Why He's No. 82

Originally, Aiken had planned to try out for the reality TV series The American Race, but went ahead and auditioned for the Idol competition to please an encouraging friend. Out of 7,000 hopefuls, the Charlotte, NC, native won the hearts of the judges as well as millions of fans across the globe.

Back Stage

Clay Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom on November 30, 1978) is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. Based on album sales surpassed only by Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, Aiken has become the most successful male and the most successful second-place finisher in that show's history.



Aiken created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2005, and in 2007 was appointed by George W. Bush to a committee that acts in an advisory capacity to the President and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on matters relating to programs and services for persons with intellectual disabilities. Clay Aiken was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a young boy, Aiken sang in the Raleigh Boychoir and as a teenager, he sang in school choirs, church choir, musicals and local theatre productions.



After high school he sang lead with a local band, Just By Chance, and cohosted and performed with the band at "Just by Chance and Friends" shows in Dunn, NC. He was also emcee and performer at the Johnston Community College Country Showcase in Smithfield, NC, and at the North Carolina Music Connection and Hometown Music Connection shows in Garner and Benson, NC. He performed the national anthem numerous times for the Raleigh Ice Caps and the Carolina Hurricanes. Three demo albums of Aiken's vocals were created before American Idol with the aid of studio time given as a birthday gift by his mother: a cassette called Redefined, a CD titled Look What Love Has Done, and a CD that combined songs from both demos, titled "Look What Love Has Done, Vol 2." Aiken made it to the round-of-32 before being cut from the show, but he was invited to return for the "Wild Card" round; his performance of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" sent him on to the final 12 as the viewer's choice. While noted for his performance of ballads, such as Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire", his upbeat performances, including The Foundations' "Build Me Up Buttercup", were also appreciated.



Aiken received enough votes every week to keep him out of the bottom three. Part of his appeal was his "geek to chic" transformation in appearance. I looked like Opie," Aiken said to People magazine regarding his appearance at his American Idol audition in 2002. After the Wild Card show he replaced his glasses with contact lenses and agreed to let the show's stylists change his hair style.. With longer, flat ironed, spiky hair and a penchant for wearing striped shirts, Aiken had established a trademark look by the final American Idol season 2 show. Aiken made a surprise appearance on the final show of American Idol season 5, when failed auditioner Michael Sandecki returned to the show to receive a "Golden Idol" award for Best Impersonator for his Clay Aiken-like appearance. Aiken appeared without introduction in a well-tailored designer suit and longer, darker hair with bangs, looking so different that many did not recognize him until he began to sing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." On January 18, 2008 Aiken will join the Broadway cast of "Monty Python's Spamalot", playing one of the leads, Sir Robin, in the Tony Award-winning musical directed by Mike Nichols. Aiken is slated to stay with the production through May 4. In early November 2005, Aiken launched his second Christmas tour. The 2005 Joyful Noise tour featured a series of vignettes, written by Aiken, which told the story of an older woman who has lost the Christmas spirit and a young boy who helps her find it again. A cast of actors, dancers and back-up singers traveled with the tour, and members of local theater groups were added in each venue for smaller, non-speaking roles and crowd scenes. The tour opened in Vancouver, Canada, on November 2, and ended in Clearwater, Florida on December 30.



According to Pollstar, Aiken's first five tours grossed $28 million dollars. His fourth annual Christmas tour, "Christmas in the Heartland," begins on November 26 in Wichita, Kansas. More dates are being added as the tour kick off date nears. In 2004 Aiken made the New York Times Best Seller List, debuting at #2, with his "inspirational memoir" titled Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, written with Allison Glock, and published by Random House. Barely mentioning American Idol, in the book he instead turned his focus to the people who had the most influence in his life—his mother, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and friends—and to the importance of religion in his life. In November, 2004, Aiken was appointed a United States Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador, with a mission to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a primary education. After the tsunami at the end of 2004, he participated in the NBC4 telethon, which raised over $10 million, and recorded public service announcements in support of South Asian tsunami relief. 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. He was the 2005 spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF drive.



American Music Awards

- 2003: Won - Fan's Choice Award

- 2003: Nominated - Favorite Male Artist - Pop or Rock

Forcaste

As the second-place contestant on Fox TV's second season of American Idol, vocalist Clay Aiken wowed television audiences with his Southern charm, sweet demeanor, and powerful tenor voice, all of which combined to make him a pop star (and, later, a fixture on Broadway).