Clay Aiken attracted a cult following — the “Claymates” — despite losing to Ruben Studdard in the Season 2 finale in 2003. In perhaps his highlight performance, he covered Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

Clayton Holmes Aiken (né Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor and political activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of American Idol in 2003, and his debut album, Measure of a Man, went multi-platinum.

Apr 30, 2015 · 'Claymates' group is a place where videos and infor about Clay Aiken are posted for all of us claymates to enjoy. Please be reminded that namecalling and cursing will not be tolerated. Thank you.

The official home of Clay Aiken on the web. All the latest news, photos, videos, and music from Clay. Plus, details about upcoming appearances and shows!

Also on Thursday night, season 2 runner-up (lost to Rubben Studdard), Clay Aiken returned to the show that made him a household name in America to perform slay (again) with a cover performance of “Bridge over Troubled Water“.

Nov 23, 2023 · Their fans, especially the “Claymates,” bickered about Studdard’s small margin of victory in the finale and claimed conspiracies. The actual Ruben and Clay were never at odds. “We occasionally will see somebody in the audience with an old Ruben shirt, like a lady last night, … and I joked with her,” Aiken said.

Jan 14, 2013 · That’s a good question, but there’s an easy answer: Clay Aiken may have been the runner-up on “American Idol 2,” but two years after he lost that competition, he has become the single most successful and popular reality TV show contestant ever.

Nov 13, 2024 · NBC Insider raves about Clay's return to music after 15 years! He wows with a powerful rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" on _The Kelly Clarkson Show_ and teases his new Christmas album, _When Christmas Bells Are Ringing_. Claymates, get ready to lose your minds - he's back and better than ever!

Nov 30, 1978 · While many critics were quick to praise Aiken for his vocal chops, others were equally quick to slam his overly earnest style and the fervor of his fanbase, who dubbed themselves "Claymates"...

The rumors started when his likeness was removed from his record's Web site and now Clay Aiken is setting the record straight: the former American Idol has parted ways with RCA Records, Aiken's rep has confirmed exclusively to PEOPLE.