Clay Aiken Movies
As the runner-up to Fox TV's second American Idol: The Search for a Superstar competition, vocalist Clay Aiken wowed television audiences in 2003 with his Southern charm, sweet demeanor, and bright, glorious voice, and became a pop star. Originally, Aiken planned to try out for the reality TV series The Amazing Race, but went ahead and auditioned for the talent contest 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.Born November 30, 1978, Aiken was singing at an early age. Unlike most young kids, Aiken was confident and ready to impress a crowd. He was already singing the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers classic "Islands in the Stream" at a local high school dance by age five. Two year later, he was buying albums through a mail-order catalog, eager to get his hands on any kind of music. Aiken's vocal talent was blossoming, and by the time he reached his teenage years, he was a regular member of the Raleigh Boychoir. Countless roles in various musicals, (The Music Man, Oklahoma!), stage plays, and playhouse shows allowed Aiken to hone his gift. When it came time to go to college, music wasn't Aiken's calling per se. He studied special education instead and had dreams of attending William & Mary for a master's degree in administration.
Before he could further his education, Aiken ended up wooing 21 million television viewers each week from February to May with his sensational singing voice. His rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" sewed him a spot among America's hearts. Although he finished second to Ruben Studdard, Aiken's loss was not taken lightly. He landed a deal with RCA through Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited within weeks of the show's finale. That same month, Aiken's debut single, "This Is the Night," made history by going number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It sold more than 392,000 copies during its first week, beating Elton John's record for "Candle in the Wind 1997." In October 2003, Aiken issued his studio full-length, The Measure of a Man. Once again, the little guy with the big voice made a big splash. The Measure of a Man sold 613,000 copies and went to number one on Billboard's Top 200 during its first week of release. His first holiday effort, Merry Christmas with Love, followed in November 2004. The album debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart, giving Merry Christmas with Love the biggest debut week sales figures for a Christmas album in SoundScan history. Aiken released A Thousand Different Ways in September 2006. ~ Mackenzie Wilson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
This 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Megan Mullally and features musical guest Clay Aiken. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Megan Mullally, Clay Aiken, (more)
- 2003
Having made an overnight star of aspiring pop singer [$Kelly Clarkson at the end of American Idol's first season, the producers return to perform the same magic on another unlucky unknown as the twice-weekly Fox talent show launches Season Two. And it's going to take quite a bit of doing to select the best of the best: Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of American Idol's maidedn season, no fewer than 50,000 hopefuls have shown up for the audition held all over the country. Ryan Seacrest is back as host, this time flying solo with the departure of cohost Brian Dunkelman. And of course, the contestants are still at the mercy of the three-person panel of judges: Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and the redoubtable Simon Cowell. New to the proceedings is Kristin Holt, a first-season contestant and former member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, now on hand as a "special correspondent" to offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of this season's aspirants. Other changes include the mode of selection for the final "wildcard" contestants, with each of the three judges choosing his or her favorite, with a fourth hopeful chosen via public call-ins. This means that during the season's final stretch there will be 12 rather than 10 finalists, with one contestant eliminated per week for the next twelve weeks, and with a different "celebrity" judge participating on each show. Also, for the first time Fox will offer a special "best of the worst" episode with highlights (or lowlights) from the most execrable and ear-shattering auditions. Along the way, there'll be a bit of controversy when semifinalist Corey Clark is removed from the running, not because of his singing but due to his off-screen misbehavior (it turns out that he'd once assaulted his own sister). Unfortunately, it will not be the last we'll hear from the contentious Mr. Clark. And in a slightly more amusing development (most of which was edited from the show), curmudgeonly Simon Cowell is senn preparing to lower the boom on a brace of "brothers" auditioning in Austin, Texas, when it is suddenly revealed that these two supposed no-talents are actually British comedians Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the original hosts of American Idol's British prototype Pop Idol, who are playing a practical joke on Mr. Cowell. The season ends in virtually a dead heat, with contestants Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken tying for the million-dollar grand prize--a tie ultimately broken by a margin of a mere 130,000 of the 24 million votes cast by the viewers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Kristin Holt, (more)
