#56: Clay's going to sing. Life is good.

[keepingfaith]

Yes, it's always been there. It used to be discussed a lot before your time.

It occurs to me that I've now been in the online fandom a bit longer than the 2003 originals had been when I joined up. Did that make sense? Obviously, there still stuff to find out.

Oh this WEATHER!! Houston is like "Portland on the Bayou" this week. Wish I were in Miami ... and had a Super Bowl ticket.

[FearofH2O]

I think Clay is just happy to have hair that is easy to take care of and he no longer has to worry about his ears as he has grown into them. I think it's great that he no longer has to take a hairdresser and makeup person with him wherever he goes. He seems more confident in his looks. Maybe it's because he has someone who will compliment him and, perhaps, love him for who he is. For that reason alone I'm thankful for Reed.

On the other hand I can understand fans preferring a certain hair style or look for Clay. It's just not my thing, as long as he is still the same guy inside that he has always been. I don't think I ever told my husband that I didn't like his mustachy goatee thing he has going on. He's still the same guy I married 100 years or so ago, maybe even a little better.

ETA: It really doesn't bother me for fans to discuss hair and clothes. But when it gets mean, watch out for me. :thbighug-1:

Have a wonderful day, I'm off to do my tax thing today and won't be around until this evening.

[bottlecap]

And, can someone tell me if Clay has always had that scar/indentation(?) on the right side of his forehead. In many of the pictures from GFI it's very prominent because his short hair is exposing it. So I don't know where this came from, but I've never focused on it before, and never heard it discussed before.

Yes, it's always been there. It used to be discussed a lot before your time. I think it has to do with birthing, but someone who knows more about that than I will have to say.

The speculation was that it is forceps marks from when Clay was born, but I don't know if that was from a valid source or if it's just urban legend.

[jmh123]

Yes, it's always been there. It used to be discussed a lot before your time.

It occurs to me that I've now been in the online fandom a bit longer than the 2003 originals had been when I joined up. Did that make sense? Obviously, there still stuff to find out.

Makes sense to me!

Oh this WEATHER!! Houston is like "Portland on the Bayou" this week. Wish I were in Miami ... and had a Super Bowl ticket.

Y'all have had quite the winter, haven't you??

[ldyjocelyn]

And, can someone tell me if Clay has always had that scar/indentation(?) on the right side of his forehead. In many of the pictures from GFI it's very prominent because his short hair is exposing it. So I don't know where this came from, but I've never focused on it before, and never heard it discussed before.

Yes, it's always been there. It used to be discussed a lot before your time. I think it has to do with birthing, but someone who knows more about that than I will have to say.

The speculation was that it is forceps marks from when Clay was born, but I don't know if that was from a valid source or if it's just urban legend.

How come I don't remember this? Oh well, I guess I just don't notice things like that, or his teeth, or his jaw. I just see HIM. And I think that makes sense to several...

kf, your statement makes sense to me. What a fun ride we've been on!

[ldyjocelyn]

Got this on my phone last night, but didn't notice it until this morning. From twitter, Clay's team replying to someone to likes listening to Clay while studying:

clayaiken

Congrats and good luck! RT @AppleButterDear: Did super well on Physio test! Blasting @clayaiken music & then time to study for micro test

I kind of like that Clay's team is following for his name on Twitter!

[treenuts]

Yeah, I have to agree with whoever said Clay's hair needs to be a bit longer. His face has filled out nicely now and the really short hair isn't as flattering as it once was IMO. And I'll save anyone the trouble who feels the need to me. There :0)

Awww, head dents!

I wub Clay's head dents!! I want to have their babies.

If you enlarge this pic the one on his right side is very prominent here -

I also love Reed's hair in this pic! (nope, no head dents)

Of course I really don't care so much if he changes it or not. I guess I reserve that for Clay. heh

Thank god there is no edit counter on this site!!!!! lol

[merrieeee]

What a cutie!

Someone pointed out their knees are touching!!!

[liney23]

I also think he looks very slimmed down and wish he would wear more fitted clothing to show off what I believe is a beautiful body hiding under those clothes! Pleeease baby, pleeease

Clay loves surprises. Maybe he wants to surprise us with a hot toned body, in skin tight pants and a sexy shirt with a couple of buttons open at the top to expose chest hair. He probably didn't want to turn the ladies on too much before, under the circumstances, but now he can turn us all on, guilt-free!

Maybe he'll even rub some feet now!

I just have no negative expectation at all about this new album. And I'm the hard-rock lover, loud and metally is what I've lost a portion of my hearing to since the 60's. I was Led Zeppelin's devoted fan back in the day ... yet in the spirit of full-disclosure my favorite Zeppelin was and still is, Thank You. Anyway, if I can bridge the gulf between that and It's Impossible, I think anybody can.

And when Clay talked about the PBS show as going after the target audience, I think that audience is discerning appreciaters of great music. Because I seriously doubt it has anything to do with an age-related demographic. Here in the Clay Nation, from what I can tell, we're in our 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and so on. We like rock, pop, showtunes, classics, and stuff we learned to love on Idol, like Build Me Up Buttercup.

Which reminds me ...... Buttercup is from the '60's, isn't it? It wasn't anything I knew about in the '60's, but it's also a bit of a Clay signature from Idol, which is the first and last time I recall ever hearing it. A thought, but maybe Clay wants to scoop up those "signature" Idol songs like Mack and Buttercup and To Love Somebody, even Unchained Melody which he's never recorded. You know that David Foster has probably been pushing him to record UM. Maybe he's swooping in for his Idol gems before someone else does! And, I just had a heart murmur, wait a minute .... I Can't Help Myself! Could you help yourself if Clay tours this summer with Sugar Pie Honey Bunch AND Buttercup!?! Dreams, dreams, but Lord, Lord, Let it BE.

As for determining the tone of the new album ... I think Clay is sandbagging this thing big time! I think he's going after the Idol audience that wonders what happened to him, and their kids and parents and friends and neighbors. And I think he'll get something on radio this time. I predict.

keeping.... I like how you think!!! I would love Buttercup on the CD.. and any of the ones you mentioned. My daughter is one who loved him singing on AI, but hasn't like any of his CDs. She'd buy this one if he does a few AI songs on it.

As for determining the tone of the new album ... I think Clay is sandbagging this thing big time! I think he's going after the Idol audience that wonders what happened to him, and their kids and parents and friends and neighbors. And I think he'll get something on radio this time. I predict

What excited me about GFI is how long Clay sang- As if he never wanted to leave. I could only guess that he misses touring big time and I miss him touring big time.

You know he just kept singing and singng like he was having a really good time. I haven't been able to really voice it too well but it, to me, just felt different. The evening felt so intimate like he was singing to a few good friends. His voice just wrapped around me and grabbed my heart! I almost felt like he "let us in".

Does that make any sense?

merrieeee... the part I bolded grabbed my heart, too! Thanks for sharing!

$20,000

$30,000

No - $50,000! Who needs retirement savings when a dinner with Clay is at stake?

Good thing I wasn't there or the intense gaze and the TONGUE might have made me temporarily lose my mind.

bottle.... Glad you got a tongue picture!!!

What a cutie!

merrieeee... O.M.G. What a cutie! is right!.... the problem is... which one are you talking about???? LOL

[merrieeee]

Hmm let me get back to you on that!

[merrieeee]

[treenuts]

Ooooooooh right click and save right click and save right click and save...

[Thankful4Clay]

There is more video available now. I am downloading but haven't had a chance to watch it. I was hoping we'd get more angles. There was a lot I couldn't see from my table.

He did seem to look at our table a lot. I love my videos and I'm so glad I was able to be there. I had to go back to work today and I spent most of the day smiling, remembering my time at GFI.

[aikim]

I'm back! I purchased a computer from work and could not log into windows...kept asking me for an administrator's password...after trying all kinds of passwords, I was told to just hit the enter key...it worked! Always the easiest solutions!

Think I have some videos to download!

Thanks Merrieeee for doing the countdown!

Kim

[Carolina Clay]

Love "Larry the Golfer" and featured his blog sequence in the new Carolina On My Mind blog. In addition, I recalled other times that men have been surprised by Clay, somehow ending with the Goldarngirl-Luckiest1 "Listen" montage. Hope you enjoy. Thnx for your visits and comments!

LOL, maybe Larry and some of his golfing readers will be looking up "Listen." I notice via the "live feed" that there have been many visits from "No Three Putts".

There is more video available now. I am downloading but haven't had a chance to watch it. I was hoping we'd get more angles. There was a lot I couldn't see from my table.

He did seem to look at our table a lot. I love my videos and I'm so glad I was able to be there. I had to go back to work today and I spent most of the day smiling, remembering my time at GFI.

Awesome ... and many thnx, Thankful! :clap:

Have a great evening, all!

Caro

[AnAmeraikenInTX]

You know he just kept singing and singng like he was having a really good time. I haven't been able to really voice it too well but it, to me, just felt different. The evening felt so intimate like he was singing to a few good friends. His voice just wrapped around me and grabbed my heart! I almost felt like he "let us in".

Does that make any sense?

Makes perfect sense, and that was how it felt to me listening in on the stream at home!!

What a wonderful in person evening y'all had!

[merrieeee]

From CV:

A couple's honeymoon blog from St. Lucia - unfortunately no pictures.

http://kassiken.blogspot.com/2010/02/it-is...40-days-of.html

The pertinent part:

QUOTE

We met a ton of other couples that had been married on 1/09/10 so it was fun to talk with them about where they were from and their weddings. We also ran saw Clay Aiken thats right Clay and his boyfriend were at the airport when we were leaving St. Lucia. He even asked Ken what flight we were on...Ken not so much impressed I on the other hand was so excited. I had gotten a picture with Brian Boytono when I was in the 5th grads so I thought it would be fitting to have one with Clay but...I decided not to and to just paparazzi it!

How freeing it must be for him to be able to be seen at an airport and not worry it is going to show up in some tabloid!

[aikim]

3 Days until The Big Clay Aiken News is Revealed!

22 Days until Clay speaks at the HRC Convention!

35 Days until The Magical Mystery Date!

44 Days until The First Day of Spring!

:glasses:

4 months until June and The New CD/PBS Special!

:04:

Clay Addresses the Key Club Convention in July!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[aikim]

Finally have had a chance to sit and listen (and watch) the videos from GFI…when I was growing up these were the kinds of songs that were played in our house. My parents always had the stereo going..everything from Barbra Streisand, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra to Classical music to Herb Alpert; show tunes…a complete mix. It was the background to our lives. I remember standing in the kitchen washing dishes singing along. I have a memory of my brother, maybe 5 or 6 playing on the floor and humming along to some classical music that was being played. We listen to the oldies station in our house and to this day, I will hear a song and it will bring back a memory of growing up.

When Clay arrived on the scene he really did take me back to the time of singers who could just stand in front of a microphone and sing…a pure singer…a man and his voice…nothing else needed. I had this sense of finally…someone who can who show the world what real singing is…I love watching Clay sing as much as listening to him…just the way he gets lost in a song…his passion…his obvious love of singing.

My favorites of the songs he sang at GFI were “It’s Impossible” and “What Kind of Fool am I”…just hearing those two songs and I know I am going to love this CD.. some like the glory notes and Clay powering through a song…I like the ballads when he just sings from the heart; caresses each note, savors each lyric…these are the songs that speak to me.

Very much looking forward to this CD.

Kim

[luckiest1]

I remember a couple of these tunes growing up also, aikim....but not so fondly. LOL. They were my mother's music, I didn't like them much. It's funny, nowadays my mother tends to listen to either The Beatles or Elvis, and those were things that she hated when I was a teenager, but I loved....I can still hear the knock on my bedroom door with the never-ending "Turn it down!".

However, listening to these with Clay's voice singing them is pure heaven. I can't wait to find out the full track list for the album! Of all the ones he performed at GFI, my favourite is definitely Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You. I can't get it out of my head! It will be so cool to see him be able to let loose with it on March 12 (*fingers crossed and knock on wood*) But I still hold out hope that My Eyes Adored You is going to make the cut as well.

I was without internet access last night (stupid modem) but hopefully this weekend I can download more of the different videos our clackgatherers are uploading. Many, many thanks to all of them!

[merrieeee]

I finally got around to listening to the audio from Monday night. No matter how good the audio is is cannot compare. His voice was so much smoother and some of the delicacy of the phrasing and notes just did not come across. At times his voice was almost caressing and I didn't hear that in any audio yet.

I cannot wait for the CD to come out. He should ssound spectacular.

We all got Flash Drives at the GFI with the "National Inclusion Project" video on it and I just showed it to one of our volunteers here and he really liked it. It brought him to tears and he said he had never thought about how lonely those kids must feel and how lucky he had been as a kid to be included! Next fundraiser guess who I am going to hit up?

I almost don't want Monday to show up. Since I can't go to any event in Feb. or March I don't really want to know what I will be missing!

[Couch Tomato]

I missed something. What's happening on Monday.

I've always thought Clay was an old soul and used to say he belonged in an earlier decade.

[merrieeee]

We are supposed to get some Clay news!

[treenuts]

When Clay arrived on the scene he really did take me back to the time of singers who could just stand in front of a microphone and sing…a pure singer…a man and his voice…nothing else needed. I had this sense of finally…someone who can who show the world what real singing is…I love watching Clay sing as much as listening to him…just the way he gets lost in a song…his passion…his obvious love of singing.

Kim, this was exactly how I felt as well when I first discovered Clay. I spent hours, days....no, months.....watching those AI2 vids on youtube. It fascinated me how someone so young could be so powerful in that genre. And totally believable to me as well!! Hell, I still get lost in those from time to time That's what I'm hoping to feel with this next CD.

I finally got around to listening to the audio from Monday night. No matter how good the audio is is cannot compare. His voice was so much smoother and some of the delicacy of the phrasing and notes just did not come across. At times his voice was almost caressing and I didn't hear that in any audio yet.

I cannot wait for the CD to come out. He should ssound spectacular.

We all got Flash Drives at the GFI with the "National Inclusion Project" video on it and I just showed it to one of our volunteers here and he really liked it. It brought him to tears and he said he had never thought about how lonely those kids must feel and how lucky he had been as a kid to be included! Next fundraiser guess who I am going to hit up?

I almost don't want Monday to show up. Since I can't go to any event in Feb. or March I don't really want to know what I will be missing!

Loved this! Thanks, merrieeee

Can you guesstimate how many people were in attendance that night? I have asked this at other places but have not had any responses so far. Just curious. TYIA

[merrieeee]

I don't know for sure but i think around 250, maybe!