Clay Aiken News (Page 4)

No, not the popular U2 song.

Instead, the American Idol crooner fell victim to this dizzying disease during a concert The Tilles Center in Greenvale, NY last week.

Ever the trooper, Clay Aiken went on with the show while holding his balance on a stool and giving a perfect performance for his fans, who rewarded him a standing ovation.

As he was assisted back onstage on the arm of an assistant, Aiken sang the All is Well tune from his Christmas CD for an encore ... while both he and fans swooned.

Clay Aiken is a busy man. But it's nice to know he still makes time for the kids. We just hope his presence doesn't injure them.

After all, two girls fell out of their front row seats when the American Idol runner-up strode on stage at the district high school auditorium for a Lower Nazareth Elementary School assembly.

The event celebrated 19 classmates who wrote, "Our Friend Mikayla," published earlier this year by the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which works on behalf of children with special needs.

Mikayla Resh, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was the subject of the biography, written and illustrated by her third-grade classmates two years ago. Her mother, Kimberly Resh, arranged the all-school assembly to thank them. The students were wide-eyed when Aiken, co-founder of the foundation, appeared.

Aiken, who was appearing Monday night at the State Theatre in Easton, read to the student body of more than 680 from the book, talked with the 19 authors, and posed for many photographs.

To Mikayla, he sang a few lines from "When I See You Smile." Then he announced a final treat: limousines to take the students back to Lower Nazareth Elementary.

In the cars, boys popped open cans of soda and girls giggled. "Is this a dream?" said one boy, Michael Allen. "It is like the first time I'll be in a limo. It is so awesome!"

The following is a CNN editorial we came across regarding the much-talked about incident (or non-incident, as we like to call it) between Clay Aiken and Kelly Ripa. While we'd prefer this story go away, we thought this writer's point was both fair and accurate, and thought you might want to check it out.

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In case anyone missed part of the 'drama' during holiday preparations, we thought we'd give a brief summary of the Kelly Ripa "feud" -- can you believe the media covered this for days? This absolutely confirms that anything Clay Aiken does is huge news, regardless of whether it has to do with his music!

To summarize, Clay was a charming and witty cohost on last week's Live! with Regis show. He and Ripa seemed to get along just fine, trading jokes, but when Kelly Ripa refused to let him get a word in edgewise, he playfully covered her mouth with his hand.

Ripa was upset and said she 'didn't know where that hand had been.' To be fair to Ripa, Clay's action doesn't win Best Observance of Personal Space, but Clay did apologize, and the show moved on in apparent harmony.

But Ripa worked up a head of steam all weekend, and on Monday, complained at bitter length about Clay's "lack of respect." Regis attempted to defuse her rant, saying Clay Aiken was likely nervous, and never imagined "in a million years" she'd have a feud with him.

Now, we know we're biased here at CNN, but we also noticed that Kelly is forgetting the times she has covered Regis' mouth on the show (not that the entertainment shows missed it. Entertainment Tonight, The Insider and Inside Edition all showed clips Wednesday pointing out Ripa's hypocrisy).

There's also the time she licked something belonging to noted germophobe Howie Mandel... and we have to wonder how pushing the photo of a cat in Clay's face qualifies as 'respectful' on her part. It's either all in good fun or... not so much.

The fact that Rosie O'Donnell decided to speak up for Clay on The View is, on the one hand, a nice gesture. However, the charge of homophobia against Ripa seems to have provided Ripa with a perfect way to deflect criticism by playing up her indignation at the charge and inviting the subsequent media storm. We're fans and yet we can't help wondering... this is major news? We're endlessly surprised by the intensity of interest in Clay's every action.

The entire issue seems to have ended on a humorous note at the American Music Awards. When Tori Spelling and Clay appeared together to present an award, Spelling quickly put her hand over Clay's mouth, and as he laughed, told him "I'll tell you where that hand has been, later." That humorous stunt to have gotten the most coverage of any appearance at the AMA's, and coverage has been overwhelmingly positive about Clay's sense of humor.

We here at CNN suggest that Ripa was within her rights to scold Clay for covering her mouth -- that can be a disconcerting violation of personal space -- although to do so privately rather than through a five-minute televised rant might have been more professional on her part.

The adult response to an apology is to accept and move on, not toss stones several days later. We'd also suggest she step out of her glass house on occasion -- if her ground rules include mocking guests' phobias, she can't really complain that her standards of 'respect' aren't properly conveyed.

Last week, we took a glimpse at the changing styles of Katharine McPhee. The reigning runner-up can pull off many looks, but she's not the only starlet (or star) in the American Idol universe who can make that claim.

Another well-known second-place finisher, Clay Aiken, has adopted a very different look of late. His longer locks make him look mature, to be sure, but do you prefer the shorter-haired, baby-faced Clay we first got to know back when he narrowly lost out to Ruben Studdard in Season 2? Or do you dig the new look?

Speaking of Idol legends coming into their own, below we see the lovely Carrie Underwood. The Oklahoma cutie has recently adopted a bold, almost vixenish look - as seen in the video for "Before He Cheats" along with numerous public appearances. Which do you prefer the traditional, sweet and innocent Carrie or the slightly-more provocative version?

It's time for another American Idol Picture of the Day, and since we can't decide which of these two to use, you get both. We couldn't justify leaving for a few days without displaying each. Call it a Thanksgiving treat.

On the left, Clay Aiken gets hushed by Tori Spelling at the American Music Awards last night, an obvious spoof on Clay's recent hushing of Kelly Ripa - an event that caused much undue controversy, as Clay fans are aware (the comments stemming that incident are so ridiculous that we didn't bother reporting it). It's good to see Clay making light of what should never have become an issue in the first place, and Tori Spelling playing along.

On the right, Taylor Hicks makes a stop in Miami... and certainly looks the part. Seriously, was this guy in Miami Vice somehow without us knowing? Not many people could pull off that shift, but Taylor does it in style. No matter what you think of him musically, you have to love Taylor Hicks (whose new album is due out any day now). He just seems like the most friendly, fun-loving person. Not unlike Mr. Aiken!

She really does. The supermodel and host of the Tyra Banks Show recently welcomed our man Clay to her set. The two clearly hit it off, and we'll get to see that on November 22, as we reported yesterday, when the program airs. But in the meantime, here is what Tyra had to say about the former American Idol runner-up (and his amazing breath) on her blog:

I am sitting at the computer right now typing away, and I haven't brushed my teeth yet, so I've got some serious morning breath. Why do we have to wake up with such foul smelling mouths in the morning?

Why can't I wake up with my mouth smelling like mouthwash? I flossed last night, brushed with an electric toothbrush, rinsed with strong cinnamon flavored mouthwash and used my tongue scraper - yet I still wake up with a mouth that smells less than fresh.

Do you know what a tongue scraper is? It is a device that removes any gunk from your tongue and keeps your breath fresher longer. You can buy it in the drugstore. It is great in the morning, cuz it does get that extra bit of bacteria out of your mouth so you'll stay fresher smelling longer. But at night...

Someone that has the freshest clean smelling breath is Clay Aiken. I know cuz he came on my show, and I had one of the most fun interviews with him that I have ever had. I am so in love with him. He is so funny, loving and just darn amazing. He even sang with me. Yes, we did a duet. I was awful. He sounded like an angel.

Clay has the most loyal fans in the world. They call themselves "Claymates." I told Clay I am a "Clay-frican American," meaning that I am an African American that loves Clay Aiken. Get it? You gotta see how much fun we had. The show airs next Wednesday, November 22.

Oh yeah, and I ask Clay the one question that everyone is dying to know the answer to. You gotta watch!!!

Much Luv,

Tyra

P.S. I'm going to brush my teeth and gargle now, so I can be so fresh and so clean today!

It's a good week to be a Clay fan.

Tomorrow (Friday, November 17), the one and only Clay Aiken will stop by Live With Regis & Kelly as guest co-host and will perform on the program as well.

The winners and runner-ups from ABC's hit show, Dancing with the Stars, will be stopping by, and the final makeover is revealed as "Thanks-For-Giving Dream Team Ambush Makeover Week" comes to an end.

To learn more, click here.

Saturday, according to his Fan Club, Clay Aiken is scheduled to kick off the holiday season by illuminating the UNICEF Snowflake in New York City. The mid-Manhattan holiday attraction has, for 20 years, marked the beginning of the festive season.

Suspended at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, the UNICEF Snowflake is anchored by four prestigious retailers: Tiffany & Co., LVMH & Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman and The Crown Building. If the pattern from past years holds, the event may be televised locally on WCBS Channel 2 in New York City, and video should be made available on the UNICEF website.

On November 21, Clay Aiken is scheduled to present an award at the American Music Awards broadcast, and you can never be sure what will happen when Jimmy Kimmel is hosting. We've already seen what happens when these two (not to mention swarms of Claymates) get together.

Lastly, on November 22, Tyra Banks welcomes Clay to the Tyra Banks Show to discuss his much-anticipated new album, A Thousand Different Ways -- and answers the one question all of America wants to know.

He'll also perform "A Thousand Days."

Here's some information we've come across from around the world of American Idol. There's certainly a lot going on with our favorite stars, and we try our best to keep you updated! Below is our breakdown...

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

As you’ve probably heard, Carrie Underwood will perform at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium December 9. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m.

Speaking of Carrie, we caught her video for "Before He Cheats" the other day. Though she’s come a long way from her simpler American Idol days, it is still not easy to believe she's the kind of girl who would bash her boyfriend’s headlights in with a baseball bat.

Look at her! She's just too sweet! We don't buy the vengeful angle... we will, however, buy her music!

KELLIE PICKLER

Kellie Pickler’s CD, Small Town Girl, is in stores as of today! Be sure to check out our review in a separate post, coming very soon. Kellie will perform her first single, "Red High Heels" on The Tonight Show Friday.

BUCKY COVINGTON

Bucky Covington and his wife are moving to Nashville today. We hear he plans to go straight to the studio to record some tunes. Good luck, Bucky!

ACE YOUNG

The new single from Ace Young, “Scattered,” is officialy available for download on iTunes. We thought it was a little cheesy, to be sure, but it grows on you. And yes, his falsetto is on full display. As far as we know, though, Ace has not signed with any record label.

KATHARINE MCPHEE

Looks like Katharine McPhee’s a little gutsier than I gave her credit for. Katharine was scheduled to sing “Over the Rainbow” at the Carousel of Hope Gala, but when she saw Whitney Houston in the audience, she changed to “I Have Nothing.”

Considering the performance of that song that she gave on American Idol, it was certainly a testament to McPhee's courage to get up there and try it a second time. It paid off, though, as Whitney nodded her head in approval at the performance.

You might remember that Katharine (seen here with beau Nick Cokas, right, at the event in Beverly Hills) was roundly criticized by the judges after performing "I Have Nothing" On American Idol. The viewing audience, however, disagreed and voted her into the Top 2. Simon Cowell apologized to her on that week's results show.

TAYLOR HICKS

Taylor Hicks’ CD release date has been moved to December 5, which means he will be after Katharine (November 28) and on the same date as Fantasia. According to GrayCharles.com, he continues to work on his upcoming album, 75 percent of which is complete.

The producers are beginning to mix some of the songs. If you, like many of his fans, are eagerly looking forward to seeing Taylor Hicks in concert, the Soul Man will start a three-month tour in February and plans to "play lots of different size towns, even smaller ones."

Hopefully, that's going to be a town near you.

CHRIS DAUGHTRY

Chris Daughtry’s release date is still set for November 21, but he's ditching the first name thing... the release will come from Daughtry -- the Bon Jovi-esque name of his new band. Howard Benson, who worked with All-American Rejects and My Chemical Romance, is the producer. Chris says he realizes not winning Idol was better for him.

According to a blurb posted on puretonemusic.com, here are all 12 confirmed song titles (in sequence): It's Not Over, Used To, Home, Over You, Crashed, Feels Like Tonight, What I Want (featuring Slash), Breakdown, Gone, There And Back Again, All These Lives, and What About Now.

The site also reported that the song, "Sorry" will be exclusive to iTunes and the newly recorded acoustic versions of "Home" and "Crashed" will be exclusive to WalMart.

JOSH GRACIN

Josh Gracin’s next CD, All About Y’all will be released in early 2007. I was a little worried about Josh since his original release date came and went and his website had not been updated in months. His new single, "I Keep Coming Back" is from the same songwriting team that wrote "What Hurts the Most."

KIMBERLEY LOCKE

The second CD released by Kimberley Locke, Based on a True Story, will hit the shelves of record stores in March 2007. It will be great to hear what the Supawoman has in store for us then!

CLAY AIKEN

The one and only Clay Aiken is scheduled to appear on The Megan Mullally Show this Thursday, November 2.

And, as we reported last week, Clay will also appear on Days of Our Lives as himself December 22, serenading Steve and Kayla with “Everything I Have.” Clay’s version of “O, Holy Night” will also be featured in the episode.

FANTASIA BARRINO

Fantasia Barrino's single, "Hood Boy" is being released to radio. Her album is set to be released on December 12. You can listen to a stream at her MySpace. Lastly, Season 5 semi-finalist Patrick Hall releases his single "One For the Ages" tomorrow. The album, One For the Ages, will be available February 2007.

Looks like Clay Nation will get a special Christmas present this year.

That's right, the one and only Clay Aiken will be appearing on the NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives as himself. To quote the Claymate who brought this fact to our attention, "OMG!" Clay will be playing himself, People has learned exclusively.

What could be better, really?

On the show, the American Idol phenomenon will perform "Everything I Have," a song from his new album, as part of a private concert for Steve (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) in the local Salem club called Dune.

Aiken, whose album A Thousand Different Ways was released last month, will also have his version of "O, Holy Night" from his hit 2004 album, Merry Christmas with Love featured in the episode, which will tape November 14 and air on December 22.

Somehow we're predicting a spike in TiVo sales around then...

One thing we've learned about Clay Aiken fans:

They're quick to come to their hero's defense.

On Monday, the music blog Idolator ran a poll in its "Cover-Song Showcase Showdown," pitting Raleigh, N.C., homeboy Aiken against rapper Joe Budden.

The poll asked which cover of Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" is superior, the version by Clay Aiken on his new album, A Thousand Different Ways, or Joe Budden's interesting freestyle rap version.

By late Tuesday afternoon, Budden was outpolling Aiken 63.1 percent to 39.9 percent, with fewer than 200 total votes cast.

Figuring Clay Nation could use a nudge, we posted a link to the contest in the "On the Beat" blog and a challenge to the Claymates: "So are you really going to let this stand?"

Two hours later, the results were (not surprisingly) dramatically different -- a total landslide with Clay Aiken getting 91.6 percent to Budden's 8.4 percent.

By Thursday afternoon, our man had racked up more than 1,600 votes, while Budden had yet to crack 100. Take that, Joe!