Despite the fact that I've always sort of thought he resembled a Christmas elf, it doesn't sound like Clay Aiken was filled with holiday cheer when dealing with fans this hoilday season. A number singers were not allowed to sing during Aiken's holiday concert Saturday, even though they had won singing competitions and had been rehearsing for the event. 15-year old, Joshua Willard, is one such jilted singer, who is no longer a fan. From TMZ:
Willard says Aiken was rude to audience members and told several people to sit down and cover their mouth. Clay even showed a raunchier side by pretending he had flatulence every time feedback came through the speakers. Talk about making a stink!An hour after the show, Willard got to meet Clay, but says that Miss Thing was "snotty" and acted like he was too good for his little fans. The former Claymates were even told not to take individual pictures with Aiken, only group shots. Willard is devastated and says that due to Aiken's behavior, he now "could care less of Clay."
Maybe all that hair dye has gone to Clay's head and he's momentarily forgotten that he was a NOBODY less than five years ago.
See more of Clay Aiken's not so pretty faces after the jump.
Clay Aiken: American A-Hole? [TMZ]
(WENN)
(WENN)
Tonysgirl says:
I have never heard his music, and really do not want to.
jannre says:
First of all, the reason the kid wasn't allowed to sing was because his song of choice was SUSPICION, it was an xmas show, he should have chosen a xmas song don't you think? And I have met Clay many times, and he was always sweet and humble. He is human, so it is possible that he was having a bad day, don't we all?
Me says:
Clay's promoter cut the song, not Clay.
ChristopherM
Jannre is so right. I know nothing makes me crankier toward the little people than when I strike out on my search for booty on Manhunt.net.
Dave says:
Typical Kid. He fucks up and blames it on somebody else. I am learning how to hate from the gays. Nobody does it better. They don't even need a reason and don't confuse them with facts they don't want to hear. Shit, their so ornery, they'll hate your music without ever hearing a note. Well fuck em.
serious says:
how stupid are you, jannre?
first, the song was SUPERSTITIOUS by Stevie Wonder. second, if you bothered to read the article on TMZ, you'd have seen that other people who WERE SINGING CHRISTMAS SONGS also had theirs cut.
get a clue, you gayken fan.
MizJulie says:
Sorry, serious. TMZ doesn't have all the facts. Not that people care about facts or anything.
From a woman who works for the Greensboro Symphony:
1_ Greensboro Symphony was hired by a promoter to be the orchestra for Clay Aiken.
2_ The promoter informed the Symphony that we needed to prepare a 50 minute first half.
3_Although we protested and said it was too long and people were coming to hear Clay, we were still requested to prepare a first half. This was also included in the rider sent by Aiken management.
4_ After checking with several orchestras, we prepared both a 50 minute and 30 minute first half.
5_ Due to our contracts with musicians, we are not allowed to perform something without a rehearsal, if it has not been performed within 30 days.
6_ We were told that we would only have about 15 minutes to rehearse. We informed promoter we would be performing pieces from our Holiday Concert so we would not need much rehearsal time. Our Holiday concert is mostly singing. We informed promoter we would have singers and e-mailed the program.
7_ We received an e-mail from Community Theater asking if the 2 Triad Idol singers could perform on concert. They had performed with us in October at our education concerts. We checked with promoter and were given the green light to invite them to perform WITH the Symphony not WITH Clay Aiken.
8_ Once rehearsal began, Aiken management asked that we not perform any non-Holiday songs. We only had orchestra charts for the Triad Idols for 2 songs and they were non-Holiday.
9_ We told the 2 Triad Idol singers, we would need to cancel their songs. We still wanted to include them in the concert and we asked Aiken management if they could lead the Christmas Song sing-along. Aiken management was very gracious and said this would be fine along with the little girl singing the Hippo song. When we told the Triad idol singers, they seemed very glad to still be part of the show. Throughout the evening, they did not indicate they were unhappy.
10_ We cannot control what people do in order to gain 15 minutes of fame. We do not believe in feeding a media frenzy over nothing.
ZeldaF says:
What has he done to his face? Are those cheek implants? Or has he just gained a lot of weight from all the high caloric jizz he injests?
Oy says:
Sounds to me like everyone dropped the ball EXCEPT for poor Clay. The promoter should have worked more closely with the orchestra to plan the repertoire, the orchestra should have said no to the 'community theatre' (wtf? what business do they have foisting other singers on a Clay Aiken concert?), and Clay Aiken should not have had to deal with any of it.
Why wouldn't the concert have included both orchestral and vocal holiday pieces throughout? Why not have an hour's morning rehearsal the day of the performance in which Clay would 'mark', to set tempi, etc.? What business does the orchestra have putting non-holiday music on a holiday concert? Clay's management should have balked at that right off the bat. Moreover, including the other singers undermined the 'specialness' of Clay's appearance - they should have balked at that as well.
Next time, get an orchestra contractor to put together a local, union pickup orchestra for the occasion. Hire a reputable conductor who would conduct the entire tour and would plan and time the musical selections, to be presented to the orchestra contractor well in advance. Provide for a rehearsal the morning of.
If they must hire a local orchestra, work closely with that orchestra's music director so that the musical selections are in harmony with Clay's program - since usually even local symphonies are autonomous groups who are responsible for engaging the soloists who perform with them and then for planning the repertoire - they're not backup bands to be hired by any singer who happens to be in town.
Poor Clay. Guy can't win for losing.
WV Girl says:
Clay looks like crap. He looks stoned out of his gourd, and he looks like he gained a bunch of weight. Yuk.