Clay Aiken, whose full name is Clayton Holmes Grisson, was born on November 30, 1978. He achieved multi-platinum status with his debut album, Measure of a Man. In 2003, he came in second place on the second season of American Idol, marking the start of his professional singing career. At present, Aiken is 44 years old. Who is this Democratic political candidate, actor, singer, and activist from the United States?
He is the fourth highest-selling American Idol alum, having sold over 5 million albums. After that, Aiken continued to release albums on RCA label, going on eleven tours to support them. He received general public support for several of them, and his albums were well-received.
He has made numerous cameo and guest appearances on television programs. In 2010, he hosted the PBS show Tried & True Live. Throughout the majority of 2008, he portrayed the character Sir Robin in the Broadway musical comedy Spamalot. Additionally, he was the producer of a television Christmas special, A Clay Aiken Christmas, in 2004. A best-selling book was collaboratively written by Aiken in the same year.
In 2012, he came in second to Arsenio Hall in the fifth season of The Celebrity Apprentice. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, later renamed the National Inclusion Project, was established by Aiken and Diane Bubel in 2003. He fulfilled the role of a UNICEF ambassador from 2004 to 2013.
He was appointed to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities for a term of two years in 2006. He traveled a lot for this job. After resigning from that position, he went to Congress and entered politics.
Clay Aiken was born and nurtured in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he sang in the Boychoir of Raleigh as a little child and as a teenager he participated in regional theater shows, church choirs, and school musicals, and co-hosted and performed in local events with his band “Just by Chance and Friends” after graduating from high school.
Furthermore, he also served as a performer and master of ceremonies at various music events in Smithfield, Showcase Country, College Community, Johnston, Benson, and Garner in North Carolina.
Aiken legally changed his surname from Grissom to Aiken when he was 19 years old. He separated from his abusive father, Vernon, and gained approval from his grandfather, Alvis, and his mother, Faye, to change his name. Aiken has released the albums “Done Has Love What Look” on CD and “Redefined” on cassette tape, both by Clayton Aiken. Before appearing on American Idol, Aiken produced three demo albums of his singing, with the help of his mother in the studio. He also sang at the RBC Center in Raleigh for the NHL All-Star Game in 2011. He frequently sang the national anthem for the Carolina Hurricanes hockey club and the Raleigh IceCaps.
Who is Clay Aiken married to?
Jaymes Foster-Levy was also in 2003. Reed Kelly maintained a connection with him from 2008 to 2010, similarly. Finn Devin dated him in 2010. Jeff Walters had a previous relationship with him from 2010 to 2011. He publicly came out as gay for the first time in 2008. He stated this in People magazine. However, he freely acknowledges being gay. Clay Aiken is not married at the moment.
Furthermore, he is the biological progenitor of Parker Foster Aiken. By employing in-vitro fertilization, he and Jaymes Foster conceived a child jointly.
Clay Aiken’s career
Career as a singer –
He released a joyful CD, Happy Holidays With Affection, himself. Additionally, he produced the television show ‘A Clay Aiken Christmas’ the following year. In 2003, he participated in the Christmas Day Parade. His initial album as a vocalist was titled Gauge of a Gentleman. Furthermore, he has broadened his profession as a statesman, performer, artist, and advocate.
The musician steadfastly premiered his most recent song in 2012. His new single for 2011 is titled “Bring Back My Love” (2009), followed by “On My Way Here” (2008), “All Is Well” (2006), “A Thousand Different Ways” (2006), “The Very Best of Clay Aiken” (2008), “On My Way Here” (2012), and “Tried and True” (2010) are among his included albums.
Extra Career –
He appeared on Days of our Lives and The Tonight Show, as well as Jimmy Kimmel Live. During his time as an actor, he played himself in the show Ed. In 2004, he released a book called Your Life in the Music: Sing to Learn.
He made his Broadway debut in Spamalot, playing the role of Sir Robin. Similarly, he unexpectedly served as a National Ambassador for Project Inclusion. He also had the opportunity to work for Decca Records and RCA Records. In addition, he participated as a celebrity in the fifth season of The Celebrity Apprentice.
Clay Aiken and politics
2014 Congressional election – .
The miniseries documentary “The Runner-Up” aired on the network Esquire, featuring footage from Aiken’s election campaign. The second district in North Carolina is considered a stronghold for Republicans. In the general election in November 2014, Aiken lost to Republican Congresswoman Renee Ellmers, with a margin of 59% to 41%. He won by a margin of over 400 votes. A few days after the primary election, Aiken’s biggest rival, Keith Crisco, passed away. The results could not be tallied before the primary election, but they were held on May 6, 2014. Aiken contested as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 2nd congressional district in North Carolina.
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During the 2016 presidential campaign, Aiken, a Democrat, reaffirmed his support for Trump and referred to him as a “dumbass.” Additionally, Aiken issued an apology after denying that Trump’s response to the racist Unite the Right demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia, was racist. Aiken claimed that he wanted to concentrate on more crucial topics, including the claims of racism against Trump, which received criticism from various proponents of same-sex marriage, including Bill Maher. However, when campaigning for Congress, Aiken did not want to be seen as a candidate solely focused on the subject of same-sex marriage. He stated that his district’s residents had more important issues to address. Nonetheless, in 2012, Aiken actively campaigned against Amendment 1, which outlawed gay marriage and civil unions in North Carolina, and came out as gay after becoming politically more active in 2008.
2022 Congressional election –
Allam Nida, the commissioner of County Durham, and Foushee Valerie, a senator and Democratic contender for the state, were overshadowed by the other two candidates in the Democratic primary. However, Aiken placed third in the eight-candidate primary. In this video, Aiken can be heard saying that he is warming up his old vocal cords to speak for us and believes that the most vicious and loudest voices will be heard. Aiken stated that he would seek the Democratic candidacy for the 4th congressional district of North Carolina, as mentioned in his video titled “Up Warming.”
Clay Aiken’s net worth 2023
Aiken’s Clay has an estimated net worth of $7 million, according to sources. He also has a home in Durham, North Carolina, which is valued at $1,590,000. The home has four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and is within a square footage of 9,392.