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As he returns to harmony after a year hiatus, Clay Aiken is looking back on his route to living as his true self.
A North Carolina native, Aiken rose to prominence on the second season of “American Idol” in Though he finished in second place behind Ruben Studdard, he nonetheless won widespread acclaim for his debut album, “Measure of a Man,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Speaking to People in an interview published last week, however, Aiken recalled how that initial flush of success came to an abrupt halt when he came out as gay. He publicly addressed his sexuality in a People cover story published about a month after welcoming his son, Parker, in
“Back then it was a big deal,” he told People. “We are in a very different time. I missing maybe 50 percent of the fan base.”
Aiken said he immediately noticed the impact by observing the ticket sales for “Spamalot,” the Broadway musical in which he was appearing at the time of his coming-out.
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“The first four months that I was in, the illustrate was selling out, standing room only. You
Where Is ‘American Idol’ Season 2 Runner-Up Clay Aiken Now? His Life 22 Years Later
Although Clay Aiken didn&#;t achieve major mainstream success after his period on American Idol in , he&#;s still one of the more well-known alum from the singing challenge. Aiken was the runner-up in Season 2, finishing behind Ruben Studdard, whom he still remains friends with to this day.
The singer became a prominent figure in pop tradition for more than just his music career over the years. Scroll down for everything we perceive about what he&#;s up to now and what else he&#;s done since his time on the show.
What happened to Clay Aiken&#;s music career?
Following American Idol, Aiken rode the melody wave with help from his record deal with RCA. His first album, Measure of a Man, came out in , followed by his first Christmas album Merry Christmas With Love in He then released A Thousand Different Ways in and his last RCA album, On My Way Here, in
After parting ways with RCA, he signed with Decca Records and released two more albums in and However, as he was beginning to pursue other
I don’t know what I was expecting when I got on the contact with Clay Aiken, but I was surprised to locate him such a warm, affable person. He laughed at almost everything we spoke about with a true belly laugh that was infectious. If you remember, Clay first gained popularity on the second season of “American Idol” where he wowed the judges and the rest of us with his soulful vocals. But I found there’s more to Aiken than that booming voice. He’s also a former particular ed teacher, performer, politician, activist, and father. On April 28, which also happens to be my birthday, he and fellow “American Idol” veteran Ruben Studdard, aka the “Velvet Teddy Bear”, will be executing their “Twenty Tour” at Parx Casino. He took period out from the tour to acquire a word with me. You’ll contain to imagine his charming, southern drawl.
I know that you’re from Raleigh, North Carolina. Describe your neighborhood.
It was a pretty typical Southern subdivision. It was a very still neighborhood, half acre lots where everybody’s house looked about the same. I know my companion Carrie and I had the exac Twomonthsafterthe announcement of his divorce to wife Surata Zuri McCants, Ruben Studdard is back on the market and gearing up for the March 13 release of his fifth studio album, Letters from Birmingham . In a candid interview with The Huffington Upload, the "American Idol" Season 2 winner opens up about his album, his divorce, the declare of today's singing competition shows and why he doesn't notice himself as a spokesman for health and wellness. What's the idea behind the album's title, Letters from Birmingham? Me and one of the writers of the album were going through the airport in Atlanta and they possess this historical display in each of the concourses. So in one of the concourses they have a Martin Luther King exhibit, but they also hold a transcript of the letters from a Birmingham jail. And I remember it just instantly hit me like, That would be a great thing for an album. This album is really a reflection of existence for me. And it's also a thought-provoking title like, "I wonder what Ruben is talking about on this album." And then also Birmingham is the place