Clay Aiken was born Clayton Holmes Grissom on November 30, 1978. He was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina . Aiken had vocal talent and developed an interest in singing as a child and has performed with local groups and bands in his hometown. He graduated from high school and enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte majoring in special education. His decision to audition for American Idol placed his academic career on hold, but he earned his bachelor’s in 2003.
Aiken’s Idol journey was never a sure thing. At auditions, the judges, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and particularly the scowling Simon Cowell, clearly felt his image was not suitable to Idol status, but his voice left a different impression and he was given the go. During his performance of Journey’s "Open Arms" during the round of thirty-two, Aiken was cut from the show but later returned in the wild card round where he wowed audiences with his performance of Elton John’s "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me." Aiken finished the competition as first runner-up on May 21, 2003.
After his stellar performances on Idol, Aiken was offered a record deal with RCA Records. His first single "This is the Night" was released in June of 2003 and went to number one on the Billboard’s Hot 100 and sold nearly 400,000 copies the first week, breaking the previous record held by Elton John. In October of the same year, Aiken released his first album, The Measure of a Man, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It became the highest-selling record release by a solo artist in a decade and received double platinum status.
With much success ensuing, Aiken began touring in early 2004 with previous American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. Aiken toured three times in 2004, ending with The Joyful Noise Tour, sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House, in November. Aiken, supported by philharmonics and symphonies around the country, sold out nearly every show.
The 2004 holiday season was a busy one for Aiken, who also released his first holiday album titled Merry Christmas With Love. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard charts in December and became his second album to go platinum. He also appeared on his own Christmas special, which featured Megan Mullally, Barry Manilow, and Yolanda Adams.
Aiken spent 2005 doing television appearances and small tours, including his second Joyful Noise Christmas tour. Then, in 2006, Aiken launched back on to the scene with his third album, A Thousand Different Ways.
Debuting at # 2, Aiken became the fourth artist ever whose first three album releases debuted in the top 5. He released a fourth album exclusively to Walmart for the 2006 Holiday season. Aiken’s promotional tour for A Thousand Different Ways is scheduled to begin in 2007.
Earning great success in just a short time, it’s obvious that Clay Aiken has a bright future in the music industry. His charitable work as an advocate for special needs children receives positive attention as well. Aiken’s personal life, including his sexual orientation, has been a subject of controversy, but Aiken’s true fans remain interested only in his music.
YUDDY
