Clay, Remolded
So the new Clay Aiken publicity photo landed in my inbox today...
Yikes.
Now, keep in mind that I expected Clay to look, well...different.
After all, lately Clay has undergone enough makeovers to rival his fellow quickchange diva Madonna.
For instance, there was that brunette K.D. Lang shag he rocked at the season 5 American Idol finale, when he shocked his "lookalike" idolizer Michael Sandecki as well as the entire Fox viewing audience.
Then he packed on about 30 pounds of body fat (inspiring nasty nicknames like "Clay Bacon" and "Clay Tummy-Achin'"), and probably twice that weight in spackled-on makeup, for his role in Broadway's Spamalot.
And still, when I unwittingly checked my email this morning like I do on any uneventful Monday, I was in no way prepared for Clay's latest look.
Take a deep breath and scroll down:
Oh, my Aiken eyes!
Sorry, I don't mean to be cruel. I love me some Clay. Really, I do. But this photo frightens me.
So what do you think of Clay 3.0? Post your thoughts below--and try not to spamalot, OK?
Thanks Lyndsey for the run article.
Thank you LP for your continued dedication to all things Idol and these interesting update. I luv ya.
FROM:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/080427/entertainment/entertainment_aiken_col_2
"SPAMALOT" IS PRETTY SILLY. YOUR PUBLIC PERSONA IS NOT.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE YOUR BROADWAY DEBUT WITH THIS SHOW?
AND ARE YOU FUNNY?
That's pretty much the very reason. We had offers from other shows and I'd looked at doing Broadway for years, but I wanted something totally different. I was drawn to this because it was a way to branch out. And (director) Mike Nichols -- who is so talented and another reason I wanted to do "Spamalot" -- made it pretty clear to me at the start: "Clay is not funny. The script is funny." So I play it pretty dry and it seems to have worked. I've had a great time and worked with a lot of really talented people, who have become my family in New York.
From same site quoted previously
YOU PROBABLY KNEW THIS WAS COMING: EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE
ONSTAGE AT NIGHT, HAVE YOU CAUGHT ANY OF THIS SEASON'S
"AMERICAN IDOL?"
I watched the season with Carrie Underwood, but I haven't seen a lot of the show since. Listen, I am emphatic that I will always be appreciative of "Idol" -- it gave me this opportunity, I know that -- but I kind of equate it to high school. Just because I went to high school doesn't mean I still go back to watch the team's football games.
From DITTO
WILL YOU TOUR AGAIN TO SUPPORT THE RECORD?
I haven't had two days off since October, so I'm just not going to worry about a tour right now. This time, we're going to let things sit, see how the album does and put it together when and if it's right.
From DITTO
YOU'VE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS, AS YOU NOTED, WITHOUT
A LOT OF RADIO SUPPORT. YOU HAVE 32,000 FRIENDS ON MYSPACE.
WHAT VEHICLES ARE YOU LOOKING AT TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT,
PARTICULARLY IN THE DIGITAL FRONTIER?
The record label surprised me by saying they think this record is radio-friendly. Maybe that came as a result of not trying so hard, but we don't count on it. Look, some people that come from "Idol" are meant for radio -- Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry. I think they'd have been successful at some point without the show. I'm a TV star. That's where I came from, so that's where I look to spread the word. I do blog in places and we've got the Web site, but a lot of the digital thing is aimed at teenagers. TV is just as big as digital, and it's always been my best vehicle.
From DITTO
"THE REAL ME" WAS WRITTEN BY NATALIE GRANT, WHO COMES
FROM THE CHRISTIAN WORLD BUT IS POPULAR AT AC (ADULT
CONTEMPORARY). HER SONGS TEND TO EXPLORE LIFE'S CHALLENGES AND
OFFER A POSITIVE SPIN.
We first looked at that song as one of four originals on the last album. The thing I love so much about "The Real Me" is that when I listened to it, I thought, "It's about God." Jaymes heard a romantic song. Other people think it's about their mom. Everyone is able to take their own message. Natalie was kind enough to change a little bit of the lyric so that it fits my life even better.
Clay Aiken managed to hold onto his star status by getting signed to RCA just weeks after AI wrapped up, but as I learned from you in the past, he has also founded the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that hopes to bring awareness about people with disabilities and how important it is to include them in all aspects of everyday life.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK LP!!!!
"[Carrie Underwood] made the Pretenders' classic "I'll Stand By You" her own in a version that raised money for the "Idol Gives Back" charity effort. As part of her involvement, Carrie traveled to South Africa to visit and perform for schools, orphanages, hospices and health care centers in and around Johannesburg.
In 2006, Carrie performed over 150 shows on tour with Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley as well as headlining her own dates. She ended the year headlining a USO Tour during the Christmas holiday season and performing for U.S. troops in Kuwait and Iraq. Carrie, known for her love of animals, is also a major supporter of the Humane Society of the United States.
Such charitable efforts are yet another indication that, in a world where celebrity is often about mere self-indulgence, Carrie brings as much grace, style and substance to her life as she does to her stage performances. She has quickly become one of country music's most effective and best-loved ambassadors, using her success as a springboard for good. Now, with the release of Carnival Ride, we are reminded once again of the rich talent that underlies that humanitarian spirit, and of the bottom line when it comes to the popularity of this remarkable young woman."
Source:http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/biography
Kelly Clarkson supports the following charities:
Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
Charity Projects Entertainment Fund
Little Kids Rock
Live Earth
MusiCan
Save the Children
UNICEF
Like Carrie this year, Clarkson felt it was disrespectful to sing her new single, ‘Bitter’, on the “Idol Gives Back” television special, saying, “To promote yourself on a charity event is beyond crass. People are starving and dying and I’m up there singing some bitter pop song?”
Also Kelly has painted a guitar for an auction benefitting Little Kids Rock.
BTW, I LUV YOU LP FOR PROMOTING SUCH TOPICS OF DISCUSSION. ;)
To add to Clay's charity work:
Charity biography
Aiken is a UNICEF Ambassador. He has travelled to Banda Aceh, Indonesia and Kabul and Bamyan in Afghanistan, raising awareness and funds in support of education. In northern Uganda he witnessed the plight of children called “night commuters”, who flee the villages each night to sleep in streets and shelters in hopes of avoiding being kidnapped by the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Clay helped create the Bubel/Aiken Foundation after working with 13-year-old Mike Bubel while pursuing a career in special education.
He has performed in support of a number of causes at events such as the 2004 Rosalynn Carter Benefit, the America’s Promise Benefit, and Heather Headley’s Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit, “Home,” where he sang a duet with Headley.
Aiken donated autographed merchandise, including a limited edition poster, an autographed book, a T-shirt, CDs and more, to be auctioned off as a package in support of the Griffith Park Recovery Fund.
Clay was a spokesperson for the 2004 Toys for Tots drive, and is an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
He participated in the NBC4 telethon, which raised over $10 million for South Asian tsunami relief, and recorded public service announcements in support the victims. He later recorded a video, featuring the song “Give a Little Bit”, to be used as a public service announcement to raise money for tsunami victims.
Aiken serves on the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Clay served as a spokesperson for the Arthur Celebrity Audiobook
From: http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/725-clay-aiken
Clay Aiken supports the following charities:
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Bubel/Aiken Foundation
Griffith Park Recovery Fund
Toys for Tots
UNICEF
Celebrity Fight Night Foundation
Earth Day Network
Malaria No More
Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
Musicians on Call
Parkinson Society Maritime Region
Source: http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/1216-jordin-sparks
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Hicks#Soul_Patrol
ALSO:
Soul Patrol and New England Soul Patrol raised $400 for Studio By The Tracks with a Faux Mullet Toss. It was great fun and for a good cause.
Source:http://www.soulpatrolrelief.org/