Although this fresh-faced, family-friendly crooner was the runner-up on the second edition of
American Idol, he went on to become one of the show's most famous stars not to mention the most successful nonwinner in the reality competition's history. With his geeky appearance, his Southern charm and his powerful renditions of ballads such as "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," Aiken won the hearts of viewers and spawned a veritable cult of rabid fans (Claymaniacs) that turned him into a best-selling pop star. "This Is the Night," his 2003 debut single, sold more than 392,000 copies during its first week, breaking the previous record set by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997," and Aiken's first album,
Measure of a Man, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and went triple platinum. In 2004, the sudden star was a busy boy, making the rounds on the talk-show circuit, publishing a memoir, touring all over the country, and even producing and appearing in his own eponymous Christmas special and releasing an accompanying album. But fame began to take its toll; although his detractors had always dismissed him as a cheesy, easy-listening goof, gossip mongers and stand-up comics, notably Kathy Griffin, began to rag on his ambiguous sexuality. Even though Aiken insisted he was straight in a number of interviews, that didn't quash the rumors, the jokes or the tabloid tales. Consequently, Aiken kept a lower profile in 2005 (although he did a guest spot on the sitcom
Scrubs) and didn't release his next album —
A Thousand Different Ways, which was mostly covers — until September 2006. Out of the spotlight, the singer is an advocate and fund-raiser for children with disabilities.
Clay Aiken Fast Facts:
- Changed his last name from Grissom to Aiken, his mother's maiden name, at age 20 after severing all ties with his father.
- Nicknamed "Gonzo" while working at a YMCA kids' camp in Raleigh, NC.
- Planned to try out for The Amazing Race before turning to American Idol.
- Was rejected at American Idol's Charlotte, NC, audition but made it through an Atlanta, GA, audition the next weekend.
- Hit song "The Way" was co-written by Enrique Iglesias.
- Created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation to help children with neurological disabilities. The foundation was named for Diane Bubel, the woman who persuaded him to audition for American Idol.
- Penned the 2004 inspirational memoir Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life.
- Clay Aiken Relationships:
- Brett Parker - Half Brother
- Catherine Aiken - Grandmother
- Deborah Grissom - Half Sister
- Faye Parker - Mother
- Parker Foster Aiken - Son
- Ray Parker - Stepfather
- Vernon Grissom - Father
- College:
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC (BA in Special Education, 2003)
