American Idol - Clay Aiken

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 American 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.

As the runner up of FOX television's 'American Idol' finale, Aiken will become the latest singing sensation taken under the wing of music industry legend Clive Davis who will also executive produce his full-length debut, in consultation with Fuller. If the success of inaugural 'American Idol' champion Kelly Clarkson is any indication, Aiken's biggest accomplishments are yet to come. Clarkson's RCA Record's debut, Thankful, recently stormed into The Billboard 200 at No.1, selling over 300,000 copies in its first week and becoming the year's best-selling release by a debut artist. Additionally, both Aiken and this year’s Idol winner Ruben Studdard have already been enjoying their first tastes of success: Both singers are featured on the 'American Idol' finalists' version of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A.," the No. 1 single in the country for the last four weeks. The hour finale of American Idol is FOX's 2nd highest rated entertainment telecast ever across key measures. Over 52.2 Million viewers watched all or part of the American Idol finale from 9-10. The February premiere of 'American Idol' Season 2 was FOX's fourth-highest rated season or series premiere ever among adults 18-49. The series is averaging 21 million viewers per episode, easily outdistancing its nearest competitors in the teen market and dominating its time slot across all key demos.

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 Boys Choir. 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.

During the summer of 2003, Aiken appeared on the cover of Rolling Stones Magazine. As a contestant on American Idol, Aiken tried not to discuss his personal life. In Rolling Stones, however, he gave an in-depth interview concerning his childhood, life now, and ambitions. In the article, Aiken discussed life at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, talked about the Buben-Aiken Foundation. Aiken co-founded the Buben/Aiken Foundation as a means to provide help to individuals with Autism of other physical and mental disabilities. Aiken confessed, in the article, that he is scared of water, loves instant grits, and bites his toenails. More personally, he talked about his childhood. Aiken comes from a broken home. His biological father, Vernon Grissom, was an alcoholic who was physically and verbally abusive to Aiken and his mother. Grissom left Aiken and his mother when he was one years old. In the late 1990s, Aiken decided to get his last name legally changed to that of his mother’s middle name. Clay admitted in his interview that he thinks of his mother’s second husband, Ray Parker, as his true biological father. Sadly, Parker died in July 2002.

Aiken wowed people when he released his debut single, "This Is The Night." The song was number one on the Billboard hot 100. It sold over 392,000 copies in the first week. The single beat Elton John’s record of sales for his 1997 single dedicated to Princess Diana entitled "Candle in the Wind 1997."

In October 2003, Aiken released his debut album entitled The Measure of a Man. The album, which sold 613,000 copies in the first week, went to number one on the Billboard Chart Top 2000. The album’s first single, "Invisible," has been a top request on the trendy MTV show, TRL. The Measure of a Man was co-produced by Simon Fuller and Clive Davis. The album features the songwriting talents of artists such as : Steve Mac, Cliff Magress, Desmond Child, Steve Morales, and Rick Nowels.