Clay is a naturally occurring aluminium silicate composed primarily of fine-grained minerals. Clay deposits are mostly composed of clay minerals, a subtype of phyllosilicate minerals, which impart plasticity and harden when fired or dried; they also may contain variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure by polar attraction. Organic materials which do not impart plasticity may also be a part of clay deposits.

Formation

Clay minerals are typically formed over long periods of time by the gradual chemical weathering of rocks, usually silicate-bearing, by low concentrations of carbonic acid and other diluted solvents. These solvents, usually acidic, migrate through the weathering rock after leaching through upper weathered layers. In addition to the weathering process, some clay minerals are formed by hydrothermal activity. Clay deposits may be formed in place as residual deposits in soil, but thick deposits usually are formed as the result of a secondary sedimentary deposition process after they have been eroded and transported from their original location of formation. Clay deposits are typically associated with very low energy depositional environments such as large lakes and marine deposits.

Primary clays, also known as kaolins, are located at the site of formation. Secondary clay deposits have been moved by erosion and water from their primary location.

Definition

Clays are distinguished from other fine-grained soils by differences in size and mineralogy. Silts, which are fine-grained soils that do not include clay minerals, tend to have larger particle sizes than clays, but there is some overlap in both particle size and other physical properties, and there are many naturally occurring deposits which include both silts and clays. The distinction between silt and clay varies by discipline. Geologists and soil scientists usually consider the separation to occur at a particle size of 2 µm (clays being finer than silts), sedimentologists often use 4-5 μm, and colloid chemists use 1 μm. Geotechnical engineers distinguish between silts and clays based on the plasticity properties of the soil, as measured by the soils' Atterberg Limits. ISO 14688 grades clay particles as being smaller than 2 μm and silts larger.

Grouping

Depending on the academic source, there are three or four main groups of clays: kaolinite, montmorillonite-smectite, illite, and chlorite. Chlorites are not always considered a clay, sometimes being classified as a separate group within the phyllosilicates. There are approximately 30 different types of "pure" clays in these categories, but most "natural" clays are mixtures of these different types, along with other weathered minerals.

Varve (or ''varved clay'') is clay with visible annual layers, formed by seasonal differences in erosion and organic content. This type of deposit is common in former glacial lakes. When glacial lakes are formed there is very little movement of the water that makes the lake, and these eroded soils settle on the lake bed. This allows such an even distribution on the different layers of clay.

Quick clay is a unique type of marine clay indigenous to the glaciated terrains of Norway, Canada, Northern Ireland, and Sweden. It is a highly sensitive clay, prone to liquefaction, which has been involved in several deadly landslides.

Historical and modern uses

Clays exhibit plasticity when mixed with water in certain proportions. When dry, clay becomes firm and when fired in a kiln, permanent physical and chemical changes occur. These reactions, among other changes, cause the clay to be converted into a ceramic material. Because of these properties, clay is used for making pottery items, both utilitarian and decorative. Different types of clay, when used with different minerals and firing conditions, are used to produce earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Prehistoric humans discovered the useful properties of clay, and one of the earliest artifacts ever uncovered is a drinking vessel made of sun-dried clay. Depending on the content of the soil, clay can appear in various colors, from a dull gray to a deep orange-red.

Clay tablets were used as the first known writing medium, inscribed with cuneiform script through the use of a blunt reed called a stylus.

Clays sintered in fire were the first form of ceramic. Bricks, cooking pots, art objects, dishware, and even musical instruments such as the ocarina can all be shaped from clay before being fired. Clay is also used in many industrial processes, such as paper making, cement production, and chemical filtering. Clay is also often used in the manufacture of pipes for smoking tobacco. Until the late 20th century bentonite clay was widely used as a mold binder in the manufacture of sand castings.

Clay, being relatively impermeable to water, is also used where natural seals are needed, such as in the cores of dams, or as a barrier in landfills against toxic seepage (lining the landfill, preferably in combination with geotextiles).

Recent studies have investigated clay's absorption capacities in various applications, such as the removal of heavy metals from waste water and air purification.

Medical and agricultural uses

A traditional use of clay as medicine goes back to prehistoric times. An example is Armenian bole, which is used to soothe an upset stomach, similar to the way parrots (and later, humans) in South America originally used it. Kaolin clay and attapulgite have been used as anti-diarrheal medicines.

Clay as a building material

Clay is one of the oldest building materials on Earth, among other ancient, naturally-occurring geologic materials such as stone and organic materials like wood. Between one-half and two-thirds of the world's population, in traditional societies as well as developed countries, still lives or works in a building made with clay as an essential part of its load-bearing structure. Also a primary ingredient in many natural building techniques, clay is used to create adobe, cob, cordwood, and rammed earth structures

See also

Bentonite Ceramic Clay (industrial plasticine) Clay animation Clay court Clay pit Geophagy (eating of soils, including eating of clay) Expansive clay Graham Cairns-Smith, proposed the 'clay theory' of abiogenesis

London Clay Modelling clay Paperclay Particle size Plasticine Pottery Vertisol

Footnotes

References

Clay mineral nomenclature ''American Mineralogist''.

Ehlers, Ernest G. and Blatt, Harvey (1982). 'Petrology, Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic' San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. ISBN 0-7167-1279-2.

Hillier S. (2003) Clay Mineralogy. pp 139–142 In: Middleton G.V., Church M.J., Coniglio M., Hardie L.A. and Longstaffe F.J.(Editors) Encyclopedia of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

External links

Building the Phyllosilicates University of New Hampshire

The Clay Minerals Group of the Mineralogical Society

Clay Whistles

Information about clays used in the UK pottery industry

The Clay Minerals Society

Plasticity of clay

Organic Matter in Clays

Category:Types of soil Category:Sculpture materials Category:Ceramic materials Category:Natural materials Category:Sedimentology Category:Sediments Category:Phyllosilicates

ar:صلصال an:Archila (sedimento) ay:Llink'i laq'a be:Гліна be-x-old:Гліна bs:Glina bg:Глина ca:Argila cv:Тăм cs:Jíl da:Ler de:Tonminerale et:Savi el:Άργιλος es:Arcilla eo:Argilo eu:Buztin fa:رس fr:Argile fy:Klaai gl:Arxila hr:Glina (tlo) io:Argilo id:Lempung is:Leir it:Argilla he:חרסית jv:Lempung kk:Саздар ht:Ajil lv:Māls lt:Molis hu:Agyag ms:Tanah liat nl:Klei ja:粘土 no:Leire nn:Leire oc:Argila pl:Glina pt:Argila ro:Argilă qu:Ch'aqu ru:Глина sco:Cley sq:Deltina scn:Argilla simple:Clay ss:Lubumba sk:Íl sr:Глина sh:Gline fi:Savi sv:Lera tl:Luwad th:ดินเหนียว tr:Kil uk:Глина ur:سفال vec:Crèa vi:Đất sét vls:Klyte bat-smg:Muolis zh:黏土

{{infobox person | name	Clay Shirky | image Clay Shirky.jpg | caption Clay Shirky at the 2006 O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference | birth_date | birth_place Columbia, Missouri | other_names | known_for Writing | occupation Writer, consultant, lecturer }}

Clay Shirky (born 1964) is an American writer, consultant and teacher on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies. He has a joint appointment at New York University (NYU) as a Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and Assistant Arts Professor in the New Media focused graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). His courses address, among other things, the interrelated effects of the topology of social networks and technological networks, how our networks shape culture and vice-versa.

He has written and been interviewed extensively about the Internet since 1996. His columns and writings have appeared in ''Business 2.0'', the ''New York Times'', the ''Wall Street Journal'', the ''Harvard Business Review'' and ''Wired''.

Shirky divides his time between consulting, teaching, and writing on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies. His consulting practice is focused on the rise of decentralized technologies such as peer-to-peer, web services, and wireless networks that provide alternatives to the wired client–server infrastructure that characterizes the World Wide Web.

In ''The Long Tail'', Chris Anderson calls Shirky "a prominent thinker on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies."

Early years and career

In 1986 he graduated ''cum laude'' from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art.

In 1990 he founded in New York City a theater company, Hard Place Theater, in which he created and directed several "non-fiction" theater pieces using only found materials such as government documents, transcripts and cultural records. One project titled "United Airline," included the transcript of the air-to-ground conversations during a plane crash, interspersed with quotes about flying and falling.

During the 1990s in New York City he also worked as a lighting designer for numerous experimental theater and dance companies, including the Wooster Group, Elevator Repair Service and Dana Reitz.

In the early 1990s, Shirky was vice-president of the New York chapter of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and wrote technology guides for Ziff Davis. He appeared as an expert witness on Internet culture in ''Shea v. Reno'', a case cited in the U. S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Communications Decency Act in 1996.

Shirky was the original Professor of New Media in the Media Studies department at Hunter College, where he created the department's first undergraduate and graduate offerings in new media, and helped design the current MFA in Integrated Media Arts program.

In the fall of 2010, Shirky served as the Visiting Morrow Lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School instructing a course titled: "New Media and Public Action". Shirky currently lives in New York with his dog, George.

Views

In his book ''Here Comes Everybody'' Shirky explains how he has long spoken in favor of crowdsourcing and collaborative efforts online. He uses the phrase "the Internet runs on love" to describe the nature of such collaborations. In the book, he discusses the ways in which the action of a group adds up to something more than just aggregated individual action.

He points to four key steps. The first is sharing, a sort of “me-first collaboration” in which the social effects are aggregated after the fact; people share links, URLs, tags, and eventually come together around a type. This type of sharing is a reverse of the so-called old order of sharing, where participants congregate first and then share (examples include Flickr, and Delicious). The second is conversation, that is, the synchronization of people with each other and the coming together to learn more about something and to get better at it. The third is collaboration, in which a group forms under the purpose of some common effort. It requires a division of labor, and teamwork. It can often be characterized by people wanting to fix a market failure, and is motivated by increasing accessibility.

The fourth and final step is collective action, which Shirky says is “mainly still in the future.” The key point about collective action is that the fate of the group as a whole becomes important. In a presentation called "Gin, Television, and Social Surplus", Shirky popularized the concept of ''cognitive surplus'', the time freed from watching television which can be enormously productive when applied to other social endeavors. He also notes that we are experiencing an era where people like to produce and share just as much, if not more than they like to consume. Since technology has made the producing and sharing possible, he argues that we will see a new era of participation that will lead to big change.

Shirky has also written about "algorithmic authority," which describes the process through which unverified information is vetted for its trustworthiness through multiple sources.

The Shirky Principle

In April, 2010, Kevin Kelly cited the phrase "Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution," and called it the "Shirky Principle", as the phrasing reminded him of the clarity of the Peter Principle.

Response to Evgeny Morozov

In March 2011, Shirky responded to questions raised by Evgeny Morozov about consulting he had done for the country Libya. Shirky explained that he had been invited in 2007 to speak in Boston to Libya's IT Minister. Shirky stated that the talk was "about using social software to improve citizen engagement in coastal towns. The idea was that those cities would be more economically successful if local policies related to the tourist trade were designed by the locals themselves." Shirky added that nothing came of the project beyond his initial talk. He defended his underlying desire to expand representative government in Libya and concluded that "the best reason to believe that social media can aid citizens in their struggle to make government more responsive is that both citizens and governments believe that."

Bibliography

''The Internet by E-Mail'' (1994) - ISBN 1-56276-240-0

''Voices from the Net'' (1995) - ISBN 1-56276-303-2

''P2P Networking Overview'' (2001) - ISBN 0-596-00185-1

''Planning for Web Services: Obstacles and Opportunities'' (2003) - ISBN 0-596-00364-1

Selected Articles in ''The Best Software Writing I'', Joel Spolsky ed. (2005) - ISBN 1-59059-500-9

* ''A Group is its Own Worst Enemy'' by Clay Shirky

* ''Group as User: Flaming and the Design of Social Software'' by Clay Shirky

''Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations'' (2008) - ISBN 978-1594201530

''Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age'' (2010) - ISBN 978-1594202537

See also

Collective action

Footnotes

References

Clay Shirky's Bio

External links

Clay Shirky's homepage

Clay Shirky’s writings on the O'Reilly Network

Profile and videos at TED.com

Profile and talks at Fora.tv

''Socially Intelligent Computing'' A Dialogue with Daniel Goleman

Ontology is Overrated: Links, Tags, and Post-hoc Metadata - a presentation (mp3) from the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference held in San Diego, California, March 14–17, 2005.

- Colloquium @ NYU.

Clay Shirky at Web 2.0 Expo SF 2008

Video (and audio) of interview/discussion with Clay Shirky by Will Wilkinson on Bloggingheads.tv

Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom A talk about journalism and pay walls.

Category:American technology writers Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:New York University faculty Category:Internet culture Category:Technology evangelists Category:Wikimedia Foundation Advisory Board members Category:Yale University alumni Category:Web 2.0

da:Clay Shirky de:Clay Shirky fr:Clay Shirky nl:Clay Shirky pt:Clay Shirky zh:克莱·舍基

Name	Josh Kelley
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	January 30, 1980
Origin	Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Genre	Pop rock, blues rock, country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	2001–present
Label	DNK Records, Hollywood Records, Threshold, MCA Nashville
Associated acts	Lady Antebellum
Website	JoshKelley.com }}

Joshua Bishop "Josh" Kelley (born January 30, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Kelley has recorded for Hollywood Records, Threshold Records and DNK Records as a pop rock artist, and has had four hit singles on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. His songs "Amazing" and "Only You" made top ten on that chart.

In 2010, Kelley signed to MCA Nashville and began a country music career. His debut single on the format, "Georgia Clay", has become a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Songs charts. Kelley is the brother of Lady Antebellum member Charles Kelley. Kelley is married to actress Katherine Heigl.

Early life

Kelley was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Gayle and Dr. John W. Kelley, a cardiologist. Kelley began his musical career at the age of 11. His younger brother, Charles Kelley, is also a musician and singer in the country trio Lady Antebellum. Kelley started at 11 with his guitar. While he was a teenager, he and his brother Charles formed a band called Inside Blue. By the time he was 14, the band released a CD with five songs in it, which led to a meeting with James Brown.

Kelley attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, and is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Music career

Kelley released his independent album, ''Changing Faces'', in 2001 and signed with Hollywood Records in 2002. Working with John Alagia as his producer, Kelley released the album, ''For the Ride Home'', on June 3, 2003. The album featured his hit song "Amazing," which most people know him by. He also made an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2003.

Even though Kelley has stated that the lyrics from his song "Angeles" were fabricated, he moved to Los Angeles from Georgia and recorded the majority of his second album, ''Almost Honest'', in the studio of his home. ''Almost Honest'' was released on August 23, 2005, and featured the hit single, "Only You."

After asking to be released from his contract with Hollywood Records, Kelley released his third album, ''Just Say The Word'' under his own label named Threshold. The digital version of the album was released through iTunes on June 6, 2006, while the physical album was released in stores in the United States on July 25, 2006. "The Pop Game" was the first single from his self-produced album and was accompanied by a cartoon video.

Kelley's next album, ''Special Company'', was released in the United States on January 14, 2008. His label, Threshold, was renamed DNK Records so as to avoid confusion with another record label by the same name. Kelley also released a digital album that summer titled ''Backwoods'' on July 7. Later that year, Kelley released his latest album, ''To Remember'', on September 23 exclusively through Target stores. The title track was also included on the AT&T; Team USA Soundtrack.

Kelley has toured with many artists including Rod Stewart, Third Eye Blind, Toby Lightman, Counting Crows, and Ryan Cabrera.

Kelley remains a supporter of file sharing applications for independent artists who have a difficult time receiving an audience. In fact, Kelley was "found" after targeting Eric Clinger at Hollywood Records with private spam, "If you like James Taylor, Try Josh Kelley," messages using the Napster program.

In November 2009, Kelley signed with MCA Nashville and began recording his first country album in 2010. The album's first single, "Georgia Clay", was released to country radio in August 2010. The single has become a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. The album, also titled ''Georgia Clay'', was released in March 2011.

Personal life

Kelley majored in Art at the University of Mississippi and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He is an avid golfer and attended college on a golf scholarship.

Kelley is married to TV and major motion picture actress Katherine Heigl, who is also the basis of the song he wrote for her, "Hey Katie" The Heigl-Kelley wedding took place at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah. Heigl's ''Grey's Anatomy'' co-stars T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers attended the ceremony, as well as ''Grey's Anatomy'' spinoff series ''Private Practice'' star Kate Walsh. The ceremony was officiated by Unitarian minister Tom Goldsmith. Heigl walked down the aisle to an acoustic song written by Kelley and performed by a cello and guitar players. According to a source, the bride and groom wrote their own vows. The bridesmaids wore red. The two met in 2005 when Heigl appeared in a video for Kelley's song "Only You."

Kelley and Heigl adopted a 10 month old girl from South Korea. Kelley and Heigl's daughter is named Nancy Leigh, after Heigl's mother and sister (Nancy and Margaret Leigh, respectively), although they have nicknamed her Naleigh.

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
''For the Ride Home''		* Release date: June 3, 2003	Hollywood Records>Hollywood	159	5	—	—
''Almost Honest''		* Release date: August 23, 2005	* Label: Hollywood	114	1	—	—
''Just Say the Word''		* Release date: June 6, 2006	Threshold Records>Threshold	—	—	—	—
''Special Company''		* Release date: February 5, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	7	27	—
''Backwoods''		* Release date: August 20, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	19	—	—
''To Remember''		* Release date: September 29, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	11	—	—
''Georgia Clay''		* Release date: March 22, 2011	Universal Music Group Nashville>MCA Nashville	92	—	—	16

Extended plays

Title	Album details
''Josh Kelley Live Session EP''		* Release date: August 2, 2005	* Label: Hollywood Records
''Georgia Clay''		* Release date: November 30, 2010	* Label: MCA Nashville

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
2003	! scope="row"	79	—	8	—
2004	"Everybody Wants You"	—	—	24	—
	! scope="row"	—	—	9	—
"Almost Honest"	—	—	29	—
	"Get with It"	—	—	—	—
"Pop Game"	—	—	—	—
"Just Say the Word"	—	—	—	—
2008	"Unfair"	—	—	—	—
2009	"To Remember"	—	27	—	—
2010	"Georgia Clay"	87	—	—	17
2011	! scope="row"				53

Other contributions

!Year	!Song	!Album
"Everybody Wants You"	''The Prince & Me'' (soundtrack)
"Amazing"	''Raising Helen'' (soundtrack)
	"You Are the Woman"
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"	''Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen''
	"Lover Come Up"	''My Super Ex-Girlfriend'' (soundtrack)
"Sunset Lover"
"Feels Like Home"	rowspan=2
"Welcome to This Day (Reprise)"
"You're a Part of Everything"	''Candles on Bay Street'' (soundtrack)
	"Unfair"	''27 Dresses'' (soundtrack)
"You're a Part of Everything"
2009	"Under the Covers"

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
2004	"Everybody Wants You"	Elliott Lester
2005	"Only You"	Marcus Raboy
2010	"Georgia Clay"	Wes Edwards
2011	"Gone Like That"

References

External links

Official website

The Official Josh Kelley Street Team

Official Josh Kelley Store

Aug. 2006 New York TV interview

Josh Kelley collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

"The Prince & Me" movie

/ Billboard Song Chart History

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Augusta, Georgia Category:University of Mississippi alumni Category:MCA Records artists

cs:Josh Kelley de:Josh Kelley es:Josh Kelley fr:Josh Kelley he:ג'וש קלי pt:Josh Kelley

Background	solo_singer
Name	Clay Aiken
Birth name	Clayton Holmes Grissom
Birth date	November 30, 1978
Birth place	Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Occupation	Singer, actor
Label	RCA (2003–08)Decca (2009–11)
Years active	2003–present
Genre	Pop, pop rock
Website	clayaiken.com }}

Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken (né Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program ''American Idol'' in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album ''Measure of a Man'' was released in October 2003. He released four more albums on the RCA label: ''Merry Christmas with Love'' (2004), ''A Thousand Different Ways'' (2006), and the Christmas EP, ''All is Well'' (2006). His fourth studio album (the first album of original material since 2003's ''Measure of a Man''), ''On My Way Here'' was released on May 6, 2008.

After the release of ''On My Way Here'', Aiken left RCA and later signed with Decca Records. His first album with Decca, ''Tried and True'', was released June 1, 2010.

In the years following his ''American Idol'' appearance, Aiken has launched nine tours, authored a ''New York Times'' best-selling book ''Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life'' with Allison Glock, and was the executive producer for a 2004 televised Christmas special, ''A Clay Aiken Christmas''. He has been a frequent talk show guest, particularly on ''The Tonight Show'' and ''Jimmy Kimmel Live''. He appeared as a guest star on ''Scrubs'' and participated in comedy skits on various shows.

Aiken created the National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation) in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2004, and in 2006 was appointed for a two-year term to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

Aiken made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's ''Spamalot'' in January 2008. His run ended in May but he rejoined the cast as Sir Robin in September and remained through January 4, 2009.

Personal life

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, cohosting and performing with the band at "Just by Chance and Friends" shows in Dunn, North Carolina. He was also MC and performer at the Johnston Community College Country Showcase in Smithfield, and at the North Carolina Music Connection and Hometown Music Connection shows in Garner, and Benson. He performed the national anthem numerous times for the Raleigh IceCaps and the Carolina Hurricanes hockey teams, and performed it at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game at the RBC Center in Raleigh.

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 ''Look What Love Has Done'' (by Clayton Grissom), a cassette and CD entitled ''Redefined'' (by Clayton Aiken), and a CD that combined some songs from each of the previous demos:'' "Look What Love Has Done, Vol 2"'' (by Clay Aiken). Estranged from his birth father Vernon Grissom and with his mother's and grandfather Alvis Aiken's permission, at the age of 19 he legally changed his surname from Grissom to his mother Faye's maiden name, Aiken.

Aiken attended Raleigh's Leesville Road High School and took courses at Campbell University before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He found his interest in special education while directing YMCA children's camps as a teenager, and at age 19, he served as a substitute teacher for a classroom of students with autism at Brentwood Elementary School in Raleigh. 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.'' Although his ''American Idol'' activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken completed his course work while on tour and graduated with a bachelor's degree in special education in December 2003.

On August 8, 2008, Aiken announced, on his personal blog, the birth of his son in North Carolina: "My dear friend, Jaymes, and I are so excited to announce the birth of Parker Foster Aiken". The child's mother, Jaymes Foster, is the sister of record producer David Foster and the executive producer of Aiken's last three albums on the RCA label. "The little man is healthy, happy, and as loud as his daddy," Aiken wrote. "Mama Jaymes is doing quite well also." Aiken said in his book, ''Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life,'' that "It's a Southern tradition to be given your first name from your grandmama's maiden name." Aiken's middle name came from his paternal grandmother's maiden name; using instead the married surnames of their mothers, he and Foster followed that tradition in choosing their son's name.

After several years of public speculation, Aiken disclosed that he is gay in a September 2008 interview with ''People'' magazine. In April 2009, Aiken was honored by the Family Equality Council advocacy group at its annual benefit dinner in New York City.

On November 18, 2010, Clay went to Washington, D.C. at a Capitol Hill briefing talking about anti-gay bullying.

''American Idol''

Aiken had filled out an application to participate in the reality show ''Amazing Race'' when a friend of his insisted that he try out for ''American Idol'' instead. Television viewers first glimpsed Aiken 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 after hearing him sing Heatwave's "Always and Forever" decided to advance him to the next round. 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 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. 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.

On May 21, 2003, Aiken came in a close second to Ruben Studdard, who won the contest by 134,000 votes out of more than 24,000,000 votes cast. The result was controversial, as some hypothesized that ''Idol'''s voting system was incapable of handling the number of attempted calls. In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season of ''American Idol'', Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed for the first time that Aiken had led the fan voting every week from the Wild Card week to the finale, when the possibly-random voting result gave Studdard the win. Though officially, Aiken was the show's "first runner-up," he has since gone on to be the second season's best-selling star.

''Rolling Stone'' featured Aiken on the cover of its July 2003 issue. In the cover article Aiken said, "One thing I've found of people in the public eye, either you're a womanizer or you've got to be gay. Since I'm neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me." In subsequent interviews he expressed frustration over continued questions about his sexual orientation, telling ''People'' magazine in 2006, "It doesn't matter what I say. People are going to believe what they want."

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." The second season of the ''American Idol Rewind'' series (2007) was narrated by Aiken.

Clay is reportedly one of the top 10 earners of ''Idol,'' earning an estimated $1.5 million a year.

Music

2003-2004: ''Measure of a Man''

On October 14, 2003, Aiken released his first solo album, ''Measure of a Man'', which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and was, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years, and to date the highest debut of any Idol. The album received RIAA Double Platinum certification on November 17, 2003 (a Double Platinum plaque was presented to Aiken by Clive Davis on October 22, 2003, during ''Good Morning America''). The album spawned both the hit single "Invisible" and his first hit song, "This Is the Night" (both co-written by British songwriter Chris Braide). 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.

2004-2006: ''Merry Christmas With Love''

On November 16, 2004, Aiken released a holiday album titled ''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. ''Merry Christmas with Love'' sold over 1,000,000 copies retail in 6 weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004, receiving RIAA Platinum certification on Jan. 6, 2005.

2006-2008: ''A Thousand Different Ways'' and ''All Is Well''

Aiken's second studio album, ''A Thousand Different Ways'', was released September 19, 2006. He worked on the album under the guidance of Canadian producer and A&R; executive Jaymes Foster. The album contains ten cover songs and four new songs, one of which Aiken co-wrote. Clive Davis is credited with the cover concept. One additional song, "Lover All Alone", written by Aiken and David Foster, is included with the album on iTunes. Debuting at #2 on the Billboard chart, ''A Thousand Different Ways'' made Aiken the fourth artist ever to have his first three albums debut in the Top 5 and scan over 200,000 in the first week.

Aiken's second Christmas album, ''All Is Well'' (an EP of four Christmas songs), was released exclusively to Walmart on November 28, 2006, and was released to iTunes as a digital download in December 2007.

2008-2009: ''On My Way Here''

Aiken stated in an April 2007 interview with ''People'' that he was planning a new album, and during his May 2007 appearance on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'', he mentioned that he was in Los Angeles interviewing producers for the new album. Aiken found a song, "On My Way Here", written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, that struck a chord with him and became the inspiration for the album's theme in addition to the album title. For a cohesive sound, Aiken chose Mark 'Kipper' Eldridge to produce the entire album. ''On My Way Here'' was released May 6, 2008 on the RCA label.

According to an article posted on ''Billboard'', Aiken and RCA parted ways shortly after his ''On My Way Here'' album was released. Aiken's rep confirmed to ''People'' magazine that Aiken left RCA. Stated in the cited ''People'' article, "The buzz about Aiken's exit was fueled earlier this week when his picture disappeared online and Billboard, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday that Aiken, 30, had been dropped by the label. According to Billboard, Aiken’s 2008 album “On My Way Here” sold just 159,000 copies in the U.S., compared to his 2003 debut album, “Measure of a Man,” which sold 2.78 million copies".

A fifth album, ''The Very Best of Clay Aiken'', was released at the end of March 2009 on Sony's Legacy Recordings Playlist Series. This album was a compilation of songs that had been included on the previous albums released by RCA. First week sales of 3000 copies placed ''Playlist: The Very Best of Clay Aiken'' at #173 on the Billboard 200 chart and at #10 on the Top Internet Albums chart.

2009-present: ''Tried and True''

On August 10, 2009 it was announced on Aiken's official website that he had signed with Decca Records and he would have new music out by early 2010. Performing the songs from his new album, ''Tried and True'', Aiken held a one night only concert at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 12, 2010. The concert, filmed for PBS broadcast, included guest appearances by Ruben Studdard and Linda Eder. Eder joined Aiken on stage for their duet of "Crying", which they recorded for his album. The album was released on June 1, 2010 and features songs popular in the 1950s and 1960s, including two Aiken covered during his run on American Idol, "Mack the Knife" and "Unchained Melody". In conjunction with the PBS special a companion DVD, ''Tried & True Live!'', was released on July 27, 2010. A tour to promote the album is planned for early 2011. On February 4, 2011, Clay parted ways with Decca Records.

Television

Aiken has made many television appearances.

On Labor Day 2003, Aiken sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and received a standing ovation from the audience. Lewis compared Aiken with Frank Sinatra and marveled at the dedication of Aiken's fan base:

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That same year, Aiken sang The Star-Spangled Banner on the opening night of the 2003 World Series and 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 the "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" with Bing Crosby via special effects.

Aiken starred in and executive produced his first TV special (December 2004), titled ''A Clay Aiken Christmas'', with special guests Barry Manilow, Yolanda Adams, and Megan Mullally; the special was released on DVD later that month. On July 4, 2004, Aiken was one of the performers in the ''A Capitol Fourth'' concert in Washington, D.C. and performed in the ''Good Morning America'' Summer Concert Series in 2004 and 2005. He also sang "Isn't She Lovely" on the popular television show Scrubs.

Aiken was the musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live'' in 2004 and participated in several skits. He has appeared multiple times on ''The Tonight Show,'' interviewing with Jay Leno as a guest in addition to singing, and has become a regular guest on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live''. The Kimmel appearances often feature skits: in one, Jimmy Kimmel's then girlfriend Sarah Silverman confessed to an affair with Aiken, and in another, Aiken expressed his distaste for Kimmel's jokes about him by beating him up. In May 2007, he spent the first half of his interview on horseback while talking about his recent UNICEF trip to Afghanistan. A few weeks later he appeared as a spokesperson for "Guillermo's Mustache" in Kimmel's fictional DVD informercial shown on the ''Dancing With the Stars'' finale. Aiken made his acting debut on ''Ed'' in early 2004, playing himself, and in 2005, he was interviewed by Erica Kane on ''All My Children''. He played the role of cafeteria worker Kenny on the ''Scrubs'' episode "My Life in Four Cameras". In December 2006, he made an appearance as himself on ''Days of our Lives.''

After hosting and performing in the ''American Idol'' Christmas special in 2003, Aiken has had several subsequent hosting jobs. He was a special correspondent for ''The Insider'' for the 2005 Emmy Awards, and on the sets of the sitcom ''Reba'' with Reba McEntire and ''Dancing With the Stars''. He co-hosted ''The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet'' in 2006, and on November 17, 2006, filled in for Regis Philbin as guest host on ''Live with Regis and Kelly''. During an interview, Aiken covered Kelly Ripa's mouth with his hand. The incident drew considerable media reaction after Ripa complained at length about the incident on her show the following Monday. Aiken made fun of the controversy on the ''2006 American Music Awards'' the next night with Tori Spelling. On ''The Tyra Banks Show'' in 2006, filmed before the Ripa incident, Aiken mentioned wanting to have his own talk show someday, and Banks switched seats with him and let him interview her for one segment of the show. Aiken was a guest judge on the April 8, 2009 segment of Banks show America's Next Top Model; in what the show refers to as a teach, he worked with the remaining 8 contestants on their acting skills prior to the judging.

In November 2007, Aiken was a contestant on a celebrity edition of the game show ''Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?''. Playing for his charity, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, he chose to drop out after the ninth question with $300,000, despite having a copy and a save at his disposal. If he had played the tenth question, he would have won $500,000; Aiken and the 5th grader playing with him both had the correct answer.

In May 2009, Aiken made a guest appearance on 30 Rock in the season 3 episode 'Kidney Now!'. It was revealed in this episode that he is the cousin of the show's character Kenneth.

In August, 2010, Aiken guest starred in an hour long episode of Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb, called "Summer Belongs to You". Aiken sang an inspirational duet with Chaka Khan, to encourage those who did not believe that Phineas and Ferb could accomplish their goal of circling the globe faster than the sun, thus creating the longest summer day of all time.

On January 30, 2011, Aiken sang the United States' national anthem at the 2011 NHL All-Star game held in the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, home of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Recently, Clay guest starred on the comedy drama series ''Drop Dead Diva.''

Broadway

On January 18, 2008, Aiken made his Broadway debut when he joined the cast of ''Monty Python's Spamalot'' for a four-month run, ending on May 4, 2008. He played Sir Robin, in the Tony Award-winning musical directed by Mike Nichols. In addition to Sir Robin, Aiken played the 1st Guard and the Brother Maynard roles. On August 12, 2008, it was announced that Aiken would resume his role as Sir Robin beginning on September 19 and ending on January 4, 2009. On December 23, 2008 Aiken had his caricature unveiled at world famous Sardi's restaurant.

Tours

From February through April 2004, Aiken and Kelly Clarkson embarked on the "Independent Tour" as co-headliners. Following this tour, he was scheduled for a few summer solo tour dates, but demand ultimately led to the booking of 50 dates across the United States, resulting in what many fans called the "Not-a-Tour". Disney (Buena Vista) was the exclusive sponsor of this unnamed summer tour, promoting their ''Aladdin'' Special Edition 2-Disc DVD with a preview of Aiken's rendition of "Proud of Your Boy", a song originally intended for the first release of the film but cut when the Aladdin storyline changed during production. A music video featuring Aiken is on the ''Aladdin'' Special Edition DVD. On this tour, he also performed a duet, "Without You," which was released on Kimberley Locke's 2004 debut album ''One Love''.

In November 2004, Aiken launched his third tour of the year, which revolved around a Christmas theme. "The Joyful Noise Tour", sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities, 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 also participated at each concert.

175px|thumb|left|Aiken at a 2006 Christmas tour appearance in Waukegan, Illinois During the summer of 2005, Aiken, with a seven-piece band and three back-up singers, toured 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 performed a few new songs being considered for his next album.

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 had 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, British Columbia, on November 2, and ended in Clearwater, Florida on December 30. According to Pollstar, Aiken's first five tours grossed $28 million.

In December 2006, Aiken began his third Christmas tour, comprising performances in 18 Midwest and East Coast cities. Aiken was supported by local orchestras, which also opened the concerts with a program of seasonal music.

A 23-date tour in support of his third album, ''A Thousand Different Ways,'' began on July 4, 2007, and ended in Orlando, Florida, on August 19. On this tour Aiken hired local symphonies to back him, along with tour regulars Jesse Vargas, pianist, conductor and arranger; Sean McDaniel, drummer; and Quiana Parler and Angela Fisher, backup singers. Three days into the tour, Aiken and a woman were involved in an in-flight altercation in which she allegedly shoved him. As a result of the scuffle, Aiken and the woman were later questioned by the FBI. Aiken told ''ET'' that he had been sleeping when the incident occurred.

His fourth annual Christmas tour, "Christmas in the Heartland," began on November 26, 2007 in Wichita, Kansas. That 21-date tour ended on December 22, 2007 in Merrillville, Indiana.

He has ended all of his Christmas tours with his signature Christmas song, "Don't Save It All for Christmas Day."

Aiken and Ruben Studdard brought their “Timeless” tour to cities in the US and Canada beginning in Asheville, North Carolina, on July 23, 2010, and ending in Biloxi, Mississippi, on August 14. Instead of a concert focusing on each singers recordings, Aiken and Studdard opted for a variety show format covering medleys of songs from the 60s to the 90s with a few solos and interspersed with comedy bits.

Aiken announced on July 30, 2010, that he will be touring in February and March 2011 in conjunction with PBS to support his album ''Tried and True'' and accompanying live DVD ''Clay Aiken: Tried and True - Live''.

Faith and philosophy

In 2004 Aiken made the ''New York Times'' Best Seller List, debuting at #2, with his 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.

While not self-identified as a Christian music artist, Aiken was featured in ''Christian Music Planet'' as an "American Idol Christian" in 2004, and in a cover story, "Clay Aiken's Balancing Act", in the January/February 2005 issue. His pre-''Idol'' demo albums included several selections of contemporary Christian music (or CCM) and gospel songs. A performance of the Commodores' "Jesus is Love" at the American Music Awards in 2003 earned Aiken and Ruben Studdard a standing ovation. Aiken has sung a few CCM songs at his pop concerts, and has made Christmas albums, Christmas television specials and performances, and Christmas tours essential elements of his career.

He described himself in ''Learning to Sing'' as a proud Southern Baptist who had journeyed away from those roots in his late teens in search of a religion with more liberal social policies, and then returned to that church because of family and social ties although he remains at odds with the church on some issues. When asked in a ''PBS Kids'' interview to name his idols, he responded, "When people ask me what three people I’d like to have dinner with, living or dead, I say Jesus Christ, Mr. Rogers, and Jimmy Carter."

Aiken makes it clear that he is aware not everyone shares his religious beliefs and it is not his intention to press these beliefs on others. When he worked as a camp counselor at the YMCA, he challenged other camp faculty by insisting that singing "overtly Christian songs" was inappropriate, as some of the kids were Jewish. "I stood firm... no child is going to have a spiritual crisis on my watch." His public philosophy, geared towards inclusion and service to others, reflects his stance that decisions about religion should be made at home.

Activism

Aiken has donated his time and his voice to multiple benefit events and concerts, including 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. He was one of the celebrity readers for the ''Arthur Celebrity Audiobook (Stories for Heroes Series)'', which benefits the Bubel/Aiken Foundation (now the National Inclusion Project)and other charities, and served as spokesperson for the series. He was also a spokesperson for the 2004 Toys for Tots drive, and acted as an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Aiken worked with the Make a Wish Foundation to make one little boy's dream of singing on stage with Clay Aiken come true.

In September 2006, Aiken was appointed to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities by President George W. Bush. Appointees serve a two-year term; Aiken was sworn in September 14, 2006, by HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Wade F. Horn, Ph.D. In April 2008, Aiken told ''People Magazine'' that he was too busy to do as much as he would like, but "If there's something I can do remotely, I would've been happy to do it."

While appearing in Spamalot, Aiken used his free time and celebrity to help raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) during their fund drives and auctions. In 2010, Aiken spoke out for gay rights at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in North Carolina. He also joined other celebrities in filming an educational video for Cyndi Lauper's web based Give a Damn campaign, a project of her True Colors Fund. In addition to UNICEF and his National Inclusion Project he is promoting GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network as one of his causes on his official website.

National Inclusion Project (formerly BAF)

Aiken has been a dedicated advocate for education and for children's causes. His interest in autism issues led him, along with Diane Bubel (whose son Michael is diagnosed with autism and was tutored by Aiken), to found the National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation), which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers. The Foundation runs summer camps which reflect its mission,and also presents Able to Serve awards to support the volunteer efforts of children with physical and mental disabilities. In July 2005, Raleigh's WRAL-TV reported on an internet campaign mounted by critics questioning how Aiken's foundation used its money. WRAL news hired an independent accountant who reported that program services totaled $920,000 in 2004—around 85 cents on every dollar donated—which is considered a solid percentage compared to other charities. CNN picked up the story, and Aiken appeared on ''Showbiz Tonight'' to provide details about the Foundation's programs. In late 2004, the Foundation was awarded a $500,000 grant by the US government to develop a K–12 model for inclusion in community service projects to be used in schools across the country. In addition, State Farm granted $1.5 million dollars to the Foundation to help develop a primary education curriculum focused on teaching social and life skills through service to children of all levels of ability.

On August 5, 2009, in an open letter from the founders, Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel stated "As we realized the impact the Foundation has already made, it became apparent that even bigger accomplishments could be on the horizon. To that end, we along with the rest of the Board decided that a new name for the Foundation would establish long-term credibility and stability. We sought a name that would signify the Foundation’s position as a national leader on inclusion as well as recognize the Foundation’s start and the efforts of its faithful supporters. After much thought and deliberation, we are proud to introduce the organization we co-founded as the National Inclusion Project."

UNICEF

In November 2004, Aiken was appointed a U.S. 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.

In March 2005, UNICEF sent Aiken to the tsunami-stricken Banda Aceh area to raise awareness of the need to restore education quickly to the children who survived this disaster. UNICEF sent Aiken on another mission in May 2005, to northern Uganda, to witness 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. He was sent to Kabul and Bamyan, in Afghanistan in April 2007, where he was able to spend time with children in their classrooms; he also visited a health center for women and children where he administered oral polio vaccinations to babies. He observed that Afghani children, after being forbidden for so many years by the Taliban regime to attend school, are eager to return to school now that they are once again allowed to receive an education. Aiken spent his 2007 Christmas in Mexico with the children affected by the floods in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco. In late June and early July 2008, UNICEF sent Aiken to Somalia and Kenya.

Fans

175px|thumb|right|Aiken at a 2006 Christmas tour appearance in Merrillville, IN Aiken was voted the Favorite Reality Star of 2003 by ''TV Guide'' readers and “the most-loved reality star of all time” in a ''TV Guide'' poll conducted in the summer of 2005. In February 2006, ''People'' magazine readers voted Aiken their "Favorite American Idol".

No one is quite sure where the term "Claymates" originated, but Aiken has trademarked the term. While in Los Angeles in September 2006 for a CD signing and appearance on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'', Aiken talked with Jann Carl of ''Entertainment Tonight'' about the names various sub-groups have given themselves: "Claysians" (Asian fans), "Claynadians" (Canadian fans), "Clayropeans" (European fans) and "Claydawgs" (male fans). She then teased him about having his own "Clay Nation". At the CD signing, two young fans asked Clay to autograph their shoulderblades and then went to the local tattoo parlor to make them permanent; later that day on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' they were brought on stage to show the tattoos. Although some of his fans have been criticized at times by the media as being obsessive, he defends the group as a whole. When Kimmel said to Aiken that his fans were "crazy", Aiken stated that they were merely "enthusiastic". In 2003, in anticipation of the release of ''Measure of a Man'', fans all over the country decided to get together and hold parties to celebrate the release of the CD and purchase copies at midnight. In 2006, for the release of ''A Thousand Different Ways,'' release parties were held in more than 80 cities in the United States, Canada, and Singapore.

Discography

Studio albums

''Measure of a Man'' (2003)

''Merry Christmas with Love'' (2004)

''A Thousand Different Ways'' (2006)

''All Is Well'' (2006 EP)

''On My Way Here '' (2008)

''Tried and True'' (2010)

Compilations

''The Very Best of Clay Aiken'' (2009)

''A Thousand Different Ways/Measure of a Man'' (2010)

DVDs

''A Clay Aiken Christmas'' (2004)

''Tried and True Live'' (2010)

Awards and nominations

Professional

American Music Awards

2003: Won - Fan's Choice Award

2003: Nominated - Favorite Male Artist - Pop or Rock

Billboard Awards

2003: Won - Best Selling Single of 2003 - ''"Bridge Over Troubled Water/This Is The Night"''

2004: Won - Best Selling Christmas Album - ''Merry Christmas with Love''

2004: Won - Best Selling Christian Album - ''Merry Christmas with Love''

2005: Won - Best Selling Christian Album - ''Merry Christmas with Love''

New Music Weekly Awards

2004: Won - Top 40 Male Artist of the Year

American Christian Music Awards

2005: Won - Outstanding Yule CD - ''Merry Christmas with Love''

Achievement

2005 Robert M. Barg Memorial Achievement Award 2006 UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Outstanding Young Alumnus Award 2007 National Center for Learning Disabilities' Children's Advocacy Award 2008 The Family Circle Award from the Family Equality Council

''American Idol'' season 2 performances and results

!Week	!Theme	!Song Sung	!Artist	!Order	!Result
Audition	Free Choice	"Always and Forever"		N/A	Advanced
Top 32/Semifinal Group 2	Free Choice			1	Top 3Wild Card
Wild Card	Free Choice	"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"	Elton John	2	SelectedPublic Vote
Top 12	Motown	"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"	Four Tops	7	Safe
Top 11	Movie Soundtracks		Linda Ronstadt/James Ingram	4	Safe
Top 10	Country Rock	"Someone Else's Star"	Bryan White	10	Safe
Top 9	Disco	"Everlasting Love"	Carl Carlton	4	Safe1
Top 8	Billboard #1	"At This Moment"	Billy Vera	1	Safe
Top 7	Billy Joel	"Tell Her About It"	Billy Joel	7	Safe
Top 6	Diane Warren	"I Could Not Ask for More"	Edwin McCain	2	Safe
Top 5	1960sNeil Sedaka		The FoundationsNeil Sedaka	510	Safe
Top 4	Bee Gees	"To Love Somebody (song)	Bee Gees[[Frankie Valli	26	Safe
Top 3	Random ChoiceJudges' ChoiceIdol's Choice		Don McLeanBobby DarinThe Righteous Brothers	369	Safe
Top 2	Finale	"This Is the Night (song)	Clay Aiken[[The BeatlesSimon & Garfunkel	246	Runner-Up

Note 1: No one was eliminated that week due to the disqualification of Corey Clark.

See also

List of number-one hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors

List of Decca Records artists

References

External links

Official websites

Decca Records - Clay Aiken

Official Clay Aiken website

Official Clay Aiken MySpace page

Official Clay Aiken YouTube channel

Clay Aiken - UNICEF Celebrity Ambassador

Reference Sites

Clay Aiken at Rolling Stone

Category:1978 births Category:American Idol participants Category:American male singers Category:American memoirists Category:American pop singers Category:American tenors Category:Decca Records artists Category:Idol series runners-up Category:LGBT Christians Category:LGBT memoirists Category:LGBT parents Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Living people Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:People from Raleigh, North Carolina Category:Southern Baptists Category:Baptists from the United States Category:UNICEF people Category:University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni

da:Clay Aiken de:Clay Aiken es:Clay Aiken fa:کلی آیکن id:Clay Aiken it:Clay Aiken ms:Clay Aiken ja:クレイ・エイケン no:Clay Aiken pt:Clay Aiken fi:Clay Aiken sv:Clay Aiken th:เคลย์ ไอเคน vi:Clay Aiken zh:克萊·艾肯

name	Blaze Foley
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael David Fuller
born	December 18, 1949 Malvern, Arkansas, U.S.
died	February 01, 1989 Austin, Texas, U.S. }}

Michael David Fuller (December 18, 1949 – February 1, 1989), better known under the stage name Blaze Foley, was an American singer-songwriter.

Biography

Foley was born Michael David Fuller in Malvern, Arkansas, but grew up in Texas. He performed in a gospel band called The Fuller Family with his mother and sisters. After leaving home, he performed in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and finally Austin, Texas. He was close friends with Townes Van Zandt.

His song "If I Could Only Fly" became a hit in the interpretation of Merle Haggard. His song "Election Day" was covered by Lyle Lovett on his 2003 album "My Baby Don't Tolerate" and his song "Clay Pigeons" was covered by John Prine on his Grammy Award winning 2005 album "Fair and Square." Joe Nichols pays tribute to "If I Could Only Fly" by recording it for his album "Real Things" released in 2007.

In 1989, Foley was shot in the chest and killed by Carey January, the son of Foley's friend Concho January. Carey January was acquitted of murder in the first degree by reason of self-defense. He and his father presented completely different versions of the shooting at trial.

Foley jokingly claimed to be the illegitimate son of Red Foley and Blaze Starr.

Foley placed duct tape on the tips of his cowboy boots to mock the "Urban Cowboy" crazed folks with their silver tipped cowboy boots. He later made a suit out of duct tape that he used to walk around in. At his funeral, his casket was coated with duct tape by his friends. Townes Van Zandt was quoted as saying that "he'd have to dig Foley up to get the pawn ticket for his guitar that was in his pocket".

Music and lyrics

The master tapes from his first studio album were confiscated by the DEA when the executive producer was caught in a drug bust. Another studio album disappeared when the master copies were in a station wagon, which Foley had been given and lived in, was broken into and his belongings stolen. A third studio album, "Wanted More Dead Than Alive," had almost disappeared until, many years after Blaze died, a friend who was cleaning out his car discovered what sounded like the Bee Creek recording sessions on which he and other musicians had performed. This album was Foley's last studio project and he was scheduled to tour the UK with Townes Van Zandt in support of the album. When Foley died, his attorney immediately nullified the recording contract and the master tapes subsequently went missing (and reportedly were lost in a flood).

Foley worked among others with Gurf Morlix, Townes Van Zandt and Calvin Russell.

Townes Van Zandt wrote the song "Blaze's Blues" about his friend and recorded it a few times, notably on his 2-disc "Live at Union Chapel, London, England" album. Townes reportedly composed "Marie," a song about a homeless couple, on Blaze's guitar after Blaze had died. (He also claimed that he had to dig up Blaze's coffin to get the pawn ticket to get the guitar out of hock.)

The song "Drunken Angel" by Lucinda Williams, which appears on her 1998 album ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'', is a tribute to Foley.

Gurf Morlix released a song on his 2009 album, ''Last Exit to Happyland'' entitled "Music You Mighta Made" about his longtime friend, Foley. On February 1, 2011, Morlix released ''Blaze Foley's 113^th Wet Dream'', a 15-song collection of Foley's songs.

Three songs, posthumously co-written by Jon Hogan at the request of the Foley estate, were released in 2010 on the album "Every Now and Then: Songs of Townes Van Zandt & Blaze Foley." They include "Every Now and Then," "Safe in the Arms of Love," and "Can't Always Cry."

Foley's music is featured prominently in a feature-length documentary film about him entitled "Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah," released in 2011 by filmmaker Kevin Triplett.

Quotes

About Foley

"He's only gone crazy once. Decided to stay." - Townes Van Zandt

"Blaze Foley was a genius and a beautiful loser." - Lucinda Williams

Discography

''If I Could Only Fly/Let Me Ride In Your Big Cadillac'' (Zephyr Records; 7" 45-only release; 1000) 1979

''Blaze Foley'' (Vital Records; LP-only release; 7497-33) Early-1980s

''Girl Scout Cookies/Oval Room'' (Vital Records; 7" 45-only release; 7077) Early-1980s

''Live At the Austin Outhouse (...And Not There)'' (Outhouse Records; cassette-only release) 1989

''Live At the Austin Outhouse'' (Lost Art Records) 1999

''Oval Room'' (Lost Art Records) 2004, (Munic/Indigo) 2005

''Wanted More Dead Than Alive'' (Waddell Hollow Records) 2005

''Cold Cold World'' (Lost Art Records) 2006

''Sittin' by the Road'' (Lost Art Records) 2010

''The Dawg Years'' (Fat Possum Records) 2010

External links

Living In The Woods In A Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley" by Sybil Rosen (memoir, available at Amazon.com)

Official Site

Fan Site

Tribute project

Lost Art Records (Two MP3-Downloads)

Documentary movie website

Video of Blaze and Townes Van Zandt sing "Snowin' on Raton" (1984)

Gurf Morlix – Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream [Rootball Records

References

Category:1949 births Category:1989 deaths Category:American alternative country singers

de:Blaze Foley