How Clay Aiken Chose Decca

Posted on May 30, 2010 by popdirt
Clay Aiken 'Tried And True'

AOL Popeater spoke with in a Q&A, where the ‘’ season two runner-up discussed his fifth album ‘Tried and True’, doing a co-headlining tour with Ruben Studdard, selling his last album on QVC, reaction from fans since he revealed he’s gay, and how he chose his new album Decca after parting ways with RCA last year. On the latter topic, Aiken said:

We had a few folks who were talking about forming a relationship and what was most appealing about Decca is that they have a group of artists, some of them you know, some you may not know. They have artists like Boys to Men, Andrea Bocelli and Rufus Wainwright. It’s an eclectic group and none of them fit into one category. Decca is very good at allowing its artists to figure out what they want to do. I think they are good about embracing the adult market and they allowed me the freedom to do what I wanted to do. They didn’t tell me I had to put a certain song on an album and make this one a remix and so forth.

Check out the entire interview at popeater.com.

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Clay Aiken Explains Why It Took So Long For Him To Come Out

Posted on March 21, 2010 by popdirt

spoke at a Human Rights Campaign dinner in Raleigh, North Carolina last month, where the ‘’ alum explained why it took him until September 2008 to reveal that he’s gay, despite years of speculation about the topic. “Whether you come out to your family or your friends … or do so on the cover of a magazine, the decision to talk openly about your sexuality is a really difficult and confusing one,” Aiken said. “So what the hell took me so long? I was waiting, like so many of us are waiting, for change, for attitudes to change, for laws to change, and I realized that the time for waiting has passed.” Watch his speech below.

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Clay Aiken Urges Action For Children Of Somalia

Posted on December 29, 2009 by popdirt
Clay Aiken

blogged about his work in Somalia in his role as UNICEF Ambassador over at Huffington Post. The ‘’ season two runner-up writes:

This past November, while we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a grim milestone was reached in the east African nation of Somalia. The conflict and instability which has characterized that nation for the past 20 years has produced a generation in its central southern province that has never known peace.

In this season of peace and goodwill, this jarring reality should spur us to action so that future generations are not lost.

Check out the entire post here.

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Adam Lambert Responds To Clay Aiken Diss

Posted on May 28, 2009 by popdirt

is reacting to follow ‘’ alum ’s recent web posting, where he wrote that he “thought my ears would bleed” after watching Lambert’s cover of ‘Ring of Fire’ by Johnny Cash. “Contrived, awful, and slightly frightening,” Aiken said of the performance before later apologizing.

“I don’t know Clay,” Adam told ‘Access Hollywood’ on Thursday morning after performing on ‘Today’. “I’m glad he’s getting headlines now though, because he wasn’t before.” Adam added, “If he wants to ride my coattails about it, good for him.”

The interview, where Adam and ‘Idol’ winner Kris Allen also dismiss the controversy about AT&T employees helping Kris fans to power-text votes, has since been removed.

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No Welcome Mat For Clay Aiken On ‘American Idol’ Set

Posted on May 13, 2009 by popdirt

The Chicago Sun-Times reports is reaching out to ‘’ finalist to be a part of his upcoming duets album. When the ‘Idol’ season two runner-up showed up in Hollywood, the FOX show wasn’t putting up the welcome sign. “Everyone knows – and certainly Clay knows – he’s persona non grata around here,” a source told Bill Zwecker.

The chilly reception Aiken received is due to his exit from 19 Entertainment, making him the first ‘Idol’ to dump the management company. The staff insider added that Aiken was able to convince Kelly Clarkson to exit 19 as well.

The full story at suntimes.com has since been removed.

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Clay Aiken’s Rep Says Failed Negotiations Led To RCA Split

Posted on February 20, 2009 by popdirt

’s rep Cyndi Berger spoke with People magazine following news that the ‘’ season two runner-up parted ways with RCA Records. “We were unable to come to terms in a recent contract negotiation, and decided that it was best to move on,” Berger said Friday. The decision comes following disappointing sales of Aiken’s 2008 album ‘On My Way Here’, which sold only 159,000 copies in the U.S.

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Clay Aiken To Appear On ‘America’s Next Top Model’

Posted on February 5, 2009 by popdirt
Clay Aiken smiling

The following message was posted at ‘’ season two runner-up ’s MySpace page on Thursday (February 5):

Yes it’s true, Clay Aiken will be appearing in the upcoming season of ‘America’s Next Top Model’. He will participate in an acting challenge with the ladies and serve as a guest judge on the panel. The April 8 episode featuring Clay will air on the CW as part of the series’ 12th cycle that kicks off Feb. 25. Check your local listings and make sure to tune in!

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Star: Clay Aiken Dating Broadway Dancer Reed Kelly

Posted on December 11, 2008 by popdirt

Star magazine is reporting that ‘’ season two runner-up has begun dating Broadway dancer Reed Kelly, who is part of the ‘Wicked’ ensemble. “Everybody knows Reed as Clay’s guy,” snitches a Broadway source. “Clay met him when he was doing Spamalot in early 2008, and that’s one of the reasons he came back to the show again.” Aiken, 30, revealed he was gay back in September, a month after the birth of his first child, Parker Foster Aiken.

The story at starmagazine.com, including a picture of the pair, has since been removed.

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Kimberley Locke Still Pals With Ruben Studdard, But Not Clay Aiken

Posted on December 7, 2008 by popdirt

answered a few fan questions on her blog at MySpace on Sunday (December 7). The singer was asked by one if she kept in regular touch with any other contestants from her season of ‘’, or if she’s become close with any other season’s ‘Idol’ alums. “Unfortunately, no I don’t,” the season two finalist said. “In the beginning I did. Now I only really talk to Ruben and sometime we go a month or so without touching base. He did a concert with me at my Charity event for Camp Heartland, it was a BLAST!”

It’s notable that Locke did not mention her former roommate, , who she had a falling out with in 2007 after Aiken took offense to Locke discussing a tour that would have brought Locke, Aiken and Studdard together. “I told Billboard I was ‘hopeful’ that the tour would come together,” Locke said in a MySpace blog. “(That didn’t get printed.) In no way did I imply that we were all committed to this tour idea. So contrary to Clay feeling ‘unfortunate’, that the story ‘found it’s way to the press unauthorized’, it was not ‘unauthorized’. It was put out there my me, who conceived the touring idea and called my friends for their involvement. If Clay had chosen to return my phone calls over the last two months, he would perhaps not feel as ‘unfortunate’, and he would have been made aware that I mentioned it to Billboard.”

Just last month, Locke talked about the fallout of the 2007 incident, telling AccessHollywood.com correspondent Laura Saltman at a rehearsal for the 2008 ‘American Idol Holiday Tour’: “Clay and I aren’t really friends anymore. We lived together, but some things transpired and, you know, we’re just — I don’t really talk to Clay anymore. It’s hard to live with someone. Roommates, boyfriends, girlfriends.”

Check out more of her responses here.

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Kathy Griffin Gets Cold Reception From Clay Aiken

Posted on December 4, 2008 by popdirt
Clay Aiken hands in his pockets

Kathy Griffin tells E! Online’s Marc Malkin her efforts to smooth things over with didn’t go too well backstage during Rosie O’Donnell’s Thanksgiving variety show. “I held up one of those ghetto blasters playing one of Clay’s songs, and I begged him to take me back and he said no,” said Griffin, who had called the singer “Gayken” before the ‘’ season two runner-up revealed he was gay. “And then I walked out of the room and Gloria Estefan said to me, ‘I told ya—you shouldn’t have gone in there alone.’” Read more.

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