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Clay Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom; November 30, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, television personality, actor, author, politician and activist. Aiken was the 2014 Democratic nominee in the North Carolina 2nd congressional district election. Aiken began his rise to fame placing second on the second season of the television program ''American Idol'' in 2003. He and the 2003 Winner Ruben Studdard were both offered recording contracts by RCA Records, and his multi-platinum debut album ''Measure of a Man'' was released in October 2003. He released four more albums on the RCA label: ''Merry Christmas with Love'' (2004), ''A Thousand Different Ways'' (2006), and the Christmas EP, ''All is Well'' (2006).〔Moss, Corey. ("No Love for 'Idol' Losers." ) ''MTV.com.'' Retrieved 2007-06-23.〕〔Barnes, Ken. ("Idol sales standings: A fairly exhaustive list." ) ''USA Today''. November 9, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-23.(article archived)〕 His fourth studio album (the first album of original material since 2003's ''Measure of a Man''), ''On My Way Here'' was released on May 6, 2008.〔("Clay Aiken heads "Here" on next album." ) ''Reuters New York''. (Billboard) March 25, 2008.〕 After the release of ''On My Way Here'', Aiken left RCA and later signed with Decca Records. His first album with Decca, ''Tried and True'', was released June 1, 2010 and his second ''Steadfast'', was released March 26, 2012.〔(Decca Records - Clay Aiken ) Retrieved 2010-04-08〕〔Ehlers, Matt (A classic move ) Newsobserver. March 12, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-13〕 In the years following his ''American Idol'' appearance, Aiken has launched eleven 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'' and his televised live concert special in 2010 on PBS ''Tried & True Live!''. He has been a frequent talk show guest, particularly on ''The Tonight Show'' and ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''. He appeared as a guest star on ''Scrubs'', ''Drop Dead Diva'', ''30 Rock'' and participated in comedy skits on numerous other shows. He also competed in the fifth season of ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' and placed second in the finals to Arsenio Hall. Aiken created the National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation) in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2004, a position he held for 9 1/2 years until 2013 when he gave it up in order to run for Congress. He was the "UNICEF Ambassador of Education for All Children Worldwide"; he traveled extensively on their behalf in this role. In 2006 was appointed for a two-year term to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.〔(An open letter from co-founders Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel: ) National Inclusion Project. August 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-05〕〔("Celebrity Ambassadors: Clay Aiken" ) ''US Fund for UNICEF website''.〕〔(ACF Press Office - PCPID Appointments." ) ''US Dept of Health and Human Services'' (2006). Retrieved 2007-06-22. 〕 Aiken made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's ''Spamalot'' in January 2008.〔("Clay Aiken meets Monty Python." ) ''CNN.com.'' Retrieved 2008-02-05 (article archived).〕 His run ended in May but he rejoined the cast as Sir Robin in September and remained through January 4, 2009. In 2014, Aiken announced his intentions to run for Congress in North Carolina's 2nd congressional district.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Clay Aiken Already Facing Anti-Gay Rhetoric From Congressional Opponent )〕 He won the Democratic primary held on May 6, 2014 but lost to Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers in the general election on November 4, 2014. ==Early life== Clay Aiken was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a young boy, Aiken sang in the Raleigh Boychoir; and, as a teenager, he sang in school choirs, church choir, musicals and local theatre productions.〔 After high school, he sang lead with a local band, Just By Chance, co-hosting and performing with the band at "Just by Chance and Friends" shows in Dunn, North Carolina. He was also MC and performer at the Johnston Community College Country Showcase in Smithfield and at the North Carolina Music Connection and Hometown Music Connection shows in Garner, and Benson. He performed the national anthem]] numerous times for the Raleigh IceCaps and the Carolina Hurricanes hockey teams, and performed it at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Three demo albums of Aiken's vocals were created before ''American Idol'' with the aid of studio time given as a birthday gift by his mother: a cassette called ''Look What Love Has Done'' (by Clayton Grissom), a cassette and CD entitled ''Redefined'' (by Clayton Aiken), and a CD that combined some songs from each of the previous demos:'' "Look What Love Has Done, Vol 2"'' (by Clay Aiken).〔("Redefined track listing." ) last.fm. Retrieved 2007-06-24〕〔(Demo CD, "Look What Love Has Done Vol 2", track listing. ) last.fm. Retrieved 2007-06-21.〕 Estranged from his abusive birth father Vernon Grissom and with his mother's and grandfather Alvis Aiken's permission, at the age of 19 he legally changed his surname from Grissom to his mother Faye's maiden name, Aiken.〔 Aiken attended Raleigh's Leesville Road High School and took courses at Campbell University before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 1995, Clay started working at the YMCA. Still in high school, Clay learned quickly that he could make a difference in the lives of young people.〔Aiken, Clay. "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life" (2004). pp. 133-134, ISBN 1-4000-6392-2.〕 He found his interest in special education while directing YMCA children's camps as a teenager, and at age 19, he served as a substitute teacher for a classroom of students with autism at Brentwood Elementary School in Raleigh. It was during that experience that he decided to finish college and become a special education teacher.〔Aiken, Clay. "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life" (2004), pp. 153-161, ISBN 1-4000-6392-2.〕 While attending college in Charlotte, he took a part-time job as an assistant to a boy with autism, and it was this child's mother, Diane Bubel, who urged him to audition for ''American Idol.'' Although his ''American Idol'' activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken completed his course work while on tour and graduated with a bachelor's degree in special education in December 2003.〔("'American Idol' star Clay Aiken graduates." ) ''USA Today''. December 24, 2003.. Retrieved 2007-07-03〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Clay Aiken」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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