Clayton Holmes Grissom was born on november 30,1978, in Raleigh North Carolina.To the doctors he was just
a baby, but to his mom he was a miracle. A miracle that would make a difference in the world, someone who would change
everybody forever.As clay grew older he had more and more problems. His dad would beat his mom, until they ran away from him.
Clay's mom Faye Parker met a really nice guy named Ray Parker. they married and had another child.Clay's younger brother who is now 17. ray died in the summer of 2002.Clay stayed away from his biological and hasn't speak to him since.
When clay was only two years old he would sing in front of anybody who was in sight.He would jump on counters and would start to
sing. Everybody would tell him 'clayton we'll give you a dollar to sing'. So he would sing and get his dollar like he was promised.
Clay would not only sing at his mom's work, but when he got into middle school he would sing in front of the whole school.
Then in high school he would also sing in front of everyone. When Clay graduated high school he already knew what he was going to do with his life. He wanted to be a special ed teacher.So clay went to collage in Charlotte,North Carolina to study special ed.He would work with a 13 year old boy named Mike Bubel.When Clay was around 23 or24 he changed his last name from grissom to Aiken (his mom's maiden name)in order to forget about his bilogical dad.
When he would be at the Bubel's house he would sing around the house from the top of his lungs. Until one day mikes mom ,Diane Bubel,told him to go on American Idol,
but Cay really didnt want to, actually Clay wanted to be on amazing race. But Diane begged and begged him to go on. Then finally he said "Fine if you stop bugging me i'll go." So clay went to the audition in Charlotte but got rejected. But that didnt stop him from trying a second time. He went to Atlanta City,and sang in front of Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson ,and our favorite judge Simon Cowell.Actually paula wasn't there so he had to sing in front of Simon and Randy.He sand a beautiful randition of ALWAYS AND FOEREVER the judges liked his voice but not his appearence. They said he doesnt look like a popstar but he sounds like one. Randy said he liked his voice just that it's hard to believe a voice like that came out of... then clay says a little white boy.
Randy says "You can work on your style. But you got a really good voice." then Simon says "Clayton ,we'll see you in hollywood." Then Clay thanks them and walks out with a sigh of relief.
So he goes to hollywood and performs in front of all the judges this time and makes it. Then he is the top 32. He sings again and again. Then it's time to get into the top 12.He sings ,again, and is voted by the viewers. Then ryan seacrest picks 3 people out of each group and only picks two to go to the top 12. CLAY AIKEN,KIMBERLEY LOCKE,AND RUBEN STUDDARD are called,but sadly only kim and ruben go on the top 12.But that wasnt te end we saw of Clay aiken. He was called back for the wild card and sang Don't Let Te Sun Go Down On Me.and was the last one to be on the top 12.
Throughout the weeks he would perform in front of an audience and millions around AMERICA. He would sing beautiful songs would shake his thang once in a while,and would never ever be on the bottom three. then the weeks went by and clay would sing his heart out on every single performance.
Then when it was the top 3, Clay, Kim and Ruben. they would sing their hearts out. But kim didnt sing well enough she got voted off.
And then there were two, Clay Aiken and ruben studdard. It was the last day to perform with all you have with all the power you have.
I think that tuesday was the best Tuesday any claymate ever had.We finally heard the best of Clay aiken.When he sang Bridge Over Troubled Water he took our breathe away. He swept us off our feet. He made us feel like that was the first time we ever heard it.He made his mother proud and all his fans proud. With that performanceyou would think ,no wait ,with that perfomance you would know for sure that he would win.
Wednesday may 21,2003 was the day everybody was waiting for.Every claymate got prepared to hear clays name when ryan was going to announce the winner. For two hours we say clay and ruben perform together and talked to ryan.They even showed clay's and ruben's hometown.They showed raleigh and they had a stadium filled with friends ,family and fans, every seat there was filled ,not one was empty. in brimingham ruben had a little church fiiled with friends family and fans. (See the difference clay had a stadium and ruben only had a church.)So finally after alot of commercials and ryan teasing us by making us wait more we, hear the winner.I told my mom if clay aiken wins im going to run outside in the dark(it was around nine in the night when ryan announced the winner,)and scream YES! CLAY AIKEN WON YES! But if he looses im never gonna watch American Idol anymore. So when Ryan was about to announce the winner i was getting ready to run outside screaming.But when Ryan announced that Ruben won i started to cry. I even turned of the t.v. off cause i couldn't watch more. i was so sad , but my mom told me not to be worried that in the near future Clay would be more successful ,he would have a number one cd, and will be loved more than Ruben. So i said ok ,I was still crying but calmed down a little. so a few months past and the American Idols Live! tour came out .I went to the one in anaheim and like my mom said clay would have more fans. And she was so right cause when clay came out every single person in the whole stadium was screaming ,I kept looking around and not one soul was silent or still.But when Ruben came out alot of people were screaming but not as much as they did for clay. then when his new cd MEASURE OF A MAN(oh and may i say it is a masterpiece),my mom was right again, clays cd went to double platnium in just 1week.
A few weeks ago i even asked my mom are you psychic or something ,how did you know. She just told me listen to BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER AND THEN YOU'LL KNOW.So I listened to it told myself 'how could i be so stupid , i should have seen it earlier clay has the best voice this world has ever heard.He not only had a great voice but a great heart. Clay may not know this ,but then again he may. But he has changed the world of many people including me.I did things I wasn't suppose to. Italked back to parents and sister alot.I wasn't a bad girl or anything i just wouldn't follow the rules that much. Not only me but more people out there did worst only lord knows whatg but they did. Until one day Clay aiken opened his mouth, not only to sing but to say something ,say something that would change our lives forever. He says he wants to make a difference in the world ,well Clay i'm happy to say you did you changed the world FOREVER.He even changed the lives of kids with special needs by making a great foundation called the BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION.It's a foundationfor kids with special needs to do every life things,like those who aren't so special.So please help out with his foundation,donate a dollar ,two dollars,anything just let Clay know that you care about his foundation and are willing to help those out there who really need the hlep from me, you ,and mostly clay so please donate.
We prefer to clay as an angel from above.A gift from GOD. This is really weird because I never liked a celebrity this much in my entire life. I mean I liked the Backstreet boys and nsync ,but never as much as i love Clay. But he was sent to us for a reason , a reason that GOD only knows. But all we know is that he is our angel , he is the best thing that ever hapopened to the world, the media and most of all us, the people who love support him.When Clay sings THE WAY I always think of Clay i know i might never get to meet him but i still love him. And i'll leave you with only this, Cay was brought into the wolrld to teach us something and if we look deep down into what he's telling us we might just figure it out.
always be yourself no matter what,because in the end it will always be about you. And love your parents cause when it's all gone they will always be there no matter what.
