info-stars.com

Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken during the Jukebox Tour in Merrillville, IN, August 23, 2005
Background information
Birth name	Clayton Holmes Grissom
Born	November 30, 1978 (1978-11-30) (age 29) Raleigh, North Carolina U.S.
Genre(s)	Pop Pop rock
Years active	2003—present
Label(s)	RCA
Website	clayaiken.com

Clay Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom on November 30, 1978) is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. Based on album sales surpassed only by Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, Aiken has become the most successful male and the most successful runner-up in that show's history.

In the four years following his American Idol appearance Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Times best-selling book Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life with Allison Glock, and was the executive producer for a 2004 televised Christmas special, A Clay Aiken Christmas. He has been a frequent talk show guest, particularly on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, appeared as a guest star on Scrubs, participated in comedy skits on Kimmel and Saturday Night Live, and made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot in January, 2008.

Aiken created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2004, and in 2006 was appointed by President George W. Bush to a committee that acts in an advisory capacity to the President and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on matters relating to programs and services for persons with intellectual disabilities.

Currently, Aiken is slated to release his first album of original material since 2003's Measure of A Man, titled On My Way Here on May 6th, 2008. This will be his 4th full length studio album, including a Christmas CD, and a CD of covers. He has also released one EP.