#20: Clay is just so frickin' cute! Cute, cute, cute!

[PermaSwooned]

I am loving all these tidbits about possible songs/songwriters/musicians that played on a demo/songs on hold for Clay stuff. It makes a new album seem very real.

I see that desertflower already posted this while I was typing, but Clay spoke at the North Carolina Exceptional Children's conference this morning about the BAF. The original poster was there. There is a listing on today's agenda for the conference called "Inclusion: It's the Right Thing to Do", and evidently Jerry Aiken spoke and showed the BAF video (which I just saw for the first time this morning....made me cry!) and then he said he had persuaded Clay to take time from his schedule to talk to the attendees as well. No one knew about it in advance.

Have I mentioned I love him???? :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Thanks for the nice comments about my pictures. I finished the dread statistical analysis section of my study submission, so I compromised and indulged myself by re-editing the last picture from a bit farther away. So here it is again, version 2:

OK. Now I need to do the "Lay Summary" of this application and I can move onto the next.

[Couch Tomato]

I think America chose talent. There were plenty of PYTs in the top 32/4groups. A lot of them got screen time. None of them moved forward. They rectified some of that with the wildcard selections. They aren't mind readers. I don't think they can predict who would win the groups. And I can't really tell if they wanted Clay or not. Surely he would have more time in Hollywood if they wanted him over Kim. There's just no way to know that. I do think Clay was 3rd best in his group and had they not brought him back for wildcard I don't know if I would have thought any great injustice had been done. I'm just so glad he was brought back because he just got better and better every week. I do think of all the changes I enjoyed seeing him grow in confidence.

I noticed Clay from the beginning but I noticed others too. It's amazing how time colored my perceptions. But a couple of years ago I found my TWoP posts that I posted after each AI2 show and I really wasn't solely focused on Clay. I just loved the entire show and season. And when I watched last year for the FCA AI2 retrospective...Clay was in my top few every week but I didn't rate him best every single week. To me that made the show great. They pushed each other. They got up there and they tried to rock the house every week. That's what I loved about season 2.

I know that I would always be a fan of Clay cuz he had my attention from his audition. But I truly wonder if he had won, if I'd be here. Oh yeah, I'd be buying his albums. But would I be here? I honestly don't know. Cuz I thought the folks who broke out of the TWoP performers thread to go to IE were a little touched. Yeah, Clay was good, but goodness. heee. But the moment he didn't win even those whirl of pages weren't enough for me. So I truly appreciate Clay's entire AI experience. It was the totality of it that got me started down this path. Any little change, and who the hell knows. And it's been so much fun, a thrilling ride.

As for Quiana... I don't know what she was then. It's hard for me to judge. Was she even as good as she is now. Frankly I think the only thing she is missing is luck but she's been able to forge a pefectly good career in the Charleston area and working with Clay. I do hope for more for her but it simply ain't that easy.

[KAndre]

jj, looking objectively, I think you're right - he's does look like a typical college dude - 90% of which I pass on the street every day without looking twice. Clay's hair did stand out to me - mainly because it looked like he found some old shoe polish and went to town. For me, Clay has (talent)⁴ - 2(style); Ruben had (talent)² - (style) [the lack of hair helped him here); KLo had (talent)² + boobs - (style) [2 sizes too small is not a style]; Corey had (talent) [really he did. For certain songs. Sorta like a JT wannabe] + (Justin hair) + (skeevy style) [stop it. Y'all know some people like that stuff.] The talents all in general increased in the style factor. I don't think it was possible for the stylist to increase in the talent factor. And ultimately, talent weighed more in a nominal "talent" contest.

[Ansamcw]

Perma...I love your little gifts...and YUCK statistical analysis...shudder...I hated that during grad school years...

[Desertflower]

I didn't start watching AI till Movie Night and I remember being absolutely floored by Clay's voice. I wasn't even on the Boards then-knew nothing about the Demos. I just know I became more entralled with him every week, And the night he sang BMUB and Solitaire...OMG...I must have watched that a hundred times. There never was anyone else but Clay from the first moment I saw him.

Ruben I thought was good, but with poor breath control and way, WAY over-hyped. Kim I thought was good at times, but she was pretty inconsistant. Everyone else was kind of disposable, although my son loved Treynce.

[jumpingjacks]

I wasn't one of the "he had me at "Take..." people. I truly don't remember when I thought, "hey, now, this guy can sing". I think he caught my attention the night he wore the blue shirt with the dark jacket and Paula asked him out, heh. All I know is that I voted religiously and had many of my friends invested in him, too. I just got stuck! They know I adore him but they didn't come along for the ride.

What strikes me is watching the episodes and watching him come out every week more and more confident. His stride became a strut after awhile....

[Couch Tomato]

What strikes me is watching the episodes and watching him come out every week more and more confident. His stride became a strut after awhile....

yep yep yep!

ETA: I love reading the different perspective on their AI2 experience. We all got to this point a different way. I was truly struck by him the first time I saw him...well heard him. I can't go back and change the story to say oh he was so cute and I just love him..it wasn't that way for me. I LOVED THE VOICE. I called my sister about the voice the moment the commercial came on. And I did look for him in Hollywood. I was looking for my red headed boyfriend..yep I was calling him that already heee. But it was totally the voice that blew me away. And it wasn't until top 12 that I saw the beginnings of cute...and somewhere along the line he got pretty. heh. But even to the end I was more interested in the voice and it was what won me over. Hell don't think I did my first smut until sometime around NAT. But after the voice came the post idol personality. Those radio interviews was the last nail in my coffin.

Was it disco night that everybody got caught up with the pants? LOL..That cracked me up..I didn't even like that song or performance but all everybody was talking about was pants and I thought they were crazy. heee. I'm talking about the Everlasting Love song.

[sheiladownunder]

Is the video that he showed at the gala vaulted anywhere? I don't remember ever seeing this.

[laughn]

I'm glad Clay is finding time for the teacher side of him, first for the CT teachers at Yale, now at the NC Exceptional Children's conference.

Makes his little 'Miss America' speech from the AIR clip even more resonant.

...either that, or everyone in his family is telling him to take a break and step away from the Christmas stories.

[Desertflower]

Well he certianly has that strut now.

In Indio, he walked right past me, after he went into the audience. I was sitting in the Second Row, second seat from the end...he had this smirk on his face when he was heading to the stage...the little shit knew he was gonna get a swoony reaction when he walked out in the audience. The only people that saw the smirk were those of us that were sitting at the side of the stage.

Couchtomato, I never saw the sexy during AI...just the talent. BUT, I may have been in denial, cause I sure liked the RS picture. *g* When I saw the first download of Invisible from St Paul, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

[jumpingjacks]

I hated the disco outfit. I saw nothing special about it at all. The voice is what caught my attention as it did with my friends....the cute factor came in long afterward for me. I think the "pretty" was almost too "pretty" for me...he looked like a fake and bake gone bad!

I wasn't on the boards at all until almost the end of the show. Didn't even know they existed. Imagine that!

[luckiest1]

I noticed Clay from the beginning but I noticed others too. It's amazing how time colored my perceptions. But a couple of years ago I found my TWoP posts that I posted after each AI2 show and I really wasn't solely focused on Clay. I just loved the entire show and season. And when I watched last year for the FCA AI2 retrospective...Clay was in my top few every week but I didn't rate him best every single week. To me that made the show great. They pushed each other. They got up there and they tried to rock the house every week. That's what I loved about season 2.

I remember, after each show that my daughter and I watched, we'd give our picks as to who won each round. Mine were always either Ruben or Clay, even though I liked Kim, I only came to appreciate her more later. As I've said before, it wasn't until Solitaire night that I was totally blown away with Clay's talent and charisma. My daughter and I drove 3 hours to Buffalo, NY to watch the final show and vote using a friend's land line (no voting in Canada!) We didn't get through but managed to text some votes in on her cell. But we were home for the results, and my son tells me it was the first time I ever said the F word in front of him.

After that I found myself on TTC. Too bad that board doesn't have all the old posts, I'd love to go back and read them. I also posted a bit on the Clayboard after TTC blew up. But the only old posts I can find are on the CH, and I only started posted there on Dec. 12th, 2003.

OK, Bwah, I just looked up my first post to get the date, and what should I be talking about but Ruben's breathing problem during a song.......but seriously, I loved Ruben on the show, I really did.

[Ansamcw]

I may be pulling this out of my nether regions, but I vaguely remember Clay talking disparagingly about contestants who were always playing to the cameras while off-stage. He said something to the effect that it was about singing, not being a camera-whore.

Actually, I do remember him saying something about how he realized that the competition started before the voting, in that he knew that how you presented yourself to the cameras off-stage was important because it affected how the audience perceived you. I do recall him expressing some disdain for those who were mouthy or displayed attitude during Hollywood Week. Maybe it's in "Learning to Sing"?

YAY you remembered it too. Yes this is exactly what I meant and why he tried to go below the radar on Hollywood week...it could very well be from LTS...

Um...I've been looking for a forum that sells concert tickets. Do we have such a forum in FCA? I think I may be able to fly into Chicago and catch the last show of the tour and would like a couple of decent tickets for the show before booking flights, hotels, etc. Thanks for any help.

neverlipsync...we have threads for each concerts...maybe you can post there. Hope you get that ticket.

The first time I really thudded over Clay was Diane Warren night...when he came out in that black leather and the cool and confident way he sang that night...GAH!!!

I first thought he was attractive in Wild Card...but after Diane Warren Night...every night he just looked gorgeous to me...

Couchie...I also didn't like disco night. I truly understood what Simon meant cos I thought his choice was a cop out. I didn't think it was really disco and that song just wasn't compelling to me. I also thought the shirt made him look even more scrawny. I never really got the excitement over the pants.

[jumpingjacks]

We must have all started at TTC at one point...that was my first board. That board was just a leeeeetle bit narrow in what you could post there...cramped my style!

Clay, Ruben and Kim were my favorites throughout the competition. I didn't think anyone else could hold a candle to them.

[Desertflower]

I started at TTC too. After TTC imploded I went to the CB and then to the CH.

[jumpingjacks]

Believe it or not, I was a Todd follower at that time and moved to RHT with him....uh-huh...yep I did...didn't take me long to figure out he was a scam artist.

He ended up hating my guts...I was a bit of an antagonist (I'm sure ya'll find that hard to believe!)

[aikim]

Prior to AI and Clay, I really hadn't listened to much music...I spent the 80's and 90's having babies and raising kids and never turned on the radio and by the time of the millenium, hip hop and rap seemed to take over the airways and I turned to talk radio. So yeah, I am not the hippest person in the world and even today I still would rather listen to Clay and then oldies (60's and 70's).

That said, I know what I like and Ruben just didn't impress me and I do remember at the time thinking that the constant comparisons to Luther were a bit over the top and it did bother me that he never got criticized when it was deserved. The night he ended up in the final two I was not surprised because it did appear to me that he was resting his laurels, i.e. the judges obvious pimping and not really stepping up to the plate and improving. It was pretty obvious as the competition went on that Clay was bringing it every night; growing and maturing in his presentation.

I will admit that I am pretty biased towards Clay and probably not real objective when it comes to Ruben. I appreciate that others see his talent and enjoy it.

A couple of things about Trenyce...she did have a good voice, but it always bothered me that she wore those wigs all the time...I always got the feeling that I was never seeing the real Trenyce but an impersonation...she sang a Whitney song, she became Whitney. And her habit of tapping her nails against the microphone drove me nuts.

Kim

[Cotton]

As for Quiana... I don't know what she was then. It's hard for me to judge. Was she even as good as she is now. Frankly I think the only thing she is missing is luck but she's been able to forge a pefectly good career in the Charleston area and working with Clay. I do hope for more for her but it simply ain't that easy.

You know, I love Quiana. And I think she has a beautiful, gorgeous, strong voice.

I just don't think she has the Drive.

That's one thing I forgot to mention in my post about all Clay's attributes. heh

His DRIVE!

You know - Clay wants what he wants when he wants it.

heh

I was 'surfing' and saw this guy from NC. I was living in Greensboro at the time. That's what got me tuning in.

But I loved his voice. And I voted. DH even voted.

But I didn't see the sexy until Elle. I wanted to pull that tie the rest of the way off.

For starters . . .

[aikim]

I may be pulling this out of my nether regions, but I vaguely remember Clay talking disparagingly about contestants who were always playing to the cameras while off-stage. He said something to the effect that it was about singing, not being a camera-whore.

Actually, I do remember him saying something about how he realized that the competition started before the voting, in that he knew that how you presented yourself to the cameras off-stage was important because it affected how the audience perceived you. I do recall him expressing some disdain for those who were mouthy or displayed attitude during Hollywood Week. Maybe it's in "Learning to Sing"?

YAY you remembered it too. Yes this is exactly what I meant and why he tried to go below the radar on Hollywood week...it could very well be from LTS...

Um...I've been looking for a forum that sells concert tickets. Do we have such a forum in FCA? I think I may be able to fly into Chicago and catch the last show of the tour and would like a couple of decent tickets for the show before booking flights, hotels, etc. Thanks for any help.

neverlipsync...we have threads for each concerts...maybe you can post there. Hope you get that ticket.

The first time I really thudded over Clay was Diane Warren night...when he came out in that black leather and the cool and confident way he sang that night...GAH!!!

I first thought he was attractive in Wild Card...but after Diane Warren Night...every night he just looked gorgeous to me...

Couchie...I also didn't like disco night. I truly understood what Simon meant cos I thought his choice was a cop out. I didn't think it was really disco and that song just wasn't compelling to me. I also thought the shirt made him look even more scrawny. I never really got the excitement over the pants.

Yeah, but Ruben didn't really pick a Disco song either..is Barry White really considered Disco? And he didn't get crap for it. I don't mean to sound like I am always picking on Ruben, but it really bugged me that he got away with so much on the show.

Kim

[neverlipsync]

Ansamcw :thbighug-1:

Speaking of AIR...can I just tell you my kids' spontaneous reactions to Corey Clark as soon as he opened his mouth to sing? They were :lmaosmiley-1: They just assumed he was one of the bad auditions that they had seen so much of in the past few weeks. When I told them that this was Hollywood week...that he'd been put through b/c the judges thought he was good, the confusion on their collective faces had me :lmaosmiley-1:

[Gibby]

Gibby, I am finding myself strangely hypnotized by your avi. Can't imagine why.

Me too!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it! It was thinking about changing my avi after Vegas because there are so many fantastic pics of Clay from that show. Since ya'll like it, though, I'll leave it alone for awhile!

That was so cool to see him before they knew what would happen to him.

I've never seen this one where he and Linda went shopping.

In this clip you can see that Clay is still skinny as a rail, but has put on just a little weight. His face isn't as ultra-thin as it was in the initial auditions, and the little bit of weight really helps his face look even better. Poor baby must have been a starving college student! He may be wearing some makeup in that clip, too.

I am enamored of AIW from Vegas... I keep playing it over and over. So, last night I pulled up AIW from Long Island (the definition of courage and determination), West Point (LOVED that suit and that hair) and Charlotte (feisty Clay). It was as I remembered... Vegas was the BEST version of AIW he has ever sung, IMO! And, it's going to be on national TV! Wheeeeee!!!!

AIW from Vegas is excellent, isn't it? I'm putting it on my ipod, both the audio and the video!

[Desertflower]

I just don't think she has the Drive.

For all we know she may be perfectly just happy making a living a singing, without the Fame. I remember reading how she said that she would read the Tabloids and Gossip Columns until she started working with Clay and Kelly. After she saw what lies they printed about both of them, she was glad she wasn't in their position.

But yeah to achieve the kind of success that Clay has, it has to take a lot of drive and ambition. I imagine he gives up a lot in the pursuit of his career. He has a lot of benefits too.

I didn't like most of Clay's outfits during AI. Liked Billy Joel Night, BYUB, and a few others. I think a lot of the outfits only showed how scrawny he was back then. Way, WAY to much make-up.....and I think the trowl approach to make-up continued for a long time after AI. I'm so glad to see a more natural look now...although I think he does look better with his eyelashes dyed. But I think AI tried to "prettify" him during and after the show. I think Clay was always pretty insecure about his looks and his pasty white skin...hence OD'ing on the Bronzer. I'm really liking how he looks the last year or so...except I wish he would go back to the longer hair.

[spikesmom]

I hated the disco outfit.

Oh, thank God... I remember thinking at the time - "Oh no, WTF? What a fashion misstep!" I didn't think the shirt went with the pants AT.ALL! And the shirt, for me, was just all kinds of wrong... I still don't like it.... the song was ok for me - loved the voice!

I probably mentioned this somewhere here but the voice had me right away... didn't notice him too much during Hollywood (of course, he wasn't shown all that much in my own defense... ) But Group 2 is where I fell and I was totally pissed that he didn't make it... but AI redeemed itself by bringing him back and that was really all she wrote for me.

And I have to admit - didn't see the sexy until AI was all over - I thought he was cute but didn't see the sexy - it was that "OMG, OMG, OMG what was that move?" that caused my demise...

I never really got the excitement over the pants.

I didn't either until the AI tour... I guess since I didn't see the sexy until then, I wasn't looking at the pants so much either... of course, I never looked at that on men up to that point anyway... don't know why but I didn't... not that I didn't smut with the best of them (I did, and still do) but never looked at that... apparently I spent too much time looking at the top half... I will admit to making up for lost time now though...

[jumpingjacks]

Am I the only one who didn't like the long hair? I didn't mind it at the AMA and the Snowflake Lighting. I didn't like the way he wore it during the concerts, though. His bangs were too far off his forehead, in my opinion. He had that floofy wave thing happening. Just not my style, I guess.

I like it natural but not as long as he was wearing it for awhile. My favorite look was the Afghanistan look...

[Couch Tomato]

SNOWFLAKE HAIR

I don't notice the hair much but I totally loved that. Not into full beard Clay...so although it didn't bother me becaues as with every style I knew it was just a matter of time but I'm pretty happy it's not his thang.