Clay Aiken Named In Top Three Idol Songs

RALEIGH - In a special American Idol bonus edition of Entertainment Weekly (issue #937) on sale in June, Raleigh native Clay Aiken was listed as having one of the top song performances ever on the amazingly successful American Idol TV show.

In an article entitled "Best (and Worst) Idol Performances Ever", Aiken was listed at number three in the "Best" category with his performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" on May 20, 2003 during the show's second season.

In a pull-out quote with a picture of Aiken, the magazine spoke about that special performance where "backed by a gospel choir, Clay Aiken delivered a version of Simon & Garfunkel's number one hit that managed to be both over the top and expertly scaled."

In the special issue, Aiken was also named as having the biggest change in appearance since beginning on American Idol.

In a full page photo story, the magazine says that out of all the contestants, Aiken had the "ultimate Idol evolution" and went from "totally geek to totally chic" with his current look that includes longer hair, tailored suits, and contact lenses instead of glasses.

In a separate article that is an American Idol quiz, the magazine says that out of all of the American Idol contestants, Aiken had the second highest grossing debut album with 2.8 million in sales of his "Measure of a Man" album. Only Carrie Underwood had higher sales than Aiken in her debut album.

The content in the special issue with Jordin Sparks on the cover (the most recent American Idol winner) is not available at Entertainment Weekly's website, but the print magazine is still on sale on newsracks this month.

For those wanting to catch Clay Aiken in action, the star will be performing at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Friday August 10th at 8:30pm.

The tickets for that show are already on sale, according to the city of Cary.

For those seeking even more American Idol action, the official Idol tour will be stopping in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum on September 11th.

Tickets cost from $40 to $73, depending on the seat location. ::