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Clay Aiken

Born in 1978 in Raleigh, NC

Clay Aiken's Genre:

Adult Contemporary, Teen Pop, Pop Idol, Pop, Dance-Pop, Vocal, Vocal Pop

Biography

As the second-place contestant on Fox television's second season of American Idol, vocalist Clay Aiken wowed television audiences with his Southern charm, sweet demeanor, and powerful tenor voice, all of which combined to make him a pop star (and, later, a fixture on Broadway). Originally, Aiken had planned to try out for the reality TV series The American Race, but went ahead and auditioned for the Idol competition to please an encouraging friend. Out of 7,000 hopefuls, the Charlotte, North Carolina native won the hearts of the judges as well as millions of fans across the globe.

Born on November 30, 1978, Aiken began singing at an early age, and was confident enough to perform 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 blossoming talent continued into his teenage years, when he became a regular member of the Raleigh Boys Choir and enjoyed roles in The Music Man, Oklahoma!, various stage plays, and regional playhouse shows.

When it came time to go to college, music wasn't Aiken's strongest calling. He studied special education instead, and set his sights on attending Virginia's College of William & Mary for a master's degree in administration. Before he could further his education, however, Aiken auditioned for American Idol and ended up wooing a weekly audience of 21 million television viewers in early 2003. His rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" sewed him a spot among Americans' hearts, and 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 shooting to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It sold more than 392,000 copies during its first week, besting Elton John's previous record for "Candle in the Wind 1997." In October 2003, Aiken returned to the spotlight and issued his full-length studio debut, The Measure of a Man. Once again, the little guy with the big voice made a big splash, and The Measure of a Man sold 613,000 copies while climbing to number one on Billboard's Top 200 during its first week of release. Aiken's 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 and made his Broadway debut in early 2008, playing the role of Sir Robin in Spamalot. On My Way Here arrived that same year, featuring a track penned by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. Aiken released Tried & True, a collection of standards from the '50s and '60s, in 2010 on the Decca label. In 2012, on the heels of his appearance on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice, Aiken released the album Steadfast, featuring tracks off Tried & True as well as a few more of his favorite songs to sing in concert. Also included was his original single "Bring Back My Love." ~ MacKenzie Wilson & Andrew Leahey

AOL Radio Stations Clay Aiken is Featured on (4)

New Holiday Hits

New Holiday Hits on Slacker Radio keeps it recent with your favorite holiday music from modern day artists. Enjoy holiday tunes from Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, U2, Faith Hill, Harry Connick Jr. and many more.

Top Christmas Hits

Top Christmas Hits on Slacker Radio is the perfect soundtrack for your holiday festivities. Enjoy classic songs from Frank Sinatra, Burl Ives and Johnny Mathis as well as contemporary artists like Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé and the cast of Glee.

LGBT Pride

Celebrate LGBT Pride with a Slacker Radio station that's as diverse as the gay community itself. You'll hear anthems from "I Will Survive" to "Born This Way," plus out and proud artists from Adam Lambert to Frank Ocean. And of course we've got all the hot dance tracks to soundtrack your Pride celebrations.

Clay Aiken

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Katharine McPhee, Kimberley Locke, Backstreet Boys, Jordin Sparks, Diana DeGarmo, Mandy Moore, *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera and more.

All Stations

Clay Aiken's Selected Discography (16)

Steadfast

201210 Songs

A Thousand Different Ways

(P) 2006 19 Recordings Limited200614 Songs

Artists Related to Clay Aiken (50)

	Kelly Clarkson	The winner of Fox TV's first American Idol competition during the summer of 2002, Kelly Clarkson went from an anonymous talent to a nationally known singer in a matter of months, performing for an audience of millions.
	Carrie Underwood	The first country singer to win American Idol, Carrie Underwood grew up in the small town of Checotah, Oklahoma, and began singing with her church at the tender age of three.
	Katharine McPhee	Though Taylor Hicks' quirky soulfulness made him 2006's American Idol, runner-up Katharine McPhee's classic good looks and voice and affinity for traditional pop made her a strong contender throughout the season.
	Kimberley Locke	Kimberley Locke was born and raised in Tennessee. She grew up singing, both in church and for fun, and by high school was a member of her school's singing and performance group.
	Backstreet Boys	The Backstreet Boys were, in many ways, a contradictory band. Comprised entirely of white middle-class Americans, the group sang a hybrid of new jack balladry, hip-hop, R&B, and dance club pop that originally found its greatest success in Canada and Europe, with their 1996 debut album charting in the Top Ten in nearly every country on the Continent.
	Jordin Sparks	Jordin Sparks may have been the youngest American Idol when she won the title on the reality show's sixth season, but the Glendale, AZ, resident had already packed plenty of accomplishments into 17 years.
	Diana DeGarmo	Only 16 and a junior in high school in Snellville, GA, Diana DeGarmo was the youngest finalist of American Idol 2004, but you wouldn't have guessed it from her powerful, confident voice.
	Mandy Moore	Although she never reached the commercial heights of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore proved to be one of the more resilient members of the late-'90s teen pop explosion.
	*NSYNC	Along with the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, *NSYNC dominated the teen pop explosion of the late '90s with a blend of group harmonies, gauzy ballads, and well-produced dance textures.
	Christina Aguilera	A leader in the parade of Mickey Mouse Club veterans who stormed pop at the turn of the millennium, Christina Aguilera was the sexy, brassy diva of the bunch -- the Rolling Stones to Britney Spears’ Beatles, as it were.
	Jessica Simpson	Although Jessica Simpson dabbled in film, reality TV, and eventually contemporary country music during the 2000s, she is best known as a dance-pop vocalist who rose to fame in the late '90s alongside such teenaged acts as 98°.
	Celine Dion	Rising from humble beginnings in the small town of Charlemagne, Quebec, Celine Dion became one of the biggest international stars in pop music history, selling more than 100 million albums worldwide.
	Taylor Hicks	With his raspy, soulful voice and salt-and-pepper hair, Taylor Hicks was one of the unlikeliest contestants to make it to the final round of American Idol, but his quirky charm and rousing delivery of songs like "Takin' It to the Streets" won Hicks a devoted legion of fans called the Soul Patrol and the title of the fifth-season American Idol.
	Justin Guarini	The runner-up to Kelly Clarkson on Fox TV's first American Idol: The Search for a Superstar competition, curly-haired heartthrob Justin Guarini managed to win the hearts of millions of teenage girls, if not the entire contest.
	Nick Lachey	As the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC redefined pop music for the masses upon the closing of the 1990s, 98° were also making girls scream and swoon with their darling good looks and delightsome harmonies.
	David Archuleta	David Archuleta became one of the most recognizable figures on television in 2008, when his tenor vocals and boyish charm helped earn him a second-place finish on American Idol.
	Bo Bice	Husky-voiced American Idol singing sensation Harold "Bo" Bice hailed from Helena, AL, and brought his Southern sensibility with him to the fourth season of Fox's long-running talent contest.
	Daughtry	Bo Bice proved that American Idol could have a rocker as a finalist, but Chris Daughtry proved that the show could generate a successful rocker outside the context of the show.
	Natasha Bedingfield	Originally from New Zealand, Natasha Bedingfield grew up in southeast London, where she and her siblings were raised around music.
	Faith Hill	One of the biggest female country stars of the '90s and 2000s, Faith Hill also took advantage of the inroads Shania Twain made into pop territory, becoming an enormous crossover success by the end of the millennium.
	Hilary Duff	Hilary Duff first made a name for herself on the enormously successful Disney Channel/ABC Kids show Lizzie McGuire, which she parlayed into dual careers as a pop singer and film actress.
	LeAnn Rimes	In 1996, LeAnn Rimes burst out of nowhere with her debut single "Blue," which immediately captured the attention of country fans across America.
	Kellie Pickler	In 2005, singer Kellie Pickler landed a spot in the fifth season of American Idol. Though she finished sixth, the former waitress and Miss North Carolina contestant charmed American audiences with her Southern twang and blonde ambition, resulting in a contract with BNA Records that yielded her debut album, Small Town Girl, in the fall of 2006 and an eponymous sophomore release in 2008, which yielded Pickler's first Top Ten hit, “Best Days of Your Life,” a song she co-wrote with Taylor Swift.
	98°	The sweet urban soul quartet 98° was formed in Los Angeles by four former Ohio residents: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey plus Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre.
	David Cook
	Ruben Studdard	Partway through the second American Idol competition in early 2003, guest judge Gladys Knight christened corpulent crooner Ruben Studdard a "velvet teddy bear," a nod to his smooth, Luther Vandross-styled voice and his Barry White-sized girth.
	Mariah Carey	The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice.
	Shania Twain	Emerging in the mid-'90s, Shania Twain became the most popular country music artist since Garth Brooks.
	Blake Lewis	Best known as the beatboxing contestant on season six of American Idol, Blake Lewis hails from Bothell, Washington.
	Spice Girls	Spice Girls were the first major British pop music phenomenon of the mid-'90s to not have a debt to independent pop/rock.
	O-Town	Boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync fought hard to be perceived as musicians rather than manufactured product assembled by record executives.
	Justin Timberlake	Justin Timberlake may be the quintessential pop star of the new millennium, a star who jumped from platform to platform on his way to establishing himself as something bigger than a star: he was a self-sustained empire.
	Britney Spears	More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s.
	Leona Lewis	A striking young woman with a strong vocal resemblance to the young Whitney Houston and a large mop of blonde corkscrew curls, Leona Lewis won the third series of the British reality talent show The X Factor in a landslide.
	Josh Groban	Pop and classical singer Josh Groban made his debut in the seventh grade, but then put music aside for a few years until he enrolled at the Interlochen Arts Program.
	Taylor Swift	Taylor Swift became one of country's brightest (and youngest) faces in 2006, when the 16-year-old released her first album.
	Tamyra Gray	Praised as much for her wide vocal range and passionate delivery as she was for her elegant style, Tamyra Gray was seen by many as the singer who, in a perfect world, should have won the first edition of American Idol.
	Pink	Although initially viewed as another face in the late-'90s crowd of teen pop acts, Pink (professionally known as P!nk) quickly transcended and outgrew that label with her combination of pop songcraft and powerhouse, rock-influenced vocals.
	John Stevens	Fiery-haired vocalist and former American Idol contestant John Stevens was born in 1987 and raised in East Amherst, NY.
	Savage Garden	Australian pop duo Savage Garden have taken the world by storm without the record company hype and career-establishing game plan that is often the background for pop-oriented acts.
	Ashlee Simpson	She might be the younger sister of superstar Jessica Simpson, but don't confuse their tastes or style when it comes to music.
	Jesse McCartney	Pop singer and actor Jesse McCartney was a child performer dynamo, singing on Broadway and landing an acting gig on All My Children before even joining his first boy band, a feat that came at the age of 12.
	Miley Cyrus	Miley Cyrus became an overnight sensation in 2006 as the star of Hannah Montana, a popular Disney Channel television series whose success allowed Cyrus to launch her own recording career several years later.
	Nick Carter	As one of the Backstreet Boys, singer Nick Carter became an international superstar during the mid-'90s as his band became one of the best-selling teen pop bands in history.
	George Huff	One of the most likable singers on the third season of the nationally televised talent contest American Idol, George Huff was voted off halfway through the competition but returned to the public eye as a spiritual-pop singer signed to the Christian label Word.
	Madonna	After stars reach a certain point, it's easy to forget what they became famous for and concentrate solely on their personas.
	Aly & AJ	Sister acting/singing duo Aly & AJ -- whose full names are Alyson and Amanda Joy Michalka -- showed a passion for both kinds of performing at a very young age: they started playing piano at age six and began acting classes soon after.
	Josh Gracin	Josh Gracin was born October 18, 1980, and grew up in Westland, Michigan. He performed at fairs, music competitions, and other venues as a young man, and did the vocal for a demo version of a song ("She Loves Me," written by Ken Salaets and Tim Barbor) in Nashville in 1996 when he was only 16 years old.
	Rascal Flatts	A country trio known primarily for its pleasing harmony and Grammy-winning songcraft, Rascal Flatts are comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay Demarcus, and Joe Don Rooney.
	Corey Clark	American Idol finalist Corey Clark began his musical career at the age of 12 singing backup for Barry Manilow.

Bring Back My Love

4:08

3:18

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

2:58

from: Steadfast

When You Say You Love Me

3:59

from: Measure Of A Man

3:33

from: Measure Of A Man

(P) 2003 19 Recordings Limited

Run to Me

3:35

from: Measure of a Man

(P) 2003 19 Recordings Limited

Suspicious Minds

3:49