Clay Aiken Biography

Clay Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom on November 30, 1978) is an American popular music singer who rose to fame on the American Idol television program, and who has become the most successful second-place finisher in that show's history.

Aiken, who changed his last name from Grissom to his mother's maiden name, was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended Raleigh's Leesville Road High School before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Although his American Idol activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken graduated with a bachelor's degree in special education in December of 2003. He found his interest in special education while directing YMCA children's camps as a teenager; at age 19 he served as a substitute teacher for a classroom of students with autism at Brentwood Elementary School. While attending college in Charlotte he took a part-time job as an assistant to a boy with autism, and it was this child's mother, Diane Bubel, who urged him to audition for American Idol.

Television viewers' first glimpse of Aiken came during the audition episodes at the beginning of American Idol's second season. The show's judges first saw Aiken as a nerdy type unlikely to be any kind of idol, but they were immediately impressed once he began singing Heatwave's "Always and Forever." The clip of the judges' surprise during this audition performance was replayed many times over the course of the competition.

Aiken made it to the round-of-32, but was cut from the show on his first try, a performance of Journey's "Open Arms." He finished third in his semifinal group of eight behind eventual winner Ruben Studdard and eventual third-place finisher Kimberley Locke. However, during the "wild card" round, Aiken's well-received performance of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" propelled him into the final 12. Within the first few weeks, he (aided by a makeover from the show's producers), and Studdard emerged as the clear favorites of both the judges and the fans. While Aiken was especially noted for his performance of ballads, such as the dramatically-lit rendition of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire," his upbeat performances, including The Foundations' "Build Me Up Buttercup," were also met with considerable enthusiasm from the voters.

In the end, Aiken came in a close second in the contest, with Studdard winning by a narrow margin. Though the show's "first runner-up," he has since gone on to be the second season's best-selling star.

The single "Bridge Over Troubled Water"/This Is the Night," released June 10, 2003, has gone platinum. It was the fastest-selling single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" and the best-selling single of 2003. It was the first single to go platinum since 2002, when Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" sold a million copies after being out for over a year.

In October of 2003 Aiken released his first solo album, Measure of a Man, which debuted at #1 on the "Billboard 200" and was, with over 600,000 copies sold in its first week, the fastest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years. The album eventually was certified double platinum and is believed to have shipped the necessary units to be certified triple platinum but that award has never been issued. The album did spawn the hit single "Invisible." The album also contained Aiken's first hit song, "This Is the Night," which had debuted at #1 on both the "Billboard Hot 100" and the Hot 100 Single Sales Chart. Later that year, Aiken won the Fan's Choice Award at the American Music Awards ceremony, and his CD single "This Is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" won the Billboard award for the Best-selling Single of 2003.

Aiken appeared in numerous television specials during the winter of 2003, including Disney's Christmas Day Parade and The Nick At Nite Holiday Special, where he sang a duet with Bing Crosby via special effects. The song was "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth," which was originally sung by Crosby and David Bowie on a 1977 Christmas special.

Due to speculation within American popular culture that he is gay, Aiken has been the subject of gay jokes by Conan O'Brien, Kathy Griffin, Saturday Night Live, and Mad TV, among others. While there are a few communities among his many internet fan sites that speculate about his sexual orientation, the majority do not. Aiken denied he was gay in a Rolling Stone interview in June, 2003, and, in fact, he good-naturedly lampooned such speculation in the opening monologue featuring him as a member of a gay men's chorus when he appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live's February 7, 2004 show

From February to April 2004, Aiken embarked on the "Independent Tour" with Kelly Clarkson, winner of the first American Idol contest. He was also scheduled for a few summer tour dates, but high demand ultimately led to the booking of over 50 dates across the United States, culminating in what many fans called the "Not-a-Tour." Disney's Aladdin Special Edition 2-Disc DVD was the exclusive sponsor of Clay's Summer Concert Tour. Each concert previewed Aiken's rendition of "Proud of Your Boy," a song originally intended for the film but cut when the Aladdin storyline changed during production. The entire music video performed by Aiken is presented on the Aladdin Special Edition 2-Disc DVD. He also performed a duet on Kimberley Locke's debut album released in May 2004, titled "Without You".

In November 2004, Aiken launched his third tour of the year, which revolved around a Christmas theme. "The Joyful Noise Tour" featured a conductor and a 30-piece orchestra. In some cities, Aiken was supported by the local philharmonic or symphony, such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Local choirs from high schools and elementary schools participated at each concert. "The Joyful Noise Tour" was well received by fans, with sellouts or near-sellouts at every venue. "The Joyful Noise Tour"'s official sponsor was Ronald McDonald House Charities.

That same month, Aiken also released a holiday album entitled Merry Christmas With Love, which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era (since 1991). The album debuted at #4 on the "Billboard 200" and tied Céline Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of Billboard magazine. The album went platinum in 6 weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004. At the same time Aiken made the New York Times Best Seller List, debuting at #2, with his "inspirational memoir" entitled Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, written with Allison Glock, published by Random House. In December 2004, Aiken starred in his first TV special, titled "A Clay Aiken Christmas," with special guests Barry Manilow, Yolanda Adams, and Megan Mullally. He was also Executive Producer for the Christmas special, which was released on DVD later that month.

In February of 2005 Aiken played the role of Kenny, a cafeteria worker whose job was in jeopardy, on the sitcom Scrubs. In May, he helped Oprah Winfrey fulfill the "Wildest Dreams" of Nebraska twins with learning disabilities headed for college and appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil concerning bullying among teens. During the summer of 2005, Aiken, along with a seven-piece band and three back-up singers, toured part of North America with the "Jukebox Tour," performing songs of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, as well as a few favorites from Measure of a Man. He also tested a few songs which may appear on the next album. As of September 2005, he is working on the new album, tentatively scheduled for release early in 2006. The Executive Producer of the album is Jaymes Foster-Levy. Aiken will be touring North America with his second "Joyful Noise Tour" in November/December 2005. A paperback edition of Learning to Sing was released in November.

In September 2005 Aiken was a celebrity guest of designer Kenneth Cole during the Fashion Week shows in New York City. Cole provided a tuxedo and accessories for Aiken to wear during his appearance as a guest reporter for The Insider later that month at the 2005 Emmy Awards. The outfit was then donated, along with a number of other items worn by celebrities at the Emmys, to the Clothes Off Our Back charity auction, where the tuxedo, cufflinks, and shoes sold for a combined total of $27,250. The Emmy appearance with The Insider has led to a recurring guest reporting position on the show.

In early November of 2005, Aiken launched his second Christmas tour. This season the Joyful Noise tour features a series of vignettes which tell 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 travels with the tour, and members of local theatre groups are added in each venue for smaller, non-speaking roles and crowd scenes. The tour opened in Vancouver, Canada, on November 2, and ends in Clearwater, Florida on December 30.

Aiken's next album is scheduled for release in the first half of 2006.