entire lifetimes.

And he's hot.

[lightmyfire]

keepingfaith

Strange fascination, fascinating me

Changes are taking the pace I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-Changes

Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers................... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Turn and face the strain

Ch-ch-Changes

Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older

Time may change me

But I can't trace time

I said that time may change me

But I can't trace time

Now you have really kicked my ass with that one.

Just for you...

Love you...

[Gibby]

I'm enjoying all of pictures and stories about pets! Dogs AND cats.

We don't have either in our house - we have two bearded dragons. They are very friendly little lizards, and love being held. They belong to our 13 year old daughter, who loves playing with them. Here are a few pictures:

Today turned out to be a really good day! Hubby decided that we needed to upgrade our Quicken to the most recent version. We keep our financial records on my laptop, because it has more memory, and I informed him that I don't have space on my laptop for a new program. No, I didn't tell him that it's because of all of the Clay pics, vids and mp3s! BWAH! Being the sweet man that he is, hubby said that maybe he should just buy me an external hard drive so that I could move some stuff over and make room for the program. Who was I to argue? So I've been having a good time setting up the hard drive, moving stuff over and making room for new clack. Oh, and for Quicken 2008, too!

Oh, and I got Clay's package. In the mail.

Heeee! Don't I wish it was the real thing. Somehow Clique, in all of its wisdom, decided that I didn't receive my Year Two membership package, and decided to send me a second one! Hmmmmm, I don't know how they decided that. Anyway, is there anyone here who paid for year two and didn't get a package? If it doesn't come in the next week or so, let me know, and I'll send you my second one. The t-shirt is a size small.

{{{{{{Scarlett}}}}}}}}} I hope RL gets better for you soon!