#52: "He doesn't need the spotlight. He just glows."

[lilyshine]

I don't think much can be worse than the lawsuit filed against the BAF by Clay fans. That was "legitimate" news, not just rumor & crap throwing.

[annabear]

Just read this afternoon: New Hampshire becomes the 6th state to approve same sex marriage. The governor will sign it today. Woo-Hoo!

On that note, a friend recently shared this simple, but powerful YouTube video -

[bottlecap]

On a totally unrelated topic, I just read Whitney Houston's CD has a release date of 9/1/09. I guess Clive finally had some spare time on his hands to get that project finished up.

[merrieeee]

I think I'm going to be busy that day!

[KAndre]

Eh, I don't know - I really like old school Whitney. And I apparently liked a lot of stuff Clive put out in the day (including a number of Clay's albums). I might give it a listen if I remember.

[Lotus]

Just read this afternoon: New Hampshire becomes the 6th state to approve same sex marriage. The governor will sign it today. Woo-Hoo!

On that note, a friend recently shared this simple, but powerful YouTube video -

Thank you annabear for posting that link.

Good morning all and now off to play in the garden. i.e. weeding etc, before it becomes too hot to do so.

[keepingfaith]

As a consumer of Twitter, I have to say that Twitter is NOT the devil. I think one must download a separate program to search for people -- any people -- by name, which I don't do. I check out news and subject matter from people I know and from legitimate news sources. I'm sure that to Clay it must be pure evil that there are those who tweet whenever they see him and broadcast his location, but seriously, you don't see that stuff unless you deliberately seek it out -- and I'm sure the gossip mavens are there for information on any number of thousands of people. And then there's the credibility issue. I don't trust anonymous sources. However, all that said, for my purposes Twitter is wonderful and I think it will be around until the next big thing swings by. Now, do I believe there are "evil Twitterers" -- you bet!

As for that sick man that stalks Clay, I can't go look because I know not where he is, and have no desire to find out. I think it may be of some importance that he be monitored, just as some people monitor the websites of extremists to keep taps on them. Somebody's got to do it. Just not me because reading hater stuff disturbs my psyche. There must be some compromise between ignore and keep an eye peeled.

I may have written about this (or not because my memory just isn't what it used to be), but if so I'll repeat: I overheard my son discussing that something needs to be done about haters on the net. He frequents guitar sites with discussions about Gibsons, Fenders, pedals, amps etc. and the musicians who use them -- and he says even those messageboards are bombarded with haters who are vile and disgusting and attempt to slime various musicians and other posters. These people have probably always been around, but the net gives them an opportunity to feed off each other as never before. It must be true that with every positive there is a corresponding negative; and the greater the good the more powerful the force against it -- another of those wacky facts of life in the Universe. Sure wish it were easier.

But one thing I never feel, is sorry for Clay. He may not have sold the most records or put the greatest numbers of people in concert seats, or sold the most books, or been completely understood, or whatever the criticisms of fans and foes alike may be, but he is a bona fide A-Lister both in his career and even more broadly in his life. Clay can pivot in so many directions and I love him for being a seeker. I seriously believe that life is a journey and not a destination. I'm not concerned that Clay "arrives" to wherever one may think he should be, or deserves to be, or wants to be -- but that he enjoys a beautiful sojourn and shares his talents along the way. I'm grateful that he's on the scene and that so many love him. To me as a fan, Clay is a gift. And I react the same way when people complain about his choices, comments and commitments as I do when someone complains that their Christmas gift wasn't EXACTLY what they wanted. No boo-hoo from me.

[wandacleo]

Merriee and claylove I wasn't talking about you--but the people who actually give credence to pondscum and worry that anyone actually cares what he has to say.

[treenuts]

Keepingfaith, that was beautifully stated! He truly is a gift and I love him all the more for his continued journey, potholes and all!!

{{{Merriee and claylove}}}

Thanks for the lurvely pics this morning, bottle!

[cagney1950]

keepingfaith, that was just beautiful. Thank you.

[liney23]

There are not enough cuss words to describe just how much I hate and loathe that asshole.

claylove... I don't think you were clear enough on how you really feel...

I was telling someone the other day, that I don't watch tv news anymore cause after being a Clay fan for 6 years, I know how much the truth is twisted and slanted, even by the best of them.

I was very sad today to goggle Clay this morning and see that his foundation has rejected him... yeah, right. Naturally, I didn't click on the link, but felt so sad that Clay's wish to announce it himself has been foiled by those who make it their life work to destroy instead of build.

But one thing I never feel, is sorry for Clay. He may not have sold the most records or put the greatest numbers of people in concert seats, or sold the most books, or been completely understood, or whatever the criticisms of fans and foes alike may be, but he is a bona fide A-Lister both in his career and even more broadly in his life. Clay can pivot in so many directions and I love him for being a seeker. I seriously believe that life is a journey and not a destination. I'm not concerned that Clay "arrives" to wherever one may think he should be, or deserves to be, or wants to be -- but that he enjoys a beautiful sojourn and shares his talents along the way. I'm grateful that he's on the scene and that so many love him. To me as a fan, Clay is a gift. And I react the same way when people complain about his choices, comments and commitments as I do when someone complains that their Christmas gift wasn't EXACTLY what they wanted. No boo-hoo from me.

keeping... Beautifully said and I so agree! I study metaphysics and have often marveled at how evolved Clay is at such a young age. Some have said he is an old soul and I totally believe that. I have learned so much from him and his journey.

and...

[Carolina Clay]

But one thing I never feel, is sorry for Clay. He may not have sold the most records or put the greatest numbers of people in concert seats, or sold the most books, or been completely understood, or whatever the criticisms of fans and foes alike may be, but he is a bona fide A-Lister both in his career and even more broadly in his life. Clay can pivot in so many directions and I love him for being a seeker. I seriously believe that life is a journey and not a destination. I'm not concerned that Clay "arrives" to wherever one may think he should be, or deserves to be, or wants to be -- but that he enjoys a beautiful sojourn and shares his talents along the way. I'm grateful that he's on the scene and that so many love him. To me as a fan, Clay is a gift. And I react the same way when people complain about his choices, comments and commitments as I do when someone complains that their Christmas gift wasn't EXACTLY what they wanted. No boo-hoo from me.

Very well said, keepingfaith! :clap:

I got into Twitter to post about my blog. There's a new entry, btw, about Clay/Ruben/AI2 still ranking #1 in first week single sales/finale viewers ... with a little bit of Kai and Lia thrown in for the writer: Carolina On My Mind.

OOPS -- LINK FIXED: I couldn't figure how someone was getting to the blog via the Live Feed!

Thank you for your visits, which really help the Clay blogs compete with the swamp entries at Google. Hits are good, comments even better. They are for Clay, and we appreciate your support.

This summer I will try to expand the group my blogs reach. I need to take lessons from Sally, who has 5,000+ following her. She just called to tell me Susan Boyles' cat is following her and vice-versa!

Y'all have a great evening!

Caro

[spikesmom]

keepingfaith beautifully stated!

[Couch Tomato]

Well said keeping faith. Lovely post.

I do think there is a difference in ignoring and not engaging. The latter is all I want. I know what's going on. I've just never ever engaged. It's not a sport I want to play.

I've decided to focus on this big job of combining and moving FCA and FCAM to a new permanent home. That should keep me busy until uh... forever.

[FearofH2O]

Sounds overwhelming couchie. Good luck!

I hope Clay will feel free to answer questions again at the OFC, if he has the time.

[underthespell]

-----snip-----

But one thing I never feel, is sorry for Clay. He may not have sold the most records or put the greatest numbers of people in concert seats, or sold the most books, or been completely understood, or whatever the criticisms of fans and foes alike may be, but he is a bona fide A-Lister both in his career and even more broadly in his life. Clay can pivot in so many directions and I love him for being a seeker. I seriously believe that life is a journey and not a destination. I'm not concerned that Clay "arrives" to wherever one may think he should be, or deserves to be, or wants to be -- but that he enjoys a beautiful sojourn and shares his talents along the way. I'm grateful that he's on the scene and that so many love him. To me as a fan, Clay is a gift. And I react the same way when people complain about his choices, comments and commitments as I do when someone complains that their Christmas gift wasn't EXACTLY what they wanted. No boo-hoo from me.

this is so beautifully stated, keepingfaith !

[liney23]

Just read this afternoon: New Hampshire becomes the 6th state to approve same sex marriage. The governor will sign it today. Woo-Hoo!

On that note, a friend recently shared this simple, but powerful YouTube video -

anna... short, but to the point. So right on!

caro... I love your Kai adventures. I have six grandkids and the ages 0 thru 5 to 6 are the most fun. After their entry into first or second grade, their friends and their activities push gramma to the end of the line, except for birthdays and Christmas, of course...

I cannot believe my oldest DGS is graduating HS next week. Where did the years go??? The youngest is 3, so I have a ways before they are all grown up. Then, I should have great-grands...

[Scarlett]

I'm too tired to think. Thank goodness I have kf (well-said!!! ) to think for me!!! I think I already put in over 50 hours this week and it's only Thursday. So I'll just wish you all a good evening and lurk in and out tonight -- well, unless the cute one starts sending questions or requests again.

Love you all!!! MUAH!

OT: Wonder what sort of supper will take the least effort to make? I don't have microwaveables, but I do have canned stuff. Maybe vienna sausages, Rotel & scrambled eggs? Is that the simplest "complete" one? I already had ice cream for dinner last night and I shouldn't probably shouldn't have it twice in a row. (well, technically it was dessert because I had lunch for supper). Oh, why not ice cream? it's technically whole milk and fruits.

ETA:

[treenuts]

Oh, why not ice cream? it's technically whole milk and fruits.

And if you toss in a few chopped up treenuts then you've got protein as well! It's a meal

Speaking of a meal...this guy looks good enough to eat

[tribeca]

I'm too tired to think. Thank goodness I have kf (well-said!!! ) to think for me!!! I think I already put in over 50 hours this week and it's only Thursday. So I'll just wish you all a good evening and lurk in and out tonight -- s owell, unless the cute one starts sending questionr requests again.

Love you all!!! MUAH!

ETA:

I am here what questions do you have?

I was just lurking because I was in awe of Keeping Faith's post! and I surprisingly was left speechless

[Scarlett]

I am here what questions do you have?

I was just lurking because I was in awe of Keeping Faith's post! and I surprisingly was left speechless

Oh, I said the cute one, not the cutest one!

Yes, kf's post is a keeper!!! Maybe we can condense it to Thread-title length? Anyone? Bueller?!!

ETA: Oh, I see both kf and KAndre down there! How about some more Thai tomorrow or anytime soon?

[jmh123]

ETA: Oh, I see both kf and KAndre down there! How about some more Thai tomorrow or anytime soon?

Did the Beanie Weenies leave you feeling unsatisfied?

[keepingfaith]

You guys! Thanks for the sweet comments about my post. I struggle with mixed results to accurately express myself, but it's always my pleasure to profess love and admiration for Clay.

Speaking of a meal...this guy looks good enough to eat

Yeah he does. I think I'll indulge myself.

ETA: Thai where? I've eaten at Thai Pepper -- Nit Noi -- and Konamwan. I went to Konamwan frequently in the 90's but the manager was as intimidating as the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld and he finally scared me off. I also used to eat at Nit Noi in the The Village, and I have noticed they opened another location just south of downtown. Unfortunately, I spent beaucoup bucks too many fixing up my bedroom this week, so I may not be able to afford a restaurant meal until the coffers are replenished. Buying first and balancing the checkbook later is SO not a good idea!

[FearofH2O]

From happyclayday at CV:

From OC....

So, there has been a lot of speculation as to why Clay was in Atlanta last week. It turns out he was there to have dinner with the winner of the last BAF dinner with Clay auction. The person who won wants to remain anonymous, but she would like to share her experience with other fans who are interested, so she contacted me and asked me if I would post her recap here for her. Of course I said yes, so here it is smile.gif BTW, if anyone wants to post this on other boards please do.

QUOTE

I had dinner with Clay and Jerome on Wednesday, May 27th in Atlanta. My daughter, Courtney, her boyfriend, Tim, and a Clay friend also came along. My son, Haynes was able to drop by for a little while.

We met Jerome in the hotel lobby and talked to him for a few minutes before entering the restaurant. We sat at a table set for six. Three of us slid into the banquette along the back, Tim sat in a chair facing us, Jerome sat at the end of the table, and one chair was left facing us for Clay. I kept expecting Jerome to give us the rules and regulations for the evening, but he never did. He texted once or twice, and occasionally talked on his phone very quietly. I suspect he was giving Clay the "lay of the land" regarding us.

I was looking at Jerome when Clay approached the table. I looked up and there he was-tall, trim, fresh faced, scrubbed, pressed, and smiling. He looked wonderful and happy. His hair color was perfect for his complexion. Sprigs of it shined in the light and the rest was a reddish blond. He looked so much younger in person! He needn't worry about looking old any time soon. His skin was light but not pale, almost luminous and translucent-hard to describe, and his jaw line looked perfectly normal. Unfortunately, I couldn't see his beautiful green eyes. He had on a blue striped shirt, a gray jacket, indigo jeans and black shoes. No where to be found, was the sexy Clay Aiken of stage and photographs, but he was VERY cute!

He greeted everyone with a handshake and sat down. He apologized for being late, and said that he was picked up on the tarmac, drove a rental car into town, and had trouble negotiating the crazy downtown Atlanta streets. He did drive by the corner where he camped out in 2003 and wondered why a statue of him hadn't been erected yet. I had always wondered how he managed to navigate through busy airports without Jerome (in passengers only areas), and now I see that he just exits the plane and drops down the jet-way steps to a waiting car on the tarmac. I'm so impressed and delighted that he rates this treatment!

The servers were right on us for drink orders. Everyone had water except for a recommended ginger ale brand by Jerome, for Courtney. Just after Clay sat down, he got a text from an Atlanta friend stating that a radio station had announced his whereabouts! This really unnerved Clay. The only thing I could think of was that one of the employees had called hoping for free publicity for the restaurant. Then I realized he might suspect one of us! I assured him that we hadn't told a soul where we were going, I can only hope that he believed us. I then noticed how Clay would stop talking every time a server reached over him, lingering too long, trying to catch his every word. Clay told us how he hated that and it made me realize just how it must feel to be stalked, reported on, hovered over, watched, and photographed. NOT a comfortable feeling. Yes, he's a celebrity and that's the price of fame blah, blah, blah, but sitting there that evening, he was just a normal man trying to have dinner with "friends", and had checked his celebrity at the door. To be honest, I'm not so sure I would have recognized him if I weren't a fan, especially not expecting to see him in Atlanta.

We each ordered from the menu and Clay had crab cakes. Something was said about shellfish, and he said that his doctor told him to try eating a little now and then. He said he has been fine with it. He jokingly asked Jerome if he had the epi-pen and Jerome said no.

No surprise to anyone, the boy was talkative! I'm sure this was to keep us from asking questions of him all evening, but he certainly was entertaining.. I had two questions which went unasked. A Clay friend had wanted me to ask if he would consider recording the Carpenters' hit, "Make Believe It's Your First Time"

, and I wanted to know if he would consider recording "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen,

and

.

There were only the two of us fans there but Courtney and Tim were excited to meet him,also, of course. They, Jerome and Clay seem to enjoy each other a lot. Clay asked Tim about his band, "Ludo" and what their sound was. We agreed that they probably aren't his kind of music, but he nicely asked for a CD anyway. Then he asked Courtney what she did for a living. He was puzzled as to how they could actually be vegans (health reasons), and laughingly tried to tempt Tim by talking about hamburgers. They talked about New York City, and how he liked it so much more than he used to. He discussed loving to ride trains because he can bring more luggage, slip right into a compartment, have three good meals a day delivered to him, and sleep during the trip. He can board right in Cary, not far from his home. Clay also told us about Rick Holmes being in the LA production of 'Spamalot". I didn't have a chance to ask him about Tom, David, or any of the others from the New York production.

Jerome was a delightful addition to the conversation! He was funny, laid back and genuine. I dedicated the dinner to him (from the fans) for taking such great care of Clay for the past six years. That seemed to surprise and delight him.

Clay opened some gifts that we gave to Parker. The kids gave him a pair of tiny, laceless converse shoes like the ones Clay had on in LA. I gave Parker a teddy bear with the Aiken (Clan Gordon) tartan scarf and tam, along with some literature about their history. I went to the Scottish Tartans Museum in the North Carolina mountains to research "Aiken". Clay had said his family was from Ireland, but the museum told me the Aiken name originated in Scotland. At this point, I asked him which family name was Icelandic. He said, "Grissom, but I'm not delving too deeply there". My friend gave Parker a book named, "A Street Through Time", which Clay thought was interesting and informative for himself, also.

Time flew, and after about three hours, it was over. We asked for pictures, which he readily agreed to, and then he was gone. Unfortunately, we didn't come away with any career news. The picture of Tim and Clay was at the dinner and NOT at any record label meeting. Tim felt horribly about tweeting Clay's picture to his Ludo fans. He didn't have a clue that it would travel around the Clay world at lightning speed! I was sorry I had failed to tell him how much Clay hates Twitter!

It was a night to remember and cherish for all of us. It's hard to come away from an evening with Jerome and Clay and not feel like you've made a couple of new friends. But, alas, I'm still just a fan.

You know he would rather have been home relaxing than dining with strangers that night, but he graciously and generously fulfilled his promise to me and was a wonderful host.

Clay is to be lauded for his foundation for children. I encourage you to try to participate in a BAF fundraiser. There are treasures to be had at every price level, and it certainly is for a worthy cause.

And some new pictures!

I hope someone can bring over the pictures. The only reason I saw this is because I do the indexing at CV on Thursday night until 6AM Friday morning.

[ausdon]

Thanks for bringing that over Fear. It's lovely to hear.