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The Clack House
The People's Republic of Clay
Interpenetration. Primal Voice. Primal Reaction.
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| Jul 31 - SILVER LEGACY CASINO, RENO, NV 8:00 PM PDT |
| Jul 31 - CLAY AIKEN: TRIED & TRUE LIVE! (CA,CO,FL, LA, NE, NC, OH |
| Aug 01 - CLUB NOKIA, LOS ANGELES, CA 7:00 PM PDT |
| Aug 01 - CLAY AIKEN:TRIED & TRUE LIVE! (CO,FL,GA,IN,MI,NV,NY,NC+) |
| Aug 02 - CLAY AIKEN: TRIED & TRUE LIVE! (AL,AZ,CA,FL,NH,NM,NC,OH, |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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 Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:22 pm GMT Post subject: Summer Symphony Tour 2007: Meeting & Greeting with Clay |
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Frisco, TX July 4, 2007
M&G Report from the CB by Jtx4Clay.
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The meet & greet was fabulous. Mary brought us in, then Jerome came in. Jerome was in a great mood and smiled a lot. They both left and a few minutes later the elevator opens and out steps venue security, Mary, Jamie, Jerome and finally Clay. He just took a seat on the couch and started chatting with us - asking everyone their name and where they were from. Jamie was going to take everyone's pictures, post them on OFC and e-mail them to each of us. (Don't have mine yet). They asked us not to use our cameras.
He made eye contact with everyone and just seemed very comfortable. He looked great. I tried to make sure to catch the details like hair, stubble, shirt, shoes. Looked like when he went on stage he may have only changed his shirt.
We talked about his dogs - how they may join the tour later. There are no buses for this three-fer, but will be starting on the 17th. There will be only one bus so it will be pretty crowded. They're not sure having the dogs along would be wise, but you could tell Clay would like to have them.
We talked about his new producer and how they met in London and hit it off right away. He had met several other producers, but none seemed to be the right fit until he and Jaymes met this one. Hired him right away. Clay didn't give the timing of the CD.
We talked about why a DVD is very difficult. He said if he made a DVD he would have to get rights to every song. He can sing anything he wants on stage.
And he said he would not be in Texas for the Christmas tour.
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PRISSY JUST CALLED ABOUT HER MEET AND GREET!
Prissy said they were ushered into an air conditioned room with a couch and chairs and Clay came in and talked to them for about 20 minutes. She said he looked so cute. His hair is kind of short and fluffy, kind of reddish in color. He had his flip flops on his precious feet. CLAY said the concert in Houston would be different than tonight. They are trying out different things. Prissy said he was so sweet. Jerome looked good and Prissy said she gave her notebook for Clay to Mary who was also very nice. They did not have pictures taken with their cameras so Prissy does not have one to post herself. Prissy loved that it was like talking to Clay in her living room just sitting there casually talking. She will post more about it later |
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Meet Greet Report Jtx4clay
7 in Meet in Greet about 30 minutes sat on couch with the group -chit chatted to them- gave long story about Producer found HIM in London- didn't like whole process but they clicked and they are on the same page.
dogs not there now but will be.
Weather perfect
CLothes - jeans, green shirt, worried about wind and music flying off music stand
He also siad TAKING huge RISK and is nervous and curious how people will like it- he will be reading boards tonite. He is taking risks. DIfferences in opinion among his staff on wehter it will work or not. risky. Ma dn Greet Group said they love everything he does.
Differences in Houston- this show will be shorter houston more old album stuff....
10 days off planned had commitment to friends wedding.
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M&G report from maryg2504 at the OFC via CV (with permission):
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The weather did turn out nice. There was no rain at all during or after the concert.
After Mary checked our ID's, we were escorted to a room where we could sit and wait. We were brought bottles of water. She explained that they are doing the pictures differently now. Instead of each of using our own cameras, they will take the pictures and email them to us. After she left Jerome came in. He was so nice.
They left and came back with Clay. He's still not used to his new teeth. He was playing with them as he came in the door. Now I've been critical of his new teeth but he does look good with them. Since there was an empty seat on the sofa, he decided to sit and talk to us. He asked each of us where we were from. There was someone there who was not from Texas. I believe she lives in Georgia but I'm not sure.
Somebody commented that they liked his hair. It did look like bedhead since he had just gotten up. He said it was too long. He had Jamie cut it after the M&G. Jamie was there too. We told him we liked the Tyra hair. He said something about "made him look fat." I'm not sure if he was referring to the Tyra hair or the long hair. He looked terrific and he's not fat.
He talked about the concert. Said he had to leave out a lot in the Frisco concert due to the other activities. He was real curious what we thought about the concert and said he would be reading out comment online. Said he was taking a big chance with part it. He appeared to be concerned about some of the material in the concert.
Somebody asked him about recording the concert and putting it on tv. He said when you do this, you have to get permission to record the songs. Then you have to find a network that would show it. When you sing the songs live, you don't have this problem.
We were a pretty quiet bunch. He asked if we had any questions. Someone asked about coming to Texas for a Christmas concert. He said they would if somebody asked but nobody has. He said the type of music that was popular in Texas was rock and country. He's right about the country music.
He was asked about the gap in his schedule between OK and PA. He said he had already made plans to attend a wedding before the tour was scheduled. This is a wedding he has to attend. He said it was okay for us to tell this.
Then I asked him when he next album would be out. He started telling us the story about finding a producer. Nothing we didn't already know. He seems very happy with this new producer. I had the impression that it's someone who can produce the type of songs that he likes but with an arrangement that will appeal to more people. It is a British man. Somebody asked if he could give the initials. He was going to give us one initial but Mary interrupted him about a problem with the camera -- the batteries needed charging. He told her to let the batteries charge for a little while and he would just sit and talk some more. He didn't say anything else about the album.
They don't have bus right now so for the first three tours he will not be meeting people at the buses before he leaves.
He signed our books, CD's and other things we brought. Then each of us posed with him for a picture. They are going to email them to us and also post them on the OFC.
We must have gotten 30 or 45 minutes with him. I didn't really get close enough to look at his green eyes. I enjoyed just watching and listening to him talk for 45 minutes.
That's all I can think of now. If I remember anything else, I will post it.
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He did say "made me look fat." I don't know what he was referring to when he said it. We had mentioned liking the Tyra hair but he might not have remembered what the Tyra hair looked like. I interpreted the comment to mean he was referring to the longer hair but that's just my opinion. He was sitting on the couch with two others. I think he was reacting to what one of them said. He had his head down when he said it. I'm thinking that's the reason he's keeping it shorter but this is just my opinion. His face did look fuller in those pictures with the longer hair but I think he's lost weight since then. Maybe somebody else who was there will remember. I was trying to remain focused and remember everything he said but it was hard. I just wanted to look at his gorgeous face, watch is mannerisms and absorb all of his beauty.
It was not his hair that I was looking at very much anyway. It's hard not to notice his teeth since they are so white. He had on a green shirt. Looks like he may have just changed shirts for the concert. No he's not fat. I kept looking at his shoulders. He filled out that shirt really well.
I remembered one more thing. He was asked if he had the dogs with them. He said no and glanced at somebody. Don't know who. I got the impression that not everybody wanted him the bring the dogs but that might change when he starts after the break. He said it had only been a couple of days since he had seen them anyway. I think Mary did say they have one bus. Might be pretty crowded for two dogs.
I don't know why he mentioned his iPhone but said he should have brought with him to show us. It was in another room I think.
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:33 pm GMT; edited 4 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:23 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Houston, TX July 6, 2007
Posted by ClayMeltsMe at CB:
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I'm in Love all over again!!!
Oh what a dream come true. I can die a happy woman now. Meeting Clay in person is indescribable. His looks are perfect and sort of like a procelain male doll. I stared and stared and could not find a flaw. His green eyes are mesmorizing and his attention towards one is a killer. He looked me straight in the eyes when he spoke to me. I felt so comfortable with him I was being silly myself. Angelcats description is to the T except I could have sworn he was wearing a purple polo shirt.
When he asked each our name, he prounounced mine perfectly, Lupita. After he sat down he looked around and he spotted my little cute purse. He said "what is that? Let me see it". And he reached for it and asked me where I got it. Of course, I said ebay. He was manhandling it and talked about what was at the bottom of the purse and asked me "have you seen what is at the bottom? I said, no Clay, I only care about the pictures in the front. It was a magazine purse with beautiful pictures of him. He said "Oh I don't want to see that. Look, look at the bottom, I said no look at the pictures. He was flipping it over and said "I don't want to spill your things." "Is this an actual purse?", I said yes, and he said "you actually walk around with this? You let people see you with this purse?" I said yes. He asked what people's response was I said that's how I've clayverted many. He laughed. I asked him if he's heard of that word and he said "Yes, yes I have heard that." He asked each one of us who had come to the show with us and I proudly said two sisters. When it was time to autograph our item I gave him my LTS book. Then I told him that my six year old son, Nicholas says Clay is his archnemesis. My son always tells me "Oh mom, Clay doesn't even know you're alive. Then when he learned I won the meet and greet he cried and said, "Now he's gonna know you're alive." Clay asked each one to spell their name because he did not want to make any mistakes as in the past. But when it came to me he said, " I took Spanish in high school and I know how to spell your name, is it L U P I T A? I paused and said wait Clay wait, I wasn't sure how to spell my name anymore. I was dumbfounded. He laughed and then wrote on my book the following:
Lupita, I know you're alive, and I am happy about it. Clay Aiken
Nicholas, I'm sorry I am your archnemesis, Clay
Simply adorable. When he began the photos he started with the fan at the end. Then he said, "Lupita, come take a picture with me. I said, "Oh Clay, you know my name" and he said, "And I know you're alive."
I told him I wanted the prom pose. We held hands then he began a prom story about I don't know what. I was just staring at him in cloud nine. We were still holding hands. Then he let go of my hands and said, "just a second Lupita". He finished his story then said "okay now", "Is this good?" referring to the prom pose and I said, No,Clay get closer to me." and he bend down to get his face closer to mine. I told him, Nicholas is going to die. He laughed. The pic taking ended and he said goodbye after chatting more with the fans. When he was at the door, I said loudly,"Clay it was nice meeting you!" and looking straight at me, he said "It was nice meeting you."
Then I cleaned off my drool and put my wobbley knees together and proceeded to walk out. He was simply DIVINE. I hope everyone gets a chance to someday meet him in person and sit with him for thirty minutes as I did. |
| angelcat4jc at CB wrote: |
Wow!
Just got back to my sister's in Southwest Houston after we went to Birraporetti's for an after concert dessert. (Well, a better dessert would have been seeing Clay there at the restaurant, but he probably went to the hotel to sleep before flying up to Tulsa tomorrow unless he took a red-eye flight tonite)
Ok, here goes. I hope I remember details. It may be a long one, so bear with me.
We had to be outside of Will Call between 5:30-5:45pm. We waited, took pics of us under the Clay banner at Jones Hall, we waited, we sweated, we waited. Finally, around 6:10? maybe. We showed our id's to Mary when she came out and then we went through the door by Will Call to a backstage sitting area that was right off the lobby. Mary told us about how they were doing the pictures different and the set up of the M&G, just like Frisco.
I took a pic of the room, I'll have to post those later. There was a couch and 4 elegant chairs (the kind of chairs that you would see in a museum display or very formal living room). Mary told us to have a seat. I was the 3rd person in line and I sat on the right side of the couch. The other winners sat in the chairs and one sat on the left side of the couch. Mary told us to get out the item we wanted Clay to sign and that we didn't need to use our cameras. They gave us bottled water and we sat and chatted about different things and our plans of how we are going to approach/talk to Clay. We were all giggly. Nice group of fans.
After waiting, and chatting, and waiting, and chatting, and taking pics before Clay came in, and other people coming in and passing through to the lobby, and waiting (it was probably only about 10 minutes, but seemed like forever), Jerome came in and gave a short speech about don't squeeze him too tight. He didn't say anything about not touching or anything like that.
Then Jerome left and we waited, and waited, and waited. It was maybe 6:30? when Mary comes in and she sits in between me and the other fan on the couch and said, "Clay can come in now". She was going to tease him about where he was going to sit. But he didn't come in right away, so she got up and said for him to come in. Jamie was there, too as well as an armed police/security guy. What did they think we were going to do? Kidnap him? ha ha Jamie took the pictures with Clay's camera (or whoever's it was-Clay had to show her how to take the picture or something, so I am assuming it was his)
So Clay comes in, we are sitting in a semi-circle-2 chairs on each side of the couch. He says "Hi or Hey or How are ya". I'm not sure if he said, "Hi, I'm Clay". Maybe. He was wearing a green polo shirt with the fifty2thirty logo on the upper left chest. His jeans were like the ones he wore in Frisco, and he was wearing the sandals he wore in Frisco.
He starts going around the semi-circle shaking our hands and asking our names. He says to me, "Haven't I met you before?" OMG, I couldn't figure out what to say!! I think I said, "No" and he moved on to the next person. He then came to the couch and sat between me and the other fan on the couch! Just like Mary did earlier. OMG, I kept looking at his profile and his shoulders and how he is really a big guy!!
He had lots of stubble and his hair was brown with some highlights. I really didn't see any red in it. I glanced down while he was jabbering to look at his feet and toes and then looked at my feet next to his. My gosh, he DOES have long feet and long toes!!
Okay, I'll get to the conversation.
Let's see. He talked about how nice Jones Hall is and the acoustics are so much better. He found out that the ceiling can be lowered to take away the top balcony for a more intimate venue. He was fascinated by that. He asked us where we were from and if we brought any family with us. He would call on us to answer, almost like a mini-classroom. He had control of the conversation most of the time. We really didn't get to ask questions that much. Oh, he talked about the rainy weather and I think I asked him if he drove down and how long it took me to drive from Dallas (I think I said that-jeez, the mind is going!). He said he flew down.
Oh, one thing. When he talked to each individual person, he looks you straight in the eyes. Beautiful!! :
I may be skipping some more of the conversation, it's hard to remember some of it.
Then he started autographing. He would carry on a conversation with each person as he was signing their item. I had him sign my LTS. It was the edition from the Christian store. It has a little different cover. He recognized it and said that one has a little bit of a different cover and was sold at the Christian stores. He opened it right to the page I had marked with the flap and he said, "You knew where I always sign the book, don'tcha?" (with a little snark in his voice). While he was signing mine, I told him I was a Special Ed. teacher and he said, "Oh, really!" He sounded very interested and asked me what kind of students I had. I said I teach severely disabled students. He said, "oh, like Life Skills" (and he said something else, but I can't remember). I told him I was moving from elementary to high school this coming year. He said, "That's a big jump, what made you decide to do that?" I told him because it was closer to where I lived (I had moved in the middle of the school year). He also asked me how long I've been teaching Special Ed. (21 years). He said, "wow, that's great" (or something like that). This is all the while he was signing my book.
He wrote in my book: (oh, he asks each one of us to spell our name out, no matter if he knows how to spell it, because he said some people spell their names differently.)
Debbie, It was nice to meet you! Thank you for what you do! Clay Aiken
When he was finished with the autographing, he was getting up to get his picture taken with each one of us (individual, no group pic) He posed differently with each one of us. One of the fans said she wanted the prom pose. He started posing and then started going off on a tangent and said that the girl he went to prom with was a girl who, later on I think, took off her shirt in traffic or something like that (when he was a senior). The prom pic everyone has seen with the blonde-haired girl was after he had already graduated.
He had such a nice smile for everyone's picture. When I posed with him, I don't think I looked directly into the camera. I kinda got distracted. I don't even remember my arm around him or his arm around me, but the ONE THING I will never forget was the feel of his stubble/scruffy beard next to my cheek! He just put his cheek next to mine and then Jamie took the picture. I hope it turned out ok. I haven't received mine yet. Probably tomorrow.
When all the pictures were done, I made a point to give him the gift bag of goodies I brought for him. The first thing out of his mouth was "Is there any food in here?" He was so funny. I knew I should have bought some Krispy Kremes or something! They would have been stale Krispy Kremes since I would have had to buy them on Thursday on my way down to Houston because I've heard there aren't any KK stores in Houston. I gave him a learning Spanish kids' version book, a t-shirt that says "Property of Texas" with the Texas flag on it with a yellow rose wrapped in it. He didn't open the gift, but saw the yellow rose sticking out. He then said, "Oh, Does this mean I need to sing-The stars at night are big and bright..."? Then he asked if any other performer sings that when they come here (meaning Jones Hall or Houston or Texas, not sure) Someone said, yes, they do. Then Clay said, then I don't need to do it if everyone else does it, do I? And we said, Of course you do!! Ha
Then he said thanks and they were trying to rush him out the door and it was almost like he wanted to stay longer and chat. We wanted him to stay longer, too. But he had a show to do. I think he left about 6:55. The show was supposed to start at 7:30, so he had to get going. Mary, I think, escorted us back out and as soon as we walked out the door (right near the entrance to the theatre by the Will Call), some fans came up to some of us and knew right away where we had been. (It must have been the continuous grins on our faces!
Well, Clay DID include a little of the Deep In The Heart of Texas ditty at the concert. And what a concert it was! It didnt start until about 7:50. Clay said he thought it didn't start until 8. With about a 15 minute intermission, it was over by 10pm. So about a little under two hours. Great!!
Wow, that was long. I hope I remembered everything!!
ETA: I knew I forgot something!
When he first sat down next to me, I tried to take a whiff without getting too close. Jerome was right there watching as well as the cop. I swear he must have had Burberry cologne on. I have some of that and the smell was very familiar to me. (of course, I was in Dillard's today and walked past the men's department-LOVE to go through that way just to get a whiff of the men's fragrances, and the leather men's shoes. LOL
And he REALLY puts you at ease. I was nervous and my heart was beating fast up until the time he actually comes in. Then it was so much easier to talk to him. Like I said, whatever I was going to ask him flew out the window since Clay was the one who controlled the conversation.
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| SparkleTex at CB wrote: |
| Hey you two, I was there, too. Remember the ditzy blonde? I sat on the other side of Clay on the couch. It's great that you posted your stories because I was so excited that a lot of the details escape my memory. I remember I felt so at home with Clay that I kept touching his shoulder when I was talking to him and Jerome gave me a warning! Yikes. And when he and I had our picture taken, I could feel his stubbly unshaven cheek next to mine! I thought I was going to die! I had never seen him so close up like that and I was struck by his long eyelashes and boyishly adorable face. He didn't seem all that thin to me. He filled out his clothes nicely. His hair was a little messy and puffy and curled under a bit but still quite nice. No picture in my email yet. I wish I had the picture by now because I'm leaving early tomorrow for vacation for 3 weeks. Computer access will be somewhat limited. |
| AllyKat at CV wrote: |
We spent the night at our daughter's last night and her internet wasn't working properly and I only managed to read a little of the concert thread. We left Austin at noon in good weather. About half way to Houston we hit really hard rain and it just kept raining. It made for a really nervous drive the last two hours. We made it to the concert hall with plenty of time to spare though, so I had time to calm down. We were supposed to meet to the right of the will call window at 5:30 but no one at the venue seemed to know anything about it and were fuzzy about where the actual will call window was. That did not help my nerves. I started looking around for other people who seemed lost. I thought if we were all together they would at least look for us. I found one person and then another and another until we were all together. By this time we had been able to get a concensus from the venue about where the will call was! We waited, and then waited some more. It was very hot and humid.
Finally a little before 6:00 Mary came out and got us. She checked ID and then escorted us into a very nice lounge area. There was a couch and four chairs. She asked us to take a seat and told us they were doing things a little differently now. They would take the pictures, etc. She then left and sent someone in with bottles of water for us. Before Clay came in, a fully armed policeman came in and asked us "are any of you ladies packing any artillery"! We all laughed and apparently looked harmless enough that we weren't searched. (I thought this was funnier before I read about the plane incident. Now it makes me sad that it's even necessary.)
Finally, Clay came though the door. He sort of bounded into the room. My first thought is that he's bigger, up close in person. He looked great. He had on a purple pullover fifty2thirty shirt and jeans and sandals. The shirt was tucked in only in the front. He had stubble and messy hair. (I didn't mind.) After asking each person their name and shaking hands, he sat on the couch between two of the other ladies and I was sitting in the chair right beside the couch. I had a very good view. He put us at ease immediately. He controlled the conversation and mostly asked us about ourselves. We didn't really get any openings to ask him questions. He signed our things and took time to really personalize each one.
Then it was picture time. He let us chose our pose! I'm not really sure what I did. We kinda of hugged, very gently and then turned towards the camera. I don't have the picture yet and have no idea what it will look like. I may not acknowledge which one is mine! Alice did ask if he would sell the fifty2thirty shirts, but he said they were for the people who worked with him. I didn't notice any cologne on him and I am very sensitive to that, so I don't think he was wearing any. He felt very substantial in a good way. I also wanted to comment about his eyes. They are just beautiful and he does look right at you when speaking to you. I just keep playing it over in my mind. My fandom went up several notches and I didn't think that was even possible. Well that's my story. Hope you enjoyed it.
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:35 pm GMT; edited 4 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:24 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Tulsa, OK July 7, 2007
| Okclayhoman wrote: |
you want a meet and greet story....I would love to share what was probably the most incredible time with Clay ever!
The hotel van took us over to the venue at approximately 5:39....we were let into the Brady and waited for about 10 minutes when Mary came down and greeted us and needed to check our id....just as she finished checking ours a woman came in and told Mary she was supposed to be a the meet and greet.....well, this woman is a real whack job..we know her as elviscentral over on the OFC....anyway Mary looked at what she said was her invitation and told her that she was not on the list.....the woman left and Mary took us up to the room where we were to meet Clay.....
She told us how the pics were going to be done and gave us a few instructions and left ....about 5 minutes later Jerome came in and gave us another little set of instructions and then went to get Clay..........
OMG! The man was talking even before he entered the room,LOL and he was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white polo shirt with fiftytwothirty productions written on it.....tucked in the front, hanging out in the back...but dear God, he looked gorgeous......stubble and sandals...he started talking about the plane incident and he was so pissed.....he called the woman a witch and said he really had another name in mind for her......I said "bitch" and he giggled and said "thank you" so everytime he said something about her he would look over at me and I would say bitch again.....it was really funny.....and someone after the meet and greet was over told me he would always remember me as his "bitchy ole lady" ....I can live with that....
The conversation moved onto other things and some questions....
He is not a Beatles fan nor an Elvis fan.....
He really wants to do an international tour and hopes that will happen once the new cd is released and shipped over there....he knows he has lots of fans in Southeast Asia....
If he were in a movie he would want Ashley Judd as his co-star though he did say that if you want to win awards you should really have someone like Meryl Streep co-star with you....
They have thought about a PBS special but are going to wait until he has a more complete repertoire of original music...
He told a story about his Mom where she used a cuss word and it was so funny.....Clay said his mom never cussed but Ray had changed Bretts dirty diaper and had thrown it in the back seat of the car.....when Faye found out she yelled at Ray about having put a shitty diaper in the backseat....Clay said it was the first time he thought his Mom was cool!
He asked me if I had a question and I told him no, but I did have something I wanted to say to him....he said "OK" and I told him that he really needed to stop saying he was not a songwriter when he introduced "Lover All Alone".....I told him you are a songwriter and your fans know that.....and he said ok, I will try something else....I was beyond please he did exactly that last night and even eluded to writing more....
We had about 30 minutes with him before it was time to have our pics taken.....I got to put my cheek next to his and felt that beautiful and soft stubble......He thanked us all for being there and again shook our hands .....
He also mentioned in response to a question about RCA that Clive is "set in his ways" and continued by saying that contracts are very complicated which led us to believe he really is going to leave RCA.....not what he said but just a general impression from his comment.....
He said that it was sorta funny but every girl he dated when they broke up the very next guy she dated she married...lol.....not sure what that was about but we did not ask really personal questions....it was an absolutely amazing time with him.....he is beyond gorgeous and his eyes look directly into yours when he talks with you.....God I love him.....He made us all feel like family and I think in his heart and mind we really are.......
That is pretty much the whole meet and greet and how it went down.....but I would give anything if everyone could have this chance to be this upclose ....there is no one like this man......and he is indeed all man.....omg!
So, there you go......my concerts are now over and I am already in withdrawal......he just does something to us doesn't he....the magic, the voice, the sexy.......he definitely brough the sexy back into my life......hugs ....
Oh and one more thing which I found really funny.....I told him about the preparty and that we were going to raise lots of money for the BAF...he replied thank you very much but he was going to be doing the same thing when he sued Continental LOL.....pure snark but oh so funny.....
Have I mentioned that I love this man.......always and forever! |
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| Ok guys....I was in a meet and greet with him tonight before the concert......Clay told us exactly what happened and he was asleep...he's a tall guy and his foot accidentally touched her armrest...He didnt even hear her talking to him until she began screaming at him, at which point he pulled up his visor and she started swinging... she hit him 3 or 4 times and being the gentleman that he is he did not swing back......He was not hurt......but man was he pissed......one of our other Oklahoma fans was sitting across the aisle from him and was a witness to this woman's personal attack . |
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| I want to clarify .....the woman was an African American, not that white haired woman in that pic.......and the woman hit him opened handed on the legs....3 or 4 swipes.....he wasn't hurt only ticked off.....and who wouldn't be.... |
From lizott at CV:
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Meet and Greet
We left for the meet and greet at 5:45 and when we got to the Brady Theatre we were told to wait.and then we met with mary she was very sweet.then as we were waiting Elviscentral walks in with papers saying she won the meet and greet.mary said she was not on the list.We all told mary that she was lying and then she was asked to leave.we were taken to a room where people ate lunch so it had picnic like tables and it was a hot room.we met jerome and then in comes Clay. he is gorgeous his hair was not fixed like it was on stage stubble whte polo on with fifty2thirty written on it.his jeans looked really good on him.he was very chatty and so were the ladies.talked about the plane incident.and he swore a little. nobody was offended we all loved it. said he was in tulsa before.wouldn't tell name of producer.said he will be on are you smarter than a fifth grader. He asked what are names were.then we asked him if he remembered the names.then he asked if we had any questions.I said I had written down some on a piece of paper.I gave him the paper.I asked what actor or actress whould he like to be in a movie with. Meryl Streep and he likes Ashley Judd.
2.would you like to do a duet with Paul Mccartney.no
3. would you like to tour overseas.yes
we got autographs and then our photos.then I shook his hand and said thank you . and he left and I looked at his back and he has nice big shoulders.
we were done sometime after seven o'clock. |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:00 pm GMT; edited 2 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:27 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Philadelphia, PA July 17, 2007
| Corabeth wrote: |
| Brightstar wrote: |
There are some good meet & greet recaps on the OFC, with some good tidbits. For instance, Clay would have chosen "Lonely No More" or "These Open Arms" for his first single, if it had been his choice. And *sob* he does not seem to love BFM and doesn't expect it to show up in concert or on a CD. |
My first thought when reading this about BFM is that RCA has put a high price tag on it. He insinuated that at a JNT concert last year. But in reading the M&G recap, he said BFM doesn't necessarily fit in with the possible direction of the next album. Hmmm, he said that about "Lover All Alone" for the last one too.
Person asked if next album would be all originals and he said if he has anything to do with it, yes. (Implied that he may have to fight the the good fight with Clive again which may take awhile but he wasn't going to budge about it.)
He and producer seem to be in synch but wouldn't tell the name.
He also says the hardest song to sing of his is TITN. Never tired of Invisible but tired of "A Thousand Days". Jerome's favorite song is The Way.
He cussed again in the Philly M&G when talking about the person who wrote the letter.
Someone asked question about doing any country songs on the album and he said something like No because country crosses over to pop but hard the other way around. (I wonder if he has had discussions with Kelly on that one.)
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| LuvMyClay wrote: |
| I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who had a M&G tonight. Clay asked them to post on the message boards, that he would like everyone attending the M&G tomorrow to wear purple. She told him he should post that in his blog, but he said no, he wanted them to post it on the message boards. Since none of them are CH members, I am passing this info on. Maybe everyone should wear purple. *g* |
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| ok, the purple thing, from the OFC...the girls that were in the meet and greet tonight said there is no deep meaning, Clay just wants to see who can get the message passed, he is going to tell the group each night to tell the next group to wear a different color and see how many get the message. |
M&G recap from another board via CB:
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My M & G
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I posted this on my home board so I am just copying and pasting. I post there in all caps because it is easier for me to see since I have vision problems. So, I am not shouting.
Here it is------
I AM NOT VERY GOOD AT REMEMBERING EVERYTHING. AS PEOPLE ASK ME, THINGS THAT WERE SAID COME UP.
FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS SO NICE TO HAVE ANOTHER CLAYMANIAC THERE. ALL 6 OF US WERE NERVOUS WRECKS. JEROME LED US TO A ROOM BACKSTAGE WITH BLESSED AIR CONDITIONING. HE TOLD US TO TAKE WHAT WE WANTED FROM THE SNACK TABLE. WE ALL TOOK WATER. DRY MOUTH FROM NERVES, I GUESS. AND WE ALL BONDED. OTHER THAN THERESA AND ME, AND ONE OTHER WOMAN, NO ONE WAS A "REGULAR" POSTER AND 2 OF THE WOMEN DON'T EVER POST ANYWHERE. BUT THEY WERE SWEET AND VARYING IN AGE AND BACKGROUND.
JEROME CAME IN AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED FOR HIM TO TELL US THE RULES. WE LAUGHED. HE TOLD US WE SHOULD NOT HUG CLAY TIGHTLY AND THAT HE ALWAYS TELLS CLAY NOT TO HUG BUT HE DOES.
THEN THE MAN CAME IN AFTER WE HAD WAITED AND STRESSED FOR 30 MINUTES. IT WAS SURREAL. HIS HAIR WAS A MESS BUT I DIDN'T CARE. THE STUPID SHORTS AND A PURPLE HENLEY SHIRT. SANDALS. LOOKED LIKE HE HAD SOME KIND OF TAN. I IMAGINE SELF TAN OF SOME SORT. HE LOOKED FABULOUS.
AND WE CHATTED FOR HALF AN HOUR. INCREDIBLE. I CANNOT REMEMBER EVERYTHING, BUT HE WAS VERY REAL. QUIANA HAD GOTTEN A LETTER FROM A FAN TELLING HER THAT CLAY HAD NO RIGHT TO GET FAT. HE WAS MAJORLY PISSED ABOUT THAT.(HE CUSSED AGAIN BUT I AM NOT GONNA SAY HERE WHAT HE SAID.) HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO READ PART OF THAT LETTER AT THE CONCERT CAUSE THE WOMAN WAS GOING TO BE THERE. AND HE DID. HE SNARKED ABOUT BEING FAT ALL NIGHT. AND LADIES---HE AIN'T FAT. I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT HE LOOKED BETTER AND HE BRUSHED THAT RIGHT OFF. DOESN'T TAKE THAT KIND OF COMPLIMENT WELL. BUT HE LOOKS MANLY. Thud!
I ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WAS THINKING OF INCLUDING SOME KIND OF COUNTRY SONG ON THE NEXT CD SINCE COUNTRY HAS BECOME SO POPULAR AND HE SAID NO, BECAUSE COUNTRY CAN CROSS TO POP BUT NOT VICE VERSA. WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IS HIS FAVORITE SONG TO SING AND HE SAID THAT HE GETS SICK OF SINGING SOME SONGS, BUT NEVER INVISIBLE. RIGHT NOW HE LOVES These Open Arms AND SAID IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO SING. TITN IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST TO SING.
THERESA ASKED ABOUT THE BAF WHICH I WILL LET HER TELL.
THE PASS IS SO CUTE. MAYBE THERESA CAN SCAN IT. IT IS CLAY SITTING ON HIS GRANDFATHER'S TRACTOR ON THE FARM. ADORABLE. THAT TRACTOR SONG JUST KEEPS COMING UP. WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT A SONG I HAVE MADE FUN OF FOR YEARS WOULD PLAY SUCH A PART IN THE SHOW.
IN THE MIDDLE, MY PHONE RANG. WE ALL LAUGHED AND HE MADE A FACE. I GOT RID OF THE CALL AND TURNED IT OFF. THEN JEROME'S RANG. CLAY SAID HE WOULD BE NEXT BUT NOONE EVER CALLS HIM. 5 MINUTES LATER, HIS RANG. IT WAS FUNNY.
HE ASKED US TO POST THAT ANYONE WITH A M & G IN SYRACUSE SHOULD WEAR PURPLE. I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DO THAT BUT THERESA DID. I TOLD HIM IF HE BLOGGED IT, IT WOULD HAPPEN BUT HE SAID, NO, HE WANTED US TO DO IT AND THEN HE WOULD ASK EACH GROUP TO POST ANOTHER COLOR. NOT SURE WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT.
I ASKED HIM IF THE DOGS WERE WITH HIM AND HE SAID NO, THAT JESSE IS ALLERGIC. HE TOLD THE CUTEST STORY ABOUT HOW RALEIGH SAW THE SUITCASES AND KNEW HE WAS LEAVING AND JUMPED UP INTO THE SUITCASE AS IF BEGGING TO GO ALONG. HOW SAD SHE LOOKED AS HE WAS LEAVING. HOW UPSET HE FELT THAT HE WASN'T BRINGING HER. DURHAM HAD NO CLUE. TYPICAL MALE.
I TOLD HIM NOT EVERYONE WITH BINNOCULARS IN THE SECOND ROW WAS LOOKING UP HIS NOSE. I WAS TRYING TO TELL HIM THAT I HAD POOR VUSION AND THAT IS WHY,BUT HE WOULDN'T LISTEN. HE SAID, THIS IS A FAMILY SHOW AND I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT. WHEN HE GETS SOMETHING IN HIS HEAD, THERE IS NO CHANGING HIS MIND. THAT IS FOR SURE.
ONE WOMAN ASKED HIM IF HE IS MORE CONFIDENT IN THE FANDOM AFTER ALL THIS TIME. HE SAID THAT HE IS ALWAYS COMPLETELY APPRECIATIVE AND NEVER TAKES US FOR GRANTED. HE SAID THAT YOU NEVER KNOW AND HE APPRECIATES EVERYTHING.
THEN IT WAS TIME TO GET THINGS SIGNED. I HAD A BEAUTIFUL LINDA HUBER PIX SIGNED AND IT IS NOW HANGING IN MY OFFICE AT HOME. I AM VERY THRILLED WITH THAT.
PICTURE TIME AND WE TOOK OUR "PROM PICTURE." CHEEK TO CHEEK AND JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF STUBBLE. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT YET, BUT I AM SOOOOOOO THRILLED THAT HE HAD HIS ARM AROUND ME AND HELD MY HAND. A WONDERFULLY SMOOTH AND WARM HAND. Thud!
IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO LEAVE AND HE SHOOK OUR HANDS. WHAT HUGE HANDS, GIRLS. I MEAN, WOW.
IF I REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE, I WILL ADD. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I WAS BLESSED TO HAVE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE. CLAY IS A REAL PERSON. AND I THINK IT IS AMAZING THAT HE DOES THIS FOR US.
THE CONCERT WAS UNREAL. FABULOUS ACCOUSTICS WHICH I KNEW. I HAD AN AMAZING SEAT RIGHT IN BACK OF THE CATWALK AROUND THE PITT AREA. HIS VOICE WAS AMAZING, JUST AMAZING.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.
GWENN |
| clayloverinpa at CB wrote: |
I wasn't sure where to post this, but I finally have my recap done of my wonderful meet & greet with Clay in Philly on Tues. night!! Needless to say, it was awesome and I'm still on Cloud 9!! Here ya go:
The closer it got to Meet & Greet time, the more nervous I became! I was downing doses of Pepto Bismol like crazy!! I was so afraid that when I got in there, I wouldn’t be able to ask a coherent question! We went to the Mann Box Office around 3:30 to pick up my pass and I was told that they had no passes at this time. They had placed a call to find out about them, but had not heard anything as yet, so back to the hotel we went.
A little after 5 PM we went back to the venue and this time the passes were there but they COULDN’T FIND MINE! My name was not on the list the guy told me. He made a phone call and quickly (THANK GOD) this problem was resolved!
I met up with several other meet & greet winners standing there and shortly Jerome came looking for us and walked us to the back of the venue. We had to wait there a few moments and then he came back for us and escorted us down this hallway past what appeared to be the girls’ dressing room. We walked into a room that had a couch and a few chairs and in the one corner was a table with veggies/dip, fruit, and bottles of water and juice, etc. Jerome told us to help ourselves. He said Clay would be in in about 15 min.
We sat there for what seemed forever - probably 20-25 min. and then finally Jerome opened the door and in walked Clay!! He was wearing khaki shorts, a purple polo shirt, and sandals and his hair was kind of tossled. He looked ADORABLE! He had this big grin on his face and said “Hi! How are ya’ll doin’?” He wanted to know how far we traveled and where we were all from. There wasn’t an open spot for him to sit down anywhere so those of us on the couch started squishing together to make room but he saw there really wasn’t room and he just pulled an end table out from aside of the couch and sat on it with his feet dangling! Too cute!
He asked if anyone had any questions, so I spoke up and asked him if the song, “Back for More” might be resurrected at some time in the future either on a CD or in concert. He said “probably not.” He said“the song doesn’t really do it for me.” I said “ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Didn’t you see us all in the audience with our arms in the air singing along with that song?” He laughed and said that he just doesn’t feel the song fits with the direction the CD may go in I guess. I then asked if we were to assume that the next CD would be all original material. He said if he had ANYTHING to do with it, it certainly would be. You could see how strongly he felt about this and he did say that he feels he may have to fight for it, but he said he was prepared to “stick to his guns” and do it. He said it may end up taking a long time, but he wants to do it. I could just tell how badly he really wants this. He said he really dislikes the “politics” that go on with this type of thing. He does feel that his new producer is on the same page as he is and hopes all goes well. He still couldn’t tell us a name for him yet. As far as releasing singles, he said that he really has no say at all as to what is picked. He said he can offer his opinion, but usually it doesn’t work that way. He told us that his pick for a single would have been “Lonely No More” or “These Open Arms”. He also said that “These Open Arms” is his favorite song to sing right now along with the TV theme medley. When asked what song he’s tired of singing, he said “1000 Days” and he said that he NEVER gets tired of singing “Invisible”! He mentioned that the most difficult song for him to sing is “This is the Night.”
He said that he was prepared to bring Raleigh along for the rest of the tour. He said he even had a reservation for her on the plane, but Jesse is allergic to dogs, so he couldn’t bring her. He said it was awful because the dog was sitting in his suitcase when he was packing, and she sat there and whined when he went out the door. He said “it broke my heart!” Awwwww!!!
One of the other ladies there gave him a gift basket of goodies and he went through them all checking to see that no items were made in a factory that handled tree nuts. He read all of the labels!!! Most of them say they were made in factories that process peanuts and he said that was okay because he’s not allergic to peanuts. He was too funny sitting there going over all the labels!!
He then joked with me about being the only one that was asking any questions. I laughed and told him that I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to speak at all and now I can’t shut up!! He really laughed at that!
Then I brought up the subject of us - the fans. I said to him that I thought he used to be really insecure or uncomfortable in believing that we would be here for the long haul for him. He said “I still feel that way.” I asked him why, and he said “because I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you.” He more or less said that he doesn’t ever want to assume that we are going to always be there. He said “what if I put out a really crappy CD or something?” I told him that he needs to know that we are here for him and here for the duration. He thanked me for saying that and that he appreciated that comment.
He also told us about the letter that Quiana received from “a fan.” He told us the he was going to “call her out on it” tonight. He told us that he was going to read it on stage during the show! We all laughed and told him he should. He told us that the letter insinuated that he had let himself go and he was eating too many Krispy Kremes and mac & cheese! We all just howled at that! He couldn’t believe that someone would have done that! He called the lady a rather amusing name which I won’t put in print, but it got quite a laugh from us!
Then one of the ladies’ cell phones rang and he got this horrified look on his face and said “OH MAH GAWD!!” She grabbed it and slammed the phone shut and shoved it in her purse. It was hysterical! He said “you just hung up on them”! We were all laughing like crazy. THEN HIS PHONE WENT OFF!! He just quickly shut it and jammed it in his pocket!! TOO FUNNY!
He said he knows how we all go on the message boards, so he told us to tell everyone who has a meet and greet tomorrow (Wednesday) to wear purple. He wanted to see how fast the word passed and see how many showed up in purple! He’s just SO funny!!
It was nearing the end, so he signed each of our items making sure to spell each of our names right. Then each of us got a turn to get our picture taken with him. (Jerome told us we could NOT use our own camera even while Jamie was taking her shot. DANG!) He told us that the “prom pose” was the most popular and he made it the “ default pose”, and that was what we were going to get unless we told him differently. When I got up there he grabbed my hands and was trying to pose them with his - like in the prom shots! It was a riot!! Then he put his arm around me and I put mine around him (OH LORD!!!!). My knees went weak at this time, but HEY! I remained vertical!! Then he put his face right down to mine against my cheek. I glanced at him and he had this goofy silly grin on his face. I gave him a smack and told him I didn’t want the goofy face - that I wanted the nice grin on my picture. He laughed and said OKAY!!! So, I’m hoping he gave me a nice smile. Jamie was taking the pictures and told us she would have them out to us in e-mail today. (I STILL DO NOT HAVE IT!!) While there, I did mention to Clay and Jamie about the woman who posted from Houston that she still did not get her picture. Jamie said that she was aware of the problem and was working on it. I had printed out the woman’s post and I actually DID give it to Jamie and it seemed that they were both aware of the issue and were working on it, so hopefully this lady can get her photo.
Before we left, he did ask us if we liked the meet & greet format. YES WE DO!!!! As he got up to leave, we were all gathered around and he shook all of our hands and thanked us and we, of course, thanked him for doing the meet & greet!!
I walked out of there on Cloud 9! It had gone so well. I was nervous for no reason. You guys who said that you calm down after he walks in and starts talking were right! My nervousness absolutely DID go away when he came in, and I ended up feeling like we were talking to a friend in someone’s living room. It was informal, intimate, and a precious memory I will never forget.
Sorry this is so long, but I know you guys love details!!!
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:24 pm GMT; edited 5 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:27 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Syracuse, NY July 18, 2007
| anntherese54 wrote: |
Greetings from donnamom's laptop in Syracuse. Hubby is waiting for me to head out to Canandaigua, so this needs to be quick.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
The color for tonight's M&G is GREEN. Clay got the idea from the green plastic that popped out of the fidget he was playing with at the beginning of the M&G.
Clay said that there would be a NEW SONG tonight in Canandaigua. I don't know if that means a NEW NEW song....or a NEW OLD song...or another TV theme song. He did not offer any more info than that.
Clay does an awesome imitation of a mating bullfrog.
Details to follow.
*g* |
| flyonthewall at CB wrote: |
Morning Everyone!
I was one of the lucky six last night and was too wired to sleep at all after the concert.
Jerome came and brought us inside about 6:15. I couldn't believe how funny, easy-going and casual he was: not the scary Jerome of a few years ago. A few of us had our picture taken with him and he was happy to oblige.
We were taken into the theater, up onto the ACTUAL stage, past some sound equipment to a symphony practice room behind the stage. We put about 8 chairs in a small circle to get ready for Clay. There were 2 long tables with big sandwiches and water bottles..........the food looked great and Jerome told us to "help ourselves." None of us took a big sandwich for fear His Hawtness would come in and we'd be caught with our mouths full. LOL
Jamie came in: she is so cute. Several people gave her "advice" about Clay's hair and I jokingly said, "Jamie: you better check our hair before Clay comes in."
All this time, Jerome was sitting off to the side listening. Several times I glanced over and he was laughing at something we were talking about.
Clay finally came in at 6:40 and stayed until 7:05. He had his trademark tan cargos on and a white golf-type shirt with tan slip-on sandals(not flip flops ) He was playing with a stress ball a fan had given him the night before and was squeezing the green gel-stuff through the netting and showing us how it looked like green pimples. I guess this was the ice breaker! He put it away and directed his attention towards each of us, giving us each such a warm look as he asked us our names. I remember quite a bit of our 15 minute conversation but it may be out of sequence: I'm hoping another M and Greeter will help contribute because some may have been lost on me.
He talked about the venue the night before, commented that a few of us had worn purple, asked us to choose a new color for Canandaigua........we decided on GREEN. Other things he talked about were his new CD (not a lot of info) and his friend's wedding (that he and Jamie went to). Clay told a funny story about how after the wedding, about 2 am, there was a loud bullfrog in his backyard (apparently he has a pond.....cool). They went outside with flashlights to see WHAT was making that noise (Clay also imitated the bellowing noise a few times) Turns out, Jamie hates frogs.
Clay gave us a chance to ask questions, saying this if the "Oprah part" of the M and G. These were some of our questions:
How are the dogs doing? (He told us about Raleigh being an offspring of the dog in "Something About Mary." Durham is from another breeder in CA and Clay said he is "dumb." He also mentioned how Raleigh knew right away that he was leaving on tour and whimpered that she was going to be left home with his female dogsitter.
What happened to your Volvos? (my question because I have one and enjoy it so much) Clay gave his white one to his mom but still has the silver convertible out in LA. Now he likes Audis, too.
When will you be on Fifth Grader? Clay said it is being taped in August during "Celebrity Week" but he doesn't know when it will Air.
I know there were other questions but I'll have to ask the other M and Greet winners to help. Judy can tell you about her sparkly headband, Christine can tell you about her pretend "kiss" and how she had a special thing autographed for a friend. Ann, Anntherese and another gal, an OFC Mod (I think her scname is butterflyshine) better all step forward here and supply the missing parts that I can't remember.
When it was picture time, Clay asked me what pose I wanted. I said, "Oh, I don't know." Clay said, "How about the prom pose?" I said, "Oh, good: I never went to the prom."
I remember it was fast and that part of his temple was next to mine..........it felt nice and warm. I might have felt a little stubble but can't remember where our hands were.......only the picture will tell. When it was over, I didn't want to move but finally said, "Thanks, Clay."
The other thing I'll remember was the way he said,
"You're welcome, Sharlee." WHAT A GUY! SO GENUINE!
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| one of the mods from the OFC won a meet and greet for syracuse, and she had mentioned something I didnt remember reading before..she told him that she was happy that one of the girls were singing LAV, and he said that he thought people would get that he was imitating KEITH FROM AI, so whoever said that..which was most everyone lol thats what he was doing. |
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| I was reading over at the OFC in the Syracuse M & G thread. One of the attendees said that Clay told them he likes it when people stand up at the concerts. She asked him what to do if the person behind you says to sit down and he said to tell them to be quiet! |
| anntherese54 wrote: |
It's been an exhilarating, crazy-fun, wild and wonderful 4 days and 3 night concert swing through western NY. Recapping it all will have to come in parts. It's difficult to even know where or how to begin. But, I will start with the Syracuse Meet and Greet and do my best to put the experience into words. The experience was surreal. The memory of it is equally surreal.
Syracuse Meet and Greet
I had never met Clay before. Never got his autograph. I was extremely excited (and nervous, too!). The M&G group was gathered outside the venue near the entrance as per instructions in the fan club email. Jerome came out and was as nice as can be. He took pictures with us individually (No, I did not do the prom pose with him. *g*) He was very down-to-earth and his presence put me somewhat at ease. Jerome took us up an escalator, down a hallway and into the theater itself. It was a beautiful concert hall. Small and intimate. This was my first concert of the tour, so I was excited about that, too. Jerome led us down the length of the theater and up the stairs to the right of the stage. We stopped on the stage for a bit. I could see the set lists taped down on the stage for the concert. I took a few steps onto the stage and looked out from the stage into the rows of empty seats to get a sense of what it would be like for Quiana, Clay and Angela to be on that same stage and look out into the audience. It was pretty darn cool!!
Jerome led us back into a large room behind the stage. It must have been some sort of rehearsal room. There was a large curtain on one side of the room. The ceiling was very high and there seemed to be track lighting overhead. There were risers along two sides of the room. Very big room. There was a long table with lunch food on it and water bottles. Jerome offered us water bottles if we wanted. (I think he offered us food, too, but believe me, no one had any appetite!) Jerome had us sit down in some chairs set up in a straight row along the front of one set of risers. He then took a chair and put it in the middle of the row of chairs we were sitting in for Clay to sit in. Jerome said that Clay doesn't usually listen to him. He asked us not to hug Clay. Someone said, but what if Clay hugs us. Jerome said, "like I said, Clay doesn't usually listen to me". But, he asked us not to hug him tightly or squeeze him tightly. That was really the only rule. He asked if we had any questions which he answered so respectfully. He was gentle and kind. It was my first interaction with Jerome, too, and I was very impressed.
Some of us at the end of the row of chairs moved our seats out to form a semi-circle so that we could see the place where Jerome had marked for Clay to sit. So our chairs were more or less in a "J" formation. Jamie walked in. She's as young, tiny, and cute as I remember her from the West Point concert in December when Clay brought her out on the stage to tease her about her accent. She came to gather any gifts people had brought for Clay. She was very down-to-earth and easy to talk to. She then placed a chair for Clay at the end of the row opposite the little semicircle we had formed. We told her that Jerome put a seat in the middle of the row for Clay. She said that then she would sit in the chair she set out. She sat for a little while and then got up to leave.
It was only a few moments later when I heard Clay's voice. There he was with Mary and Jerome walking into the room saying something about, "so what's this about being nervous?" He sat right down in the outside chair that Jamie had set out. We said he was suppose to sit in the other chair that Jerome set up for him in the middle of the row of chairs. He said, "Oh, we have assigned seats?" (bwah!). He stayed in the seat on the outer edge of the group.
THE FIDGET
He began playing with what I call a "fidget". (That's what we call them where I work. We use them with students with attentional difficulties who need something to play with or fidget with to help them stay focused in class). It was a small plastic squeezy ball. The ball had a part that was outside the ball and you're suppose to push it back inside the ball. Clay sat there talking about how they were playing with it on the bus. He was trying to get the part back inside and made some grunting noises of frustration while he was working on it. He finally got it inside and showed it to us. He said one part that bulged out looked like a pimple.
In that time, I was able to just observe him. He was wearing brown slip on sandals. He had on cut-off tan cargo shorts. He wore the white 52-Thirty t-shirt. He wore an attractive black watch on his left arm. His hair looked great! (It looked very similar to the way it looked later that night for the Syracuse concert). HE looked great. He looked very natural and at ease. It was at this time that I noticed that there was no arm hair as had been reported at the Philly concert the night before. I then noticed that his legs also looked like they had no leg hair. I was pretty stunned. I also wasn't sure if I could trust my poor eyesight. Maybe it was the lighting? The lighting was this overhead track lighting and it wasn't very good. It wasn't a very natural lighting.
The order of things after that is fuzzy, but I will recall as much as I can as best I can. After he finished playing with his "fidget", he looked at us and asked us our names. He went around the semicircle pretty quickly, enough for each of us to say, "I'm _______". He asked us if we were from around the area. I don't think anyone was directly from Syracuse so he asked if we were from the surrounding area to which several of us replied "yes". He moved along pretty quickly and directed the conversation.
THE COLOR PURPLE
He asked if we had heard about wearing purple. Two of the 6 people had on purple. One woman brought a pair of purple high-heeled shoes, another had a purple keychain of sorts. Choosing the color was just something for fun. He said we had to pick a color for the next night's group. He squeezed his fidget and out popped several lime green plastic balls from the inside. So, he said, "how about green?" So, green it was.
CONCERT TALK
He asked us if we had been to Philly. One person had. He talked about how tough the venue had been with security and that he thought the Syracuse venue was going to be even tougher than that. He said "they" (meaning Clay and Co.) didn't mind the clack, but that flashes were tough because he feels like he's going to fall off the stage when there are flashes. He talked about people standing up during the concert. He wants people to stand up during the uptempo songs. He thinks some venues are more conducive to that than others. I asked him if he knew that Chautuaqua had pews. He wasn't aware of that.
He asked if we were going to Canandaigua and most of us said "yes". He said that there would be a new song at Canandaigua. He mentioned that folks ask him what his favorite song is and it changes all the time. He said he has previously mentioned that "Open Arms" was his favorite and that the TV MEDLEY is his favorite thing to sing even though he knows that others don't like it. He said he does.
He talked quickly and the conversation moved to different topics quickly as well. He'd finish talking and ask if anyone had any questions. Someone asked him if the songs in the Classics Medley came from a thread from the OFC discussing songs Clay should sing. I guess one of the songs in the medley was in that thread. He said, no, he didn't know anything about that thread so they didn't choose the songs based on that.
CAR TALK
Someone asked him about the two Volvo cars that he had and asked if he had gotten rid of them. He said he got rid of one but that he still had one in LA. (NO, I didn't think to blurt out if it was in Santa Monica!! *g*). He talked enthusiastically about the cars. He included Jamie and Jerome in the conversation about the cars...how they loved the Volvo (XC70 I think). He said that now he loves Audis.
DOG TALK
Someone asked about the dogs. Again, Clay talked enthusiastically and at length about Raleigh and Durham. He repeated the story of Raleigh going into the suitcase and whimpering when Clay was getting ready to leave for the tour. He mentioned that one of his "employees" was allergic to the dogs, so that's why the dogs are not with him. He had Mary go out and get the staff tour passes that had the pictures of Raleigh and Durham on them. He said not to bother with the Raleigh picture because Raleigh hadn't changed so much. Mary brought in the pass with Durham's picture on it and we passed it around and looked at it. So, we had car talk and dog talk!
MATING TALK
I don't recall how this conversation started. I just remember that Clay started telling a story of how he and Jamie got home around 2 a.m. from his uncle's wedding. (Now I thought he said "uncle's". I sure could be wrong.) He said that they heard this really loud noise outside the house. He said it sounded like two deer mating. He referred to a big male buck. Then, he made the sound they had heard. Okay, so how does one type the sound? It was a long deep sound like a bullhorn. He imitated the sound again. It was so funny! He proceeded to tell that he and Jamie went outside to check things out with their flashlights. They looked around for quite awhile and then discovered the source of the loud noise: bullfrogs mating in his pond. He teased Jamie at the M&G because she doesn't like bullfrogs. Apparently, they were quite big. Clay said that the pond water is low because there hasn't been much rain so the bullfrogs were near the surface.
EVA TALK (No, not THAT Eva!! *g*)At one point, I asked Clay if he had ever heard of Eva Cassidy. (I love Eva Cassidy's music. Her voice is so pure and her musical stylings so diverse and eclectic. Unfortunately, she died of cancer at 33. She had inquiries from record labels, but her diversity scared them off. She liked to sing a little bit of everything: R&B, jazz, folk, gospel, blues. When Clay sang "Fields of Gold" during the acoustic set for the IT, he sang Eva Cassidy's arrangement). His answer floored me and thrilled me. He said that "they" had actually wanted to do a DUET of Clay and Eva with her song "Time After Time" using her vocals posthumously. (Yes, he actually said, "posthumously") He said that it didn't quite work out and unfortunately, they couldn't bring her back to work on it since she had died. He then mentioned singing "Field of Gold" on tour and that being her arrangement. (Those are two voices that I would have loved to have heard together. It was exciting for me to learn that this was something they pursued even if it didn't work out.) It wasn't clear to me if this duet was something they considered for a previous album, current album being worked on or as a song for a tour. The conversation moved rapidly and there often wasn't time for a follow up question since Clay would have already moved on to another question.
CD TALK
(Please keep in mind that I am paraphrasing here since I do not remember every exact word Clay said) A question was asked about the new CD. Clay reiterated what had previously been reported about finding a producer for the CD. He mentioned that it was a man but he knew that we already knew that. He mentioned that things were going well with the process so far. He does not know how long the process will take. He mentioned that with the last CD, they considered doing covers from the 50's, but they didn't think they would have a chance for much radio play. They did the covers from the past 20 years thinking they would have a better chance for radio play although that didn't work out that way. With the last album, they had a choice...to do the cover CD or else have to wait even longer to get out a CD. He said they chose to put out the CD of covers rather than wait. There were questions about why the label insisted on covers. Clay reiterated that the label had been successful with that format with Rod Stewart etc. The group said but that was different because Rod Stewart had been around for such a long time...and Clay basically said he knew that and that we all (meaning those of us in the M&G) knew that. I am very cautious about the next part because I do not want to misrepresent what he said. I am relying on my own memory of it. I got the impression that if the choice for this next CD was "covers" or "not make the CD", then this time, they would wait. But, that for now, things are moving along well. (AGAIN, these are my words paraphrasing the conversation. He did not say wait for how long or wait for what, so I can't answer exactly what he meant by that, except to say that is is clear to me that Clay's preference is not to do another album of covers.)
Autograph and Photo
At some point, Mary came over to the table and said that it was time to take the photos. But, first Clay autographed the items people brought. Mary gave him a pen and a marker to use. Jamie walked up to each person and took their item for signing and handed it to Clay. Clay asked each person who the item was for and asked how to spell the name (or he spelled it himself out loud to check the spelling before writing it). He seemed to write the same thing on everyone's item: "The person's name, Use your voice, Clay Aiken." There was a diversity of items to be signed: a CD, a Linda Huber print, a picture frame, LTS and an original Kevin Hess photo! The Huber print and the Hess photo were gorgeous!! The signing went very quickly and then it was time for the photos which went just as quickly. Mary called up people in the order they had their names on their list. She said they would email the photos to us, maybe as soon as Wedneday night. (I did not receive mine yet). Jamie took the pictures. While the first person was called up, Mary called my name to be next. It all happened so fast and it was so surreal. I remember walking up towards him and he said, "Let's do the prom pose. Everyone seems to like that". Hey, who was I to argue?? *g* I remember him taking my right hand with his left hand and putting my left arm around him (gently....no squeezing!!) and his arm around me and then looking at Jamie and smiling...and then CLICK! I know at that point, I walked away in a total daze. I don't even remember getting back to my chair. Heaven knows what I look like in the photo. When the last photo was taken, Clay said good-bye from across the room where the photos were being taken and walked out of the room with Jamie and Jerome.
The group stayed and chatted with Mary for a few moments until someone from the venue came to escort us outside. I did make sure to thank Mary for this format for the meet and greet and told her how great it was. Someone had also told Jerome how great the format was and Jerome said, "If you're happy, then we're happy".
When I walked outside, I had to sit down on a bench near the venue just to be in the moment. It was at that point that dear Pookle came walking by. I probably haven't seen Pookle since Darien Lake for the JBT and normally, I would have run up to her and greeted her with a big hug. But that night, I saw her walking towards me and it was like everything was suspended in slow motion. I could see her. But, I couldn't make my body react. Or my brain. I apologize to ANYONE whom I saw in that post M&G FOG. ( Fortunately, I got to see Pookle again the next night in Canandaigua and she was so understanding of my altered state when she saw me after the M&G. )
Thank you to everyone for the kind support, word of encouragement throughout my nervousness and the elation of sharing the excitement of the M&G with so many thoughtful people both in person and PMs. The meet and greet was just the beginning of three wonderful days in western NY for Syracuse, Canandaigua and Chautauqua. But, that's another recap! *g*
Here's a link for examples of FIDGETS. The one that Clay was fidgeting with is not pictured in this catalog. But, it was something similar. I kind of liked the one at the end of the first row named, "Click Clack Stress Ball". *g* |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:45 pm GMT; edited 3 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:29 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Canandaigua, NY July 19, 2007
| DancesOfSpirit wrote: |
| Notacanuck wrote: |
ETA
Any M&G reports from last night? I wanna hear about the new song! |
Hey, wait a minute! I gave a report in the wee hours of this morning:
| Quote: |
Once is definitely not enough. *g* |
Oh, you mean you want more. Well, so did I ... but .... sigh.. *g*
About the song: It was very difficult to hear clearly. When he said, "Everyone gather around." Well, let's just say he did not have to say that twice and he was lucky he was able to extricate everything but his hand and iPhone out of the way before we all descended upon him. It's sort of hard to hear amongst all those bodies piled upon one another. He was not able to get the volume as high as he wanted. My subjective hearing says it was a ballad-type, but with some grit, not sugary sweet - I got a possible sense that green-eyed soul could come from it. He stressed that at this stage it may not end up on the cd, it's just too soon to know for sure, until everything comes together. I am not a good one to describe it, and I do regret that I am not a better reporter. If the sounds/vibrations he emotes and allows to flow through him from the elusive, ever-evolving, quicksilver core of his being reach me on a visceral level and engages my soul in a dance, I am duly skewered and gulp down the koolaid willingly and follow the necessary rituals so that I may recreate the ceremony of mergence again and again. I remain duly skewered.
He tried to prepare us for the fact that the new cd could take some time, possibly a lot more time than we've ever previously had to wait.
He was not that fond of "A Thousand Days" (so much for that endless talk of "spinning balls" - here again perhaps he was attempting to conjure up some powerful lemonade or sweet tea), or BFM as previously noted. He expressed a more positive inclination toward TRD.
More later ... was on the phone with friends until 4:30 this morning reporting; one in Charlotte waited up until 2:30 for me to call. Will be driving to Chautauqua a little later.
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| ncwannabe at CV wrote: |
Hi All. I'm back from Canandaiguq. Of course, nobody most likely knows I was there. But, I was blessed to have a M&G, and front row seats to the concert. Here's an extremely long, semi-coherent, rambling, recap of a night in heaven! Scroll at will!
Don't know where to begin. I guess I'll do the M&G first. (Note: this will be full of typos and inaccurate grammar and stuff like that cause it's gonna likely be really long!)
He walks in looking all gorgeous dressed all in green (green hoodie and jersey type material shorts down to the knees and his sandals. (Gah-worthy) Anyway, he says "hey how are yas? Having a good day?" Then he asks us where's our green stuff? We told him that some of us were on the road already and so couldn't pack more and then we said "we're women -- we've known what we were wearing for more than a month!" He said something like "well, too bad -- I want green!" Anyway, then he said we have to come up with a color for tomorrow. I said "how bout red?" He said "well, we know the Claymates have red. But then that's too easy. Let's make it blue. So blue it is!" I asked him "what can you tell us about the new album?" he said "well, there's not a lot to tell as of yet." I said "new stuff?" He said yes, if he get's his way. He said he'd fight for it, and to be prepared that IF there is a fight involved, it could take a long time -- like 2 years. But, he did say the label is pleased with the new producer and that might help keep Clive at bay. Someone asked about resurrecting BFM. Clay said no, and that it really wasn't his favorite song. He said he did want to do uptempo stuff though and said I promise we'll get some uptempo stuff that's really good and even better. He then stopped talking rather abruptly and got this look on his face. He pulls his iPhone out of his pocket and I thought maybe it had rung (vibrated). But, what he did was look up something and then he says something to the effect of "I can let you listen to something." Then he says "no, I can't, you won't be able to hear it." Then he says "we'll we'll try" or something like that. Anyway, he leans in to the table in the middle of us (he's on his knees or something and puts his arm across the table and holds out his phone.) He says, "lean in." Like one giant amoeba, we all do an EF Hutton and lean on each other listening to this song on his phone. It wasn't him, I would assume it was a demo someone sent to him. It was uptempo. I couldn't hear it very well. Couldn't really get any words for a title. So, when we were done I asked what the title of it was. He said "I'm not telling!" Then my friend asked who the new producer was? He said, not telling. She said how about his inititals. Clay said No!
Someone asked about how long he would be with RCA (ballsy question!). He said something like "as long as they'll want me" (truly don't remember his words.) Then he paused a bit. Then went on to elaborate. He said words to the effect of "Listen, every label has problems. No matter where you go. I work with nice people there for the most part." (please, please, please remember I'm paraphrasing!) Here's the statement I love. He said. "It's better to have a known devel than an unknown devil" or something like that.
Someone asked if he'd like to do movies? He said yeah, if someone would ask him. We all thought he'd be great in a Disney flick. My friend asked how the symphonies respond when they see the set list? He said it really varried. Each symphony only gets to see the music for the first time the afternoon of the show. They learn it in about 2 1/2 hours. Some are really snooty. Most of the snooty ones are the orchestras that play together all the time. The ones that bring in various members from different places are usually a little bit more fun. In contrast, however, was Rochester. It was a real symphony but he said they were the most fun so far. He said they had a bunch of fun with them in the rehearsal and they were really great! He said having done shows with orchestras now for 3 tours, they can usually get a feel for which ones are fun and which are not when they walk in.
I asked about merchandise. Told him we wanted more! He said it was hard because having a lot of mdse on the tours make it a LOT more work for them. Said then they needed more trucks, personnel, etc. Said symphony tours much easier for them in that regard too. Said Philly cleaned them out of mdse and they had to make an emergency call for more stuff. Got 35 boxes that day of new stuff and have NO IDEA where to go with it to take it to the next venue. (guess space is at a premium with 9 of them packed in that bus!) My friends who are going to the show tonight (fri.) piped up and said they'd take it LOL. Clay laughed, and then said the funny thing is that when they were talking about what to do with it all, he had said "I'm sure the fans would take it. Then he said NO!"
That's all I can think of regarding the questions in the M&G right now. I, believe it or not, was relatively calm . Anyway, I was ambulatory and mostly coherent and able to ask questions. I remembered to look at him and his eyes. He looked great, even without his hair fixed and wearing his VERY casual clothes. He sat in a directors chair at one end of the little room, I was on the opposite end. Two sofas were on either side and a table in the middle. Anyway, we could get one thing signed. Jaime went around the room and took the thing and handed it to Clay with want we wanted on it. Then it was time for pics. This is the only time I fogged a bit LOL. I was last! Everyone was getting the "prom pose" which is his arm around your back and holding hands in the front. That's what everyone got. But I wanted a hug! So, I went up and said "is it okay if I do this" and put both arms gently around him. That's when I blanked out a bit. I don't remember him answering. (my friends said he said "sure.") I don't remember his arms around me (but they tell me he did) and I don't know if he put his face next to mine. (I think he did). Then, suddenly I snapped out of it when I realized they took the pic and I realized I was looking at Mary, and not Jaime, who was taking the picture. So, I just reacted and I said "Wait, I wasn't looking at the camera!" and Clay said to Jaime "did you get it?" and Jaime said at the same time "It's there." Well, I knew she took it, just that I wasn't looking LOL. But, anyway, I presume I was still hanging onto him while I said that LOL. Not sure! Anyway, then as I walked away I know I said "thank you" but I wish I had had the presence of mind to say it to him as I looked him in the face. But at least I said it. Soooo, anyway, not sure how the pic will be since I'm sure I'm looking in the wrong direction! But, we'll see.
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| DancesOfSpirit wrote: |
You may want to choose between snoozing or scrolling. :)
This month of July, for me, has been both exciting and heart-wrenching at the same time. But as I am simultaneously compelled to see/feel good-byes to other reflections of the gift of life, I am equally compelled to acknowledge the beauty and joy and excitement of Life as its different aspects manifest almost instantaneously.
I have been blessed to have sadness tempered by the gift of joy and awed to recognize how they may co-exist side by side, or one within the other ... and I am grateful, ever so grateful.
I met an incredible mighty, mighty Fine Man this past week. It wasn’t so long ago that he was merely a pubescent boy, but, now, he is a Man, and many did witness the transition. *g* It’s been cause for great rejoicing and laughter. A magnificent ceremony was held in, I believe, the land of Philly. I wonder if such occasions are often marked by celebrations of such magnitude, and so openly. *g*
This mighty, mighty Fine Man (let’s call him MMFM) strides forward in his life with such force and purpose that the time/space continuum parts for him to travel through. He draws those near to him into his wake, and those that resist rail insolently in their vibrational discord, puzzled by the disconnect and being left behind and sulking because no magic dust has fallen upon them.
Upon receiving an invitation to call upon MMFM, a fog containing both a sense of serenity and joy and the ravages of panic descended upon me. What to wear? (This was before I knew there were going to be an assigned color ... hee) What gift to bear with me? What to say or ask? Silly me. The Universe has its ways in which it takes care of such matters and reminds you of what is truly important and what is really some of the excess baggage we carry with us.
I journeyed to the “Chosen Spot” for the designated meeting; and indeed it was the “Chosen Spot”. Here, the Universe spilled itself upon me, first in a drenching rain, which also caused my inner being to know that it mattered not what I wore or carried with me, but what mattered was simply that I was there and that I was there to touch another spirit, to dance the cosmic dance a little more closely than our personal journeys normally permit.
I arrived in plenty of time to receive my pass into the inner sanctum. Alas, it was not there. And I waited and waited and waited. And two others arrived to receive their passes and we waited and waited and waited. And, then the Universe spilled its cleansing waters upon us. Reluctantly, I donned a rain poncho. Kept checking with the Dispenser of the Passes who said she didn’t have them. Finally went back to ask her if there was anyone she could call to see if we were at the right place ... it seemed odd that there were only three of us there. Then, she casually reached over to her left and picked up a piece of paper and said, “You’re supposed to walk down to the first gate and look for the biggest man there.” It was now one minute to 6 p.m. We were to have met between 5:45 and 6:00. Another test by the Universe .... I swear I did not try to reach though the little slot in the glass and grab her by the throat. That does not speak to my good nature so much as to the fact that there was not time enough to do so. (Of course if I had not found that biggest man still down by the gate, the outcome could have been quite different and I might have greatly embarrassed the fandom.)
I quickly went back around to the other two who were huddled in out of the rain to tell them what they had to do. THEN, I knew why the Universe had gotten me back on the treadmill recently, because I took off like a bat out hell toward that gate and probably would have killed myself if I had not recently resumed exercising and the treadmill. The Universe works in mysterious ways y’all and it had prepared me and no doubt laughed like hell when I performed accordingly. I thought there’s no way I’m going to miss my first and perhaps only M&G.
So, I reached the biggest man at the gate and , no, it was not Jerome. It was, however, someone equally as big. He had the list of names and asked me mine and asked for identification, with apologies and pointing out it was simply procedure, and asked me if there were any others coming. I told him at least two were coming up behind me ... I guess they had not been working out on the treadmill, or maybe they had more inner faith that time would stand still for them, which is very nice for them if that is the case. So, he took us through the rain to the backstage area, where we met with Jerome and waited for others to arrive before going down to the meeting area. I’m laughing inwardly at myself, realizing I must look like hell or a drowned rat. I had no mirror with me, but I looked down at my blouse and knew how wrinkled I must be; and I could only guess how my hair might look from pulling the poncho on and off my head. But, as I said, part of me was laughing inside and marveling at how the Universe works. All that time I wasted wondering what to wear and what to do with my hair .... pufft .... irrelevant.
MMFM was large and in charge when he entered, but in a gentle way. He made me smile .... imagine that ....*g* ... as he seemed to slip into somewhat of a “teacher” mode, attempting to put us at ease and letting us know we could ask questions. I am rather introverted, so situations like this are not always easy for me, but I was simply happy to be there, to meet him, to see him up close, to drink in the essence of him. Quite possibly I would not have asked any questions and remained an observer, but when there was a lull once or twice I made me speak up. I even had a tiny, in good spirit, disagreement with him which elicited a funny wrinkly-nose face from him, which I found rather fun to see up close. I am not a human recorder, so there is simply no way I can convey or repeat to you word for word what was said, nor can I convey to you every context within which he may have meant something ... I am not him. He has his experiences and filters through which he relates and we each have ours. I wish it were possible for us all to “mind meld” to be able to fully share both the verbal content and, to me, more importantly the feeling of the experience.
He fully lived up to any expectations I may have had, but then I never expected him to do otherwise. My expectations are very fluid and open to adaptation and creativity, as I understand he is human as we are, and we are all continuing to learn about ourselves and each other. I so love that our paths have crossed (his and ours and yours and mine) and the growth which has been facilitated because of these interconnections).
I warm to what I perceive to be his naturalness, his down-to-earthness and, yet, at the same time, marvel how he pulls us into orbit with him amongst the stars on a mysterious journey which we never anticipated was coming our way.
I wish for each and every one of you the opportunity to have this moment come for you, if you wish it for yourself.
He does notice who is wearing the color of the day. What I had planned to wear was not the color of the day, although I did toy with the idea of putting on a different blouse which would have been the color of the day, but then I thought to myself: No, I won’t wear it; can’t let him think he has that much control. *g* (Who am I kidding, right?!) But the earrings which I had already planned to wear because they’re the closest thing I had to go with the necklace I was wearing, were somewhat the color of the day. So, he asked me if I had worn them on purpose, to which I was able to honestly reply, “No.” Ok, so I was just a teensy bit glad they were somewhat the color of the day.
It was a very special day for me ... lost in time at the “Chosen Spot.” You see, it did not matter to me whether or not the potential cd song he played for us was up tempo or ballady, I gladly let myself be hypnotized and was lost in the sense of being in a special place and time .... incredibly sharing space with him, leaning in over his iPhone, listening to his spontaneous gift of sharing ... and lost in the gift the Universe had given me this day.
A few of you know this already, but not many, and though it makes me weep to think of it and speak of it, I will tell you why this gift was even more special than it might have been at another time. My dear dear sister passed away on July 4th; our older sister went a couple of months before her. She was the last of my siblings, the last of my immediate family from whence I was born. She was also a fan, though not able to be so on the scale of many of us. She was not on the boards and had been ill for some time. I had been hoping Clay would appear in Oklahoma near where she was so that I might be able to go and take her to see him. But, I’m afraid he ran a little too late for that, so it was not possible, When I received notification of having won the M & G, though I found my self ecstatically and insanely happy about it, I also felt the impact of not being able to pick up the phone and call her and tell her; she would have been so very happy for me. It was a strange acknowledgment of how Life is and how pain and joy walk together hand in hand.
I think you can see I feel this was an amazing gift I received and I embrace it as such.
I was also entranced at the concert. There’s something especially cozy and welcoming to have our boyfriend sing to us in the night with the sound of rainfall all around us. It was comforting and in some way primal. (That might not make sense to anyone but me, but that’s ok ... we were the tribe huddled together in safe harbor while the music of life played all about us in its various manifestations and we let ourselves become lost in it and one with it.)
Oh, and Canandaigua is the Iroquois word for “chosen spot” ... and, again, indeed it was. I only wonder who/what was “The Chooser”?
Namaste.
P.S. I believe in Magic. |
This M & G Recap was posted by ClaySiempre in her OFC Blog on July 28/07. It is copied here with her permission.
| ClaySiempre at OFC Blogs wrote: |
07/28/07 : Canandaigua M&G
I attended the Canandaigua show with my mother, my Aunt and my best friend. We arrived at the venue at about 5:30. I had bought a parking pass and the preferred parking lot was on one side of the venue and the box office was on the other side. I did not know this because even though I’m local to this venue I never used the box office. The e-mail said to pick up the M&G pass after 3:00 and then wait by the box office at 5:45 and someone would take us to the M&G area.
Being I was on the wrong side I wanted to cross through but they wouldn’t let me. Someone who seemed to be in charge of security for the venue said she would walk over and get my pass for me. She radioed back to one of the other venue staff a little while later and said that there were no M&G passes at the box office but that she would look into it. By this time it started to rain and several people including someone else who was there for a M&G crowded together under this small sheltered section of the walkway.
Finally around 6:15 or so they opened the venue and we hurried to the covered area and saw Jerome and a group of people down by a door that entered into the backstage area of the venue. My mother walked down and told Jerome that I was there for a M&G. He said he had just sent someone looking for me. In the meantime a venue security person was walking towards me pointing and saying, “I think I’m looking for you.” In order to get down to this door we would have to go out in the rain again and down a walkway. I use a wheelchair and I’m very small so a few of the security guys decided they would just carry me. Which was very kind of them but embarrassing. I felt like a queen on a throne….but not really!!! Thank goodness the venue wasn’t filling up yet so there was only a small amount of people watching.
When we got down to the door Jerome and venue security had us follow them inside to an elevator, only to find out that elevator didn’t go to the basement, which is where the M&G was to be held. Luckily the elevator on the other side did so we walked across the back of the stage to the other elevator. When we got downstairs we went into a curtained off area. There were two couches, a coffee table and a few other fold up chairs. I wheeled over to the one couch and parked at the end.
Jerome told us what the rules were…no touching unless touched etc. That we would have our pictures taken with their camera and we could have one thing autographed. He told us to spell the name for Clay so we wouldn’t get our items messed up. He did mention something about bruising and I think what he was trying to say is not to grab or squeeze Clay too hard. That if he hugged us to be gentle. I don’t know if Clay has been recently bruised by a fan but it makes me sad to think that Jerome even has to tell people to be gentle. He told us Clay would not open any gifts until later but if we wanted to tell him about a unique item or what we were giving him we could if there was time. At this point I put a little bag on the table with a gift in it from my niece. When he left to bring Clay in to see us it was around 6:30. I had never thought about the fact that I didn’t actually receive a M&G pass. After the fact when I got home I figured there really wasn’t a “physical” item that they were giving out. I found out later that there actually was a sticker with a picture of Clay on a tractor. I really would have loved to get one. I guess things were hectic that day for all involved.
I narrowly escaped another embarrassment when my cell phone rang while we were waiting. Thank goodness Clay wasn’t in the room. My ring tone is not Clay but another favorite singer of mine. My cousin called me to see how the Syracuse show was because she knew I went the night before. She had no idea that I won a M&G at Canandaigua. I didn’t tell many people about it. I wanted to wait until it actually happened. So I quickly answered and told her I couldn’t talk because I was waiting to meet Clay and hung up and turned the phone off. A minute later he walked into the room. Close call!
He looked around and said Hey! And some other greeting which I don’t really remember. I think he asked if we were having a good day and commented about the rain. He sat down in a chair that Jerome had set up for him between the two couches so I ended up being quite close to him. Jamie sat down in a chair that was sort of beside him but a little bit behind him. He didn’t ask us any questions as far as our names or where we were from and he didn’t shake hands. He did ask why we weren’t wearing the color which was green. He was wearing a green hoodie with his logo on it and matching shorts. I played dumb and said I didn’t get the message. Honestly, I had been told a few hours before the show by a friend who read it but I had decided what I was wearing to the concert a few days prior to it and not even Clay Aiken tells me what to wear. LOL. He asked if I read the boards. I commented that I did but hadn’t been online much because my computer was not working properly which was the truth, and he looked at me as if horrified and said something like, “How can you survive?” I really can’t say if anyone was wearing the color. I don’t think most of us did. A few people had on items, such as a bracelet that was green. Others said they were on the road and didn't get the message or like me didn't want to change what they planned on wearing. He then asked what the next color should be. Orange was considered but it was decided that it would be blue.
I hadn’t read any recaps since the first M&G. I didn’t really know exactly what was going to happen. Clay said that the show was an early show….starting at 7:30 and indicated that we were going to be rushed because he didn’t have as much time. He told us we could start to ask him questions right away. So the “press conference” began. That’s what it felt like to me. That’s not a complaint but more of an observation. I had no prepared questions so I just sat back for the most part and watched him interact with everyone and listened. It was fun to do that and fine by me. It seemed that most of the questions were asked by the same two or three people. I probably don’t remember all the questions or in what order they were asked but I’ll write about the ones that I do remember. These are not exact quotes but as close as I can remember with some side comments by me.
How long before the next CD? He said it could be a few years.
What is the name of the producer? Not ready to announce.
Can you at least give the initials? No.
Will he be staying with RCA? Yes, if they still want him. He said that he liked a lot of the people he worked with at the label and that all labels are basically the same. They all have their good points and bad points. Then he made the comment about the devil you know rather than one you don’t.
Will the CD be original material and more up-tempo songs?
He mentioned the “mandate” of the covers CD and said he would fight for original material this time. That he would hold out to get what he wants on this CD. The last CD he gave in and compromised but he doesn’t plan on doing it again. He doesn’t want covers again. I was glad to really hear this with my own two ears…coming directly from him. You read so much speculation about all of this but this time he made it very clear.
Someone asked if BFM would be on the next CD and he said no, that he didn't really like it. He preferred Tears Run Dry.
If I remember correctly the conversation lead to him trying to let us listen to a track he would like to record. I’m sure anyone reading this has heard about us huddling around his iPhone trying to hear the song. All I can say about it is it seemed more up-tempo than most of the songs on ATDW and sort of had a rock feel to it. It had me intrigued but I couldn’t really hear it well enough to comment on it further.
What are his feelings about clack and the person asking said that she felt it was good advertising. What did he think?
He said he didn’t mind but it is not “advertising“ There was disagreement during the discussion but he wouldn’t agree that it was advertising. He said that if people weren’t already interested they wouldn’t be looking for it and only fans know where to find it. He stood his ground and said no….he doesn’t consider it as a tool for promotion.
He said he doesn’t mind people taking pictures as long as there are no flashes and he doesn’t mind the video either but if a venue/orchestra asks that there be no videotaping then the rules will be upheld. He has no say in the matter. Again don’t quote me on any of this but I felt that he was saying that his security (Jerome) will help to enforce it in certain cases. He said, the fact is, it is illegal but he doesn’t mind if the venue doesn’t mind. AND if Jerome at any time feels that someone is being inappropriate or inconsiderate while videotaping, even when it is allowed, it’s Jerome’s call. He can make anyone stop. For example, he talked about if someone is standing and blocking other people’s view just to get video….that it is not right. But other than that he doesn’t care either way. I was glad to hear him say that because I have a had a few shows that were unpleasant because of clack gatherers blocking my view. Not that I haven’t enjoyed some clack myself but I go to the shows to see Clay…not someone standing in front of me when the majority of people are seated. All for the sake of clack. Clay tried to give people a clue early in the JBT tour but obviously some people didn’t take the hint and probably never will.
What happened to the hair on his arms?
I had no idea about any of this so I have to say I was a bit shocked by the question. I hadn’t noticed. I hadn’t looked at pictures and I guess I’m not that observant of a person because as close as I was to him it wasn’t even on my radar. I looked after the question was asked and I realized that he didn’t have any hair on his forearms. I went into a haze at that point because I was thinking to myself...I could never ask him a question like that. LOL. But I will say this. There is no big secret. The secret is basically that there is no secret. A few days ago, I saw a thread on a message board that had been discussing this “mystery” prior to the night of this M&G and basically it was figured out. So for those that were upset about some supposed secret, the fans figured it out without Clay telling us at the M&G anyway. I don’t know if Clay didn’t realize it was being discussed so that’s why he said it was a secret. I do not think it is right to have fans feel like they are being left out of something when there is nothing to hide. It would be one thing if he told us something very personal that no one was discussing or speculating about… or for example if he told us something private about a friend or family member or a member of his crew and asked us not to repeat it. Then of course it should be honored. But IMO, the arm hair thing is silly and so obvious that it can’t be considered inside info or a secret.
Would he blog more quotes?
Probably not. He thought it was a good idea but got lazy and he had thought that he could always have someone go in and type quotes in that he chose if he didn't have time, but didn't follow through with it.
Would he do a movie and if he has been approached to do movies?
I believe he said he hadn’t been offered a role but if he was offered a role that he liked he would consider it. Someone mentioned Disney movies and he said he would love to do something like Beauty & The Beast but unfortunately Disney isn’t making those type of films anymore...they are cartoons without the music.
What was it like to work with symphonies?
He enjoys it. Some are easier to work with than others. The Rochester Symphony was a fun group. Symphony musicians are very stoic so it can be difficult when they first show them the sheet music for this tour. But he enjoys the sound of a symphony very much and will continue to work with them.
Why not more tour merchandise?
Doesn’t like to have to have a lot of people working for him. If he sold a lot of stuff he would have to have more people and trucks to carry all the merchandise. He likes to keep it simple. This is when he commented on running out of shirts and that they ordered several boxes but didn’t know how they were going to get them to the next venue. They might not fit on the bus. Then he joked about having the fans transport them. People right away said they would and he said no.
At some point Jamie stood up and said he needed to start signing things so we passed our items to her and she in turn passed them to Clay. He would ask who it was he was making out the autograph too and in between was answering questions. I had him sign my copy of LTS. It was a toss up between that and the All is Well EP which are my two favorite things he has done. But I figured the book would have the autograph inside and it would be protected. I didn’t have an extra copy of All is Well and I would have wanted it framed. While he was signing my book I asked him if he had read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. He said yes he had and he felt it was better than his first book.
After he finished signing they started taking pictures. It went really fast. Mary called out the names and Jamie was taking the pictures. My name, Tammy, was the second one to be called BUT there were two Tammy’s. And we both started to move forward and Clay said, “Which one?” Mary said my last name and I think Clay asked how I wanted to pose. Well, I said something totally stupid like...this is going to be interesting. The reason being is I use a wheelchair and Clay is so tall I knew the only way it would work is if he got down beside me. I figured he would but didn’t want to say...Get down here Clay. So I just turned around beside him and he got down on his knee. I subconsciously but gently put my arm around in front of him and rested my hand on his upper arm and I think he did the same to me and FLASH the picture was done. I thought I blinked and asked. Jamie was looking at it and said, “Oh, that’s cute.” Clay asked her again if I blinked and she said no so I moved away. The pictures went very quickly and he thanked us all and said goodbye and left. We were escorted back to the elevator and out the door by venue staff members.
Overall I REALLY enjoyed the M&G. It started out a bit hectic and I was a bit nervous because of the rain and not knowing if I was going to be late, not to mention being carried and my phone ringing. But once Clay entered the room and sat down I became calm and relaxed. When I tell friends and family about it they comment that it sounds like I was quiet or being shy because I’m usually not. I think I was a little overwhelmed not knowing what to expect but for the most part I decided to be an observer. Clay seemed a bit tentative when he first came in. He didn’t shake hands or anything so I figured maybe we should take his lead and not be too aggressive. It was a very calm group which was nice. I mentioned before that it felt like a press conference. The reason for that is because of all the questions and some of them being very direct, it just felt more formal than people sitting around having a casual conversation. I tried to think of a few questions while it was happening but didn’t want to ask him anything that he might think was nosy or inappropriate. I do realize it was very informal compared to most M&G’s and I really appreciate that and wish I would have had the brains to tell him that before it was over.
Besides actually sitting in the room with him I had another very exciting moment during the concert. My niece who is 12 is staying with my family and I for the summer. Her family is in the process of a move so it is easier for her to be here during the transition. I had planned on taking her to a few of the shows I was attending such as Chautauqua and New Hampshire. I had made plans with other family members and friends to go to the two other shows I was attending...Syracuse and Canandaigua. When I found out I won a M&G and read the rules I knew she was going to be a bit upset. The main rule being you must be over 12 and the other being no guests with the winner. She was happy for me but disappointed she couldn’t meet Clay too and said it wasn’t fair. She wanted to write to him and tell him. I told her she could write to him and I would give him the letter but she couldn’t complain because the rules were the rules and she wasn’t a member of the fan club so it was fair. So she wrote him a letter and wanted to give him something.
She had a $2.00 toy called a Spaghetti Ball that she had been playing with. I joked and said that Clay might like that and what do you give a guy who has everything anyway. So we went to the drugstore and picked up another one for him. We put it in a gift bag along with her letter and I left it on the table at the M&G.
At the beginning of the second half of the show he walked out tossing the ball to Angela and Quiana and said...play with it. My niece wrote in the letter that it would be a fun toy for them to toss around on the bus. Quiana put it in her pocket but I was really pleased to see him with it for a few seconds. I’m sure he had read her note and I thought that was a very kind gesture for him to do. It’s just too bad she wasn’t with me at that show. I never thought he would actually bring it on stage. I don’t even know if he knew which fan left it for him. I know her letter mentioned she was going to a few shows with her Aunt Tammy but as I said there were two Tammys in the M&G and my niece wrote about herself not me. I am really grateful to him for doing that and I found a video of it to show her and she was very excited. When I told her that night that he brought it out on stage she said her stomach was fluttering. I don't think she slept very much that night. SOOOOO cute. She definitely has a Clay crush after our concerts.
One last note about her. We waited in the line to shake his hand in New Hampshire. After it was over she said, “This is going to sound weird but I can still feel his hand on mine.” AWE!
Clay will probably never read this but I want to thank him for the M&G, playing with my nieces gift on stage and everything he does for the fans and most of all for being a good guy and an awesome entertainer.
Thank you Clay for sharing yourself and your voice with us. (((HUGS)))
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:47 am GMT; edited 2 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:32 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Chautauqua, NY July 20, 2007
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no album questions tonight..which is ok, dont want him to feel bombarded hehe.
Does he like crunchy or smooth peanut butter: he likes both, but not if the peanuts in crunchy are rubbery(I suggested that question to my friend!!:) I knew that the masses would like to know that
he likes ketchup, mustard and mayo on his hotdogs
and then talked to some girls from NYC about living in the big city...
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| M & G: The color for tommorrows meet and greet is orange. someone asked him what nationality he his... He thinks he is part Icelandic, and South African , scottish and irish...just a bunch of stuff....He was wearing a blue and white checked shirt, tan shorts and tan flip flops..He said the governor schwazenneger was really nice and he immitated him..... |
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more meet and greet stuff
They couldnt hug him tightly cause he was bruised, they didnt say why..its nothing seriously, but thats why(poor baby)
HE DOESNT LIKE TOUCH..its not the words or anything, he just doesnt like the song..he doesnt really like shine, but he doesnt like touch at all...he likes the rest on MOAM
Side of the bed he sleeps on is the left(right if you are looking at the bed)
he is NOT a harry potter fan, thinks its so boring he cant get through it.
does he know sign language? he knows enough to get through a conversation with someone that was deaf
He's mainly irish. scottish, dutch and icelandic. |
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| also, my friend asked him how it was to meet arnold schwartzenager, and he said that he has done more with him then just that..unbeknownst to us...interesting huh? |
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Clay was asked about having his own Talk Show in the M&G. He said he wants it to be more on the educational side if he ever has one.
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Some have already summarized what she said. Additionally, she thought the best question was if he had his talk show, who would he want some of his first guests to be. He never answered that, but did say it would be a newsy type show and he would want to have Diane Sawyer and Larry King as guests and (I think) just hear about their experiences with all the people/news they've covered through the years. Also to have them because they've been so good to him (I think).
It was incredible to see him in an off-stage, more real-life way. He was so relaxed and a regular person. Very easy to talk to. She was very comfortable in the M&G. Some of the ladies were really starstruck (not her word). They got to be with him for 30 minutes. |
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During the M&G someone asked if he had ever written a motercycle and he just looked at them weird like "why did you ask that?" He never gave an answer.
He did an impression of Arnold and he seemed to enjoy doing it too!!!
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| stripedshirts at CV wrote: |
I think I'm finally able post my Chautauqua m&g.
I am still on a little pink cloud from last Friday, July 20th; although it happened a wk ago, I cannot mop that stupid grin smile off my face. I still cannot believe how and why I won that m&g...well, I know the 'how' part -- I entered just like everyone else -- but as of to why it happened when there must've been hundreds upon hundreds to choose from, there's no one answer. The only thing I can think up was just sheer, stupid luck.
& truly, I felt guilty for a bit for having won, when there are so many folks who want this so badly. I do hope & believe given time, those who wish for it, will get theirs.
There is already 1 Chautauqua recap posted on the OFC & it's a cute write up from one girl's perspective. I'll post highlights from my perspective, the best I can remember for all to enjoy......
Jerome came around 6:30. We were instructed to arrive around a quarter to 6...so it was a bit of a wait. We took a long stroll to the theatre. The scenery around was lush & beautiful; the houses cute & quaint. My only regret was not having taken a moment to take some snapshots, as the foliage & the happy children playing on the grass are all part of the experience. But these images are embedded in my mind whenever I want to do a replay of when it all happened & what I saw.
It was great to chat w/ Jerome for a few minutes along the walk. When we reached the venue, we all looked towards right to see fans crammed up against the closed gates @ the other side, w/ the venue employees on guard @ the other side....people have been there since 10 a.m. waiting, my goodness....but here is where it got really funny. I've long suspected Jerome to have a naughty sense of humor, & I was right. He saw the crowd behind the gate, grinned & said to me, "Watch this". He yelled out "Release the gates!!" to the gatekeepers, prompting one of them, an older lady dressed in those staff vests, to come running towards him in a sort of panic, waving her hands up in the air as if to say, "no, no, no, no not yet!" the others stood there looking at her, at Jerome, at us w/ a dumbfounded look.....you have to visualize it in your head, it really is funny. Jerome was having a bit of fun w/ folks at both sides of the gates. He was pleased w/ his own joke. :lol:
We sat in the front pew while Jerome administered the rules. Very specific....having to also literally spell out what I think, a 'no licking' rule due to having seen one feisty older lady in her 70's (his words) getting frisky w/ Clay's neck (or ear) @ one m&g. I would've loved to have seen THAT. & of course no hugging....but who's going to stop Clay if he initiates it?
Jerome left to check the room out. We sat, waited & made small talk. There were 7 in my group. All women, a diverse mix; me & someone else were the only CVer's there. I forgot her screenname, forgive me - but her first name is Carole. So if she comes around reading this, I just want to acknowledge her :hello: Jerome returned & took us in to the production office, which was tucked away backstage. We sat, horseshoe format. Mary & Jamie came in, said hello; & sat down across from us at some desks. We said hello.... & waited & made more small talk.
At that point, I was getting cold, hungry & a little bit cranky because I was cold & hungry. Mary found some of the caged agitation amusing & remarked "They're not to see us, Jamie" :biggrin: There are 2 doors in the room - right across the ways from eachother. We didn't know which one Clay was coming from, but we were facing the one opposite of the one we entered. One of the girls who sat farther back from me, I believe said "I can see his hand"......at that point my ears pricked up & my eyes gunned towards the door. & sure enough, less than a few secs later, Jerome appeared, followed by Clay's foot (they were coming up the steps) & then, the rest of Clay.
Clay has finally entered the room. "Howrya?" I forgot all about my hunger, cold & crankyness & my mind went blank.
From my viewpoint, he looked a little worn, tired. It had been a 4 day grind for him & I think it showed. Poor guy.....but tired or not, he was alert, businesslike, & friendly. I can't gauge the immediate reactions in the room, but I will sum it as a mix of strangled gasps, flushed faces lighting up.
Clay turned around, got a chair, planted his little butt down & sat across from me, so I got a nice look at both butt & partial stubbly profile. He sat slightly hunched, legs apart, both feet on the floor. He wore a rumpled blue plaid shirt, rumpled khaki shorts & flip flops. Though he was all wrinkly & such, he looked very cuddly. SO hard to resist NOT to go over & squish & nuzzle him.....
He was in control from the start. Started the conversation w/ Teacher Clay - discussing Chautauqua & its history. I remembered from an old interview he admitted digging up facts about a town so that he could tell everyone else what he knew about it....smart alecky that he is :biggrin: From him, I think he said this was the 1st town or 1st hotel, to have electric lights. He also said Chautauqua felt like a retirement retreat. I dunno what that meant, but it was funny coming from him.
Then he opened up the forum for the q&a. There were quite a few that were tossed, all at random. & of course there was a list here & a couple of us had more than 1. Voices were on top of eachother. There were others who were content it seemed to sit, listen & observe. Clay does not give one liner answers.....he has a back up reason for every one of his answers & he talks at machine gun speed...SO fast that I had to strain myself to follow.
ORANGE by the way, was not unanimously chosen for the next m&g group. I asked why he didn't choose Red, to which he replied "because it's too easy". "Then why don't you choose a non primary color, like Chartreuse?" I asked. He said "Because not everyone knows what Chartreuse is" Well....some of us here in the community are artists & work w/ a wide palette, so I believe some of us WOULD know! I wonder what Clay will do when he runs of out of colors - will he have recycle them like his clothes, or move on to prints, polkas & plaids?
Other things I remember....
He likes visiting NY. Would live in NYC so he wouldn't have to have a car. He wouldn't reveal to me who was responsible for the new M&G format - wanted to protect the person from criticism because they discovered not everyone enjoys a 1/2 hr. group m&g. He did say that the person responsible is in the room, & would be happy to know I approve. Mary who sat in the back listening, joked, "if you liked it, it was me. If you didn't, it was Jamie" we all laughed.
I asked about who'd be his first guests when/if that talk show ever happens. I loved his expression after that question because his eyes widened, prompting laughter from everyone. He said the topics would have to be timely. Would like to talk to Larry King & Diane Sawyer since both have interviewed just about everyone in the planet. My 3rd & last question to him was what his catchphrase is, which he had no clue what that is or if he has one. I had to help him out by throwing some out into the open. He asked "I tell Mary to Shut Up, does that count?" Then he added that Quiana likes to say "I've got ya hooked!" which he is thinking about borrowing & admitted he is too nerdy to have one of his own. :lol: He has to plagiarize from other folks to help him out.
He is just fascinating to talk to - different subjects were tossed. There is no tremendously 'big reveal' from him, it was more of a group chat feel where we randomly bandied trivial, fun subjects. In this case, felt a bit more like a date (minus the wine & makeout session):P
My fave parts were the last 10 minutes of the m&g. Honestly, the time spent w/ him is like being in a suspended bubble - & speaking for myself - I just sat, focused & absorbed him in like sunlight. It was fascinating to watch him transition from formal, to casual, to playful! At the tail end where we all gave him things to sign & get our pics, I loved how he says the word 'sign'....you all know his accent, he pronounces his 'I's' like 'aah'. So it tickled me to hear him say 'saaahh-n' I love his quirks. he has so many of them, right down the way he fixes his eyes right onto yours.
During our m&g, 2 people came into the room @ different times. Sean McDaniel, who was cute & sheepish, & Jesse Vargas, who came in to steam his pink shirt down, 15 minutes before showtime. Clay guffawed at Sean for having 'opened the wrong door' & surprising everyone. That laugh of Clay's is so infectious - he REALLY loves his 'HA HA'S', or in this case 'HA, HA, HAAAAAAAAAAA's' :lol:
I still haven't gotten my pic. I rearranged my pose where I asked for his cheek to mine - when he didn't hear it at first because he was so amused w/ what I was doing, I had to repeat 'Cheek', which he then dipped to meet mine. It was plump, warm & fuzzy. Felt like a prickly kiss. :wub: I loved it.
It would be redundant to say how beautiful he is, but heck, I have to say it - he is BEAUTIFUL to the nth degree. He radiated intelligence, mirth & wit. HOW someone can not succumb to his charms is beyond me unless you really had a personal problem w/ the guy.
I know this has been a MILE LONG READ.....but really, there is so much that I am amazed I remember & cherish.
In closing - there will always be more questions to ask, more that you'd want w/ & out of Clay after a special m&g.....he leaves you wanting to run back & do it all over again. & while you have it, make the most out of it. I am so incredibly blessed to have gotten so lucky, don't know if I'd ever come across something as rich & fulfilling as this. I do hope each & everyone of you will be lucky as I have been.
I am going to lock the wondrous gifts of Clay's time, personal attention, & his touch into my heart forever.
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:13 pm GMT; edited 1 time in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:15 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Columbus, OH July 21, 2007
| Corabeth wrote: |
Meet and Greet report from Beagle3
Tan pants that he had cut off at the knee-ragged
Purple Fifty2thirty shirt, lots of stubble, can't remember hair.
one girl asked him if he would like to do more work with Steven Curtis Chapman and he joked that SCC won't return his phone calls. SCC had written a song based on a sentence that Brett had said to Faye after he got back from Iraq, it is amazing and it may be on SCC's next CD. (October) -doesn't fit on Clay's CD.
Clay said he puts one out ever year and it takes me five years.
Asked if he would do a Christian CD and he said he would like to do it someday but label would not support it.
Asked about Kimmel and they each have a poster of each other over each other's bed. Kimmel is going to be doing something for BAF at the end of the year.
Asked him if BAF galas would be in Raleigh, he said No, they will look at other cities. Talked to him about the 100 camps goal. Yes, but look how much money we raised at Raleigh Gala when all I had to do is whore myself out.
Asked if fans could help with label, he said good question....No, just buy it even if is crap.
He said that things are going very well right now, they are on the same page with the CD.
He kept BFM in the JBT because fans liked it.
He answered questions about his leg and arm hair but swore them to secrecy.
She said it is what people are speculating about. He turned to Mary and said "do you have all their real names, screen names and addresses?" |
| Beagle3 wrote: |
I suck at recaps but pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of ice tea cause here’s the recap you’ve been waiting for *g*.
First off, I couldn’t believe it when on Thursday afternoon, I saw an email with the subject line “You are a Clay Aiken Meet and Greet Winner!”……..I thought WTH…….this can’t be happening to me?!
My Columbus M&G experience started out in a panic mode on Friday afternoon when I called the venue to confirm their box office hours (where the M&G pass would be) and I was told, “We don’t have a box office.” I tried to remain calm, explaining to the nice girl on the phone why I was asking and she said, “You can go to any of the gates and they’ll be able to help you but I believe it might be gate 2”. Thank God she narrowed that down because the word gates (plural) scared me!
Our trip to Columbus was good. I sat in the back of hensey’s claymobile in a state of shock that this was going to actually be happening.
Upon arriving in Columbus, we dropped off Pink Armchair, ShyGirl, Snix and Totoro at the hotel then hensey and I proceeded to try and find the non existent box office (aka as gate 2).
I have to give props and a big hug to my buddy hensey, who, having been through this herself winning a M&G during the JNT05, took excellent care of me and saw that I remained calm as we found gate 2 where the adorable tractor M&G pass was waiting for me. The venue person, however, scared me when she said, “Stay here!” I said, “Right now? I have to go back to the hotel and change!” She said, “I was told to tell the people to stay here as they’re coming to get you sometime between 5:30 pm and 6:15 pm and if you’re not here when they come, you’ll miss out.” Since it was only 4:30 pm and the email from the OFC said to be there by 5:45 pm I headed back to the hotel figuring I had time to change clothes.
hensey and I proceeded back to the hotel for 45 minutes and then she drove me back to the venue at 5:30 pm. Fortunately our hotel was very close.
There were already 2 ladies in line when I got there at 5:30 pm and soon after, the 6 of us were anxiously waiting our time with Clay. It was a picture perfect day as we waited outside for someone to come and get us.
While chatting with the others in line about how we can’t believe this is about to happen, we suddenly heard, “Are you looking for me” and turned around and there was Jerome with a lady from the venue.
Jerome proceeded to ask us to put on the M&G badge and explained if we wanted to save it, we should only peel the paper off halfway, which is what we did.
We then proceeded to walk towards the venue chatting away with Jerome. He wanted to know if this was our first concert on this tour (which it was for everybody). I asked him how the trip was the night before and he said that he didn’t know, he was sleeping.
I told him that I thought the way they were doing these M&G’s was wonderful…..a true “Meet” and “Greet” and he said yes, but believe it or not, some people don’t like the set-up and he said he didn’t know why.
We also talked about clack and he said someone had given him a clack cookbook but what he really needs is a dictionary of clack terms.
By this point we were in the building and the venue lady led us into a little auditorium with rows of seats and a stage. We all sat down in the middle of the first row and Jerome sat on the end of the stage and then commented that Clay will have some place to sit when he comes in.
He then began going over the rules. He said the only real rule is that Clay can only sign one item. He then proceeded to say that he always tells Clay not to hug people before he comes into these M&G’s and what’s the first thing Clay does…ignore him and hugs people. He said, “If Clay does that, please be gentle. He’s okay but he has been bruised in the past.”
He then went on to say that he’s not quite sure how to approach the next part….….that every time he thinks he has everything covered regarding “touching” Clay, something happens. He relayed a story to us about an older lady…..how he went through his spiel and sure enough this lady touched Clay “there” (he didn’t specify in relaying the story exactly where “there” was ) but when that M&G was over Jerome approached the lady and her response was, “Well you didn’t say I couldn’t touch him THERE!”
At this point I said to Jerome, “Okay Jerome, we won’t touch him ‘there’ and we all laughed and Jerome said, “Yes, pretend this is a church social and act accordingly.”
I told Jerome he did a good job of tackling the guy at the concert the other night and he said “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said, “At the concert the other night in New York, in the aisle, the guy that was approaching Clay.” He repeated, “I don’t know what you’re talking about” then smiled and said, “To be legally correct, I have no recollection of this happening.” I told him job well done and he smiled.
Right before he got up to go get Clay, one of the ladies in the group, Renee, told Jerome that the only reason she signed up for the M&G was to meet him. He was so shocked and surprised and sweetly said to her, “Really?” and she, “No, not really” at which point he fell backwards onto the stage laughing hysterically.
He then left the room to go get Clay. Soon after Jamie came in and said she was tired of waiting for Clay so she thought she’d join us. A few moments later Mary came in the room, laptop and iPhone in hand and she sat down on the end of the stage next to Jamie.
They’re both so sweet and nice and we chatted for a few moments with them. Mary’s iPhone rang and there was nobody there….she said someone was playing a prank on her.
Soon after Clay walked in with Jerome and 2 uniform officers and when he walked in he said, “An auditorium….cool!” He proceeded to greet each one of us, shaking our hand, asking our name. He was wearing beige cut-offs, a purple polo shirt with the fifty2thirty logo on it and beige sandals (that were quite worn in). Lots of stubble and cute hair.
He was about to sit on the end of the stage when Jamie pushed a chair out and said to sit there. As it turns out, the chair was directly in front of me….he was just a few feet from me. Renee was sitting to my right and the other 4 girls were to my left.
I asked Clay if he had a nice trip and he said, “I have no idea, I was sleeping.” I said, “Jerome said the same thing…..hopefully the bus driver was awake.” Clay looked at me and responded “Wow, you’re energetic!! Are you the spokeswoman for the group?”
At this point he brought up the color of the day and wanted to see if we were all wearing orange. He went down the line and 3 of the 6 had some orange on. One of the girls told him she just had a baby a month ago and her wardrobe was limited but her toe nail polish was sort of orange. Clay said, “Your polish matches the carpet in this room and it’s red, not orange….no excuses.”
Clay said we had to come up with a color for the next M&G and someone suggested green and Clay said, “We’ve already done that.” He then turned towards Jamie and Mary and was going to ask what colors had been done and I answered, “Purple, Green, Blue & Orange.” Clay looked at me, smiled and said, “Are you stalking me?”
We decided the next color would be yellow and Clay told us it would be our fault if we didn’t get the message out there.
He asked if we were all sitting at tables and then said, “Did you know they are serving alcohol tonight? You can all liquor up to enjoy the show.” Julie said, “I don’t drink” and Clay said, “Neither do I but I might need to so I can enjoy the show.”
He then went down the line and asked where each of us was from…..all of the girls where from Ohio except for me. Julie gave Clay a shirt from the Central Ohio Clay fans and told him that they had all signed it for him. She also told him that when he looked out into the audience, he would see a sea of yellow as they were all wearing them. He thanked her, looked at the shirt and handed it to Mary.
He asked if anyone had questions and Julie opened her notebook (she was smart enough to write them down) and Clay said, “You came prepared and wrote your questions down?” She said, “Well, I just wrote down a few so I wouldn’t forget to ask you.”
One of Julie’s questions was about Stephen Curtis Chapman and Clay singing together. She told him she really enjoyed the performance they did on stage together earlier this year and wanted to know if they were friends. Clay said they do talk to each other but Stephen hadn’t returned his calls. He then turned to Jamie and Mary and was saying “He hasn’t called me back.” Julie said, “Maybe he needs your new iPhone number and Clay said, ”It’s the same phone number!”
He went on to say that Stephen is an amazing song writer and that he wrote a song based on one sentence that Brett said to Faye upon returning from Iraq and it’s called “What I’m Fighting For.” Clay said that it’s amazing and he wanted to put it on the album but it didn’t really fit and he thinks Stephen is going to use it now.
Julie told him that Stephen has a new CD coming out in October and Clay said, “He puts out a CD every year and it takes me 5 years to do one.”
I said, “Yeah Clay, he makes it look easy” and Clay said, “Yeah he does but it’s not!”
Julie asked him if he’d be interested in doing a Christian album and he said that he would be, but not right now since that’s not the labels focus.
Julie then said, “That kind of gives me a segue into the next question” and Clay said, “Oh…smooth!“ Julie asked if there’s anything we, as fans, can do to help Clay get what he wants on the next CD. He was so touched by that question, he looked directly at her and said a sincere, “Thank You” then proceeded to say, “Yes, buy it even if it’s crap.” He went on to say that he and the label are on the same page right now and things are going well.
I said, “Clay, I’d like to thank you for blogging about The Riches because if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have known about that show and I love it!” He said, “I know, isn’t it the best show!!” I said, “Yes, especially episode 10, This is your Brain on Drugs, that was the funniest episode ever!” He said, “I don’t remember that episode and I’ve seen them all.” He then turned towards Jamie and said, “We have it on the bus.” I told him to watch it again.
Julie then said she loved Jericho and one of the other girls commented about watching it too. I said, “Clay I just can’t get into Jericho and I’ve tried. You did such a good job explaining The Riches in your blog, maybe you should do the same for Jericho.” He looked at me and said, “What’s to explain…..a bomb goes off and people die!”
He told us other people have sent him music but he just can’t sit down and write….he has to be inspired. He then teased us that maybe we’d do something to inspire him and he’d write a new song tomorrow.
I asked him about Kimmel and wanted to know if they’re friends. He said yes they are…..they do talk and that Jimmy is very funny. He then said that they have each others picture over their beds. He said Jimmy is going to be doing something with the BAF in the future and then mentioned November.
I said, “You seem to be Kimmel’s ‘go to’ guy” and he said, “Yeah, like Letterman has Richard Simmons….do I really want to be known like that” then he laughed. I told him Kimmel had given him credit the other night for getting his show on in Charlotte and did Clay have anything to do with that? He said he didn’t know about this and that he had nothing to do with it….he watches Kimmel’s show out of Raleigh, but it was nice of Jimmy to give him credit.
At one point he said they were getting another bus…they didn’t like this one but I don’t think he went into why.
Renee corrected Clay’s grammar. He said, “I ain’t got no problem with that” and she said, “It’s any problem Clay.” He looked at her, then turned to Mary and Jamie and laughed and said, “You know I’m usually the one that corrects people but lately I am trying to be colloquial.” Renee said, “Oh I’m impressed you used that word” and Clay said, “I even know how to spell it!”
At one point he asked Julie if she had any more questions and she said no she didn’t. He then snarked on her and said, “You had to write down 3 questions…you couldn’t remember 3 questions!?!”
I asked Clay if the future BAF Galas will be held in Raleigh. He said, no, he didn’t think that was a good idea. He wants to get them to other cities and Los Angeles and Kansas City were mentioned. One girl then asked about the lofty goals of the BAF (the 100 camps & the million dollars) and he said yes, they were then added, “But look at all the money we raised at the last gala with me whoring myself out.” We all laughed and I said, “Yes you did!”
Julie told Clay that her 3 year old daughter loves him, Amber also said her daughter loves him and Clay said, “Don’t worry….they’ll get over it.”
Julie also said that her daughter loves Without You and wants her to play it over and over again. Clay said, “Well your daughter should love tonight’s show cause that’s the only song I’m going to sing. I’m just going to sing that one over and over again!”
Chamberlain was brought up and Clay said he had talked to him on the phone the day before and it was a conversation that consisted of “Hi” and “Bye”.
At one point I told him I loved the photo on the M&G Pass and he said “Ah, thank you….it’s my grandpa’s tractor and he thinks it’s sexy.”
He was asked about Back for More and he said he doesn’t like the song, he only sang it on tour because he knew the fans liked it. He thinks it’s cheesy.
It was time to have our items signed……3 girls brought LTS, one brought a magazine and one brought a CD. I brought a drawing of his hands that my niece had done. When he saw it, he commented on what a great job she did then said, “My goodness she made my fingers long.” I said, “Clay, you do have long fingers” and he said, “Yeah and my toes are long too.”
There was a problem signing my item though. My niece had used a waxed base pencil and the fact that it was curled up from being in a tube and he was trying to sign it in mid air didn‘t help (there was no table in the room) so it didn‘t work. Fortunately I had printed out a small 2 ½ x 3 ½ print of the photo to show him and attached it in the lower corner of the drawing. Clay said, “I can sign this” so he did. When he handed it back to me he said, “You got two colors” because he had to sign over his dark jacket with the silver pen.
And let me tell you, Jamie has handing him what he needs down to a science. It was like watching a dental assistant handing the dentist the tools they need.
“Do we get to know the secret behind the arms” was brought up and Clay said, “What about my arms?” He then turned to Mary and said, “We know who all of these people are, right….screen names, real names, addresses so if this gets out we’ll know who to blame?” Mary nodded yes so Clay proceeded saying something like, “Now this is my serious face.” He also said he had told the M&Ger’s the night before. Then he swore us to secrecy *g*.
It was time for pictures and Clay decided that up on the stage would be best. Renee was the first to get her photo taken and just as Jamie hit the flash button, the room went dark. A few seconds later the lights came back on and Clay said, “The flash might be setting something off so we might have to move to do these.” Just then Jerome came around the corner and said, “Or Jerome could have hit the button at just the right time.”
The rest of the photos proceeded without blackouts. It went so fast it’s truly a blur. Clay said, “Prom pose” and boom….the picture is taken. Clay was very diligent about asking everyone if they wanted to leave on their M&G badge for the photo or take it off. That was sweet of him.
When the photos were over and he was getting ready to leave, I asked him if he wanted anything in particular for his birthday. He turned his head and gave me an odd look. I said, “I’ll be with you in Kalamazoo at the Christmas concert.” He said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I responded, “I already have the tickets” and he replied, “Well then, I guess I’d better show up!”
I asked him if the girls would be touring with him at Christmas and he said he didn’t know and they can’t give all of the information out this far in advance.
And with that he was gone. It was such an incredible experience. He was cute, kind, sweet, witty, snarky (he didn’t let you get away with anything). I thought I’d be so nervous talking with him but he puts you so at ease and truly makes you feel like you’re talking with a friend. Of course I’ve already thought of lots of other questions to ask him…..those 25-30 minutes go by so quickly. It really is like an out of body experience and when it’s over you find yourself saying, “Did this really happen?” I hope that every fan gets to experience this…..a true “meet” and “greet” with Clay.
I have to quote something that ValerieWarriorPrincess said a few years ago that I think is so appropriate……
| Quote: |
| Thank you, thank you, thank you to every cosmic force that converged in wisdom to bring this man to us in the EXACT form he has shown up in. God, what a gift, what a gift. |
Now if we can just get our photo (which Clay said we’d have by the end of the night……BWAH) so I know this wasn’t all a dream! |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:30 pm GMT; edited 1 time in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:13 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Sterling Heights, MI July 23, 2007
| Corabeth wrote: |
Ficus had a M&G and said this is last night we will hear "A Thousand Days". He's falling asleep during it, it is so boring.
During "Lover All Alone" in Columbus, he was thinking about dinner. |
| Corabeth wrote: |
Ficus M&G report: What do you do to prepare your voice, do you drink olive oil. Quiana was walking by and said they do nothing.
The three people during AI2 who did not protect their voice were Ruben, Clay and Kim Locke.
He read the Columbus review with regards to "Lover All Alone". He's mostly thinking about dinner and food. Someone asked him he was a "Lover All Alone", he gave a very political answer. He just tried to write things that worked. (This is me, he's full of crap.)
One woman wrote her question on toilet paper. One woman asked a question for Ethel. It took up a lot of time. Jerome told them to not treat him lik e apop star but like your neighbor.
He mentioned that this orchestra is the best so far. They played more pop type stuff. They were better to work with.
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From: Pauluka96 posted at claymaniacs (via CV)
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Well I just can not find where I am suppose to post my M&G experience so I will do it here and if someone knows where it is supposed to be feel free to copy it and place it where ever.
I was a little late in getting my notification because I was in NY when it came. I couldn't remember my pass word to get onto my e mail so I kept saying I would wait till I got home to check.
Saturday evening, when I walked in, the first thing I did was turn on my puter, didn't even say "Hi" to Paul. No sooner did I bring up my e mail did the phone start ringing, everyone and their Uncle seemed to want to know if I had a good time in NY. Then Paul decided to come up from the basement and welcome me home so I told him, "yeah. yeah yeah. I have got to go check my mail and see if I won a meet and greet" he thought I was kidding. NOT
When I scrolled down and saw Clayonline, subject "Congratulations" I got a little excited. Then I opened it up and all heck broke loose. I jumped up from my puter chair and started my excited dance that I do, anyone who say me in Toronto, JBT, will know what I am talking about, and it ain't pretty. I was screaming "OMG," and jumping up and down, all the while hitting myself in the face and head to make sure I was awake and not just dreaming. First person I called was mcraig2 and she didn't answer, then Bisi and she didn't answer, then Becky and finally she answered, I told her and she started screaming too. I called Philly and she was do great. I then called my daughter and she was worried that I was going to have a heart attack. Paul kept telling me to calm down and I told him, "No I don't wanna calm down, this is happy excitement, and it ain't gonna kill me."
Saturday night ans Sunday I couldn't eat or sleep, my stomach was doing all kinds of weird things. Philly PM"ed me the color of the day so then I fretted even more because being a blond, I don't do yellow. I already had made a new top and got a new pair of Capri's to wear and was too out of my mind to drive to go shopping, I just wore the yellow ribbon pin on my bib and Philly told me to just tell him that I dyed my hair yellow for him, if he asked where my yellow was. ( which he did, and I did)
Getting my pass is a whole nother story but I will just say that if it weren't for Marilyn and Brenda I would have really freaked out, ( even more than I already was) One of the other winners went way beyond nice and offered to call me when the passes were ready so the 3 of us could go to the dinner, I was so worried about Brenda and Marilyn missing it.
I will skip all the rest and now get to the best and most important part.
Jerome came to get us and said we could take in whatever we had brought to give to Clay just as long as it wasn't ticking. Took us to a tent set up with 2 long tables, with ten chairs apiece set around them. I sat on an end chair thinking and hoping he just might sit at the head of the table. Jerome gave us the rules, there were only 3. Then we waited.
Finally he he came in all his glory, the Man, himself. When he walked in, it was exactly as Philly said. All the tummy squirming, nerve jumping and anxiety, just dissappeared, and it was fantastic..
He said he does eat all the recipes in his book, someone said the spaghetti recipe was not good and he told her he was "tell'n his mama" He did say he was crabby and tired bit I sure couldn't tell because he was handsomer than ever and funny, and charming and snarky and gorgeous, and thud worthy. He talked about taking A Thousand Days off the play list and "knock on wood" would have a new arrangement ready that night, and knocked on my head I gasped and made ga ga eyes and Clay shook his head and Jerome cracked up. I turned and said to Jerome," I wouldn't laugh if I were you, how much weight can you lift, because if he does that again I just might fall on the floor and Jerome said" don't worry honey, I can lift you" and Clay cracked up.
More questions were asked and answered then it was time for pictures and I was called 3rd. When it was my turn he opened his arms and wiggled his finger and poof I was in the arms of THE MAN. Talk about Heaven
When I walk out of the M&G a bunch of the RTM'ers were standing there waiting to snap my pic to catch the look on my face.
All I can say now is that I will never bee the same. I swear to you, I have never felt so at peace, relaxed and calm in my life as I did when I walked out of there. He is truly special some how and I firmly believe he is blessed, more so now that before. It was a dream come true and I have no idea how I ever got so lucky as to be able to have this once in a lifetime experience. I hope that each and every Claymate gets a chance to experience this phenomena.
I will post my picture with him as soon as I get it.
Thank you for letting me share this with you, however there is no way in h$ll that I could ever adequately describe an experience of this magnitude |
| flozie at CV wrote: |
He said he doesn't know when the next CD will be out but it will be all originals-NO COVERS
I was nervous prior to the M&G but once Clay showed up it was just fine. It was like sitting with him on your back porch and just chatting.
Anyway we had rules: no pictures, and no hugging Clay (can't remember the third one). Whatever he did during that break that caused him to wax all body hair and get the tan also injured his side cause Jerome demonstarted hugging techniques! Jerome got some phone call too to tell him Michael Vick had been suspended. Held up our M&G but I think it also caused the Stubhubs to not get their extra time with clay.
Clay came out saying he was crabby and had just gotten up. He was wearing frayed tan shorts, a white fifty2thirty shirt (Jerome also had one on but tried to buy a Freedom Hill shirt from one who worked there. The guy said sure can you have Clay sign this?) But I digress. Clay had on sandals which showed most of his feet and they are quite long. The sandals were like a flat base with 2 leather straps crisscrossing to hold them on. The feet were fine the sandals not so fine-well they were in good shape just ugly. Hair was great.
Also Jamie, Mary and Jerome were there. By the way they borrowed my silver sharpie and it never came back to me!
He started with so what shall we talk about? Any questions? then very fast-no questions/ The woman across from him asked if the recipes in the back of the book were ones he ate cause the spaghetti sauce was terrible. Mary had been on the phone with Faye so Clay said call my mama back and tell her this. SHe counted the number of people wearing yellow (I wore navy blue) and i had a question. he said you are not wearing yellow and said I had on yellow gold earrings-that doesn't count.
Person behind me asked about "Lover All Alone"-are you a "Lover All Alone"? He said no that it had no special meaning. he went on to say that in high school he alsways wondered why people looked for deeper meanings in stories. Like with Shakespeare. Maybe he used that word cause it helped with the flow of poetry. Or a room in a story was red because the author thought the room would nice red! He had heard the phrase somewhere and thought he could work something around that. Do not look for any deeper meaning. He thinks the song is very sad.
It was a lead in to my questions. So I asked him about the demos. Why did he record them-potential career or just to make something to sell. He said that when he was singing back then the others on stage always had stuff to sell and he didn't. So he recorded the demos so he would have something to sell in the lobby! Absolutely no thought as to a career in music at that time (see I was looking in his eyes and remembered!!). Then I said I had a companion question. I asked him about the laptop and Diane. was he having her listen to music he wrote. He asked where did I get that from. I said on Oprah way back when. Many of us had the impression he had written music and was having her listen. He did not remember Oprah But that the question comes from something she said on Oprah. And the others in the M&G agreed. He said no it was just music he liked.
I asked him if there was anything special he did to protect his voice. He said no. He, Ruben and Kim were the only three on AI that did NOT warm up or drink water or olive oil or like carmen mi mi mi. I said hasn't quiana taught you something. He said Quiana No. and she was walking by so he called her over. He said ask her your question. So I did. She said she eats before performing. I said no weight lifting or anything? She said well to try to lose weight but no nothing special for the voice. She is so beautiful-just plain beautiful.
He also spent some time telling us about their trip to Cedar Point the day before. He spoke of Quiana's stay at a mall that had target as an anchor and then commented on the mall.
Time was up. he wished me a Happy Birthday. He signed 1 item per person. we lined up to have our pictures taken-I was out of order in line!
I thanked him for the 4 years. Picture was taken and it was over. But the memories last
He is so easy to talk with. Like talking with your neighbor. not too snarky (okay I got snarked about the earrings).
Gave what I had written for Chicken Soup that was not accepted. And that was that.
ETA: Correction added - he, Ruben and Kim were the only ones who did NOT warm up on AI! |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:49 pm GMT; edited 1 time in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:24 am GMT Post subject: |
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Gilford, NH July 25, 2007
Gilford Meet and Greet recap by trishcc from CV:
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My meet and greet…………
GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH……………
………oh, you want more than that!!!????
My sis and I got there about 5pm.
It started with the wait. The people in the ticket office assured we were at the right place that we would be notified and to be patient. The nervous wait was calmed…..when we could hear Clay rehearsing for the show. I heard "Right Here Waiting"…..so I already knew what the new song would be! I did think it was kind of LATE to be rehearsing……so at least I knew they "probably" didn't forget us, but I was afraid there would be enough time if rehearsals went too late.
I was with my sister who kept reminding me that SHE should have won and how can I sneak her in with the group or at least get something signed for her. "g" (she's a kidder). I think she was trying to lighten the mood. Anyway we kind of introduced ourselves to the other meet 'n greeters. I met Aurora (SeaOfDawn) first…….who is very sweet and personable. I introduced my self to Genni she asked “trishcc”?.....and then said she was Panda1. Then there was Hilde, Sue and Michelle.
Lots of nervous chit-chat over what we had decided to wear and have signed and “where-the-heck-are-those-meet-‘n-greet passes” talk.
About 6pm we see Jerome’s head pop up over the fence to tell us it is time. We quickly say our goodbyes-get-the-hell-out-of-my-ways to our concert buddies. Jerome instructs us to put ON our little Clay-on-a-Tractor passes. We are instructed to grab a folding chair along the way to the little awning covered “landing dock” looking area that was for the meet ‘n greet.
It already starts to get fuzzy here folks, as I am thinking “where will Clay sit”. I “think” I set my own chair down…….luckily facing out (no conscious effort on my part) so I have direct view of where he will be entering. I see the chair across from me empty and think, “Ooooh maybe Clay will sit THERE…..a direct line. Then the ladies start taking their seats. Hilde to my direct left, then Aurora, Michelle, Sue, and Genni leaving and empty chair between me and Genni!!!
In the meantime Jamie and then Mary come into our m&g area. At some point here we give any “gifts” we have for them (Clay and Jerome or whomever) to Jerome. I tell him that mine looks a little bedraggled as I have been dragging it along since Christmas of 2004…..ha! hence the holiday wrap.
We see Jesse go by. Then, Jerome gives us the “No personal photos, no hugging too tight, only one item signed speech, then he leaves to go get Clay.
I cannot adequately describe what it is like seeing Clay come around that corner. As he walks closer, my heart races faster. He is ethereally beautiful. He has on a very nice soft yellow and whited striped casual dress shirt, khaki cut-offs and slip on cross-type sandals. His hair is kind of like the Frisco hair only in a more natural manner………just absolutely beautiful. He is immediately complaining of his left eye. I don’t remember him saying he got something in it as Aurora states in her recap……but I do remember him saying that now his contact was off to the side and it was bothering him.
He went around and asked names (he ooooohed at Aurora’s name – lucky girl) and shook hands before taking his seat.
He kept rubbing his eye and joking that pics would be with one eye closed. He then asked us to excuse him while he asked Jerome for his eye drops to try to correct the situation. He administered them himself and it seemed to do the trick. He said he never took them out all month – even to sleep- ‘cause he has such a hard time putting them in.
Here it is hard for me to remember. I am trying to concentrate on what the conversation is about…….but I am also trying to drink in every single drop of his gorgeousness. I try to scan his whole being……..but Jerome in directly in my line-sight and I don’t want to look like I am devouring him with my eyes……..although I think that is exactly what I was doing. He is just so deliciously beautiful.
We have had some beee-yooo-ti-ful pics of Clay in this fandom……but they simply cannot compare to up-close-and-personal. It is definitely sensory overload.
Okay, first thing he asks is who is from N.H. and where are the others from. It was 4 from N.H. and two MA. He comments on how beautiful N.H. is, especially the lake. They had a 16 hour ride here (thought it would only be 13 hrs. He keeps yawning and apologizing for yawning, mentioning chronic fatigue.
He asks for questions. Genni (Panda1) pulls out an envelope. He says “ohhh, you came prepared”……but it is just something she is delivering for a friend. Clay takes and immediately hands it to Jerome. Someone asks what his favorite venue is and he takes a moment to think and then says auditoriums as he is closer to the audience.
I asked him when we would find out who the new producer was and he said “Probably not before the tour was over”……..that the paperwork was in the works or done already and that some music had been submitted to him and if he (said, yes it is a male) comes back with the right kind of sound he (Clay) is looking for then that would seal the deal (paraphrasing here)…..and that is would probably be announced right after the tour ended.
I don’t remember how Back For More got in the convo…….but he immediately said that EVERY SINGLE meet ‘n greet group asked about that song. But, then said he did not like it and that is was cheesy especially the lyrics (again paraphrasing…….but you get the gist). It sounded like it would not have even have made the cut on the original “album-that-was-not-meant-to-be”…………..sniff)
At some point he mentioned there being a new song introduced tonight. No one spoke up so I said I knew what is was. He asked how......I said I heard the rehearsal. He quickly dropped it as I think I ruined his "I know something you don't know" schtick. I think I lost some brownie points there, y'all.
He talked about the Christmas tour and that it would me all Mid-west states. I don’t think Clay is really in touch with WHERE his tours lead him……..he just gets in the bus and GOES. Obviously, because Albany, N.Y. is sooooooo not Midwestern. eta: He also said that he did not think he was even doing N.C. this Christmas. I find that VERY hard to believe.
He talked about the dogs and that someone was allergic and he couldn’t understand why as his dogs had “hair” NOT fur – yes he emphasized this fact. It seemed he kept giving Mary the evil eye each time he talked about it. Someone brought up Jesse’s name and Clay corrected them, that it definitely was NOT Jesse who was allergic and that they should not believe everything they read on the message boards.
I think it was Hilde that asked him if he was happy. He said “Of course, why wouldn’t I be happy?”….she just said something to the effect that she just wanted to ask that.
We were asked to get out our items to be signed. I think at this point someone asked what his favorite song to sing was. He said he didn’t really have a favorite …..but then I gave him my ALL IS WELL cd to sign and he said probably Emmanual was his all time favorite to record or sing……not sure what actually said there……..I “know” he said Emmanuel was his favorite “something-or-other” and I “think” he said ALL IS WELL was his favorite album to record…….someone may clarify later. It’s all a haze when you know things are wrapping up and you are about to get a Clay-hug.
We get up for pics…..I am second in line. I get the prom pose….but I do get to put my arm around him…firmly but not tightly…….it was v.v.v.v..very nice.
Aurora is up after me and confesses that her new hubby (just married) said said that she could NOT meet Clay until they were legally bound and mentioning that she started dating her future hubby in July of 2003. Then Clay says, “ So, I was your FIRST?” Aurora says, “YES, you were first”. Clay had a big ol’ smile on his face. It was cute.
After pic’s were done we said our good-byes and it was over……..too soon. Then we reminded Jerome that he said we could take a pic with him, so we each took pic’s for each other and Jerome commented that he’d always remember this group as we are the only ones to get pic’s with him in his glasses.
I forgot …….but I think it was before the meet and greet that someone asked it he liked his job with Clay. He said it was like being on vacation. Someone questioned that response and he said he used to work for hip-hop artists and “you don’t see me wearing a bullet-proof vest tonight, do ya?” I guess that answered THAT. We told him how appreciative we were for having him with Clay. He said he wasn’t going anywhere and that would be with Clay for a long, long time. Just before we finally disperse someone asks about the busline and Jerome assures us it WILL be and WHERE it will be. So, I "guess" these are a GO on this whole tour if at all possible.
I am sure some of this is out of sequence but I can not for the life of me think of anything but his beautiful face.
Word to any future M&G er's...........take questions on notes WITH YOU. It is very hard to think when you are there. I wanted to find out the "secret-of-the-hairless-arms 'n legs" but I forgot. crap.
If I remember any more...........I'll add it later. But that was basically it. |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:34 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Newark, NJ July 28, 2007
| Quote: |
FROM MEET AND GREET
looked like he got out of bed, light shirt..kind of tight
ratty shorts on again and sandals hehe
meet and greeter said "you look happy, im so glad that you look happy" and he said "the meds must be working"
may not be able to tour without something new out...
idol musical was well put together, lights good..sound good, very impressed cause there were young people, some parts he didnt like cause they were uncomfortable to watch |
| butterflyshine wrote: |
worlds longest recap ever...scroll alert....
Ok, here it is my meet n greet recap.
I asked and was allowed to attend a meet n greet on Saturday, therefore the number of fans at Saturday’s meet n greet was 7.
Jerome came and got us and led us to the green room , how close it was to the proximity of the stage, I have no idea, but Clay came up the stairs right in front of the door. It had a few side chairs and then some stackable wire plastic chairs and surprise it was a green room. Jerome gave us the 3 rules: 1. autograph per person; 2. no hugging Clay too tightly; 3. behave as though we were at a church social and our parents were there.
He told us he used to do a whole litany of don’ts, but one time someone grabbed Clay inappropriately and her defense was “you didn’t say you couldn’t touch him there”
We asked about the bus line and he said that the bus was parked outside, and that there would be buses, as long as it could be done in a safe manner.
We told him how much we all enjoyed the new meet n greet format and he was happy to hear that. Supposedly there have been some that don’t like it, but he positive have far outweighed the negative.
We asked how he liked the Idol: the Musical and he said it was interesting. Did he think it was funny, he said he was still laughing. I asked at Clay or at the play? He said both and that it was very interesting.
He said make sure you have questions for Clay, it makes the meet n greet much more enjoyable, myself and one other pulled out our typed sheets and he was like good, I have no worries, I will be back shortly.
So, the group of 7 talked amongst ourselves; until Jamie came in, and she is such a sweetie and a cutie. She said it had been quite a day. I asked, anything you care to share, and she said: “Do y’all have any striped socks?” We all laughed and asked if this meant a sockless Clay, and lo and behold Clay came up the stairs and into the room. He was wearing a white shirt and khakis cargo shorts, stubble, hair every which way and his brown sandal/flip flops
Clay came in and greeted us. He noticed that we were a large group. I said that’s b/c I was added. He asked why and several said b/c she is special. Clay asked why I was special. I asked if wanted me to answer, he said no, they can. And my friend Dee, said I know b/c she is a and he finished the sentence…You’re a moderator, I said yes, and he thanked me for doing that for them (Yes, royal we was in attendance :wink: (he sat across from us, we were kind of in a line against the wall)
He was yawning. I asked if we were keeping him up. He said that he hadn’t been sleeping well since arriving in NY, and that he hadn’t fallen asleep until 6:00 am that morning that he had a really bad headache. He then stated that he was going to nap between and 8 & 10 that night. I teased him that could work, we could then all say we slept with Clay…giggles from the 5 other women in the meet n greet…not sure Rob enjoyed that remark…yes, a Claydawg was in the house. He pretended to consider that for a moment asking if we thought it would work, I said probably for about 10 minutes, he said nah, if I am going to asleep it is going to be for more than 10 mins.
He then asked us to introduce ourselves, which we did. He said he recognized and remember two of the people. One of them was Marge from the bus at Englewood, NJ last December. Marge related that she had been able to come on the bus after answering the question: what is the 4th most populous country in the world? The answer is Indonesia. Marge knew this b/c her husband is from Indonesia.
Teacher Clay kicks in and asks if we know what the 3rd country is ….there were some guesses, I said India, and was told no. One of the other fans said Asia, upon which Clay quickly pointed out that is a continent and not a country. He then told us: China, India, USA, Indonesia and Brazil. I said you have been to several of the countries; Clay said I have been to all of the countries and then quickly retracted that b/c he realized that he hadn’t been to China.
We then spent several minutes trying to get Marge to answer what part of Indonesia her husband was from, Marge was a bit confused and was telling us how her husband’s family first immigrated to a Dutch City and then later to Washington state and after prodding by all she said her husband was from Jakarta. Clay was very sweet and snarky and said “well, that took thirty minutes. He then opened the floor to questions, I am trying to do these in order, but I think they are bit mixed up, if someone else gives a different order, they are most likely right.
Q: What is in the water bottle on the stage?
A: It is a secret, only Mary knows and it changes each night. They always take the label off the bottle.
The fan that asked the question said well it taste awful. Apparently a friend of hers took a bottle after the concert; Mary who was in the room, laughed and said “security”. Clay said it probably had a lot of spit in it.
Q: who has creative control over his concerts?
A: He does. He comes up the concept and in the case of JBT and JNT 2 and then handed them off to Amy Tinkham who took the ideas and ran with it. Clay is not involved for awhile there then is a lull, and the he snarked he comes in at the end and changes everything.
Asked if it is possible to tour between albums?
He said it is really difficult b/c he is not on TV and the like and is not as visible. He said last year’s xmas concert sold really well b/c he was TV and had the controversy with Kelly Ripa.. Clay then joked that he was going to have create another controversy like putting his foot on someone’s armrest or slapping his hand across someone’s mouth. Lots of laughter. He mentioned that this summer concert series while doing well, wasn’t doing as well as the Xmas tour, and he attributed that to his lack of visibility.
Not sure about the question, but the answer was quite fascinating.
Clay then started talking about if he had his way, and he thought it was too late, but if could, he would re-release "All Is Well" with MCWL with added or additional production. He said it probably wouldn’t happen, but that is what he would like to do. He then looked at Mary and said that they should bring it up this evening. (He didn’t say so then, but I got the impression that the label was going to be in attendance)
Q: Since becoming a celebrity who is your favorite interviewer?
A: Print media would be Alison Glock. Alison is very through and spent considerable time with him for his Elle interview. He referenced Kelly’s recent article with Alison and mentioned that he had been contacted by Alison. He said was impressed with Alison and that is why he asked her to contribute to LTS.
His favorite TV interviewer would be Diane Sawyer. Someone mentioned Jimmy and he said Jimmy was hysterical and that he really enjoyed working with Jimmy, but that Jimmy doesn’t really interview. Someone mentioned Kelly Ripa and that got a snort and a look.
Q: Favorite celebrity moment?
A: Clay had to think about that and he said that two things stood out. AI Finale b/c they keep playing it and playing it. (not sure if he was saying his finale or the AI5 finale, but I thought he was referencing the AI5 finale)
He also mentioned the World Series, I got the impression that this might not be his favorite thing, but it was a big deal. I mentioned that he looked so cold that night, he didn’t have an specific recollection. But others mentioned it as well. I also asked/suggested that he might have been nervous; this was met with a resounding NO.
It was now my turn to ask one of my several questions.
I asked if RCA has any control over when he blogs, what he blogs, etc.
A: Why in the world would you ask that question?
A: Because it has come up a couple of times on the board
A: Well, let me put it this way. The world abounds with a lot of conspiracy theories. In actuality, there are very few conspiracies in this world, so no.
I then followed up with: Does RCA have anything to do with the fanclub?
A: He said yes, they do with Clayaiken.com. He said with respect to clayonline.com the better question would be: “Do they even know it exist?”
Q: I said that is what I thought and then pointed out that they do put on his CD, and he said that is b/c I tell them to. I said well some thought that RCA might have control, and he said well, now you have six people to back you up
Q: Would he ever consider doing Broadway?
A: He said he would consider, but that he would have to be much older. He said he couldn’t imagine doing 8 shows a week. That he likes variety and that he likes to mix up his shows. He couldn’t imagine saying and singing the same things, from the same spot on the stage night after night.
Q: What advice would give an aspiring teacher?
A: What grade does NJ stop for elementary?
A: various answers some stop at 8th, some at 5th and some at 6th
A: He would advise against teaching the grades that have mandated state tests. You get stuck teaching the test. He said he wouldn’t have wanted to teach 3rd or 5th grade in Raleigh. He would also advise against teaching the top grade of the elementary, whether it be 5, 6th or 8th b/c by then the kids start copping an attitude.
Q: Would he go back to teaching?
A: Doesn’t think he could at this point, doubts that the kids would listen to him, plus he would have take pictures with all the kid’s mamas
Q: When he is in Raleigh, is he comfortable going out in public?
A: Yes, he doesn’t go to the store to much, but he will. He likes to go out to eat with a group of friends to certain restaurants, which he won’t say b/c he still wants to go there. If does go out, he usually drags someone with him.
Q: You sang Listen so well, and you knew all the words, do you know all the songs ? (this was my question, and I was quite excited to have a bit of a scoop, but alas he announced this at the concert last night )
A. He chooses the songs for the girls. So he picks what he likes and what he wants to hear. Jaymes does say that he has knack for lyrics, and that after one listen of a demo he can usually do a reasonable facsimile of the lyrics. He said that b/c he and Quiana grew up singing live, that has a lot to do with it. He says b/c even now he sings a lot of his stuff live, he has learned to wing it and go with it, to make it work…if he has to sing the 2nd verse twice, that is what he does. He said Quiana really sang the bulk of it and that he just joined her. We assured him it was absolutely beautiful.
Q: What did he think of Idol: the Musical?
A: It was quite flattering and the same time it made him uncomfortable. He gave the actors props and said they were talented.
Q: Will he ever put out 5230 shirts?
A: No, he won’t and if the fans start replicating them, then they would stop wearing them.
Q: He appears to be more comfortable with the fans?
A: Snark…I am heavily medicated….
Then he continued to say, if the fans don’t freak then he is fine. But when the fans freak, that freaks him out. He still doesn’t get the attraction.
Q: In general terms does he know if the sound of the new album will be more like MOAM or more like ATDW or a combo?
A: It is too early to say. He doesn’t have the songs picked, so he couldn’t really say….the sound is developed toward the end of the album process
Not sure if he said at this point in the conversation, but he said hopefully it will be all originals and then he said it will be all originals.
He also mentioned that with regard to song writing, if it happens, it happens.
Ok, I think that is fairly comprehensive. He was adorable and funny and snarky.
A cute thing, I was last to get my picture taken. He said oh, you’re tall. And we got our picture taken. After he said something to the effect: Dear lord please tell me you have heels on. I said yes, and then he asked how tall are you? I said 5’9, he then said you were taller than me in the photo. I said no, I couldn’t be, my heels weren’t that high. He said no, you were a tad taller. I said well, let’s take the photo again, I didn’t want to be taller. Jamie said no, it was nice picture b/c we were so evenly matched. Now, I don’t think I was taller, even with my shoes on I should have been about 5’ll ...i guess the proof will be in the picture… |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:33 pm GMT Post subject: |
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San Diego, CA August 2, 2007
| nordie wrote: |
I had a Meet and Greet last night. I don't have time to do any in depth review, but wanted to drop a few random recollections.
1. We did not get our passes until almost 6:00. There were 6 people in the M&G as usual.
2. Clay was gorgeous, wore the usual shorts, purple shirt, sandals,
3. Only Jerome and Mary were with him.
4. I was the only one with prepared questions, which he did answer....more about that later.
5. Did I mention that he was gorgeous....
6.HE SAT NEXT TO ME. We were all seated at a large round table by the VIP tent.
7. When I asked him about the CD direction, he did say that he was going for a different sound for the new album.
8. I asked him what his contribution to "Lonely No More" was and he said that he wrote the bridge.
9. More later....I still have 3 more Calif. concerts to go......
10. DID I MENTION HE WAS GORGEOUS.....OMG! THOSE B.E.A.U.T.F.U.L. GREEN EYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ETA: I want to thank kellykellyk for her question suggestions.....again, I will write more later |
| nordie wrote: |
San Diego Meet & Greet:
Since I never win anything, unless you count a classroom set of black handle, regular size scissors, which only a teacher could truly appreciate, you can imagine my complete surprise when I checked my email literally 10 minutes before leaving on a 10 day camping trip, on which I would have little, or no access to a computer. I must have read the “subject” line 5 times before opening the email that seemed to imply that I was a “Clay Aiken Meet and Greet Winner.” I just could not wrap my mind around such an eventuality. I feel like I now have an inkling on how a million dollar lottery winner must feel......it was a wonderful, exciting, joyous moment. Now, the million dollars would be have been great of course, but I digress. So, here is a jumbled up mess of a recap.
We were told to check with the Box Office at 3:00 for our passes. The long suffering agent told me and the others, that we should check back in a half hour or so to see if the passes had been delivered. This 30 minute watch turned into a 3 hour ordeal. I was supposed to be helping clavia with the preparty, but I was not there long enough to be of much help.I hope she will forgive me....eeeep! Mary, who was quite pleasant, finally delivered the passes around 6:00. Jerome came and got the 6 of us around 6:30. He accidently dropped his cell phone on the sidewalk, as we headed to the venue, but had it all back together quickly. He was very laid back and funny. We were taken to a VIP tent area to the side of the stage, and seated at a large round table on a grassy area next to the bay. It was a beautiful backdrop for this once in a lifetime experience. Jerome gave us a very short list of the rules, then Mary and he disappeared for a couple of minutes Since the table was very large there were several empty seats scattered around the table. The group spent the time discussing where we thought Clay would sit. Of course, we were wrong. He appeared around the corner with Jerome and Mary. He sat next to me (which made me for some reason lean away from him) and someone said she thought he would sit on her side. He said something like “Oh, I heard you guys talking about it, so I decided sit over here instead.” I think he was just kidding, and proceeded to ask each person where we were from. All were either from San Diego, or another southern California city.
After a few witty remarks one of which he had all of us say the word “roof” as he was trying to prove that one of the people in the group must have grown up in Canada due to the way she pronounced that word. He then turned to me, held out his hand and said, “Hi, I am Clay Aiken” and shook my hand, and did the same to everyone else. Then he looked around the table and said since it I looked like the only one who had questions I should go ahead and ask them. For some reason I leaned away from him most of the time. The chairs were very close, and I did not want to invade his space.
Here are a couple of answers that relate to his music:
He said that he was looking for songs that would be a departure from the originals that were on the first two albums.
He said he wrote the bridge in "Lonely No More", and was not singing it, or songs like Broken Wings, because they did not mesh well with a symphony.
I had a couple of trite questions which he also answered. Then he asked us to give him what we wanted to him to sign. I had him sign my AIW CD while the other items ranged from T-shirts to pictures. He said he made a mistake while signing mine, but then quickly said, “See, I fixed it.” Then he said it was time for pictures and remarked that we had the most beautiful backdrop for our shots. We were called in order, but since we were still sitting down after the first picture, he yelled something like “Hurry ladies...run,” as it was only about 25 minutes until curtain time. He did the prom pose and like others, I have no recollection of how it actually went. He just expertly moves you into the pose and it’s over.
He then waved, thanked us, and was gone.
A few important details:
Hair: It was combed, and not messy as some of have mentioned at other M&Gs. Eyelashes were darkened. I noticed that he did have arm hair, appeared to have a bug bite on his wrist, and that his fingernails were not “chewed.”
Clothes: The usual: tan shorts, purple shirt, and flip flops.
Face: His face did not appear that full at all, and he had what looked like a couple of days of stubble.
Eyes: An pool of exquisite green
Nose: Perfection!
M&G Passes: Mary said that she had taken the picture of the tractor, and that she and Jamie had their pictures taken on it at as well.
If you are still reading, I apologize for this rambling post, but here are the answers to my trite questions and a couple of other things I just remembered.
He said he did not pick out his concert clothes. He claimed he never picks out anything.
Everyone pretty much agrees on what shows to watch on the bus. He is now watching a new TV show with Glenn Close called “Damages.” He said this in response to someone mentioning “The Riches.” He said he liked this new show even though it was “dark.”
He does not have any questions that he wishes people would ask him.
The Christmas tour would not be coming to the West Coast. He said had a specific name for the tour....but, I can’t remember it exactly....I think it was something like “Christmas in the Heartland.” He told Mary that this was going to be the title.......she didn’t seem so sure.
I asked Mary how long she had been doing this kind of job, and she answered that she had been in the Music Business for, I think, more than a decade...just can not remember her exact answer.
All in all, it was one of those times that seemed like an out of body experience. Meeting him up close has broken down a wall, for lack of a better word, for me. I was able to view him as just a regular person like the rest of us, and I am not as star struck as I once was....I am not explaining this the way I want to....but, it’s the best I can do at the moment. I wanted to get this written, as I was beginning to feel like it was a homework assignment that I need to get done before I forgot how to do it, and then I wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. I know I left things out, and hopefully I will remember a few more things soon.
Many thanks to kellykellyk for some question ideas and to clavia for expertly running the preparty without me. |
From a M&G report at the CB by gma23boys:
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Me and my M&G buddy took a HIKE from the pre-party to the will call office as we were told to go at 3:00 to get our M&G passes. Well, long story short, after finding out the passes were NOT there and no one knew when they WOULD be there, and after calling the Symphony directly, and after hiking back to the pre-party, and then after missing each other to go BACK to the ticket office, and after waiting for-ev-er at the ticket office once we GOT our M&G passes (The Tractor Picture, which Mary told us was NOT photoshopped as she had actually taken that picture), and after walking with Jerome to the VIP area where the M&G was to be held (which was outside, right on the water, with sailboats behind, and the sounds of the water, lapping at the rocks) and after waiting another small for-ev-er period of time during which Jerome gave us the “rules,” … then we sat and waited some more and some more, and then… all of a sudden we see shadows on the outside of the tent, we hear voices, and in walks Clay…. And HOLYMOLY did he ever look wonderful. Pullover shirt. his regular long, tan, rather well worn (LOL) cargo pants and something on his feet, I cannot remember what because I was so focused on his face… OMG, Clay Aiken was right in front of us!!!! He looked incredible!!! His hair was soft and clean and had lots of blonde highlights, he had no makeup on whatsoever, you could see each and every adorable freckle, his eyes are the most incredibly gorgeous light green you would ever want to see! As most everyone has said, when he looks at you, you are the only person there…a direct gaze that doesn’t waver! He immediately put us all at ease, and the most amazing thing happened… It was like we had known each other forever and he was just sitting amongst friends, chatting, snarking, making his faces, being funny, being serious, being one heck of a normal guy! It was as if all of us were old friends, just sitting down for a chat and catching up with each other! What a talent Clay has for putting people at ease. He started asking us where we were from and started ragging on one of the gals about her having conspiracy theories, it came out of nowhere and it was tooooooo funny. He continued snarking on her off and on through the M&G. We all told him where we were from and when it was my turn, I said I was a San Diego native, and he said no you’re not. I said yes I am, he said no you’re not, etc…..He said I sounded like I was from Canada because of the way I said OMG just before he came into the M&G room (he actually heard me) and then asked me what was on top of a house and I said roof, and he asked one of the other ladies how do you say roof, and she said it, then he told me that I said it like R-U-F-F (spelling out the letters). I replied I did not, I said R-O-O-F, he said no you didn’t, I said yes I did, he said I must be mistaken and I was separated at birth and really from Canada. This went on back & forth for a little while and was soooo amazing. He was making all his usual faces, rolling his eyes, etc., and I couldn’t believe I was sitting there arguing with Clay… LOL. One of our group had a list of questions that she went through, initially his answers were snarky no, yes, no, Then he seriously answered some of them… He said he wasn’t coming out west for the Christmas Tour... we all were sad. I did ask him if he would do me a favor and told him about the Japanese group and the New Zealand group and asked him if he would acknowledge them during the concert. He told me he had a bad memory, but he would honestly try. I told him they were all wearing kimonos and he said if he saw kimonos, then he probably would remember. I honestly don’t remember too much else, but he did talk with everyone and asked everyone questions, and he was just so personable and so friendly. Then as it was getting quite late (we were there a good half hour), we all rushed to get our pictures. It was just incredible!
Then during the second set of the concert, after MOAM (which was absolutely gorgeous), he introduced Jesse and Sean and said Sean’s sister was there and had everyone say Hi Sean’s Sister and said she was from Dallas and some TX fans started yelling and he acknowledged them, but said is ANYONE from San Diego and I (me and my big mouth) started yelling KIMONOS, CLAY, KIMONOS, CLAY… and he looked over at me and said from the stage that we had met earlier at the M&G and then he said “Now calm down, young lady, last time I looked my name was still on the ticket not yours,” and laughed his cute little laugh and said “I’m Kidding” and then repeated we had met earlier and I had given him directions to acknowledge the Japanese ladies who were wearing kimonos which they borrowed from the Benihana down the street, laughingly, and then said, no, they were real kimonos. He looked for them and couldn’t find them, finally he did, toward the back, and he said you shoulda just stayed in Japan you are so far away, and asked if the sound even got back that far. When he seemed to forget about the NZ gals, I kept pointing to them and he said oh yes and we have someone else here from New Zealand, there they are… and they were so thrilled.
The rest of the concert was amazing… the sound was gorgeous, "Lover All Alone" was fantastic, not a sound in the entire venue. When he got to the end and started singing Because You Loved Me… the venue’s fireworks started going off and it was simply the most amazing thing, him singing, fireworks, OMG… the perfect ending to the perfect day!!!!!
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| sertralinatraz wrote: |
This darling M&G report from ClayDreamBelievers by one of the Japanese ladies in San Diego reads like a romance novel:
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clayz4u2 e-mailed me this recap sent to her by Mariko who was with the group of Japanese ladies that traveled to America to attend some of Clay's concerts. Mariko gave her permission to let me post it here:
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Recap of my M & G with Clay
My M&G was not the one offered by the OFC but instead, a charity M&G by the SD Symphony. The event was held after the concert.
At the SD pre-party, an announcement was made that due to miscommunication between the management of Team Clay and the SD Orchestra, the planned M&G time would be cut drastically. Instead of the promised individual photo with Clay, we were told that we would be taking a group photo. They said that the event itself had been almost cancelled so I had to remind myself that I should be content, but still I was rather disappointed.
From the moment Clay stepped out on the stage singing "Here You Come Again" in San Diego, my eyes welled up. It was my very first Clay concert and I was moved by his wonderful voice and overwhelmed by his presence on the stage. The real Clay was right there and not just through my PC screen! I was teary-eyed during the entire concert.
I wondered how I could stay conscious with this messed-up state of mind! My heart raced with excitement and nervousness thinking about my M&G right after the concert。 With the last song, "Because You Loved Me", fireworks lit up the air in time with the song. I felt the excitement in the audience reaching its peak but at that point I was so nervous that I could not appreciate the song. I was almost panicking, pacing up and down like a bear of something in front of the tent where the event was to take place.
I took a deep breath and finally got into the tent and found a few staffers on duty. I saw that there was some food and drinks on the tables but no other M&G winners in sight. One of the staffers seemed interested in my Kimono and I chatted with him for a couple of minutes while the other winners began showing up. We introduced ourselves to each other. I told them about the Japanese Claymates and our fandom history. It was a relief to have Shiela with me because I knew her through my dear friend, Sondra. She was a real fun person to be with and her presence put me at ease. After a while, Mary came in and I explained to her about the gifts our group had brought from Japan. Our group had brought gifts for Mary, Jamie, Jessie, Sean, Quiana, Angela and Jerome. I also showed her our letters that were placed into a file for Clay. I was asked if they were written in Japanese so I told her that “No, they were translated into English”. She said, “Then, I’m gonna read them right away.” She also asked me if I wanted to hand the gift for Clay directly to him. I said “Yes!” At that point, Clay’s autographed CDs were handed out to us. Some staffers kindly offered us food again and again while we were waiting, but none of us touched the food. We said “How could we eat something while waiting for him without knowing when he will show up? How embarrassing it would be if he saw us with our mouths full!”
I told the other M&G ladies that most of the Japanese fans discovered him after seeing him on the AI5 finale and that the two minutes of AI5 changed my life. We all agreed that his charm transcends cultural differences and breaks language barriers. After chatting with each other and waiting seemingly forever, finally Clay walked in.
I tapped the arm of the lady next to me and whispered to her “He’s here!” She said ‘”I know.” Her voice was very calm and controlled. The other ladies seemed very calm as well. I wondered, ‘”How could you stay that calm!” Then I realized that I was the only one there who was meeting him for the first time. They might not have met him in person, but they have frequented his concerts and touched his hands at the busline. To them, his presence itself was not a surprise. Suddenly, I felt left out. I said to myself, “I arrived in the US yesterday; my very first trip to US. I cried like a baby until a while ago at my very first Clay concert.” I was struggling to calm down. All I could do was to defiantly declare to myself, “Yes, I am a Clay virgin! Isn’t that cool?” ( What was I bragging about? lol)
He wore the usual cargo pants, sandals and a blue pullover. He looked like he was fresh from the shower with no make-up on, whatsoever. I saw those lovely freckles. He was much more solidly built than I had thought! OMG! He was sooooooooo cute and handsome.
At first, the name list of the eight M&G winners was handed to him and he started reading each name. All of us lined up in front of him. Each one of us stepped forward to introduce ourselves to Clay. I was the fifth one in line. Clay said my name, ‘”Mariko”, and I replied, “Yes, I’m Mariko from Tokyo”. He looked at me directly in the eyes.
I was mesmerized by those gorgeous green eyes. I was literally on cloud nine. After the introduction, the photo-shooting started. When one staffer started splitting us into two groups, Clay said, “What?” with a puzzled look on his face. When he found that a group photo was to be taken. He said, ”‘No. Let’s do it individually.” We were in disbelief and couldn’t contain our joy! OMG!! OMG!!OMG!!
What should I do now? Does this mean that my long-cherished dream of hugging him is about to come true? OMG! What kind of pose should I take with him? Lucky me! because I was not the first one. Various thoughts crossed my mind. I told myself, “All I have to do is watch the ladies ahead of me and just copy what they do”. So I watched them carefully. The first lady was small and when he hugged her, her face was half-buried in his chest. OMG! How sweet it would feel! My heart was racing faster and faster. Very few words were exchanged between Clay and each lady. The photo-taking continued. Finally it was my turn. I stepped forward and showed him the gift and said “This is our gift for you, a Japanese Kimono jacket.” He said, ‘Thank you! I’m gonna put it on in the bus.” He gently stroked the jacket and handed it to Mary. Then he turned towards the camera so I did the same thing. He wrapped his arm around me and held me tight. OMG!! Caught off guard, I was barely able to avoid lurching, thanks to his support. I put my left arm around his waist. I felt his strong arm and thick chest! OMG! And then he put his face against mine. Now I could feel his cheek on my left temple. His warmth was wrapped all around me. It felt soooooooooo good! One click sound was heard and that was it. It was just a couple of minutes I guess.
While I was still on cloud nine, Shiela said, “Clay, some Japanese fans started taking English lessons in case they can meet you!” Clay said, ‘’Oh, really?” as he smiled at me. I cannot forget that smile. Those white teeth and magical green eyes! I was convinced that we did make him happy that we came all the way from Japan just to see him.
After the photo shoot, we lined up again for a good-bye hand-shake with him. Each lady said, “Thank you, Clay.” “Thank you,” responded Clay. On a moment’s thought,
I decided to speak Japanese. When my turn came, I said, “Arigato (thank you), Clay” while shaking hands with him. He copied me and said, “Arigato.” His accent was perfect! He spoke Japanese! He spoke Japanese! I wanted to flip out and scream but I managed to control myself. His hands were warm and soft although he gripped mine firmly.
After that, Jerome came to me and said, ‘Thank you for the T-shirt,” and I said, “Please take good care of him.” He said, “That’s easy.” Apparently, Mary had already handed our gift to him. I watched Clay as he faded out of view.
I had been asked before my M&G by our other members to smell him but I’m sorry that I did not have the chance to do so. <o:p></o:p>
Shiela emailed me after the event to give me an observation report of my M&G. She was seventh in line. Here is her report:
“He loved your Kimono, Mariko, he just kept looking at you and even felt the material
And he was thrilled with his kimono. The coloration was very masculine and I just wish I could see him in it. I was damn fortunate to be in your M&G. He was enthralled with you when he first came to you. I will say again that Clay seemed most pleased to meet Mariko and he gently stroked his gift from you with the most awesome smile on his face, so sweet!”
Oh! Was he thrilled with my Kimono? I saw him stroking the kimono jacket. Oh, my gosh, he wanted to feel my kimono? I would fly back to the dream world again.
Clay, please feel not only my kimono but also what lies underneath it! Oh, am I a freak or something?
When I found the photo in my mail box a week ago, I was so happy to see his bashful smile in the photo. Clay must have never felt a real Kimono before and he seemed thrilled to touch it! I am also happy to be able to let him know that there are so many fans of his that are half the globe away. Another thing that made me happy is that by coincidence, we both wore blue which seemed to compliment each other’s outfit. I did not notice that at the event.
Thank you, Clay!
I will cherish the memory for the rest of my life.
The photo was sent by mail so I had it scanned to a file.
The original is now placed in a special frame and it adorns my study.
I asked my two boys to put the photo into my casket. They just giggled at me. |
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:35 pm GMT; edited 3 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:29 am GMT Post subject: |
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Pala, CA August 3, 2007
From the Clayboard:
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| M&G PERSON IS REPORTING THAT "Lover All Alone" MAY BE ON THE NEW CD |
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stardust who had meet n greet
furthest west for Xmas tour is Omaha
got his teeth done b/c he bored and he didn't like his front teeth
Doesn't want to leave RCA...DF can't produce him b/c he is under contract with Warner Bros.
auction winners were there...he said it had to go fast...
Jaymes brought up to him putting "Lover All Alone" on the next album ....he seemed to like the idea...
her pictures happened so fast...the meet n greet went so fast...
he was in shorts and purple 5230 shirt...he his wasn't done...not sure about his hair...
listening to what he was saying...
there were couple of duplicate question...he asked if people aren't reading the boards and recaps....
asked about how to put a concert on...he is invited...he doesn't really know...isn't coming back West for Xmas... |
From WandaCleo at Clayversity:
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Meet and greet PALA:
This is also a bit late and I haven't read other M&G reports, so you may have already read this--feel free to scroll. I'll try to tell you what I remember. We were supposed to pick up our badges after 3 but the Casino staff had no clue and finally one woman went off and told us where to go at 5, but then we waited another hour. There were eventually 10 of us--4 OFC and 4 auction winners. I know that some of the auction winners would have preferred not to go with the rest of us, but I was happy as a clam regardless of the number as I just wanted to take a good look at Clay up front and didn't figure I'd be establishing a lifetime relationship.
Jerome came (and he's looking GOOD) and herded us to the elevators and to a room upstairs. Then he led us into a room to give us our "don't grab Clay" lecture and counted us and there were 11 of us. Some woman saw us and just followed along, figuring we were Claymates!! Jerome escorted her out. I don't think she was stalking Clay. I think she was just trying to join in a Clay gathering.
Mary (who is quite slim these days) and Jamie, who is cute as a button, were in the room and went and got some extra chairs so we were sitting on 2 sofas and some chairs in a circle. Then, Clay came in and immediately walked around the circle and asked our names and shook our hands. His hand was warm and soft but it went fast. He was wearing those butt-ugly tan shorts with the frayed seam at the bottom and the purple shirt (I think he'd slept in them from the night before.) He was actually quite cute in that outfit--it somehow seems to fit him. He had on those brown crisscross sandals. Toes long and pedicured. Didn't see the ring that we noticed at the concert. He said right off the bat that he didn't have much time because we were running late. However, we all had time to ask a question or two. In no particular order these are some of the things discussed (and I've probably forgotten some).
Someone asked what she'd have to do to get him to play scrabble with her online (just reporting here) and he said there was nothing she could do because he hated scrabble, at which point there was some discussion as to him having said he liked it (I don't think so)and his asking Jamie and Mary if he liked scrabble and they agreed that he didn't. He said that Kelly liked scrabble but he would never play with her.
Someone else thought he recognized her because she had been at a M&G before and he was like "You think I recognize you???" Then ensued a discussion about how he can't remember things and someone said that he said he had a good memory and he said the person lied and then someone said he said it and he saidf he lied.
THAT out of the way:
I asked if there was a chance that "Lover All Alone" would be on his next CD and he said that Jaymes really wanted that to happen and that he didn't think it was possible, but apparently it is so there's a chance that will happen.
I asked if he was pleased with the reorganization at the TBAF and if that was going well and he said that he's not really active in the managing of it and missed the last board meeting but that he trusts his uncle and his mother trusts him.
Someone asked if the songs he recorded for the CD that didn't come out would be released and he said that only 3 had had the final mixing: "A Thousand Days", BFM, and JY and that we had "A Thousand Days", but the others couldn't be leaked or released because it wouldn't be fair to the songwriters who couldn't then market them as originals.
Someone asked him how much control he has over touring and he said basically none, but sometimes they might give him a choice of a venue or two, but he really has no say. He also talked about how someone rented a theater and wanted to back a show but that tour companies want to work with promoters that they know and tend to use the same ones. He said he thought the furthest East he was going was PA, and I said he was going to CT, but that was news to him and he said not to believe everything you hear, but he sounded pleased at the possibility. He said he thought the furthest West he would be was Omaha, NB. (HOWEVER, we do have the November 6 show in the West so all is not lost).
One lovely woman (who doesn't post) had won a M&G and instead of a question thanked him for what he does with TBAF and said that she has a 19-year old autistic grandson. He asked her a little about that and she said that her grandson was doing very well, thanks to her daughter, and (I'm so sorry I can't remember his exact words) he said something to the effect that her daughter was able to do that thanks to HER. It was quite touching and thoughtful even though it was a quick statement. I noticed it.
Someone asked him why he had his teeth done (again, just reporting) and he said, "I was bored!" and sort of threw up his hands, but then said that his front teeth went in and he didn't like them. (What could he say?)
Someone asked if he would work with David Foster and he said that he couldn't because he worked for Warners and Clay worked for RCA and didn't want to leave his label (out of his own mouth) but that he could record a song that DF wrote but DF couldn't produce for him.
Someone asked if he planned to write songs for the next CD and said something like, "Don't you guys talk to each other???" He said that he gets the same question at every M&G and has no plans and if it happens, it happens.
When it came time to sign pictures and stuff, he talked and said he wasn't very good at multi-tasking but he would try to talk to us while signing. He didn't ask how to spell my name, but I guess there aren't too many possibilities with "Wanda." Oh, yes, he did ask us where we were from and when I said Carmel, he said it was up the coast, so he knew where it was.
A couple of people had those pictures by that person who draws (Huber? or something like that) with the bangs. Clay looked at the first one and said there was no way that was drawn that she must have traced it or something. (My suspicions as well!!!) I had him sign my sheet music for Invisible. I'm just so happy to have that to frame and hang by my piano. Three people, I think, hadn't brought anything and Clay said they'd try to find something for him to sign (don't know if that happened) but one woman said that he'd signed everything she wanted before.
Pictures were quick. There was no way in hell I was going to hug or touch Clay, just not in me to touch strangers (even Clay), so I just stood there and he came up and put his arm around me (I think) and his face by mine. It went really quickly.
At some point Jamie collected gifts and cards. When we left, the auction winners were asked to wait, so maybe they got a little more time (which I'm sure made them happy) but I was completely satisfied. I don't ever need another M&G, but I hope that everyone has the opportunity to have one. I felt that if I knew Clay, I'd like him. That was a good feeling to take to the concert.
My overall impression of Clay.
I wasn't at all intimidated by him or even nervous once I got there as he was gracious, but businesslike. He didn't waste any time. I think that if he weren't someone I knew as famous and I just met him, I would think he was a pleasant young man, reasonably attractive, and probably wouldn't give him much more than a passing thought. Interesting. (To me, anyway). He looks pretty much like his pictures. His spray tan is long gone, and I'm blind as a bat so couldn't tell without putting my nose down by his legs if the hair is growing back. (I thought that might be inappropriate, so I restrained myself.) I felt that if I knew Clay, I'd like him. That was a good feeling to take to the concert. |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:31 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Los Angeles, CA August 4, 2007
| LittleMax1 wrote: |
I’ve never done a recap before. Disclaimer: I had originally planned to take notes, but the M&G went by so fast, I gave up. This is not in the correct order and the events listed are how I remembered them or tried to remember them. Also, I am not a very good storyteller and have a very bad memory. So here goes:
We waited around at the box offices as told in the e-mail. I was really nervous, but I met maryann1 from Clayversity. She was really nice, so I was able to calm down a bit. We were finally gathered up by a blond woman and lead through the gate to meet with Jerome. They scanned our tickets as we went through the gate. It appeared that there would be 10 in our group. Four in our group won a BAF auction. We had to wait there a bit for the tenth person (an OFC winner). Jerome finally gave up and we went into the theatre building to a small room with chairs set up in an oval. Jerome gave his little speech. One woman didn’t know the M&G procedure (picture taking) and Jerome teased her asking if she was on the boards, when she became a fan, etc.
Jerome finally got Clay. He wore the purple shirt, cargo pants, and flipflops. His hair was kind of messed up. Now starting from this point, things get a bit hazy. Clay instantly recognized the woman on my right. She had been at the Pala M&G. He asked how she was able to get another M&G. She said she was one of the auction winners. I think he recognized one other person. Clay went around and asked our names and shook our hands. He sat in the chair close to the door on the other side of the room where I was sitting. There were a lot of extra people in the room. One of them was a young male who was his cousin. The cousin was there with, I believe, a friend. At some point Clay asked who was from southern California. Most of us were, so he asked the person who wasn’t where she was from. She gave a name of a suburb in Boston. Clay asked her why she just didn’t say “Boston”. He joked around with her a bit.
Then he asked for any questions (there were three of us with prepared questions).
Maryann1 told Clay about a friend and the 100 tickets that were donated. She can tell more about this herself. He was really appreciative about that. Another told about a little girl with MS (?) who attended the JNT in 2005 in LA and how it affected her life. I think this touched him and then Clay jokingly said this was a Q & A and told us to ask! Here are some of the questions asked by others.
Q: What country did you like the best and why?
A: He thought for a while and really couldn’t decide.
Q: Where do you want to travel to the most?
A: Thought a while again and came up with Egypt.
Q: Where are Raleigh and Durham?
A: They are at home. The person that is living with him is taking care of them. Hum. Wonder who that person is.
I know there were other questions, but I was concentrating on mine, and there was so much going on. He kept asking for (demanding) questions. While he was signing stuff at the end he was still asking and answering question, it was hard for me to listen while I was getting my poster ready to get signed. It was hard trying to get it out of that cellophane cover thing. Jamie said not to worry about it and took it with the wrap still on. I was going to give Jamie my Sharpie with silver ink that I bought since the poster was so dark and I didn’t want Clay to write over his face. But she said they had that covered. Boy, they are very professional and think of everything. Anyway, these are the questions I asked:
Q: How are you or will you prepare for “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader”? Have you watched the show?
A: He said he has watched the show and implied with that snarky look on his face that he didn’t need to study. Maryann1 told him we were a little concerned about the geography and math questions. He then asked her to give him a question. She gave him some city names and he didn’t know the answers. He said they won’t ask him those kinds of questions. He said it didn’t matter that anyway because it was rigged just like American Idol (I think he said this). Remember, most of his answers were given in a joking around manner.
Q: Will any of the original songs that were going to be on the CD that was never made be on the next one?
A: He said he was already asked that question. I told him that I hadn’t seen the question on any recap. So he told us to put it in our recaps! I just read a late Pala recap where the question was asked. Darn it. He basically answered it the same about four of the songs being finalized and "A Thousand Days" was on ATDW. Clay introduced Jaymes (who was like squatting on the floor because there weren’t enough chairs) and said we were lucky, since this was the first concert she’s been to (this tour). He mentioned she helped select the producer from London, etc. He said the album was going to have a different sound and that he was going to leave the album all up to Jaymes this time. If it failed, it was all her fault. I believe someone must have mentioned “Lover All Alone”, because he and Jaymes talked about getting it on the next CD. Maryann1 asked about “Compromise”. He said he didn’t know how these things get around that it was some kind of myth or legend or something like that.
Q: When you tour in Asia or any other country where English is not their spoken language, how will you do your banter? (I don’t know why I asked this question, I had so many other better ones. It was so nerve racking that I just picked one off my list)
A: He hadn’t even thought about this, he then asked why and did I know something he didn’t? I’m Asian, that’s why I think he asked me that. I said “no”. He said it took him one week to prepare for that speech he made in Malaysia (I think that was the country he said). He then said most countries know English as a second language, not like here in the U.S. (where we only know one language).
Q: Do you wash your hands after the handshake line? This was while he was signing stuff and he kept asking for questions.
A: No. He never thought about that and now it was going to make him paranoid. Someone mentioned their friend did not shake his hand once because she had eaten nuts.
At the end, the woman on my right said that Clay seemed to be in a cheerier mood than at the Pala M&G. Then we quickly took our pictures. I accidentally bumped my head on Clay’s and told him I was sorry. He said it was okay. We hung around a little bit in the room until the guy came and escorted us out. The auction people were going to get something and stayed behind.
After the M&G, my husband asked how many questions I was able to ask. I told him about 4 and then realized I did get to ask a lot. I hope I didn’t hog all of the questions. I feel bad now. But it seemed no one was asking questions, so I just jumped in. Anyway, I am so relieved this is over. |
| bulldog at CB wrote: |
WHAT AN AWESOME WEEK-END! ONE ME AND MY DAUGHTER WILL ALWAYS TREASURE!
My daughter and I left a day early due to my meet and greet the next day!! Our long journey began early Friday morning!! We went and bought snacks from walmart for the train ride and headed to Sacramentos am trak station. so as I sat and pondered my questions I would ask Clay my daughter slept.. whats sleep when I'm going to meet Clay the next day.
So we arrive in LA.. My daughter and I take a taxi to our motel..dang there expensive..then I find that the motel screwed up the bill to our motel room,then the room oy won't go into that..so we leave to go to the motels cafe to get a bite to eat.. at least there food was good.. so we proceed back to our room to watch t.v. the dang thing didn't work properly..I was really frustrated at this point until I talked to 2 wonderful friends by phone..who had just the right words to soothe my emotions.. Somehow after our converstion I fell into a 2 hr deep sleep..
The next day: My stomach was in knots..I had breakfast with my daughter and after we checked out we waited for my friend in the motel lobby.. She was suppose to meet us in the morning..to take care of the billing mis communication and take My daughter and I to the motel we were going to stay at that night. OMG my nerves hit an all time high when 1:00 came and no phone call from her.. My daughter and I were ready to walk before I missed any meet and greet or concert. Well around 2 or so she called..she got lost in the sucky LA traffic!!! now I know why Clay moved back home..
So we go get a bite to go at subway and head to the motel to get my new tee shirt..for Clay to sign.. and head for the Greek theatre.. what a beautiful setting for a venue.. as we got out we heard the most beautiful sound in the air..Clays voice..yep we heard the soundcheck..My daughter was over the moon beaming with joy.. Me I was shaking on the inside..I'm gonna meet this man tonight was in my thoughts. While I waited I met so many wonderful Clay fans..hotclay..dang, she's a hoot!!! teddie..what a prize you are!!! Annie, what can I say.. you and your friend made me, my daughter and my friend so very happy!!! Your kindness touched me deep..
well, the time was getting close.. my daughter and good friend left to go pick up 2 Korean ladies to bring them back to the venue I stayed and waited to be called for my meet and greet. Yeah they abandoned me in my hour of panic.. So with my pass securely on and my butterflies in my stomach we followed (10 of us) to the back door of the venue..where we were greeted by Jerome..dang he's tall!!! Then we followed him to a room filled with chairs..I was the closest to the door..
Onward we go:
So in walks Clay.. Never have I seen him so close.. so full of joy!! He went and shook each persons hand asking their names and where they were from.. all I could think of was how dang good looking he was!!! The room was surrounded with those traveling with Clay..Jaimes Foster was sitting in the corner..Clay acknowledged her..she truely is beautiful in person. then Jaime,Mary, another cousin and his friend..Clay said this was their first tour and that they were seeing what this was like.. Clay asked for questions..One lady had hers written down..very smart.. but if you asked me to remember all of them I can't..you know that Clay fog that settles over your brain.. well thats me!!! I do remember a geographical question..Clay answered it quickly.. Another question about the producer to the next album..Clay said he handed that over to Jaymes Foster.. and he seemed quite happy about her choice..even said the music this producer sent back to them was good.. After hearing this from the man himself..My heart is at peace. and I trust Clay.
So after Clay had us busting up laughing with his funny comebacks and gorgeous smile!!! It was time to get our items signed..I handed my tee shirt to Jaime..in her southern voice she said front or back.. I said the front.. now I had something I wanted Clay to write but I swear my mouth wouldn't move..so I settled for Becky, use your voice( what I had in mind was Yeah, I'm cool!!! ) anyway picture time, and we were called one by one into the hall..You would think I could remember those long extended arms around me..but I can't. |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:35 pm GMT; edited 1 time in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:39 am GMT Post subject: |
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Indio, CA August 5, 2007
| INeedaClaybotomy at CB wrote: |
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Ineeda can't wait to hear about the meet-N-greet...did you by chance get a hug...handshake or eye contact...
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Yes, yes, and OMG YES. *dies*
He makes eye contact with everyone while he's talking. And not just eye contact. Look right through you eye contact. I'm reeeeeeellly exhausted just now, but I typed a little recap to someone in a PM so I reckon it'll work to paste it here:
LOL!! It was veeerrrrrrry goooood!!! I keep replaying it in my head over and over and over. Certain ex-pressions he made, mannerisms, the way the light caught his eyes (as they bored right through me), the stubble 8 inches from my face, the haaaaaaaands while he was talking, his pouty lips while he was concentrating on something, the sound of his voice actually talking to meeeeeee, the feel of his hand holding mine, the feel of being snugged up under his arm with my head on his chest...gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. I was so lucky that the camera was having problems so we had to stand all mooshed up together for an extra long time! I told Jamie to just take her sweet time getting it fixed....
He was very welcoming, and all the nerves that were holding a ping-pong tournament in my stomach just disappeared when we walked into the room.
Before we went in though, Jerome came out to get us and tried to "sort us out" a little. Said he was trying to assess the crowd to determine if we were hyper or calm. He went to each person (there were five of us) and stated his impression. He came to me last and said very slowly "you I'm a little concerned with" I nearly died laughing! He said I was too quiet and didn't ask questions or anything and he couldn't figure me out. I said I was just trying to be the Invisible Woman so I didn't do something wrong!!
So off we went. It was very relaxed...he just shook our hands and invited us to sit on the couches that were there. Asked us our names and where we were from, then we got to ask questions. It was more conversational than anything. Every question lead to a little discussion....and we were able to ask as many as we wanted to in the time we had. I asked three and ran out of questions! (Well, ones that are appropriate that wouldn't scare the crap out of him, anyway! lol ) I asked him what happened to Boo from the Y camp....he said he honestly didn't know, but that now he felt bad that he didn't so he was going to research it and find out. Said he wouldn't dare go back to that area unless he was in a Y bus, but that he'd find out somehow!
I also asked what was the worst book he ever read, and did he finish it. His first answer was "Learning to Sing. " Then he got serious and said any book in school that he was forced to read...but if he had to pick one he'd go with Siddartha. Hated it. That and "any of that Dickens crap. " He doesn't get into symbolism and doesn't want to have to "think" when he reads.
Then I asked him what the design was on his new ring. It says "Use your voice" in Latin and he got it from a fan.
Others asked about the next tour (he alluded to possibly next summer for that,) the possibilty of doing a duet with one of the girls on the next CD (he and Quiana originally recorded "I Want to Know What Love Is" but the label wanted someone else,) and what he thought of Brazil (he hated it. Said the whole place smelled of urine and that he couldn't believe that you're allowed to just pee in the street there! ) Someone also asked if he was studying for "5th grader" and he said he wasn't and felt pretty comfortable....unless they started in on science ("i'm screwed" ) and math ("that could be a problem" )
We gave him grief about not coming to tour in the west enough...
Then he signed our stuff...took him forever to figure out the right-side-up of the picture I gave him...then Jerome asked if he could see it so he could see why it was so complicated! It was a close up black and white picture of his gorgeous hands with the mic stand between them, fingers outstretched. After many attempts to find the right way, every one in the room said "thumbs go up, Clay!"
The picture was the best. He looked deliciously like he had just rolled out of bed...all scruffy and stubbled and bed-headed. But the best part was, as I said, the snuggly part. I think I was the luckiest....cuz even though a couple got full hugs and one got a kiss on the cheek (he was trying to get her in trouble,) I got to hold him for the longest time. It was HEAVEN. I could have seriously stayed like that forever. His right arm was around my waist pulling me in tightly and he held my right hand in his left. It was a typical prom pose...I snuggled my head so deep that I think the collar of his shirt covered my eye in the picture! But Who. Cares.....the picture ain't about seeing ME!
All in all, it was about 30 minutes with him I think. Truly wonderful.
And the concerts? OMG. Awesome. Incredible. Hysterical. Amazing!!!
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The following M & G Recap was posted with permission from 12stringbabe.
| 12stringbabe at OFCMB wrote: |
My Meet and Greet Experience
This will be posted in two parts...
Hi, I have to preface this by saying (confessing) that I don't read any message boards, and I'm not active in any of the fan groups. I belong to one very small private group of long-time fans, and that's pretty much it. I only come over here to the OFC when someone tells me that Clay has blogged, and that's about it. This is my first time posting here.
When I received the notification that I had won the Meet and Greet for Indio, I was very surprised and I didn't really know what to expect. I had been in on a meet and greet once before when a friend won a contest through a radio station and brought me along for the ride during the 2005 Christmas tour. That one was pretty much a cattle call, and even though I did get to shake Clay's hand and talk with him for a moment, it was a really unnatural atmosphere. As the time approached and I learned more about how the whole M&G system had changed I got more excited about meeting Clay. I mean, this would be like actually meeting him this time; not just being part of a receiving line there to receive the obligatory handshake, autograph, and photo op.
By the way, I read INeedAClaybotomy's report that was posted earlier, and that was nice to read someone else's impressions of the experience It was nice meeting all the other ladies in attendance there - everyone was great. If you want to read her report first, I'll try to fill in my impressions and anything else I remember.
Yes, Jerome sized us up first. He is looking very fit these days, and just based on the times I've run across him in the past he seems to have mellowed. I think he's finally started to figure us out, which is cool. Yes, there are some weird, crazy fans out there, but most of us are fairly normal. We just love our guy. Jerome was friendly and funny, and finally he walked us down a hallway to a door. He told us to wait there for 3 minutes (we synchronized watches - hehe) and then go outside and walk down to another door where he would be waiting for us. It was ungodly hot and he wanted to save us having to stand outside in the sun waiting for him.
I was the first to walk in. There were boxes stacked around the room. We walked past those and there were some couches around the corner... I saw the cargo shorts first and the knees, and there was Clay sitting on the couch. He told us to come on in - he was so welcoming. Stood up to shake everyone's hand. Two guys were there with him and he introduced them both. I remember he said one of them was a cousin, but I don't remember if the other was a cousin or a friend... I guess my mind was elsewhere at that exact moment, though I did say hello to them also and shook their hands. We all sat on the couches... the rest all kind of runs together in my mind, so things will be out of sequence from here on.
Clay is a very welcoming host. He made a point of seeing that everyone was seated comfortably, he looks right at you when he speaks to you - definitely an eye-contact person, which is very nice. He does fidget when he talks and played with his ring a lot. He did say that the ring was a gift from a fan and that he likes having it on, that he tends to mess with it to keep his hands busy. Of course he commented on the heat - said it was 107 degrees that day, and of course he said this with a look of complete disbelief and astonishment, like he had no idea it was even possible for it to be that hot without being on the surface of the sun We were ALL happy to be inside in the air conditioning.
The two fellas who were with him are helping with the t-shirts on the tour. Clay said that they had worked very hard to break down a whole pile of t-shirt boxes, and then discovered that those boxes were still needed. So they had spent the entire day putting the boxes back together - lol!! Clay made occasional attempts to include them in the conversation, but they were both pretty shy and quiet.
He went around the room and asked each of us where we were from. I'm from a small coastal town north of Los Angeles, and I didn't expect he would be familiar with it at all. So when he asked me, I told him the name of my town and added, "Which you have never heard of," but he jumped right in and said that he had indeed heard of it, and had even been there. He then went on to tell me what county it was in, and the fact that PCH runs right up to it and ends there, and that it's very confusing, which is all true I suggested to him that the next time he gets lost here, he should just give me a call and I would come and help him out
When asked about Boo, Clay really did seem concerned, and said that now he felt guilty for not knowing what had become of him. But he also pointed out that Boo wasn't in an area where you could just kind of drop in and check up on him.
My main curiosity had to do with the direction of the next CD and future tours. I do like the symphony concerts, but I love the band (yes, I am a guitar player, singer/songwriter type - that's where my screen name comes from), so I asked Clay if he could foresee touring with the "rock band" again. He kind of took exception to the term "rock band" and just preferred to call it a "band," but he did say that the new album was kind of leaning in that direction and that he could see that in the future. I specifically asked him if he thought he would use some of the same players as before, adding that I am in love with Daniel Pearson (sigh - ever since I saw him in Dallas at the Not-A-Tour - I just love him). Clay said that obviously these guys aren't just sitting around waiting for him, they stay busy, so it would all depend on their availability, but of course he would love to work with people he already knows and with whom he'd worked before. And he added that Daniel just got engaged (I tried to look happy for him - lol!!) So all you Daniel lovers out there - we waited too long But I'm heartbroken now that Daniel didn't wait for me; the fact that I'm already married notwithstanding, of course - hehe.
One of the other ladies asked if there were any plans to record a duet with Quiana or Angela, and that was when Clay told us that "I Want to Know What Love Is" (Lord, I hate all these acronyms!!!) was recorded first as a duet with Quiana, and that she was amazing on it (no surprise there). He said that if he had his laptop with him he would play it for us, but alas he did not have it. But it was RCA that jumped in and said no, they wanted someone else... so basically, any future duets would also be at the whim of the execs at RCA.
...continued...
Part 2
...continued...
Someone asked him what was the least favorite book he'd ever read and his immediate response was "Learning to Sing," with his perfect comic timing of course Then he said probably something they made him read for school. He said he really hated Charles ****ens, specifically "Great Expectations." He threw out a few others I think, but then settled on Siddhartha. That was when he attempted to engage one of the other fellows sitting there and asked him his opinion of Siddhartha, to which he responded that he never liked Hemingway, and Clay and all of us chimed in that Siddhartha was by Herman Hesse anyway, not Hemingway - lol! Since I am a huge fan of literature I asked Clay if he liked any foreign authors, like Dostoyevsky for example (who I think was the greatest writer who ever lived - but that's just my humble opinion). I thought Clay was going to spit - lol!! He said that he doesn't want to read anything that makes him have to think - he reads for his own enjoyment. And that was when he reiterated that his least favorite would have to be Siddhartha. (I think some of that was a front, because The Kite Runner was a novel that definitely makes you think...)
Oh boy, what else?? One of the ladies there was originally from Brazil and asked him what he thought of it there. He said he did not like it - that the whole place smelled of urine (ewwww!!). He was in Rio (hope I remember that correctly), and it was just after Carnival when he was there, so he did concede that maybe it was a little worse than usual thanks to that... but it clearly was not his favorite place. And yes, he did say that people are allowed to pee in the street there, and he thought that was completely disgusting (well, me too!!).
Oh yes, someone asked him if he was studying for his appearance on 5th Grader and his immediate response was something to the effect of, “Why, do you think I’m stupid?” hehe – but he said no, he plans to just go and have fun with it. He said he feels confident with his geography, but not so much with math or science.
He signed our things. I had been involved with a small group of women who made Clay a quilt for his 25th birthday, and I had a fabric scrap from that project for him to sign. When he got it, I told him what it was from and he said, “That was a long time ago,” to which I had to agree… He had to ask me several times how to spell my name – he got flustered with it for some reason (distracted because he was overcome with love for me?? who knows – lol!) – but then he signed everyone’s memorabilia, and we took our pictures. By that time I just felt like I was with a friend – it was that sweet, warm a feeling that I think we all had – so when I went up to get my picture with him I called him Sweetie, just like he was one of my kids - got my prom pose pic – he is so tall (gahhh!!)… and then it was over.
During the concert I was sitting in the third row on Quiana’s side, and the venue was so great and small and intimate – it was wonderful and Clay was in perfect voice. Maybe I was still in the glow, but during “When I See You Smile,” I swear he looked over and sang right to me – like a thank you.
The thing is, I just love him. It isn’t an all gushy thing – I don’t want to maul him or anything like that – I just think he is a wonderful man. I have loved his voice from that very first note. I love the work he does for children, especially children with disabilities since I have a daughter who is blind. I love his sense of humor and the way he balances that with his sense of responsibility... and he knows we love him ... and he loves us back. It’s a sweet feeling, and I hope every single one of his fans has the opportunity to meet him and talk to him one day.
It was lovely. Thank you, Clay.
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:49 pm GMT; edited 2 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:53 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Cary, NC August 10, 2007
| shenwren at CV wrote: |
Okay, everyone here is my very long recap of my Cary meet and greet. You might decide to scroll. First of all, Jerome came and got us around 6 p.m. There were 10 of us – six fan club and four auction winners. Jerome took us to a room that was lined with lockers. There was a bench all along the wall under the lockers – that’s where we sat. Directly in front of us were mirrors with lights around them with a countertop under the mirrors. Jerome gave us the usual three rules, chatted a bit, and then left. He was very nice.
Although the room was air conditioned, it was still warm and we were fanning ourselves when Mary, Jamie, and Clay walked in. He was wearing his khaki shorts with a short-sleeved polo shirt with a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He told us we could not be hot because the air-conditioned room was about 10 degrees cooler than his dressing room. He was so casual and friendly, taking charge immediately. He sat on the countertop with his feet propped in a chair.
He first mentioned that he recognized a couple of the auction winners, then he went around the room and asked for our names and where we were from. We were from NC, Virginia, and California (I think that’s all the states that were represented). He asked if we had questions. The questions and answers that follow are in no particular order, as I cannot remember who asked what when. These are also not exact quotes – my memory is definitely not that good. I just want to give you a general feeling of the conversation we all had. (I’ll refer to the questions we fans asked as M&G – meet and greeters).
M&G: In your OFC blog in March, you told us some upcoming events and you ended by saying “more things (actually some really exciting ones are in development still…” Anything you can share?
Clay: They’re still in development. That’s why you don’t know. Then he went on to say – but there are some things being discussed – some in the last few weeks, right Mary? (I didn’t see Mary’s reaction).
M&G: Are you interested in writing another book?
Clay: Snarkily said – I didn’t write the first one. Then he said that actually, he would like to write a children’s book. He said he would really like to take the Christmas show that he wrote and transform it into a book for children.
M&G: I’m going to ask you a silly question. (I had a couple of conversation starters from a book called “Would You Rather…?) So, I asked “Would you rather give up your favorite food forever or give up television for two years?”
Clay: I should pick TV because after two years I could have both again, but I would probably pick favorite food because there’s a lot of other favorite foods to enjoy.
M&G: What about a tour next summer?
Clay: If some of those things in development occur, they might prevent a summer tour. (This is what I understood him to say, but maybe someone else that was there can clarify this better).
M&G: Tell me about Afghanistan.
Clay: “That’s not a question.”
M&G: What was your favorite memory from Afghanistan?
Clay: A little boy was selling gum outside our hotel everyday, I wouldn’t buy any because that just perpetuates the behavior. He said he was so sweet and if he could he would have put him in his bag and brought him home. The last day, he did give him money – everyone was upset with him because now every time they saw a UN badge, they would think they would get money. He said he gave the boy $50, but the little boy wouldn’t take it unless Clay took the gum.
M&G: What kind of soap do you use?
Clay: Looking clueless said whatever’s in the hotel, and he said he was sorry but had no idea what kind he used at home.
M&G: What was your input into the architectural design of your house?
Clay: He said his mother and the builder did it. The M&G kept pushing him to give some details of why he chose this particular design. He said that she was not happy with his answer. He went on to say that he wishes that it was farther back into the woods so people would stop driving down his road looking at his house. He did add that he picked the beanbags in the theatre room, a chandelier (didn’t say what room) and I think he said the stair banister.
M&G: Why don’t you sell your CD’s at concerts?
Clay: The labels have contracts with retailers, so if they decide to sell the CD, they cannot be sold for less than a certain price which right now is like $20, and he said he refused to ask that amount of money for them. We told him we would have paid it. He said he appreciated that, but it was just too much when you can get them at a much more reasonable price elsewhere.
That’s about all the questions I can remember. He then began to take our stuff to be signed. One girl had a beautiful poster made up of many small pictures of Clay. She told him that it hung in the women’s restroom at her business. He signed it, handed it back to her and said. I signed it - “Hope everything comes out all right.” (How witty is he, and he was still talking while he was signing everything).
It was time for our pictures and Mary lined us up. The girl in front of me said she really hated to have her picture made (don’t know why cause she was young and attractive), but when she got up to Clay, she told him that she hated having her picture made so much that she wouldn’t mind just skipping it. He said here, let’s do it like this – he turned her around so her back was to the camera, and he turned around also so his back was to the camera. Mary asked if she was serious, and the girl said yes, so she definitely has a unique meet and greet pic. Another woman in a wheel chair was with her daughter. She mentioned that she had suffered a stroke – I think she said a few months ago (my guess is that she’s only in her 40’s), and that he had great fans that encouraged her. Clay said yeah, they were something – much better than he is. Then she used her cane to get out of the wheelchair and walked to Clay. She told him she didn’t want to have the cane in the picture. He said that was okay, he would hold her up, and they took a lovely picture! My turn came quickly, and that nice strong arm was around me, my right hand was holding his left hand, and the picture was snapped, and it was over all too soon.
It really was all I had hoped for. I find him fascinating. Of course, after it was over, I wished I had looked into his eyes more. I also wish my mind would work like a tape recorder so I could remember every nuance and word spoken, but then this recap would be even longer. I still cannot believe I won this opportunity. The odds of it are still mind boggling. Hope many more of you get lucky too. |
| J4Clay at CB wrote: |
Well, I’ve put off my review of my Cary meet and greet long enough. I haven't gotten my picture yet, so I'll have to post it later. So here I go, before I forget the whole thing!
My flight to Cary left at 5:40 a.m. on Friday, and guess who missed her flight! Not good. Missing that flight means I missed my flight in Atlanta and ended up in Raleigh about 4 hours after I was suppose to arrive. Not good since we had to arrive early to pick up our meet and greet passes. We were a nervous wreck driving over to Cary and hoping we didn’t miss our meet and greet.
Thankfully we got there in plenty of time and they even actually had our tickets and meet and greet passes there! Whew…I could breathe again!
Now this meet and greet was especially important because a dear friend of mine was supposed to go with me to it. Linda LaPorte, my friend, passed away after a battle with cancer just a few weeks before the Cary show and meet and greet. She especially wanted to meet Clay and thank him for all the friends he had given to her. I was determined to bring her message to Clay myself. So, I made a picture collage with pictures of her, and I brought a wonderful memorial DVD that a friend made of all our times with Linda.
There were 10 of us in the meet and greet. All lined up in a row like crows on a clothes line! Some of those waiting were nervous, most had never met Clay before, and I (who have met him in the past) was just excited to get to see and talk to him again. It’s so much fun to just be in the same room as he is, and to hear him talk about what’s going on in his career was going to be especially exciting.
Finally, Clay, Jerome, Mary, and Jamie came in. Now, Clay does not just kinda walk in. Without meaning to, he somehow makes a grand entrance. Maybe it’s just me seeing it that way. When all 6’1” of him comes into a room, it just makes you sit up and take notice!
Clay came in and said hello and asked everyone their names. He remembered meeting about 3-4 of us before but couldn’t remember our names. “I’m good at faces but not so good at names,” he told me. He did recognize me, though, and remembered me as the lady who insists that green is his favorite color. He said, “I like your shirt.” I had to look down to see what color it was! I laughed and he said to everyone, “She thinks my favorite color is green. I don’t know where she gets that crazy idea though.” LOL! I will forever be known as the “green lady” I suppose. He can’t remember my name, but he remembers me making a book for him about his favorite color green!
Clay asked us all where we were from…he remembered that I was from Texas. Then he asked if any of us had a list of questions to ask him. A few of us held up our questions…I had about 8 on my list. So he asked who wanted to go first. One person said, “Tell us about Afghanistan.” He said, “That’s not a question!” So she rephrased it!! He told us this wonderful story about a little boy who he would have loved to have brought home with him. He said he was so cute. Every day outside his hotel, this little boy was there selling gum. Clay never bought any from him, but on the last day, he gave this little boy $50. He wasn’t sure he should’ve done it, but he did. But the little boy would not take the money unless Clay bought something from him. I can’t remember if Clay said he bought gum or not, but I’m assuming he did.
I wish I could remember every question that was asked, but I can’t. One person asked about his dogs, and he said he missed them but got to spend time with them recently when he came home. Someone else asked him about the architecture on his home – what was it. Clay was like, “Uh, I don’t know.” They wanted to know who picked it out and he said he guessed the builder did. I said, “Did they have 4-5 styles for you to pick from?” He said that no, the slab was already poured so he got what was there. He said he wouldn’t have picked that house if he could. He said he’d pick one way back in the trees so people wouldn’t be able to try to find it. I said, “I thought you had a gated community.” He said, “So did I!” Apparently somehow people are able to get through or get within seeing distance of his house. This is a shame, I think, because it’s an invasion of his privacy. Sure, we’d all love to see his house and take a tour of it, but that doesn’t mean we should take it upon ourselves to do it! I hope if anyone is tempted to do this, they will read this and change their minds.
Somewhere in there Clay was being rather snarky (surprise surprise!!) and I told him that I thought I could keep up with him in a snark meet!! He said he didn't know, that he would probably make me cry before it was over. I said I didn't think so. Knowing Clay was just kidding and being snarky, I would be laughing so much I couldn't cry!! But I really think if I couldn't outdo him, I could at least fairly well keep up with him since my sense of humor is similar.
Someone asked him if he picked out anything in particular in his house. He thought and wasn’t sure. We said, “How about your bean bag chair?” He said, yes, he picked that out. I said, “How about your blue and silver dishes?” He said, yes, the blue was his idea. Then he wondered how I could know so much about his house!
I asked Clay how he liked Houston and if he felt love and support there. He said that yes he did, and thought the Houston Symphony was especially good. He said a lot of cities he would like to come to don’t invite him. However, Houston did invite him back for Christmas, but he was not able to fit it into his schedule. This tells me that Houston wants him back. I hope for another concert in Houston in the future!
I also told him that I had heard he wouldn’t be doing a tour over the summer because he didn’t have an album out yet. He said he could possibly have the album out by then, but possibly not also. I asked him about doing a jukebox tour or something like that. Apparently they are working on some other things possibly for the summer and trying to work out all the details. Don’t know what they are, but I got the idea that maybe whatever he is working on would take the place of a tour. Only time will tell though.
Someone also asked him why he doesn’t sell his CD’s at his shows. He said that what with the middle man, etc. it would cost too much. He said about $20 per CD. He said that he didn’t feel right selling them for so much when we could go buy them at Wal-Mart for $10.
I wish I could remember the other questions, but I can’t. Anyway, about this time Jamie took up our items to be signed and Jerome started lining us up to get our pictures taken. I remember seeing one girl who wanted her picture to look like they were doing the Tango, so they posed with their arms outstretched as though dancing the Tango. Funny! When I got up there, he asked me what pose I wanted. I said, “I just want a great big hug!” So that’s what I got, along with a nice stubbly cheek on my cheek! Mary took the picture so quickly that I have no clue what kind of crazy look I have on my face!!
Right before Clay had to leave, I went up to him and told him about our friend, Linda, who had passed away. I let him know that she wanted to meet him, not because he was gorgeous or a great singer. He said, “It’s a good thing because I’m not gorgeous.” I replied, “Oh yes, Clay, you are gorgeous!” Anyway, I told him she wanted to thank him for all her friends but didn’t get to…that she had been very shy and introverted before, but had become very outgoing after meeting up with all of us. I gave him the picture and DVD I had and told him what they were and that they would show him the friendships she had made. I asked him to please watch it and he said he would on the bus. I trust that he has seen it by now and that he can see how, not just our group, but all groups have formed such close friendships because of him. That he has reached out to all of us without even realizing it and given us friends for life.
Jerome, Mary, and Jamie were all wonderful. Jamie is just as cute as she can be. I made sure to thank Mary for all her work. She works so hard and probably doesn’t get enough thanks for it. Jerome was so sweet. He has to be tough in his job to protect Clay, but he is really so funny. I even accused him of being as snarky as Clay is at one point during the meet and greet!
On the way out, we saw Quiana and stopped and talked with her briefly. Then we passed Angela, Jesse, and Sean. I wish I had stopped to say hi, but all I said was, “Oh look, the gang’s all here!” Why didn’t I stop to say hi?? Jamie’s little boy was out there playing and I also saw Quiana’s little boy.
As for the Cary concert, you’ve all probably heard about it by now. It was great, as always. But it was hot, hot, hot!!! Clay must have said 1000 times how hot it was. And with those lights on them and dancing around on the stage, it must have really seemed like 120 degrees! But he never lets such things stop him from giving a great show. His mom and grandpa were both there and I’m sure other family members. Jerry Aiken was there and I got to meet him and chat with him for a minute. He’s a very nice person and I know he’s going to do great things for BAF.
I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but this is pretty much how it went. I will say this. Clay is just as sweet and wonderful and funny in person as on the stage. What you see is what you get. It’s no wonder we all love him so much. |
| bobbyshar at CB wrote: |
My Cary Meet & Greet:
As usual, Jerome comes to get us (OMG), I am squealing on the inside, this is really happening !!!! OMG! On our long walk to "the room", Jerome is so adorably cute, funny and ever so pleasant to all of us. The room we get to looks to be a small dressing room area with some lockers and lots of mirrors.....thank God for the mirrors before Clay walks in, hee hee After our "rules" were given, Jerome walks out, we wait about 5 minutes and the door starts to open again and we see Mary and someone else (I can't remember) and Clay behind Mary...Dear God, it was like an out-of-body experience seeing him walk in, I shrieked briefly and quietly and took him all in as he walked over to the counter where he sat his GORGEOUS self right in front of us. OMG, he is so tall, and broad, and MANLY, and GORGEOUS, and ....**thud*...I just couldn't take my eyes off of him. He started to talk and all I heard was blah, blah, blah, something, something, something......I was too busy watching his mouth and his lips move that I didn't have a clue what he was saying...hee hee ...somehow I snapped back into reality and realized he was asking us our names and where we were from. He asked if we had any questions, some people started asking him some, again though, I am in and out with my listening skills.....at this point I start to focus on his toes......eeeeeeeeeeeee! how silly!. He kept scrunching up his toes in those "famous" sandals of his....then I realize I must speak out or I'm not gonna get those GORGEOUS eyes to look at me, so I asked him what kind of soap he used....hee hee ...he looked baffled and really didn't have an answer or a certain type that he used, just whatever is in the hotel room he said, and kept asking Mary. Said when he is at home he doesn't use soap, he just uses extra deodorant (in a snarky way), then says, "sorry I really didn't answer your question". *dies*.....more questions going around, then I asked him one more, "Do Raleigh and Durham sleep in the bed with you?" He said YES they do when he is at home, and that they are not right now because they are not on the tour with him this time.
I cannot even put into words how naturally GORGEOUS he was that day, OMG, his hair was just his hair, not styled, but parted a little to the side, falling naturally. We even got a couple of "hands through the hair" moves that day ... ....again, this is when I drift off into la-la land. I also focused on his cute sexy freckles around his nose and under his eyes. He was so attentive to us and so sweet and tried to answer each question as best he could, with a few snarky remakrs as well....I LOVE HIS SNARKINESS !!!
Then the autographing. Jerome pointed to his watch, we were having to hurry, so we DID NOT get to individually go up and give him our item to sign. Jamie was coming to us one at a time as we were still seated and getting our item and our name all while Clay was still answering questions....so he was answering and signing at the same time. BUMMER ! But, oh well.
I had a large poster with hundreds of small Clay pics on it for him to sign. I was able to tell him that I keep it hung in the ladies restroom at our automotive repair shop in hopes he would write something unique on it and HE DID !!! He signed, " Hope everything comes out ok"I LOVE HIM !!! How quick he is to come up with that. He also made some snarky remark about how people would "get sick" or have to hurry out of the bathroom with his face in there.....SILLY CLAY! Are you kidding? You can't get me OUT of the bathroom!! hahaha
Pictures. While still finishing autographs, Jerome starts lining us up for pictures, the BEST part. I was first in line....eeeeeeeeeeeee! After about 5 minutes, we're all in line, Jerome brings Clay over to the wall about 3 feet in front of me, and Clay turns to me and opens his broad, strong, manly arms and says.....um..something.....Good Lord, I don't even know, all I could do was concentrate on those OPEN ARMS inviting me into him.....O.M.Gah! I couldn't even look at his face hardly or in his eyes, I was too busy staring at his chest. I don't think I could have looked in his eyes even if I tried, it would have been waaay too intense for me.
So, I melt into him, one arm around his back, one arm around his tummy (yum) and he the same way with me......*faints*...and Mary can't get the camera to work !!! OMG, I'm holding on to Clay and say, "take your time" to Mary...he felt so warm and good....*gulp* Clay lets go of me to try to help Mary, but then she gets it working (all of this mind you is only about 5 seconds long), we get back to our same pose, he rests his head down on top of mine.....and....CLICK !! It's all over ! I thanked him, he looks at me and says.........uh, something...I don't remember, but he was very gracious and polite. The whole experience was just all so surreal to me. At times I felt as if I were really not even in the room, but up above watching it all. I am so thankful for my opportunity to have met him. I was happy and sad when it was over. Anyone that has his friendship is definitely one blessed person. Hope to get my pic soon so I can post it here too.
So sorry that this was so long.
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:23 am GMT; edited 3 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:54 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Asheville, NC August 11, 2007
| Jazzy wrote: |
My meet and greet recap
After waiting by the bus for the other meet and greeters to arrive, Jerome came out of the bus and gave us “the speech” We were led backstage to a table set up where the symphony was dining and carrying on.. We all sat down and were fangirly for what seemed like hours. Finally a venue lady came and told us that they were going to move us to an area that was more quiet. They led us to an area where they had a tent set up and chairs set out for us. Clay came out of a truck that was parked to the side and went to each of us and asked our names. He then sat in a chair directly in front of us. He was wearing the blue fity2thirty polo, the cargo shorts and flip flops. Hair was flat, slight stubble and a few wisps of cinnamon hair peeking out at me from under his polo. His eyes were shining and just so vibrant,! I know that this has been said many times before, but I was quite fascinated with the freckles. They are everywhere! Fingers, eyelids, ears, arms, legs….everywhere. Oh and for the fur lovers, the arm fur is coming along nicely, it won’t be long and if he leaves it alone, it will be back in all it’s glory.
He asked us if we had ever been to the Biltmore before. After giving our answers, he said that the last time he was there was when he was a child. He said “it is so beautiful here”, as he looked around at the scenery. Then he said, “and I get to look at such a great view” I said “No WE get the great view” If gave me one of those ‘give me break” looks but of course the rest of the meet and greeters agreed.
He asked us if anyone had any questions. Now I had quite a few, but the first one I wanted to ask was, Tarheels or Wolfpack. He refused to answer the question. The little stinker! This lead to a discussion about the rivalry between Duke and Kentucky. He then said “Does anyone else have a question I will answer?” A lady asked if he would be touring in NC for Christmas and his answer was an emphatic no. He said he knew that NC was one place they would NOT be at this Christmas. One of the other meet and greeters had a story about her boss at chic fil A, where Clay and his entourage had eaten in the past. The boss had saved the receipt and told the girl that he wanted her to have a picture taken with Clay holding up something with Chic fil A on it and that he was going to fire her if she didn’t. Clay said to her “I can’t to that and if he fires you I will personally hire you a lawyer and you will get your own Chic Fil A” Clay spent some more time talking about this as Clay thought that this man was a little odd to save his receipt. When it came for autographing I had my photo album of all my photos and stubs from my many Clay adventures. He spent about 5 minutes looking at them, calling Mary and Jamie over to look as well. He made comments such as
“Look how skinny I was”
“This is my favorite hairstyle ever, because it was so easy. I would go back to that style, but it wouldn’t look good now because I’m so fat.”
“Look, I look like a little boy and here I am as man” Lowering his voice as he said it.
He flipped to one page and immediately let out that yelp he does. The photo was one from the gala and he went on to say that he absolutely hated that beard!
He flipped to another page and let out another yelp, pointing to a pic and Mary and Jamie started laughing, he then said “OK that is enough of that!” and closed the album.
At picture time, I was third and he called my name and said C’mere” When I approached him he had his arms out and I know about the prom pose, but I froze , I forgot, I lost it, and said “what are we doing?” He said we are gonna do the prom pose like this”, and he took my hand and wrapped his arm around me and I felt his head touching mine and I, melted.
I do not have a concert recap as I missed almost all of it. My friend who goes by GrammyJ on the boards, also had a meet and greet and as they were leading us back, she took a huge fall right smack on the asphalt. We stayed with her for a bit, but when they helped her to her feet, she was light headed and dizzy, so they were calling for an ambulance. I spent a lot of the meet and greet worried about her. So afterwards I found out where they took her and headed over to the hospital. She ended up breaking her elbow. After they fixed her up, we were able to go back to the concert and catch the last 3 songs from the terrace.
She felt up to waiting for the bus line so we stayed for that. I have never done the bus line before and let me say that I was quite impressed. Everyone lined up so orderly and well behaved and the line was huge!! And I mean huge! I have since heard that there were over 1200 people in line. All in all it was quite an adventure.
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| smithgirl at CV wrote: |
(I apologize for the tremendous length of this post. I got a little carried away.)
The Asheville concert was my one and only this go-round, so I entered the Meet and Greet contest with one shot. Only God knows how I came to be so lucky to actually win a chance to meet Clay, but I am so very humbled and grateful for the opportunity.
I will share as much as I can think of. There were no big secrets told, but I will use my personal discretion when I see fit. Even with that in mind, I hope I don’t step over the line.
Being that the Biltmore Estate is so huge, I was a little confused about where I was to pick up my pass. So we scoped out the place earlier in the day so that I could have a game plan in place. We were told that the M&G pass would be available at 3:00, but I decided to wait until around 5:00 to pick mine up so I wouldn’t have to enter the grounds twice. It was a good thing I did, because the passes didn’t arrive until after 5:15. I was able to get mine and I then had to get instructions on where to go and what shuttle to take just to get to the house. 6:00 was the set time for everyone to be there. We were told to meet under the blue tent, and though I was feeling some butterflies, everything went smoothly up to this point for me and I was the first to arrive. I spoke to many of the folks who worked at the BH, and everyone I encountered were extremely friendly and helpful. After a few minutes, Karebear65 and GrammyJ arrived and I got to meet them and I enjoyed talking to them very much. Then another young fan from Kentucky who was as cute as a button walked up and joined our group. She said she doesn’t post, so I won’t share her real name unless she chooses to do so herself. It was getting very late, but finally our last winner (SoonToBeMrsAiken from the OFC) arrived. There were only five of us, so I am unsure of what happened to the sixth winner.
Jerome then came over and gave us the rules speech. I have never met Jerome before and I found him to be very warm and welcoming. I liked him very much.
Then it was time for the BH escort to take us back, and that’s when the bad luck showed up. Within the first few steps taken, GrammyJ stumbled over a cement parking barrier and fell to the ground. She banged her knees quite a bit, but more seriously, she injured her arm while trying to catch herself. I felt so horrible for her. At first, we thought she was going to continue on after receiving some on-ground medical assistance, but she started feeling worse, so she stayed behind to get more attention.
The rest of us continued on through the concert area and entered a gate beside of the stage that took us back to where the orchestra was relaxing and eating a little dinner. We sat for about 10-15 minutes at a table right in the middle of everything. And then someone came and got us again and told us that we would be moving to a more private area. Off we went down some more steps even further behind the stage where we waited in chairs lined up beside of a trailer. Jerome placed a chair for Clay right in front of our semi-circle. While we waited, we started talking to a BH attendee who had yelled down to us from the wall above. She was about to tell us about GrammyJ’s condition when Clay walks in from the right and asked about her, too. So he kind of snuck in on us!
He had on those cargo shorts, and a blue fifty2thirty polo.
I’ve never been within 50 yards of Clay, so it was a pretty powerful moment for me to be able to share this time with him. But as others have stated before, the whole thing is done in such a laid-back atmosphere, that the whole experience was calming and well… normal.
He shook all of our hands and we told him our names. And there he sat right there in front. He asks us how we were doing. I told him I was great! Then I asked how he was (‘cause I really care!). That’s when he explained that he was loosing his voice a little bit. He did sound a little raspy and he was trying to figure out what might be causing the problem. He really thinks it is because of lack of sleep. I could tell he was tired, and when he yawned later, he said.. “see, I told you I was tired”. He asked where we all were from. He then asked if we had any questions and I joked that I had about 24! I think he took me serious for a while. What is crazy about the whole thing for me is that I did actually have some questions in my head, but because of the casual tone and the lead of Clay, the conversations took a different path than I had anticipated and I really didn’t get to ask hardly anything that was in my head. It was such an everyday type of conversation that it just became chit-chat. We certainly didn’t get the scoop on anything major, and I apologize for that, but I don’t regret how it all played out at all.
I was going to ask if he had done anything exciting in NY this past week, but for some reason the first question I asked was about the his Christmas/Skating show. He corrected firmly and quickly that that was not HIS show (which I sort of knew anyway, but I had just not posed the question in the best fashion). Anyway, he said he would be singing just songs from the Christmas album, so that kind of answered my question about whether he would be singing any new songs.
Someone asked Clay that since he was from Raleigh, which was his team of choice?...
Tarheels or Wolfpack? He said he would absolutely not answer that question! I piped in that I was a Wake Forest fan, and he said “of course” (remembering that I was from WS).. but then he said “and I’m sorry”. Well, I thought he was putting my team down, so I took offense and protested a little. But then he explained that he was saying he was sorry because of Coach Prosser’s passing, and I felt as big as an ant. I had to apologize to him. I just misunderstood, that’s all.
One meet and greeter worked at Chic-Fil-A where Clay and his crew had stopped and ate before. She had some requests and questions regarding that encounter that had Clay, Mary, and Jamie all shaking their heads. I’ll let that person share the rest of that story if she likes. (by the way, Mary and Jamie were nothing but sweethearts)
I knew of Karebear65 from the boards because of her extensive collection of Clay photos. She brought a neat photo album full of Clay pictures with her, and Clay had a ball looking through all of them while comparing some of the old looks to the new. I asked him if he could believe how many pictures have been taken of him over the years. It’s mind-boggling, really. He squealed and laughed a lot, while letting Mary and Jamie look through them, too. He compared one from very early on to one of the gala pics with the beard, and said with an amazed face “does this look like the same guy?”. Funny man.
He said that the beard itched way too much, so I don’t expect to see it again any time soon. Could be wrong, though. When asked which hairstyle he preferred, he chose a picture with the shorter, messier spikes because he said of the “easier to do” factor. But he didn’t know how that would look now with his fuller face!
While he was browsing the pictures, I hated to ask anymore questions, so I just went with the flow. Nothing went anything like the way I planned, but that is okay. I loved every minute of it.
The picture taking session went by in a blink. But I do remember his arm behind my back and our hands clasped together. It was very breezy and my hair was doing it’s own thing, so my picture with Clay will be very interesting, I’m sure!
I have no complaints whatsoever. If you’ve never had the chance to do this, please don’t get discouraged. It happened for me, and it can happen for you!
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:19 am GMT; edited 2 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:54 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Knoxville, TN August 12, 2007
| delu wrote: |
My meet and greet............. The Scroll bar is ...... yada yada......
What can I say? My brain is still fogged over. But if You ever want to be a fame whore, just have a meet and greet. Everybody wants to rub your hand and hear all the details. Never have I been so popular.
The invitation suggests you call the venue for the appropriate place to be and time to be there. Ha! Box office lady says the office does not open til 6 PM.We kept telling her we were supposed to be there by 5:45 for Jerome to collect us. No go, so we called Jerome and asked whats up? His reply was" Pay no attention to the e-mail you get from OFC. We're not that fast!
We left Our Hotel and wandered over to the theatre at about 5 Pm Where we were still told to wait.And wait we did, In the heat across the street with some others, who had been chatting with Angela and Quiana. We would have had a good time chatting with the other Clay fans sitting on the steps to a bldg.... IF... The temperature had just been maybe 20-30 degrees lower. Dang it was hot, and I was dragging My walker, which I never use any more unless I think I'll have lots of walking to do and need the support. Unfortunately I forgot My walker and had to use my Sister's which has a wonky wheel. Noisy screeching thing, It almost drove me nuts.
Finally we were allowed to have our pretty M&G name tags, And Jerome came to collect us.We had one woman in a wheel chair and Me with my walker so Jerome took us by Elevator and the others had to climb the stairs. Hee! Sometimes being old pays off. Finally after traversing one hallway after another, we went into a room with a sofa and two chairs. I took one of the chairs, and Jerome pushed the Wheelchair Lady up next to the other. Three others sat on the sofa and one pulled up a side chair. We were all set and waiting for the master.*G*
Soon Jerome came back with this slim young man who couldn't have been more than 18-20.with rumpled brown hair, wearing a pea soup green polo with olive drab cargo shorts.Hmmm, This was who we had been waiting for? Well he wasn't intimidating at all. Just a nice Young Kid who had very pale luminous skin.
He asked us all our names and where we were from. The lady from St Louis had driven the fartherist (? is that a word?) I think.Then he asked if we had any questions.For some reason I don't remember any specific question except the ones I asked. Oh, yeah, someone asked if He ever babysat Chamberlain for Quiana. He said He doesn't talk about Chamberlain because He is too young to have any say in all this interest etc. Which I thought was sweet of him. He did mention that he had babysat Jaime's son. I can't remember his name, but Jaime verified that indeed he had and he was good. He let it slip that Jaime was around when he was supposedly baby sitting.
Clay said He thought he was getting an ear infection, He was getting that stuffed head feeling like he had the time He was about 4-5 when he was sick for quite a while without getting better... Now I didn't understand if Faye actually took him to the Dr. or not but when he blew his nose that bean he had put up there came out. So of course I had to tell him about the time I put a bean up My little Brothers nose. Hee! Do all kids do this at least once??
My questions were, Who is choosing the music for this skating show? Him or the producers. He said both. He sent the producers a Cd of songs and the Skaters will choose which one they want to use for their routine. Also I asked about Jimmy Kimmel and if they had seen any of the Klimmel skits. He said he hasn't but he'd bet Jimmy has.
I also asked (for my local group) If Raleigh and Durham still had their Fleece blankets we gave them. He said He didn't remember them, and possible they might not have made it to them.
About this time He looked at Jaime or Mary who were both sitting at a nearby table.. She ( and I have no idea at this point which She it was)came to each of us to get whatever we wanted to be signed. I took my copy of LTS. The Wheel chair lady brought a huge picture by Linda Huber. Clay said something that I have long wondered. He said the sketch was too perfect to be hand drawn.He thought it was made using some computer software maybe. And His opinion was that IF she actually did that by hand she was wasting her time on doing sketches like that. She should be making tons of money.
Clay came around the group of us and shook our hand then went to each person on the couch, they stood up and He Leaned in real quick and Mary did the Click click thing. Being short and knowing he was going to lean his head almost on top of mine I warned him not to displace My wig.. He said we won't and sort of giggled. I have no idea if he believed me or not!
Yeah, He was Gawgeous!!!!!!!!! And I want to do this again...
Oh yes, as we were finishing up the woman from Ashville who fell the night before, was ushered in. She missed the meet and greet in Ashville, so they had let her have it in Knoxville instead. She got her cast signed.
Now if I try to proof this I'll wind up pitching it into the waste basket so I'm dun.... |
| Cotton at CV wrote: |
Okay, this will not be a “Sparkling Recap”. But I will try to recall at least a little.
Learning I had a M&G
August 1st. I was sitting at the kitchen table, probably trying to catch up at CV, when my mailbox “pinged”. I opened my mailbox, expecting email from Overstock.com or Blumenthal PAC eMail Club, etc.
But no - I saw the words, “You are a Clay Aiken Meet and Greet Winner!”
DH was just coming through the kitchen as I said quietly, “Oh. My. God. . . . Oh. My God. . . . Oh. My. God. . . . I said it a few times. I tried to read the letter, but my brain was stuck. Disbelief.
I have not been feeling the best, so I was hesitant to say anything about it. What if something happened and I ended up not making it? So I did post about it.
Time passed, I didn’t really ‘feel’ like it was going to happen. I was regretting the timing because I didn’t feel ‘the energy’ I feel I needed.
But off I went to Asheville via Greensboro where I spent the night with one of my two bestest GFs that I miss like LOTS.
Gifts for the Gang
I had been making little gifts for Angie, Quiana, (I make them something at least once every tour) Jamie and Mary, bought lollipops for Jerome, Jesse and Sean. But I had not found anything for Clay. So Greensboro GF and I went to Target. I thought about getting him a tractor, but I figured 1000 others have already thought about that, so nixed that. I saw the “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” board game - but figured 1000 people have thought of that, too. So I’m looking down the board game racks and my eyes spot the word . . .
CRAP!
Well, you know that’s one of CA’s favorite words! The game is
FACT or CRAP! You are basically supposed to taunt your friends with FACTS and see if they know when it’s true and when it’s CRAP!!
(So I hope they’re having fun on the bus with the game. Jerome said that was right up Clay’s alley!)
Road Trip
So now it’s off to Asheville and Knoxville.
Thank you shine in nc for driving!!!! I know it was a chore driving my Big White Laundry Truck when you’re used to a compact car! Especially UPHILL!!!
Y’all may already know the direction - er - misdirection - re getting to the Crowne Plaza. If you don’t, be happy. It was a mess.
Anyhoo. Ashville concert was great! Bats, and Moths and Black Holes! Clay’s voice was wonderful.
So I’m not recapping the show. You already know all that.
I’m just gonna say, we were packed in like sardines and I didn’t get the chance to see folks! I’m really sorry I missed seeing people!!!
So - on to Knoxville. That’s some winding, hilly, twisty, turney roads!!
And, again, our exit ramp was CLOSED, so we passed a few exits and had to turn around and come back to the East bound ramp which was open! :crazy:
The Hilton was lovely!
Finally . . .
The Meet&Greet
Okay. I now had a mere hour and a half to shower, do my hair, eat, get ready and be at the box office. (Oh, that I would have known we’d have to wait in the heat until after six!!!) So I never got to eat! Ack!
The Tennesse Theater staff were Just. Not. Nice. Not a heart amongst them.
Finally, Jerome. We were escorted in, checked for M&G ‘stickers’ and he took one fan in a wheel chair in the elevator and sent us down the stairs. We were led into a small room with a few chairs, a love seat, a table and ‘kitchenette’, a veggie tray and tortilla (?) chips, etc for the Cast&Crew. Jerome had us sit and said he’d be back in a few minutes.
Mary and Jamie came in. Mary was in and out, if I remember correctly. Jamie sat at the table and had some of the chips. Jamie is so cute and pretty and ITTY BITTY!!! Very sweet. Mary, very quiet.
The door opened and Jerome came in and said, “I’m afraid we have a problem.” I turned to the lady next to me and said, “Is he snarking on us?”
Then, ever the one to make an entrance, Clay came through the door. I swear, his head nearly touched the top of the doorway!
Tan 5230 shirt, shorts, sandals. Looking natural. One little “Alfalfa” lock of hair spent the whole visit trying to decide if it’s going to fall to the left or fall to the right. :)
Clay echoed Jerome, “I think we may have a problem.” He sat beside me, changed his mind and went to a padded chair across the space! "Well!"
It’s all good. I could see him better. (Was it my breath, Clay?!!)
When he sat, I saw him ‘jiggling’ his fingers first in one ear and then the other. I thought maybe he still had water in his ears from his shower. Then he told us he had an ear infection and wasn’t sure how long his voice would hold out. ( warning us the M&G may not be as long as expected, maybe)
He told us that when he was 4, maybe 5, probably 4, he had a stuffy nose that went on a really long time. So his mother finally took him to the doctor . . . he (the doc) pulled out a BEAN! He had put a bean up his nose. And, Clay’s words, “It was COOKED!”
He’s a hoot!
I commented that he was “a troublemaker from the get-go.” He protested, “I wasn’t a troublemaker, I was a KID!”
Our group was kind of subdued. Our brains had been fried waiting in the heat! So - not a lot of questions.
1) I asked about the McDonalds weird experience. I can’t remember whose question that was.
He said, “I won’t go into all the details, but the bus wouldn’t fit through the drive-thru. So Jamie and I went to the window and THE GUY WOULDN’T SERVE US if we weren’t in a vehicle. He didn’t care that our bus wouldn’t fit through the drive through. He was . . . MEAN! So - basically, I ended up getting in a stranger’s car to go through the drive-thru.” Of course, you have to imagine all the faces he made while telling this.
2) My DH wanted to know if he ever came to the South Carolina beaches. (I don’t know why???) He said his high school graduation trip was to North Myrtle Beach and that his Mom used to take him to the theaters, you know the Alabama Theater, and so forth.
3) I asked (I had no good questions and meant to preface this one with “If it’s okay with Quiana”, but - I tell ya, my brain was fried! I asked if he had ever baby-sat for Quiana and if he was a good baby-sitter. He said he and Quiana had a pact not to discuss Chamberlin as he hasn’t chosen to be a celebrity. (I know I talked too much leading into my quesiton. Trying to explain that I have a special place in my heart for Quiana as we are both SC girls.) After his answer, I suggested he could still tell if he was a good baby sitter. He looked over at Jamie and said he sometimes baby-sits her son. Jamie looked at me and said quietly, “He’s a goood baby-sitter.” Clay was still talking and kind of talked over her, “with Jamie”, as if he never took care of him unless Jamie were there. But she had already said he was a good sitter. Awww!
At some point he was talking primarily to someone to his left and I got a great view of his profile. Good Lord, I don’t think there’s a more handsome profile on the planet! It was nice to just get to stare unabashedly!
Oh, he appeared freshly scrubbed, and he has so many freckles right under his eyes!
He asked where everyone was from, how far we drove, etc. I can’t do math worth squat. If I could, it would have been me to whom he said, “I guess you win, then.” pffft! I had over nine hours but I can. not. add!!!
I’ll let other people tell their questions and answers.
He went around from person to person for the photos.
Here is my biggest regret . . .
I wish I had looked up at him! If I had known Jamie was going to make a mistake and take longer with the camera, maybe I would have!
I had no idea he was leaning his head against mine - but when I got my picture I saw that he was SMOOSHING MY HAIR!. (Not that I mind!)
One last impression . .
CLAY AIKEN IS A BIG GUY!!!!
I may think of more, but that’s it for now!
I think he was telling the truth when he talked in concert about not having a good day and then coming out and feeling great from the audience energy feedback. I don't think he felt the best during the meet and greet.
It is a very odd experience. It's not like you're in a position to mingle and discuss naturally. It's a bit 'staged'. Of course it has to be. And it's far better than the long line of people like a receiving line and quick photos that I think the first M&G's were.
I wish I had felt better and not so worn out.
Like I said, this wasn't going to be a sparkling recap.
He is very sweet to do these and I'm HONORED that I got to spend that time with him. It did not feel like he shortened the M&G due to his ear infection at all. I don't wear a watch so I have no idea how long he was in the room with us.
I still can't believe it!
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| xstgrammy at CV wrote: |
I've never done this before so please bear with me. Please pretend you don't see the grammatical errors and remember that much is paraphrasing.
We had the usual pre-M&G confusion....no passes at the stated 3:00 time...no open box office at 5:00 ...but at 6:00 Jerome came and rescued us. He took us into the mercifully cool theatre and we had to leave our poor friends and family melting in the furnace that was Knoxville. Because of some walking difficulties, I was in a wheelchair which Jerome immediately took over. As he was wheeling me through the theatre he kept telling me what a bad driver he was and how dangerous he was at the wheel. I told him I trusted him with my life. He told me it was funny but he had a skinny white redheaded kid that kept telling him the same thing. Said he just couldn't understand it. I said I guessed I was in good company.
He took us to the "Clay Aiken hospitality room" which in reality was the Green Room, all set up with snacks, bottled water, etc for the gang. Then he left. There were only six of us so we sat and chatted and got acquainted. Clay fans are such nice people. We had a couch, love seat and several chairs in a semi-circle. I wonder if he takes them from venue to venue as he seems to have the same arrangement at each M&G.
Jerome came bouncing into the room in about 15 minutes saying "We have a problem". Immediateley behind him came Clay saying "We have a problem." You know, I never did figure out what the problem was. His presence obliterated all rational thinking. He was wearing a nice pair of tan cargo pants and a light colored 5230 shirt and sandals and that million dollar smile. He shook hands and asked our names. I think he did that then but I really am not sure. That's when the infamous Aiken FOG rolled in and all memory of details vanished.
He told us he had an ear infection and wasn't sure how well he would sing. Like that has ever been a problem. LOL. He said he put something in his right ear and it came out his left ear with a little bit of brain with it. Eeeww...but that's what he said. He then told us about an incident when he was 4 or 5 when his mother had to take him to the doctor because he stuck a bean up his nose, ".. a hard raw bean."
The rest of this is random as I don't remember the sequence....think Aiken FOG again.
He was asked something about Chamberlain. He said he had made it a policy to never discuss Chamberlain as he was Quiana's child and he felt that only she should talk about him as she saw fit. He said Chamberlain never asked to be a celebrity and deserved his privacy. Yeah Clay !!! The person who asked the question was perfectly fine with that and asked if he would tell Quiana that he was a beautiful child and Clay said thank you and I will tell her.
At the request of Morgan Rowan, one of the four fans who gifted him with that beautiful ring he has been wearing , I asked if he had translated the inner inscription yet. He was not wearing the ring but had been wearing it in Asheville. He immediately asked Jamie, who was sitting quietly on the other side of the room, if she had the ring. She said she had it and he seemed relieved. He said he had never taken it off until the previous night (Asheville) and forgot there was an inner inscription. He implied that someone would eventually translate it for him if he couldn't. (I hear he was wearing it again last night in Atlanta)
It was sort of funny because I had prefaced the question with "I have a question from someone else". He laughed and said that's what they all say. They always say it is someone else's question so if it bombs they dont have to take responsibility for it. But mine really was. Honest!!
Apparently, at some time in the past in his blog, Clay made reference to a strange event happening at a McDonalds. He was asked to explain that. He said his tour bus pulled into a McD's and was too high to fit at the drive-through window. He and Jamie took the orders and walked to the window to get the food. The window clerk absolutely refused to serve them because they were on foot. Clay said "He was just MEAN!" It ended with them getting into a strangers car and were taken back to the window to get their food.
He checked with everyone as to the distance they traveled to get to the concert. The gal from St. Louis won with an 8 hour drive although there were several 7 hour trips there.
He was asked about the music for the ice show and who would pick the music he would perform. He said they sent a copy of MCWL to them and the ice show people selected the songs they wanted.....the music is all Clay's, Hoooorah!!!
He was asked if he had seen any of the Climmel skits from the Clackhouse. He was confused about what they were, thinking they were video skits. After getting him straightened out about the Climmel, he said he couldn't get into the CH but he had Quiana's password to view the videos which he did sometimes but he couldn't read the board. Who knows what he was talking about. Someone told him he could read the CH without a password but not sure that it sunk in.
That was about the end of the questions as I remember them. I apologize to all the CV people who sent me wonderful questions to ask but it just wasn't possible to fit much into the short time we had, especially as the Aiken fog just kept getting thicker and thicker.
He then started to sign items. I had one of the beautiful Linda Huber drawings to be signed. For those familiar with them, it was the one from the People centerfold in the light brown sweater. He spent quite a long time examining it as he hadn't seen that one before, although mentioned he had seen others. He was totally amazed by the drawing. "Look, she even has the tiny lights in my eyes in the right places." He said if she wasn't doing that professionally then she should be. I told him she was. LOL
He then stood and we walked over to him to have our individual pictures taken by Jamie and....it was over.
During the M&G, he had been fretting about the lady who broke her wrist the night before on her way to her M&G. She had been given an invitation to our M&G but hadn't arrived and he was concerned about where she was. Just as we were filing out the door, she appeared and he talked with her for a few minutes out in the hall. They may have even gone into a small room there briefly. He is just such a kind thoughtful person. Then he was gone.
I am sure I have forgotten a zillion things....again the FOG. Sitting and talking with him in that 'hospitality room" was like talking to an old friend. Absolutely unpretentious and friendly and certainly hospitable. This was an experience I will NEVER forget. If anyone wants to carry this to any of the other boards, that is fine with me.
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| GrammyJ at CB wrote: |
Finally... here is my Meet & Greet "Experience"....and what an experience it was!!
I am GrammyJ who fell in Asheville while being lead to the M&G and broke my arm. I am sorry it has taken so long to post but typing with my left hand is not easy.
At first I thought I could go on to the M&G but the Biltmore nurse felt it better to get the arm checked out. Jerome came and talked with me & said they would try to work something out for the next night if at all possible. While I was waiting for the EMTs, Clay came off the bus and got into an SUV to be taken to the M&G location. He waved at me as he got into the SUV. I got back from the hospital in time to hear the last two songs.
Sunday we drove on to Knoxville. Late in the afternoon I missed a call on my cellphone and when I listened to it, it was Mary B. telling me I had been added to the M&G for that night. We rushed to the theater but the M&Greeters had already been taken in. So....I thought... I have missed it again. But in about 5-10 minutes one of the theater staff came & called my name. I followed the man down the stairs and hallways until I saw Jerome waiting for me. He told me to wait in a dressing room with Mary & that Clay was finishing up with the other M&Greeters and would be in soon.
I talked to Mary a minute or two and then the door opens and in walks Clay in his tan 5230 shirt. I don't remember which shorts, because I was looking at Clay's face & eyes. I said to him, "I fell for you"! He laughed and said I can see that. Then he said, "I don't know what to think, you missed last night's M&G and you are late tonight (with a laugh)!! I explained that I had missed Mary's phone call and he said, "well that is OK then". He asked me about my arm and what bone I had broken. As we talked, the thought crossed my mind...he is soooo tall. We just had a nice conversation...reminded me of standing beside my son and talking. They are about the same size and age. Jamie took our picture and Clay leaned his head over on mine.
Next he said, "let me sign your cast"! So he took my hand and signed my cast. Then he wanted to know what else I had brought for him to sign? I had brought my picture of myself & Clay taken at my Stubhub M&G in Dec. 2005. He signed it, "Joan - Use your voice, not you right arm! Clay Aiken". The picture once again now sits beside my computer.
As it was time for him to go get ready for the show, he asked me if I had seen any of the show in Asheville. I told him only the last two songs. He said, "well tonight I would get to see the whole show and he hoped I would enjoy it. Then he said goodbye.
The show in Knoxville was just fantastic and I will never foget this wonderful M&G experience. |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:24 am GMT; edited 4 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:55 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Atlanta, GA August 15, 2007
| Quiet1ne wrote: |
The M&G report from the CV cellcerter:
| Quote: |
M & G Report
Wearing 5250 polo
10 people in the meetngreet
arm fur and leg fur growing back
looked thin
sat in semicircle.
Asked names and where everyone was from
Girl told Clay that there were NOT bats at Biltmore, but birds. Got in debate. Clay asked rest of group what they thought and all but the first girl agreed with Clay that they were bats. Said "See I win"
Someone asked if he and Jimmy K friends. Said they are. Became friends during that appearance with the mock fight. Enjoy each others company and humor. Celebrities have contacted JK to do a similar type skit like Clay's, and Jimmy has turned them all down. Likewise, Conan contacted Clay wanting to a reconcilatory skit like the JK one, but Clay turned him down too. They are very loyal to each other.
Doesn't do any kind of warm up routine before concert. Usually consists of having a grilled cheese sandwich.
Does, like to find A&Q before show and evesdrop on them and get some stuff against them to use on stage.
Was handed one of those autograph doll which was covered in autographs. He couldn't find a spot to sign. He said.."well the crack is available....and ended up signing his name on butt.
Someone asked why it takes so long to get CD out. Clay said could get another CD out there real quick but it wouldn't be what he wanted. Has been approached to do another cover CD, but he said no. Just today, they got the first 2 songs approved that he and Jaymes submitted, so it looks REALLY good chance that they are gonna get the album they want! Hoo Hoo! |
ETA:
| Quote: |
| She also asked about the european healthcare clay had problems with when he was so sick. He didn't want to discuss the specifics, but he said that they told the hospital that he was allergic to Erythromycin, but they gave it to him anyways and it made him sicker. |
| Quote: |
ok, talking to the cellcerter....via CV-...Clayisacutie, i know that is the wrong spelling...but that is who gave the meet n greet report
she had a meet n greet
10 people
5230 shirt
brownish khaki
arm fur growing back
light make up
very blue eyes tonight, contacts
looked so slight...so seem filled out on the stage but in the room he was normal size
sat behind stage area
asked names and shook hands
asked where from
first question:
Biltmore not bats they were birds and brought documentation
debate over birds vs. bats
Clay took a poll about bats...everyone but the one lady voted bats...he won
He and Kimmel and friends...yes, does consider him a friend...they became a friends ...intially he didn't watch Kimmel, but he heard there were jokes, he didn't take it personally...the mock fight...really enjoyed each other company, great guy...
Jimmy has been contacted by other celebrities wanting to do a similar fight with Jimmy...but he has turned them down...
Conan O'Brien has invited Clay on the show and has been asked to do a similar skit, Clay has refused
He didn't say he wouldn't go on Conan, but that he won't do the skit
next question from a nurse...
socialized medicine....that's kind of personal...no, not the reason...what about the socialized medicine...no one at hospital spoke English...given him erothmycin...he is allergic...
specific warm up routine before concert....he sleeps right until the meet n greet...Idol...Ruben, Kim and Clay did no warm ups...he used to ate a grilled cheese sandwich...thinks the no diary is urban legend
if doing a new song...he does prepare...he does have to stretch to do that...he loves to change it up...
mentioned at the JNT02 it was death to him b/c he couldn't do the change up...
I like to find out where Angela and Quiana are to evasedrop to get info...to use for the stage
European McD are the quarter pounder or meteric....most countries they are quarter pounders....
some kind of autograph dog...or doll...not sure...it was already signed....do want me to write really small...the crotch is available...they all laughed...room on the butt...he signed it on the butt
most interesting thing...
why they have to wait for the next CD...he could put one out really quickly if you really want it...approached to do covers, but he said no
approved two songs...positive sign to get the CD he wants
her question...who would he like to win a meet n greet...historical or otherwise...gave her a funny look...that's a really hard question....initially he said Mr. Rogers, but that doesn't fell right...he needs to think about it...he is still thinking while they do the photo...talking the entire time...thinking a celebrity ....no not necessarily...wouldn't mind Winston Churchill...no, he smokes...so he thinks about it....offers him a different question...no, he will think about it...
7 more people...
3rd possibilty...Jimmy Carter, but he has already met him
steps back into the room...goodbye...never got answer....
so down to earth and friendly, put everyone at ease... |
These are all recaps of the same report that came over the CV cellstream. |
| hippoGA at CV wrote: |
I just realized it's a terrifying process to write a Meet and Greet recap! I want to be accurate! But my memories are filtered through a happy haze of meeting Clay and may be incomplete.
I had a fanclub meet and greet at Atlanta. There were six OFC winners and four auction winners. We stood outside of the box office in the 100 degree heat until it opened around 6 pm and picked up our "tractor badges". So funny, no one put them on, we just wanted to save them unused. Jerome literally appeared a few moments later and checked the numbers in the group and led us down some steps to a lower parking lot where the tour bus was parked. There we were told the "rules" of no cameras, one signed item, no touching Clay. Jerome was really cute-he told us that he couldn't name all of the body parts we couldn't touch and that "He is going to hug you."
Then thank goodness, we went inside to an air-conditioned room. Jerome even asked if anyone needed to go to the bathroom! The room had a couch, loveseat and several folding chairs in a semi-circle plus a coffee table, end tables and another kind of sofa table. Food was out and there were coolers with beverages and Jerome offered us a bottled water. He told us to put any presents on an end table and then left. We sat grinning a bit nervously and waited just a few minutes.
The door opened and in walked Clay! Looking mighty fine! Parted hair, little bit of makeup, clean-shaven (my personal favorite!), slim and tall, tan 5230 polo (maybe tucked in? pictures will have to confirm), dark not-ratty (!) cargo pants, and the criss-cross sandals. Jerome, Mary and Jamie were also there. A warm "hi" and then he went around the room and shook everyone's hand and asked us our name.
When he sat down, he commented that one of the ladies in a folding chair was slightly behind him and she told him she had been kicked off the couch (not really!) and he asked why. I told him we were hot and sweaty and that there were indoor venues in the South.
Then Clay went into a story of how hot it was in Cary and that Asheville was better but the bugs were bad. Now sadly, I must confess that I am "batwoman". I didn't bring any presents but I had printed off a page about Chimney swift (slang chimney sweep) birds and addressed it to Quiana and Angela telling them they were birds, not bats and GOOD birds that ate bugs! I picked up the page off the gift table and told Clay that the things at Biltmore were birds, not bats. He adamantly disagreed! And asked everyome else "Who thinks they were bats" and EVERYONE raised their hand. Then he asked "Who thinks they were birds" and I was the only one! He smirked that everyone agreed with him and I smirked right back that would he rather be agreed with or be right!! I told him he needed to be right on the fifth grader show!
Now the rest of my account may be out of order. I told my husband that Clay was a great politician but he said no, Clay was a great teacher, engaging the whole "class". Most people asked a question and if someone hadn't talked much, he talked to them. I am not sure if we had a shorter meet and greet than some others or whether it was because Clay talked alot and was comprehensive in his answers but it seemed like the time flew!
In no particular order:
Someone asked how he and Jimmy Kimmel became such good friends and he said that he had heard that Jimmy had made jokes about him and when he was asked to be on the show that he was such a good sport about the fight scene that they became friends right away. He said other shows had asked him to do a fight scene and mentioned Conan O'Brien by name and said other celebrities had asked Jimmy to do a similar skit but they both would not. One of my fellow Georgia Claymates told him that we had just gotten Jimmy's show in Atlanta and that Jimmy had given Clay the credit. Clay said they just got it in Charlotte recently, too, and that he had told people to watch the show before and had been told it wasn't on.
One young, very pretty girl told him how much she admired him to which he replied "that's not a question". But "thank you".
One of the meet and greeters was a nurse and asked him about socialized medicine and further explained that he had had something about his experience in Europe when he was so sick. He didn't give any details but did say the doctor didn't speak English. Most Europeans speak some English but he said this doctor was German and they were too good to speak English! He was trying to tell them he was allergic to erythromycin but they gave it to him anyway. Someone asked what kind of reaction he had but he said there were so many things wrong that he couldn't tell!
Someone asked what he did to get ready before shows and he said nothing! And went into a story about how it was like a runner who ran a mile everyday so that soon it would take two miles to make him winded. Singing the same show every night was like that for him. He was fine but if he had to sing a song he hadn't sung for a while, he might have trouble. I told him that they did change up the tour as it went along and he said he liked to do that and said that as much as he liked the JNTII with the play, he hated having to do exactly the same thing over and over each night. In this same answer he said that he, Ruben and Kimberly never did anything before singing while on Idol and that he ate grilled cheese sandwiches and other supposed bad things. What he DID do before songs was hang out with Angela and Quiana who chattered like birds (with hand motion!) and try to get something on them for the show and that they hadn't learned not to talk in front of him if they didn't want it repeated.
Another lady was a teacher and one of her students asked if MacDonald quarter-pounders were called that in other countries. He liked that and engaged Mary in the answer and mentioned other countries had their own "special" names and products but that quarter-pounders didn't have a metric name he thought.
He asked us where we were from, pointing to my friend in her Ga Claymate shirt and saying "Georgia" and asking who had come the farthest. I said I was from Georgia but also from North Carolina a long time ago. He went into a story about how "everyone is from NC-I drove thru NC once, my cousin's aunt twice removed is from NC." Really funny! Everyone seems to think NC gives them a connection to him! Well, it does!
Now sometime during the session,he said he needed to start signing things but that he would still answer questions. This was when someone asked why it took so long for a new CD. I "remember" him saying he could have a new CD tomorrow but that it would be covers because that what "they" wanted. But that he believed "they" had agreed to let them make the album they wanted and that he and Jaymes had just heard today that two songs they submitted had been accepted. So no time frame was mentioned but it looks to be the album he wants so far.
Also sometime during this time, Jerome's phone rang and he left the room and Clay said if we wanted to jump him, now was the time!
I had him sign my tour poster and asked him to sign it "Make a Joyful Noise" (a family joke since I can't carry a tune in a bucket!) One lady had a beautiful picture mosaic of his moustache. Others had books and the Rolling Stone cover. Funniest thing was an autograph stuffed dog with very little space left on it. He said he could sign the crotch but ended up signing the butt!
Another lady asked what historical figure he would want to meet but he drew a blank on that one. Said he would think about it but all he could come up with was Mr. Rogers who wasn't really a
"historical" figure.
I am at a loss for other tidbits right this minute. Hopefully others will add their recaps "soon". Mary called our names individually and we went out in the hall for our pictures. I may have hugged him! Clay stuck his head back in and said goodbye. Jerome escorted him wherever he went and then came back and escorted us out.
Great memory! Love the new meet and greet format. Chitchatting with a friend who is interested in what you have to say. I'm still grinning!
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| tricia317 at CB wrote: |
Here's my meet and greet recap. Hippoga did such a good job...touching on all the highlights, but here's the things that I remember the most.
It was HOT!!! We all were gathering around the Will Call waiting out in the sun (wilting) for it to open. Finally it did and we all got in line to pick up our Meet and Greet Stickers. It was the cute little picture of Clay on his grandpa's tractor.
Shortly, thereafter, Jerome appears and I told the lady next to me (Jane) "There's Jerome" (at which time my sil who was at her first concert asked "who's Jerome"? LOL). Jerome asked to see everyone's sticker, and lined us all up and took us down some stairs to the back of the venue. I had been told that one meet and greet had been held out by the bus, so was very pleasantly surprised when he said we were going inside out of the heat!
Jerome at this time told us the rules.....(refer to Libby's recap). One thing I remember he said at this time, after he told us "no touching"...was that he tells Clay 120 times a day not to hug his fans, but Clay does it anyway. He also said to ask him questions and try to make them interesting...that it could make it end up being a 5 min. Meet and Greet or a longer Meet and Greet depending on the questions. He also told the story about the older lady who he had mentioned all the places not to touch Clay, and she found one spot that he forgot to mention, so now he just says "no touching". Told us to behave like we were at a church social with our parents there. I was very impressed with how nice and pleasant Jerome was.
Then he took us into the wonderful cool building and into a room that had a couple of sofas and some folding chairs around the room in a circle with a table in the middle. There was a table at the end of one of the sofas where everyone put their gifts.
I was sitting on the sofa with Libby and Claysacutie(sp?) and
Clay143. It was getting kind of crowded so I moved to one of the folding chairs. (I don't remember telling Clay I got kicked off the sofa, ie Libby, but it could have happened....it's true what they say about the Clay fog...lol)..Jerome gave everyone who wanted it some bottled water. Then Jerome left and before I knew it, I looked up and in walked Clay with Jerome right behind him. My first impression was how thin he looked. He doesn't look like the clack videos......no tummy...nothing. Almost skinny....but looked great. I know the camera supposedly adds 15# to the way you look, but the boy is definitely thin. The second thing I noticed was how flawless his skin was,and how young he looked. I think he had started getting ready for the show and maybe had on a little makeup....but not much, but still his skin was almost china looking.....even on his legs. (I had a good vantage point...sitting right beside him and a little back out of his line of vision). His hair looked very casual.....combed to the side....very nice, thick, healthy looking. Medium brown with a few highlights. His lashes were very light, but from where I was sitting when he turned his head to the side....they were very LONG and thick. Beautiful eyes.....very clear. Also, I have been a mourner of the old teeth, but in person the new teeth look good and not as bright white as they do on stage or TV. I think now it may be the lights that make them look different. He had on the infamous cargo shorts and flip flops.
Can't remember the shirt. I was so mesmerized by his face I guess I didn't look......I felt really stupid when my sil asked me about his shirt. I'll wait till I get my picture to find out!
And he is VERY tall....of course we all know that, but this is my first time to meet Clay and it was something that I noticed right away.
After Clay came in....he walked around the room and shook hands with everyone, asked them their name and then sat down in the chair right next to me. He said "I won't remember any of those names" lol!
Libby did such a good job recapping all the questions that I won't go into all that. I'll just mention my questions and what I gathered from his answers.
I asked him how he and Kimmell got to be such good friends. He said he had not seen Kimmell when he was on Idol, but had heard he had cracked on him (paraphrasing).....but that Kimmell had called him and asked him to come on the show. He said they just hit it off and became friends. He mentioned that after the fight scene that they did, that other talk show hosts had wanted to do it with celebrities they had told bad jokes about, and that CONAN had even asked him to come on and do a fight scene with him. (Guess Conan wants those Claymate ratings increase,lol)...But Clay said that the fight thing belonged to him and Jimmy and they weren't going to to it with anyone else.
My other question was "Why do we have to wait 2 years for another cd"? He said that if he wanted to do another album of covers that he could do it sooner....he actually said the label (RCA) had already approached him to do that, and he had adamantly refused. He said that he had just heard from Jaymes a couple of hours earlier and she said that the label had just approved 2 songs that they had submitted, so it was looking like he was going to be able to do the cd he wanted to do. Then he said..."Why does this take 2 years?.....because I don't want to put out a cd of crap"! I then sneaked in another question (kind of a nag) and asked him if he would write anything for the next cd. He said he didn't have any plans to. I said "But you are good at it".....he did that little "modest" thing he does...and then said unless a situation presented itself, like the one with him and David, that he wasn't the type to just go and sit down and try to write a song. I think if we keep "nagging".....maybe he will.
At one point during the question asking, Jamie started helping Clay sign all of the memorabilia that everyone had brought. Clay is great at multi-tasking. Talking a mile a min. and writing, too. By the way.....Jamie is adorable and very tiny.
I've heard she is supposed to be about Clay's age, but she looks like she's about 18 or 20, tops, to me. Very pretty....kind of quiet and shy.
After all the questions, it was decided we would go out in the hall one at a time to have our picture taken. I was right behind Jane (can't remember your board name....I'm sorry)....and Jamie was taking the pictures. Something happened and the camera quit working. Clay came over to help Jamie fix the camera, and I was standing right beside them. While Clay was working on the camera,he was sort of singing....and I remember what Josh Gracin said about him one time on AI. He said "Clay sings in his sleep". I don't know why that popped in my head at that time, but it did. He was singing something softly in a falseto(sp?).
They finally got the camera fixed....he went back over and took his picture with Jane. I was next....and it happened so fast, I have no idea if I was smiling or just looking blankly into the camera. LOL. I guess I'll find out when I get the picture.
We all went back into the room....he stepped inside and said bye....and that was it. Jerome led us back out and up the stairs to the venue.
It was a wonderful, relaxed experience. Everyone was so nice. Jerome, Mary, Jamie..........and Clay was more cute and adorable close up than afar, if that's possible.
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| jayclay at CV wrote: |
Clay entered the room and shook everyone's hand. He asked all our names. He then asked if we had any questions. I can't remember exactly what I said, but it was something along the lines of, "I am a nurse and you had said something to t he effect (in his blog) about 'Welcome to the world of socialized medicine.' I wanted to know what he meant by that and something about socialized medicine. He came back very quickly with, "Why would I tell you my personal business?" I quickly assured him that I did not want to know about his personal business but about socialized medicine. He said, "Well most people in Eastern Europe spoke English, but I had a German doctor who spoke only German. I told him I was allergic to Erythromycin, and he gave me Erythromycin."
Another fan asked who he would like to have a meet and greet with, and the only name he could come up with was Mr. Rogers although he said that's not really it.
A lady with blond hair asked why it took so long to make a CD. He said he could make a CD right now, but it would have to be covers. He said he did not want to make a CD of covers and was going to wait until he could make a CD he would like. He also said they received word that day that two of the songs they had submitted had been approved.
One young lady with beautiful skin and lovely strawberry blond hair started telling how much she admired him, etc., and he said, 'That's not a question."
Someone mentioned about someone they knew or they were born in North Carolina. He says he gets that all the time. My friend's brother's sister blah, blah North Carolina.
I told him that my granddaughter who is six years old really enjoyed reading My Friend Mikayla and when she saw children in wheelchairs, etc., she would say, "That's like Mikayla." Another lady, a teacher, shared how her classroom had enjoyed the book. He seemed touched by this and thanked us.
He signed all of our "stuff," and Mary called us by name to go outside and have our picture taken. Jamie took the pictures. When it came my turn, I was so embarrassed. My left arm was injured at birth, and I can't straightened it out and must think to raise it up. So, unfortunately, he was on my left side, and I placed my arm around him (I honestly can't control where it goes if I don't think about it.) I was so excited about having a picture with him that I wasn't thinking. Guess what? My hand, I guess, hit the top of his butt. He said, "Take your hand off my butt!" I was embarrassed and tried to explain about my arm but he said, "Yeah, yeah, likely story." (I am sure he has to fend against people who really are trying to feel his butt, so I understood his reaction.) At any rate the camera did not work. So he had to fix it. He was asking them about the chip or something, and I said something to the effect of, "It broke because you were fussing at me. " He said that was probably it. He came over, and we posed again with me definitely thinking and getting my arm way up on his back near his shoulder. The camera still did not work. He went over and diddled with it again and asked me to pose for a picture. Then he said, "Well we have a nice picture of you here." He decided it was fixed, and came over, and we posed again. He thanked me for my patience, and the next person came.
I really enjoyed the experience but am still embarrassed about the "butt" experience. In the end, I think he did understand. He did not seem angry and we talked a little while he was dealing with the broken camera. |
| ClayIzzaQT at CV wrote: |
My Atlanta Meet and Greet with Clay
Hotlanta lived up to its nickname. Our M & G letter said that we could pick up our passes after 3:00 PM and that we should be in line to enter between 5:45 and 6:00 PM, ready to go with passes in hand. Unfortunately the venue did not open the box office until about 6:10 PM. It was approaching 100 degrees and all 10 of us (6 fan club and 4 BAF winners) tried in vain to keep from looking like we’d held a wet T-shirt contest while we’d waited. By the time Jerome came for us, my make up was in a puddle around my feet and my face was a lovely crimson color. I silently prayed that it wouldn’t clash with whatever shirt Clay was wearing that day.
Jerome led us down a stairway behind the stage and gave us “the rules” and then thankfully, took us into the air conditioned venue. As we walked the halls to the room where we would meet with Clay, Jerome shared that the temperature on the stage that afternoon during sound check had been 120 degrees! Upon entering the room, Jerome pointed out some snacks and water bottles and told us we could use the attached bathroom if we wanted to. It was at about this time that I noticed that not one among us had peeled the backing off the ‘tractor passes’, wanting to keep our precious keepsakes in pristine condition. Someone, and I think it may have been me, (LOL! I was nervous, people!) asked Jerome if we had to wear them and he smiled and said since we’d all checked out, he’d let us slide on wearing them. Later, when Clay was off taking the individual photos, I asked Mary if she would please consider posting the original of the tractor photo on the OFC when it was no longer needed for the security passes. She seemed surprised at my question and said she would have to think about it. She took the original and it was a personal photo, so she may decide not to share it. She also said there was a second photo of her and Jaime on the tractor that no one would EVER see and laughed heartily at the thought of that photo. I didn’t think to ask whether that photo included Clay as well or just her and Jaime. Anyway, back to the big event. Our M&G room was very small and had a couch and loveseat arranged in an L shape and then the rest of the seating was made up of folding chairs, set up to complete a rectangle around a center coffee table. We were instructed to place any gifts on an end table as we were not allowed to present them directly to Clay. After sorting out where we would all sit and engaging in a bit of musical chairs so we weren’t squished so closely together (hoping against hope that our shirts would dry), we settled in to wait and the nervous chatter flowed. Within moments, in walked Clay!! EEE!!!!
He immediately set about the business of making us all feel welcome and at ease. I’d heard that he had the ability to put even the most nervous fan at ease, but I didn’t believe it until it happened to me. He stepped inside the circle of seats and gave everyone a firm handshake as he looked us each directly in the eye and asked our names and said “Nice to meet you.” He then took a seat in a folding chair at the head of the rectangle and proceeded to ask everyone in the group where they were from in an effort to see who had traveled the greatest distance. I was 4 seats to his right and while Clay was doing his geography poll, I took a moment to just drink in the sight before my dazzled eyes. OMG is he a beauty to behold! His hair was shiny and thick, with slight highlights and swept casually off to the side and not yet styled for the stage. He was wearing a light, nearly sheer foundation that made the freckles blend into the background, but, on close examination, not quite disappear. His face had no trace of stubble. His contacts made his eyes a very gorgeous, almost Paul Newman-like blue instead of the striking green I was expecting.. He was wearing a khaki colored 5230 polo shirt, somewhat haphazardly tucked in and dusty brown cargo shorts. I remembered to check the arms and legs for renewed fur growth and saw a downy, ginger covering growing back quite nicely. I very quickly allowed my eyes to trail to the end of the skinny white legs just long enough to note the leather sandals of substantial length and then quickly moved my eyes back to his face before he caught me taking inventory. One often reads in M&G reports that his skin is like a porcelain doll and that he seems to almost glow. I always thought that was a bit exaggerated and brought on by the effects of the Aiken fog. But I’m a believer now. It’s all true. When you’re in his personal space like that, it is nearly impossible to look away. He is absolutely riveting (no pun intended). But as he began to take questions, I forced myself to look down at my typed list of questions I’d prepared and used the margins to scribble key words to the questions and answers that were already flying around the room. I felt a huge responsibility to report everything he shared as accurately as I possibly could. Later when he shared some info about the new CD, I was so glad I had that pen and paper! I could hardly believe my ears when he said that he’d been asked to do another covers CD. I’m sure my jaw dropped completely open at that news. He went on to tell us that Jaymes had called that day to tell him that 2 songs they had submitted has been approved and Clay felt hopeful that he would get to do the CD he wanted. After the meet and greet ended, I had to reread what I’d written in my notes because I was still incredulous that they had pushed him for another covers album. UnFREAKINbelievable!
Anyway, after Clay had learned where we lived, he then took the lead and started some small talk about how hot it had been in Cary and that while Asheville hadn’t been as hot, it had lots more bugs. At the mention of the Asheville show, Libby, hippoga began to tell Clay that she felt sure the bats spotted at the Asheville show were really in fact, birds. She produced some sort of documentation and research but Clay felt strongly that he was right and went back and forth with Libby for a bit, standing his ground. Finally he opened it up to a show of hands and everyone in the room voted in Clay’s favor. He seemed pleased that everyone but Libby agreed with him. She kidded him and asked if he would rather be agreed with or be right?
For the rest of our time with him, Clay deftly controlled the direction of the conversation. He made a concerted effort to make sure we each had the chance to ask at least one question, drawing out the ones who had not spoken before taking a second question from those who had. One M & Greeter began to tell him how much she admired him and he immediately seemed uncomfortable with the praise. He gently redirected the exchange by saying “That’s not a question, but thank you.” He was kind, warm, open, funny and oh so charismatic, but very much in charge. The new M&G format fulfilled my long held fantasy and wildest dream…the desire to just sit around and chat with him like any of his friends might. All that was missing was that we weren’t forced to watch “The West Wing” with him…not that I would mind that of course. ;-)
I hesitate to recap every single question as hippoga and Tricia317 did an excellent job in their recaps. So I think I’ll just toss out some random memories as they come to me.
1. While signing an autograph hound (stuffed canvas dog about 4’ in height) Clay was having a hard time finding room for his signature. He turned the dog over repeatedly and then exclaimed in a high pitched voice, dripping in his NC accent, “The crotch is available!” Gawd! I loved the way he accented the word CROTCH! Too funny! Then he turned the dog some more and said, “There’s room on the butt. I’ll sign it on the butt!” He seemed to enjoy being just a touch bawdy with us.
2. When speaking about his pre-concert preparations, he said he doesn’t do anything really. He mentioned that Ruben, Kim Locke and he were the only ones who didn’t warm up before an Idol show and that he often ate a grilled cheese sandwich before the show. He said that all the stuff you hear about avoiding dairy products before singing is an urban legend as far as he was concerned. He told us that as long as they were singing the same songs each night, he didn’t need any warm up time. Someone mentioned that in the past the set list has changed a bit as the tour progressed and he said he likes to do that so he doesn’t get bored. He said as much as he loved the JNT2 play, he said, “That play was death to me.” I took it to mean that it was almost more than he could manage to not break out of character and banter with the audience just to keep it interesting night after night. That’s my own interpretation on his remarks though and not a direct quote.
3. Also regarding pre-show rituals…as he shared with us, he had a light bulb moment. He said he DOES have one ritual. He likes to find out where Q and A are getting ready and then eavesdrop on them so he can collect info for the show banter. He didn’t think that they had discovered that he was doing that. Yeah, right! LOL!
4. I remember being surprised by how thin he seemed. I don’t know where that tummy we see on stage comes from because I certainly didn’t see one bit of it in person. His face seemed nearly as thin as in the AI days! His height was about what I expected, but he seemed tall, yet slight in person. His smile make over has become very natural looking. I mourned the old teeth for quite a while, but the new ones have won me over now. He is every inch a gorgeous, beautiful man.
5. As Tricia317 and hippoga mentioned, our M&G room was so small that they had to call us individually into the hall for our photo session. That is my only regret because it took away time that we could have been drinking in ‘the view’ for just a few extra moments…but I digress. I was only able to ask one question of the 17 I had prepared: (Hey, I hate awkward silences. It makes me nervous, so I came prepared!)
With what person, historical or contemporary, would YOU most like to win a M & G and why?
Clay gave one answer while we were still in the group setting, but then he continued to give me 2 more answers while I was in the hall for the photo. I don’t think anyone else heard the second 2 answers. His first answer popped right out of his mouth and his gut reaction was to say “Mr. Rogers”. But almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he said, “You know, now that I’ve said that, it doesn’t feel right. Let me think about it and get back to you.” He continued to take questions and sign things, multi tasking in a very impressive way. Then they began the photo session and I was the third one called out. The minute he laid eyes on me in the hall, he said…paraphrasing here…he was really having trouble with my question and did it have to be a celebrity because he wasn’t into that so much. I told him no. It could be someone from history he’d admired…perhaps a peacemaker, I suggested. At that, he held up a finger and said, ”Winston Churchill!”, excitedly. Then almost as quickly as he’d thought of it, he took it back saying, “No. forget that. He smoked and I couldn’t stand to be around that. Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.” Simultaneously as the Churchill conversation was happening, my photo was being taken, much to my surprise. One moment I was facing Clay chatting. Then I felt his arm around my waist and I told him I was so sweaty and gross that I was embarrassed to make him put his arm around me. He said, “That’s OK, I’m gross too!” He laughed and pulled me in close and I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. I felt sure I had been looking up at him and probably had my mouth open, but miraculously my photo looks like I had all kinds of time to pose. Not. I do not even know who was taking the picture because I never saw the camera. I’m told Jaime was the photographer. I have no memory of it at all. As I started to walk away, Clay said, “Jimmy Carter!!! No wait, I already met him. Let me think about it some more and I’ll get back to you.” I then snarked that if this question was too hard for him, I would be happy to ask one of the other 16 questions I still had left and he said no, he would decide and get back to me. Sadly though, when all 10 photos were completed, Clay was told it was time to go so he popped back in the room, thanked us and said his goodbyes and he was gone. I guess I will never get my final answer, but it was sure fun watching the wheels turn in that fascinating brain of his.
Gosh I’ve rambled on and on. Can you stand a bit more? For my signed item, I chose one of the photomosaic posters I make. I picked this one from his Kimmel/DWTS skit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/yoda0wise1/Photomosaics/MiscMosaicProjects/Kimmel_DWTS2_sized.jpg
I had hoped the poster would be a conversation starter and perhaps he would get a chuckle at the memories it held and share some behind the scenes info about working with Jimmy, but it was not meant to be. He signed it with the “Use your Voice” quote, personalized with my first name. Many items were passed under his pen and he had to take questions as he wrote, so I don’t think the mosaic registered. The following night in Ft. Myers a friend had a M&G and also had one of my mosaics signed. As Clay began to sign it, he told her he loved “these things” and that he had never seen this particular one. Jaime, Mary and Clay searched for the hidden photo of Raleigh and Mary found it first. He told my friend he hoped to meet the lady that makes these one day. He went on to say that they always had so much fun looking for the hidden photo of Raleigh. He said it was like playing their own version of “Where’s Waldo” which left my friend blushing and wondering if he was snarking with her or if he really had no idea what he’d just said. LOL! My friend told him that he HAD met “the woman who makes these” just the night before at the Atlanta M & G. But because I hadn’t had the chance to say anything when he was signing mine, there is no way he would have known. So I will remain Clay’s mystery woman. Yep, I like the sound of that and I’m happy in my delusional world.
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:43 pm GMT; edited 3 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:05 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Fort Myers, FL August 16, 2007
| kimiye wrote: |
Kimiye's Fort Myers Meet & Greet - Part 1
First off, the Fort Myers meet and greet was short-- Clay was in the room for less than 15 minutes, playing hooky from a conference call. No one had the opportunity to ask what the call was for-- in fact, we only got about two questions each in a rather rushed and distracted M&G. Still, it was a M&G! Eeeeeee!!!
The room was set up with several tables for dining and the typical service table. Jerome arranged us on one side of a table and removed all but one chair on the other side for Clay.
Jerome read us the usual riot act ("I will take any one of you out.") with considerable more detail about the abuses Clay has suffered (butt grabs and cheek licks) than I had heard absolutely confirmed before. Then he said he hoped he'd be back with Clay in two or three minutes and left the room.
Jerome brought Clay in with Mary and Jamie. He asked our names and made a joke about thinking that all our names were ending in "y" but Dale broke the run. He was wearing the khaki-colored fifty2thirty polo shirt (is that now a description of Clay's biggest demographic?) and dark gray-green cargo shorts which don't look ratty yet at all. Forgive me, I never glanced at his feet. He looked good, not tired even though he yawned later, with unfixed and very flattering hair. The other M&G'ers later commented how his face looked tan while the rest of him was pale, but I was close enough to see that he was already in makeup or bronzer. Someone's doing a subtle job-- I had to peer at his hairline from three feet away to see it.
After going around the table asking where we were from, Clay started the geography lesson, holding his thumb and forefinger out and down to symbolize Florida, verifying where all the concert cities were and the zig-zag route. Then he sat down right across from me and asked for questions, all the while multi-tasking by autographing stuff brought in by Mary as well as our items. (Apologies to zippy888 who let me use her photo-- I never got a chance mention you to him.)
Most people had typed lists, so he picked Dale to start. He hassled her when she took three seconds to get her question out-- "Your time's Up!" She asked about hobbies other than TV and reading, and he answered that he had a golf course across the street and no desire to go play and that they bought bikes and rode them once. He said, "Maybe I should buy a horse." But the final answer was no, no other hobbies.
The next person, who was so quiet I couldn't hear her, asked something about a quote he made about production, and he claimed not to remember it-- "Maybe I was drunk?" He went on to answer that maybe he was talking about "Touch" which had a lot of electronic effects, and that he meant stuff that was less produced. He mentioned Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and Lover All Alone, calling them not over-produced, with just a few instruments. Then he said his tastes change all the time and he really didn't know what he meant when he said it. Sorry, I know I suck, but I couldn't hear the two people at the end of the table.
Meanwhile he was signing our stuff ("Kimiye spelled like that-- interesting!") and got to Patty's big poster of small photos making up a large one, which was one he hadn't seen before. He, Jamie and Mary had to take a minute to find the picture of Raleigh-- Mary found it within seconds. That was Patty's question, by the way.
I was next in line for a question, so I asked what was most repeated on his iPod (thanks, ressamac!). Unfortunately, I got a non-specific answer, demos. Then he went off on a tangent about CD's that won't work in a computer, and how they should auction off Back for More-- "Because we did record it"-- and get an agreement that it wouldn't be shared. I suspect this auction won't happen (god help the poor fan who won it), but ain't it great to know BFM is recorded?
Now I have to get on the road to Tampa! End of Part 1! More to come! |
| kimiye wrote: |
Link back to Part 1 since it look me so long to finish this...
Kimiye's Fort Myers Meet & Greet - Part 2
I forgot to mention in Part 1 that Clay saw me taking notes and started teasing me, then backed off and said he did expect us to know not to repeat questions, complaining about something that had been asked six straight times about Oregon (I suspect he was exaggerating a bit).
Mary (fan Mary, not TC Mary) next spoke about the crowd reaction to concert "Lover All Alone", and Clay immediately said, "Nobody talks. Except last night!" and then he and Jamie discussed all the noise and rude people talking in Atlanta. Mary asked how he felt about it, and he went off on how people expect him to be deeply into the song and all introspective when he's really just thinking about what to have for dinner because he sings it every night. He said,"I'm on Paxil-- I don't have any emotions." He was joking, I think. One of us asked more about adding "A Thousand Days" back into the concert and he admitted that when he first started singing it again, he was more into it.
Then he said Quiana and Angela are always on him because he never changes things up. He sang a little melisma for us as an example. He said that was the joke about IWKWLI, that he always does it exactly the same. Last night, he had really thought about it and tried to do something different, but he never can.
Another question was asked about IWKWLI, how it was decided. He said Quiana recorded it first, but the label wanted someone who was known, so they picked Suzie McNeil, whom he's never really met. They have only said hello in a hallway. He said there was a long story behind that song. He did not want to do it at all and then insisted on doing a duet. The producer is not on his Christmas card list.
As for the performance, the girls trick him every night by deciding at the last minute.
Patty then tried to ask a question about downtime after a concert tour. She mentioned she travels for work and started talking about how that felt, but she was interrupted for Mary to line people up for photos. Clay started directing us where to stand against the wall, while continuing to answer the question. He said goes crazy after a week of doing nothing, but is too lazy to do anything about it. When he's not on tour he does absolutely nothing, watches TV, sleeps till 3. Repeated the need to get a hobby.
I was first up for the photo and it was very quick, just an arm around the waist. I hope I didn't blink, but don't know yet. Clay talked the entire time but I will bet you that he managed to shut his mouth and smile for every one of our photos. Anyone else from Fort Myers, let me know when you get your picture so I'll know if I need to beg for mine.
While the photos were being taken, someone asked if he would continue in graduate school. He said thinking about going back, but may not have the discipline. He said, "You know me." Which I thought was funny, because we don't, really.
Photos were done in no time and we were all standing around in a circle, while I was trying not to stand too close to Clay so Jerome wouldn't jump me. It looked like the M&G was ending so I popped out, "What's your favorite rollercoaster?" which got a big "Wooooo!" and a sudden burst of chatter from everyone including Mary and Jamie. Clay started talking about the one "that scared the mess out of me." They were all trying to remember the name of the last one they rode at Cedar Point, describing it to each other-- stand up, sit down, what color, starts with an "M", maybe Maverick, and nobody seemed to agree on much of anything. I said I'd find out by looking it up on the internet, and he told me "You'll have to let me know." Sure, Clay, what's your number? LOL.
One of the other M&G'ers pulled out a poster from her friends who couldn't come to the meet and greet, nine fan pictures pasted in rows like a theater. There were some empty seats and Clay made fun of the fact that they couldn't find four more fans in Florida to fill up the picture.
By this time he was saying thank you and getting ready to leave. Someone mentioned this was her first concert, and Clay said then he could mess up that night and it'd be okay since she wouldn't know.
Meanwhile, he was still trying to think of the name of that impressive rollercoaster. I mentioned the Hulk was my favorite-- he said he's ridden the Hulk and liked it, too. He also liked the Alpengeist at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Too bad there wasn't more time-- it seemed like a popular topic.
Just as he walked out to get back on his call, Clay told me, "If we look it up we'll find out your seat and come tell you." And then he was gone.
That didn't happen, however, since Jerome already had the answer, Millennium Force, a few minutes later when he came to walk us through the theater back out front.
It was all so quick, I barely had time to catch my breath. Still, I think it's the best M&G format ever, and I'm so lucky to have won during this tour.
Addendum:
I never dream about Clay, or at least never remember, but the next night I did have a Clay dream. We were at a concert at an outdoor venue, quite a distance from the stage. It was already dark and the weather was pleasantly balmy. PermaSwooned was sitting at a table just to my right, which made me feel at home, lol. My attention was directed to the stage where Clay was announcing that his six year old son wanted to come out and dance with him. So the boy came out and they were incredibly cute together. The son was typical dream generi-kid but I did notice that his hair was much darker than Clay's at the same age. That was it-- a 30-second flash, maybe of the future? I could have just been analyzing my impression of Clay in this summer tour, or maybe I'm prescient-- who knows? It was a great dream, and I so hope it comes true.
How's that for schmoopie? |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:24 pm GMT; edited 2 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:06 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Tampa Bay, FL August 17, 2007
| enchantedbyclay at CB wrote: |
This is my M & G, kind of short but is all I can remember (Clayfog, lol}
You all know the routine, Jerome pick us up. We were lead to a dressing room where we waited for 15 minutes or so. Jerome came back and told us the usual, no pictures, no touching.
After a few minutes Clay came in....HE IS SO ADORABLE...and so good looking.
He went around and ask each one of us our name and where we came from, then each one of us asked a question.
I honestly don't remember all the details (I was mesmerized, looking at his beautiful face).
One thing he said was that he really wants to win that relly awards...you all know why.
One the ladies asked what did he wanted to do 10 years from now, he answer that he wants to have his own tv show. Than he started talking about ratings and how he wants us to spread the word about the Christmas skating special, he said we should tell friends, families and neighbors to watch it. He seems to be very excited about that.
Another lady ask if he was going to sing "If You Don't Know Me By Now" in this tour, he said no, because the tour is almost over and its cost 10,000 dollars for each song that they give to the orchestra to play.
I ask him if he would ever consider recording one of his song in spanish...his answer...DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH...LOL
Thats all I can remember, after that we line up for pictures..and I did remember to smell him...Oh Gosh, he has the sweetest and clean smell ever. |
Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:14 am GMT; edited 1 time in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:07 pm GMT Post subject: |
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West Palm Beach, FL August 18, 2007
From cellstream:
| Quote: |
M&G was amazing. just out of the shower. white 5230 shirt and shredded cargos. sandals. he was totally at ease. CD WILL BE COMING OUT EARLY 2008!!! HIS PART TAKES A WEEK OR TWO - THE PRODUCTION TAKES THE TIME - GOAL - EARLY 2008!!! won't be summer touring unless he gets CD out in time.
not coming to Florida for Christmas but lots more dates to be announced. Told him he needs to work on his geography before 5th grader and he got indignant and said "ASK ME ANYTHING"
in the M & G someone asked why he does not sing When a Man Loves a Woman and Clay said...what ?? I didnt know that you all loved it that much. I will work on it, then and maybe it will show up in an upcoming tour
She asked him a geography question and he answered it right, I think. She said he was really nice. She told him she liked the spikes better. Other meet and greeter talked about getting the next cd out in early 2008. He definitely wants a different sound this time.
Wichita is definitely the first Christmas Concert and Merrillville the last
For sure singing Solitaire at the Neil Sedaka event
Submitted the CD to the skaters for the Christmas show and they are decided right now what songs they will skate to
said that Tyra is a very good friend of his
WOW he was asked to replace Jimmy Kimmel when Jimmy had his appendix out..but Jimmy decided to just do reruns |
| Quote: |
OMG..................M & G report:
he came in WET from the shower. looked like a waif off the street. 5230 shirt with ragged shorts. he asked everyone's name. he was comfortable, easy to be with. mary, jamie & jerome in room
CD coming out in early 2008 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
his part takes a week or two. it is the preproduction and the post production. artwork. takes the most time. if he had to, he could recrod the whole thing in a week.
she is sorry to ramble
he will not be summer touring unless he gets that CD out.
she is shook up !! he is like talking to your relative in your living room.
lots of men in the audience. 10 orchestra members on the stage. he will not come to FLA for xmas. quite a few more dates that will come out, not ready to announce them yet.
he was extremely chatty.
Christmas in the Heartland...they said NJ was hardly heartland. she told him he needed to learn georgraphy before he goes on Fifth Grader. He said...go ahead, just ask me anything !!
funny, wonderful, warm, welcoming, kind person
Hee...hair dripping wet!!!!!
Not coming to FL for Christmas but there are more dates that will be announced...just not ready to do so yet. |
| zeesawe wrote: |
My very first M&G happened in West Palm Beach. EEEEEEE!
We waited for our passes then waited for Jerome to come and get us. It was HOT and a nice security person took pity on us and told us we could wait in a little lobby with air conditioning, yay! Thank you, mister security guy. Jerome came to get us after a while, played a little joke on me, then counted us and we were missing 3 people. We were six OFC winners and a Ticketmaster BAF winner (her friend was not able to make it).
Jerome gave us the instructions and we sat in a semicircle of chairs, in a very large room that seemed to be used for some sort of productions (Clay even mentioned that about the room later).
Soon Clay came in all glowing and with his hair quite wet, obviously just out of the shower! It looked like a towel might have gone through it; a comb…not so much. Ha! As he walked in he said something about sorry they were running late but ‘mah fly was down or something' bwah! He wore a white Fifty2thirty polo shirt and the khaki cargo shorts and sandals. He asked our names as he went around and shook our hands then he sat down. There was some talk and kidding around about whom he had met before. And he asked something about where we were in Florida, was it Tampa?! Someone told him that he better work on the geography before the Smarter show. He then snarkily said something like, ask me any capital and I bet I’ll know it. Someone said what’s the capital of Liechtenstein and it took him a few seconds but he came up with it (Vaduz). We were all very impressed.
He then asked us if we had questions. He was talking fast and I’ll do the best I can at recollecting and paraphrasing. I did ask the M&G folks to wait and help to recall some of the answers so I could quickly scribble some notes to myself to help me remember more of the details. Thank you nice fellow M&G folks!
So here goes, and believe me the questions and answers and everything after that was f.a.s.t. and simultaneous!
He was asked how come he has not sung the entire Always and Forever in concert. He answered that he doesn’t really know all the words to it and that it was not one of the ones in the group that he had prepared for the Idol audition, but that after he sang the Perfect Strangers song the producer handed him a list with several songs on it and asked him to sing one of them and that is the one he picked!
It was then my turn to ask a question. I asked him if he had any TV projects in the works other than Smarter and the Skating show. He thought about it for a few seconds and then said no or not just yet or something to that effect, he looked right at me and focused his eyes on me and I couldn’t hear and look at him at the same time too well. I think he asked me if I had another question and I did (handy list in my lap in case my brain had gah’d). I chose to ask him if Jimmy Kimmel would have him as a guest host. He lit up at that and said that when Jimmy was sick they (I assume Jimmy’s show) had called him about it; but since Jimmy’s show doesn’t have guest hosts they didn’t go ahead with it. (I guess that is why they went with repeats). Clay said that if it ever happened it would be either him or Sara that would likely do it. He said this quite matter of fact and it really was so nice to feel how easily he spoke about it. They really must be great buddies.
The next question was about the album. I didn’t hear the question or the start of the answer because at that point Jamie came up to the two of us that had just asked questions and asked for our items to be signed and it took a little bit to get that in order. I caught the end regarding how hard it is to estimate the time when a CD will come out because of post production, artwork, etc. From my notes it appears some of the others did hear him say his goal is early 2008 (with the possible addition of time for the etceteras). This is so that there can be a summer tour (please let it be so!).
He was signing items and asked how to spell my name and since it is unusual he made sure he had the letters right. I did enunciate, however, another person with a very long name apparently didn’t and he had to creatively ‘fix’ her name. He told us he signed it “use your voice and enunciate” hee.
Other answers to questions:
He will not be back on Tyra’s show until he has something to promote.
He doesn’t sing much in the shower.
He will likely sing Solitaire at the Neil Sedaka event.
About singing in the car: He doesn’t like to sing when there are others in the car with him. Only sings in the car when his brother is in it and he asked Jamie if he ever sung in the car when she was in it and she nodded, so he laughed and said ‘and sometimes Jamie’. He said Nick never wants to hear him and laughed. He said when he was in school and his friends wanted him to sing in the car, he would sing badly and they would ask him to sing and he felt that if he did he would be like kind of showing off so he didn’t like to do it. (Awwwww)
Why he hasn’t sung the complete WAMLAW in concert: He got that funny look on his face and he couldn’t remember that he had sung part of it on the JBT; we had to remind him! And also that he was given the lyrics to sing from. I think it kind of came back to him, and he might have said something about he would keep it in mind (I really can’t recall exactly).
His hair: Someone mentioned what hair style they liked and I think told Jamie they liked the album cover style. Clay said he didn’t like it as long as it had been for the Christmas tour. I guess it helped because Jamie did a nice job on his hair last night!
Christmas tour: He is not coming to Florida this year for Christmas (boo hoo). He explained what happens is that they receive offers and if the offers are mostly concentrated in one area then they concentrate the tour there. He called it Heartland again and it was pointed out about NJ, CT, DC not being in the heartland, but I don’t think we got an answer on it directly, just that most of them were in the heartland and we didn’t have all of them yet and there would be more dates announced soon. Mary confirmed it, plus she confirmed that Merrillville will be the last concert stop for the Christmas tour.
We were having our pictures taken through a lot of the last questions, and then sadly he was gone from the room. *sigh* He really is luminous and lights up a room. Thank you Clay!
It has also been great seeing everyone at this Florida four-fer! I have met many new friends and also hugged now friends that were previously acquaintances. So many to name that I fear leaving someone out which I would likely do with so little sleep! I will wave and send a big hug to everyone one of you it was great spending a little bit of time with each of you (you all know who you are)! On our way to the last one for this tour as I hit submit. I think Clay said he might do something special for this last show. I'm wondering about pranks *g* |
| ellenpoppy wrote: |
I'm not all caught up, sorry, but I don't think these posts have been brought over yet. From Joy2talk2U at CB, who is a board friend of mine whom I consider very reliable... I am eagerly awaiting her full recap of the WPB M&G, but in the meantime, she wanted to clarify his comments re the CD:
| Quote: |
| I can also assure you he never said the word "soon". His entire demeanor was deadly serious when he said that the goal for the CD was EARLY 2008. We questioned him on that because there seemed to be a collective gasp when he said it. That is when he went into this long explanation about the "process" of making a CD. He said the hardest part was the gathering of the songs (which he called "material"). Then the arrangements are done, then comes his part. He said that if he had nothing on his schedule, he could conceivably record the entire CD within a week. The post production takes a long time. He was not jerking anyone's chain or trying to be cute or funny. He was very focused on getting that CD out. |
| Quote: |
RIclayfan... He did say that his hair was too long last year on the Christmas tour, and that they had decided to go with the style on ATDW and All Is Well but it needed to grow out just a bit more.
canear..... He didn't even hint at what may or may not be at RCA for approval. Never mentioned it.
Shycon.... recap coming.....working on it now
clayshines... I have to agree with you. He would not have gone on and on about the CD if he didn't feel pretty sure about the way things were going. He was very very chatty about it, and this is the first time we have seen him be so open. Personal opinion here..but I think he wants the word out that they are making great progress.
pawleygon.... see answer above to RIclayfan about hair.
Working on recap now. Will answer questions if you have them. |
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| EmeraldEyes wrote: |
Meet and Greet Recap Posted by Joy2talk2U at CB:
| Quote: |
Meet & Greet at Kravis Center, West Palm Beach 8/18/07
We showed up at the box office about 5:30 but had to wait until almost 6:00 to pick up the passes. You had to show personal ID, then they gave you your pass and made you sign the bottom of the envelope to prove you had picked it up....security measure I guess.
It was so hot and muggy, but they took pity on us and let us sit in a small lobby near the magical 6 doors where we were told Jerome would meet us. Jerome came out shortly after, and rounded us all up and took us thru the magical 6 doored entrance, then thru a steel door into a very long hall with rooms on either side named...."Dressing Room", "Office", "Wardrobe"...you get the picture.
We came to a huge cavernous room with cement floor, cement block walls, and what must have been a 50 foot ceiling with all sorts of metal racks hanging down...must have been for lights. The chairs were arranged in a circle with a long table at one side. Jerome said to put any gifts on the table then went into his speech about no cameras, and no inappropriate touching etc etc. We were told not to touch Clay but he said that he knew Clay would touch us, hug us, so that instruction was moot.
We sat there and waited for a while, then in comes Jerome, Mary, Jamie, and Mr. Aiken.
His hair was soaking wet and flat and everywhere. He had on the Fifty2Thirty white shirt, those shredded cargo pants...and sandals. He really needs an iron and someone who knows how to hem pants....but I digress..
He came over to each one of us and shook our hands and asked our names. Then he sat down in the circle and asked each one where we were from. One lady refused to give him her name because she had had a M & G with him in Dec 2004 during JNT2, and she wanted him to remember her name. He stopped that in its tracks by saying to her..."Do you know how many people I have met in the past 2 years? Now tell me your name!". Titanium indeed!
Then he said we would go around the circle and ask our questions. These are in no particular order....
One girl asked about "Always & Forever" and why he never sang it in concert. He said that after he sang the theme from "Perfect Strangers" the producers of AI handed him a list of songs and at the top or near it was "Always & Forever" and he sang a few lines from it. He had never learned the whole song.
The next question was whether he had any other TV projects in the works besides the "5th Grader" and the skating show. He turned around and looked at Mary, then thought about it, then said that he couldn't remember any more.
He was asked if he would be a guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He said that he was contacted after Jimmy went in for his emergency surgery, and said he would do it, but then the producers decided to go with reruns. They had never had guest hosts on Kimmel. He did say that if that ever came up again that he would be happy to do it, or maybe they would ask Sarah Silverman to do it. He seemed fine with it either way.
I asked him about a re-appearance on Tyra, because the chemistry between the two of them really came across thru the TV. He said that you don't normally go on those shows unless you have something to promote. He certainly would do it again because he and Tyra had become friends and they did talk on occasion. I believe he mentioned that Tyra's show was moving to NY.
Then the album question came up. The question was.."How long will it be before we get the new album because after the Christmas Tours you just disappear and we have these long periods of draught" or some such words. Then he said that they were all working towards an early 2008 release. Someone...it may have been me ...said "are you serious?". From this point he launched into the "CD Production 101".
He said that his part of the CD was probably the smallest and shortest as far as time goes. He could do it in a couple of weeks easily, but if he didn't have anything scheduled, he could conceivably do it in one week. But....the most time consuming parts were the work that comes before and after. Before...you have to find the material, get musical and vocal arrangements made...then vocals are recorded with minimal music. After the vocal tracks are laid, then the real work begins with the musical tracks, pressing or burning, packaging, promotion etc etc. He says that after his part is finished, he then goes into the artwork phase where they decide on the cover and promotional poses and then they have to schedule a photo shoot etc. All this is going on simultaneously.
Anyway, their goal was early 2008 and they were all very serious about meeting that goal. He would not be touring next summer if there were no CD, so we all need to keep good thoughts about the process.
He was then asked about the Christmas tour. He said that they took all the offers that came in, then plotted a tour route around those offers. They do not go where there are not offers. They cannot honor all offers either if they are not feasible, timewise or transportation wise. He said that this year they were concentrating on the midwest and I reminded him that CT and NJ were definitely not midwest, and that I had serious concerns about him going on "5th Grader" and answering any geography questions. I also said I thought about buying him an atlas to study. Then the snarky came out and he said..."Ask me anything. Come on...throw out some questions.....". One of the ladies asked him the capital of Lichtenstein and he did come up with it (Vaduz I think!)
He checked with Mary and then said that the Christmas Tour would start in Wichita and end in Merrillville. |
| Quote: |
Kravis Meet & Greet...page 2....feel free to scroll....
I asked him if he would be coming to Florida for Christmas this year and he said no. There would be more dates coming out but they were not ready to announce them yet. It was asked if they were going to Kentucky. He "believed" that there was one in Ohio, but they couldn't remember the city. Mary confirmed all of the above tour information so I feel pretty secure with it.
He was asked if he sang in the shower and he said that he did on occasion. Does he sing along with a CD or the radio in the car. He said that with some people, like his brother, he does....at this point Jamie nodded yes. Jerome said yes. Mary couldn't remember. He said that Nick couldn't stand hearing him sing in the car. But if there were a group of friends in the car, he wouldn't do it because it might be discouraging to others. He said this very apologetically because he said he didn't want to sound like showing off, but that his voice would overpower others and he didn't want to do that. (I hope I said that right)
He confirmed that he would be singing "Solitaire" at the Neil Sedaka performance.
Somehow his hair was brought up. He said they realized the hair during the last Christmas concerts was too long, and they had decided to go with the hair on the ATDW and All Is Well covers for this year. It still was a bit short for that style, but that they were letting it grow out a bit more.
OMG...bored yet???
Someone asked why he had never sung "When A Man Loves A Woman" in concert. He thought a minute, then said...wasn't that a song that was requested in a "Stump the Band" segment. We told him it was Meadville, and that we loved that song and please include it in his next pop tour. He agreed to look into it. (teensy little woohoo for that) I am amazed he didn't say something about the person that just "happened" to have the lyrics to that song in her purse in Meadville. LOL
Please understand that while all this is going on, he is signing stuff and asking how to spell names. Talk about multi tasking!!!! He is a master of it.
We lined up for pictures. Most everyone did the "Prom" pose, but (as I was told later), I did the "wedding" pose. We were facing each other and he was holding both of my hands and we were looking into each other's eyes.....and giggling. And he asked me if I was sure this was the pose I wanted. He thought it was very funny!!!!
It was now way after 7:00, and Jerome had to drag his body out of there. We were talking like we were long lost friends. He is so easy to talk to. He tries his best to give you complete answers to your questions as much as he is able. Yes, his hands are soft and very warm and he loves to touch. He has a very close "personal space", and stands very close when talking to you.
We had a really terrific group with one possible exception, but he squashed her pretty quickly. He can slice you to ribbons when provoked. He is kind, gentle, welcoming, friendly, open and totally Clay. Never doubt that he is in control at all times even when you don't think so. He can reign it in at a moments notice, or just let things take their course....... He is at ease and makes you the same.
We are so very very lucky.......
PS...He signed my "Learning To Sing".
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Last edited by Ms Marmalade on Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:16 am GMT; edited 4 times in total |
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:07 pm GMT Post subject: |
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Orlando, FL August 19, 2007
| suebee12 wrote: |
It is 2:42 in the morning, I have to be up at 6, and here I am posting! The concert was fantastic and the Meet and Greet was even better!!! I have a full page of notes that I will decipher as soon as I get home from work tomorrow but I will give you a little tidbit for an appetizer! We met in the John Lennon room of the Hard Rock and it felt as though we were sitting around in someone's living room "visiting"!
Clay was talking about some of the words he has been using in the concert and he grinned and said something like, "I said ........... last night" and let us fill in the blank. "BALLS!" He laughed and said yes, and that he didn't think it was a dirty word. He said that we have dirty minds because he was thinking of tennis balls! I kinda' said, "you mean fuzzy balls?" and he told me NO! Tennis balls. But tennis balls are fuzzy....to which he replied with a grin, that I must have a dirty mind!
I promise a full recap tomorrow but suffice it to say, my dreams will be filled with The Aiken tonight!!!!!!!!!
Oh, I only scanned the thread really quickly and didn't notice if anyone mentioned that at the start of the second half, Jesse was playing drums and Sean was playing the piano. It was cute....
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| suebee12 wrote: |
Warning!!!! Long post ahead. Here is my Meet and Greet report from the Orlando concert! I still don't believe I had such luck to win one...what a day. So hang on! I don't post much but when I do, watch out!
Orlando Meet and Greet
Hang on to your seats, this will be a long post! I took notes as soon as I left the room...hope I remembered everything. First of all, let me tell you getting to the Hard Rock Live is a feat in itself! Thank goodness for Kimiye for posting the general layout of Universal. Nowhere on any of the signs is the HRC or HRL mentioned, only Citywalk. I have not been to Universal in years so let me tell you it was an adventure finding the place. After finally getting parked, the trek began! People movers, hot sidewalks and crowds of people stood between me and my M and G with Clay. The first thing I did when I finally arrived at the HRL was to check the box office. I asked if the M and G passes were there yet...the woman shook her head no. Then I asked if there were any good seats that had come up, and again she shook her head no. Actually any question I asked her, she shook her head no, so I kinda' gave up at that point. As I turned to figure out what to do next(mind you, it was still early even using Clay time) I literally ran into Jerome. He said the soundcheck was just starting and that the passes would not be there for a while. Since I was literally melting, we decided to check the HRC. We had priority seating that we had missed but it didn't look at all busy so asked of we could still get in without waiting. Yep, they still had us listed and took us in. Now neither my friend nor I were the least bit hungry(wonder why?), we had to order something to kill time and allow me to cool off a bit. We managed this pretty easily with the help of a friendly waitress and soon it was time to go check out the M and G pass situation. They were there!!!! And how cute is Clay on a tractor! I do think his tractor is SEXY! Several of the other folks were there and we all got hot and sweaty again waiting for Jerome. By the time he arrived, there were 8 of us...two missing. He said we would wait a bit so a couple of the others had their photo taken with Jerome. It was at this point that he said there would be no cameras allowed. It was not Clay's policy but the HRL and he said he didn't argue with the various venues, about the camera policy. He finally told us it was time to go....and surprisingly I was not at all nervous. We climbed this long flight of stairs taking us to the third floor of the HRL and entered a really pretty room that we later found out was the John Lennon room. White couches and chairs, a huge glass coffee table and a bar(none of us had a drink,...Clay would be enough to get us drunk!) John's white piano was there and the keys were signed by performers along with lots of photos and gold records of John's. We waited some more while Jerome did give us the "rules" for them M and G but tonight he added one additional "suggestion" from him. "Don't ask stupid questions because then Clay gets bored...questions like, your favorite color, book, music, etc.) He implied that the M and G would go on longer with different, interesting questions. He asked us to put our gifts for Clay on the table behind the couch I was on and he left to get Clay. (The last two folks arrived a bit after 6, huffing and puffing!) And just in time for Clay's entrance. Jerome,a security guard from the HRL, Mary, Jamie and CLAY! He was wearing his white Fifty2Thirty shirt, the famous khaki cargo shorts and his sandals. His hair looked beautiful, all fluffy and shiny filled with gorgeous streaks(yes, of course I looked!) Later when I was closer(swoon) I noticed the sprinkling of freckles across his cheeks and nose and the slight stubble.
He walked over to us and shook hands and asked each of our names (pretty easy for him this particular night since there were 3 Sandi's!) He then sat down in a chair across from us and asked us where we were all from. It was a mix of Florida, NC,MA ,AL and VA. At this point, the woman from MA mentioned that she worked in NC beautifying the state. He looked at her and asked how which caused the conversation to veer off to the situation with the Dorothea Dix hospital. Since Clay signed a petition stating that he thought it should be park, not a housing development, he has been contacted by the group to help them. He said he really didn't care that much about it and that he wasn't going door to door for them...can you imagine opening your door to Clay?*g* At this point someone asked him how his butt was from last night's fall. He said he wasn't sore at all, and that he hurt himself much more when he fell on his knees. He said that Jerome's reaction was bigger than his. Jerome was over by the door and he had this grin on his face that was really cute. You could tell he really likes Clay from his reaction. Clay did ask if there was any video on the message boards of the fall. He really doesn't care if we as a "family" see it but that he doesn't want it to go out where Inside Edition, etc, can use it. He is just tired of all the crap.
He then asked for questions...first one was "did he know that there was a drinking game going on that one had to take a drink every time he said CRAP". He thought a minute, and said no, but that he didn't think CRAP was a bad word. It was at this point that he grinned and mentioned that he had said "....." last night leaving a blank for us to fill in with the word BALLS! Again, he said that was not a dirty word, only that we had dirty minds! He said he was thinking of tennis balls...so I said, you were thinking of fuzzy balls?, and he said NO, there you go with your dirty minds again and grinned!
I then got to ask my first question. I wanted to know why he liked striped socks so much.He said that there was no reason other than they were fun and he loved Paul Smith's stuff. He said he got tired of matching socks, and finally decided to just put on what he found laying around. Now the woman who cooks and does his laundry is helping him out by matching up some of the weirdest combinations he has ever seen! I did check last night, and he was wearing mix-matched socks as has been noted by someone in a post.
The two late-comers, the winners of the Ticketmaster auction, were a mother and daughter combo. The mother stated her daughter wanted to be a singer and did Clay have any advice for her. At first he said he didn't but then asked what she liked to sing and when she listed a wide list of stuff like jazz, pop, etc, he told her to find a genre she liked and stay with it, don't sing every style there is out there. At this point, he mentioned that Jesse had certain styles he likes and wanted Clay to use them in the Christmas show but Clay said that folks expect certain things from him in concert and he wasn't going to change it up that much.
The next question was a strange on to me, until Clay finally explained it.(After the M and G, I asked a couple of the others if they had understood the question, and they, too, were confused until Clay clarified!) The question was "Are you monkish?" and he said we would have to ask Mary. She must have immediately understood because she said Yes, to a certain extent. It was at this point that he explained that the question was, "Are you Monkish" referring to OCD(obessesive-compulsive disorder) from the TV show Monk. He said that he thought everyone had a bit of OCD in them. so yes, he was to an extent.
Next question up was "Did he or any of his people read the boards?" He said that Quiana reads them sometimes but he didn't have anyone read them regularly. He sometimes reads right after he blogs, and maybe looks around a little bit but doesn't check frequently. He then mentioned he gets a kick out of the fact that people think he changes things around because he reads stuff on the boards. He told us we didn't have that kind of power over him. He changes things that need changing because he wants to.
At this point, he wanted us to line up for photos and he asked that we please stay in the order we were called so that everyone got the correct photo. He told us to continue with questions once we got in line...someone tried to ask one then and he told them to do as he had told us and wait in line! People were still not in the correct order so he had to move those in the back of the line to where they beonged...told us it was like kindergarten!
The first photo person asked him about his meetings in NY to which he replied "it was none of our business"! OOPS. He then added that they were business meetings and why were we interested anyway! Guess he knows we are really nosey! I was next and I asked him who came up with the Horse skit on Kimmel. Now you have to understand that at this point I am inches away from him and it is amazing to me that I remember what he said! He had reached to put his arm around me, and was talking the whole time. It was his idea to have him come in on a donkey because of his experience in Afghanistan, but that a horse was finally settled on(I am imagining that a donkey would have been impossible to handle). We talked about how funny it was that Jimmy was asking him questions as though there were no horse there and he said that was the point. At this point, I was looking at him while he answered and he and Jamie told me to look at the camera! FLASH, and darn it, he moved his arm from around me.
The next couple of people didn't have questions and then came one about what did he think of Kelly's new album. He quickly replied that he thought it was "interesting". He didn't say anything else about the music itself but that he was glad she fought for what she believed in.
Unfortunately the M and G was drawing to an end. It was amazing because we were all so comfortable with him. It was like sitting around his living room just chatting with him. As he got up to leave the room, I told him that several people asked me to tell him they wanted him to keep blogging with what is going on so that people won't make things up. He laughed and said his blogging wouldn't stop that...the fans would still read what they wanted to into what he had written but he would try to do better with his blogging. And he left the room taking his charm, good humor and beauty with him.
Mary and Jamie stayed around for a bit. Explained about the photos and that the ones that seem to be taking the longest to be emailed were the ones from the BAF. They send the Fan Club photos to someone on the OFC to send out and the auction winners to the BAF. It was asked if there were really only 3000 posters and Mary assured us there were. Someone else asked if the M and G names were truly random, and again Mary said yes, they are drawn randomly. Jamie said that some of them wanted to go to Disney today but that Clay wanted to go home. They headed off to work,and we headed down to the wait to go in the venue where they let the M and G folks in the theater first.
It was a fantastic day that I don't think I will ever forget. I honestly never thought I would get to meet Clay and it was so laid back and "normal" that it was all that much better.Whew, I told you I would be long winded but I tried to cover everything I could remember. Even though I reported what went on, you had to be there to see Clay and his reactions. He was just as funny as he is on stage but he can be serious, too, like when he was talking about the "butt fall" and it being posted on the boards. All in all, it was a day to I will never forget. Hope I didn't bore y'all to tears with this long post!! Now I have to start on my Florida 4-play experiences! |
| suebee12 wrote: |
| Also another Meet and Greeter reminded me of something that I forgot in the M and G in Orlando. (I have an excuse! I was standing right next to Clay and watching him and not remembering!) He was asked about singing the same song as Josh. If I remember correctly, he said they both selected the same song one of the weeks and Clay "let" Josh have it but when it came to "To Love Somebody" they both wanted it again. This time Clay said it was too close to the end and he wasn't going to give in a second time. So he told Josh to go ahead and sing it but so was he! And with a snarky little grin, he then said...."And that was the week he was eliminated"! |
| teacherspet at CV wrote: |
Orlando Meet & Greet, August 19th, 2007, Recap
This account is to the best of my recollection. Since I was neither taking notes nor recording it, please do not take anything as a direct quote from Clay. Naturally I remember the parts where he talked directly to me a lot better!
The OFC M&G winners waited outside the main box office at the Hard Rock Live. Of the six of us, I believe all were from Florida except me. Jerome and a couple of Hard Rock guys gathered us and took us up an outside stairway to an upstairs room. It was called "The John Lennon Room" because it was decorated with Lennon memorabilia. It was a rectangular room and we entered near one end, and on the far end was an elevator. The near end was set up as a sitting area. There were 3 small white sofas arranged in a "U" facing the wall with the door, and to the right of the door were 2 white upholstered chairs. The far end of the room was dedicated to displaying the memorabilia. We did not get to examine that area much, but I do remember at least 1 gold record framed (which can be seen in my M&G photo), one of Lennon's white suits, framed, and a white grand piano with the keys autographed by famous people.
As we entered the room, I quickly assumed that Clay would be in one of the single chairs, so I sat down at the end of the U which would be at Clay's left as he faced the group. He actually did sit in the left chair, which meant he was about 3 feet away from me during the chat. One lucky fan did get to sit in the other single chair to his right. I did like facing him however, so I could gaze into his face as he spoke.
We were told to place our items to be autographed on the table in the middle of the sofas, and our gifts on another table behind one of the sofas. Clay would receive our gifts later. For my gift, I brought an ornament of Vulcan for his tree. This is a statue of the Roman god of the forge,the largest cast-iron statue in the world, which is the most recognizable symbol of the city of Birmingham. I also included a post card showing Vulcan on the mountain overlooking the city, and wrote a message on the back. I wrote that I hoped this ornament would remind him of his Alabama fans, and that he should consider himself "invited" to Birmingham. In case he still didn't "get it" I also included a AAA Tour Guide book for Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana!
Jerome gave us his instructions--no cameras and no inappropriate touching. He said it would be his rule for us not to hug Clay, but he knew that Clay liked to give hugs, so we would most likely be hugged! He also advised us to keep the questions interesting. He said that if Clay got the same old questions, like his favorite color, etc., that Clay would get bored and the M&G would end early.
We were left there with the Hard Rock guys for a few minutes until the elevator door opened and out stepped Clay, Mary, Jerome, and Jamie. He was wearing the white 5230 shirt, khaki pants, and sandals. His hair was rather natural looking, kinda pushed away from his face. It definitely looked different at the concert, so it hadn't been "fixed" yet. He walked over to our group, came up to me first, put out his hand, and said "I'm Clay." I took his hand and told him my name. He immediately said that I sounded like I could be from near where he's from. I laughed and said, "I only said my name!" and then told him I was from the Birmingham area. He introduced himself to everyone, and then took a seat in the empty chair.
He counted us and then told Mary there were 10 instead of the 8 she'd apparently told him before. She said that 2 came in after she went to get him. He asked who was late. A lady who was there with her daughter spoke up, and she told him it was a long walk in the heat to the Hard Rock! I believe they were ticket auction (?) winners.
He asked where everyone was from. One of the ladies added "when I'm not in North Carolina" when she told him where she lived. Clay picked up on this and remarked that people seem to like to mention North Carolina a lot, as if it gives them a connection to him. The lady told him that she was working in his state to make it beautiful, and he asked her to explain. She said she is working on the Dorothea Dix project. Clay talked about this for a few minutes and explained that the Dorothea Dix hospital property is being sold and there is a question on how best to utilize the property. He signed a petition in favor of building a park. Now he is getting lots of emails from the organizers, but he doesn't have the time or the inclination to get further involved. He said he saw a lot of prominent names on that petition, and that if those people couldn't get it done, he certainly couldn't do it.
Then Clay turned to me and asked if I had a question. (I guess he likes to go left to right.) I asked him if he were aware that there was a new drinking game out there--everytime he says "crap" in concert, everyone takes a drink. He said--when did "crap" become a bad word? I said--I didn't say it was a bad word and that I'm fine with it. He asked if we'd heard what he said the night before. He said we have dirty minds and we take what he says in the wrong way. He looked at Jerome and said, "I was talking about tennis balls, wasn't I?" One of the ladies said, "Oh, fuzzy balls!" Clay said--See, you have a dirty mind! and she replied that tennis balls are fuzzy! After this, every time he said "crap" during the M&G he'd go "Everyone take a drink!"
I don't remember the exact order of the questions after that. Someone asked why he wore the striped socks. He said that he just liked the style, but then he got tired of trying to match the socks, so he'd wear them mismatched. Now his housekeeper tries to put them together as best she can. He was asked if he was OK after his fall off the stage and he said he was fine. He hoped that video of the fall would not be out there--not that he minds that fans saw him fall, but that "bad" people tend to get hold of such things and make something out of them.
I asked him if he or someone on his staff reads the message boards because he seems to know what we are talking about. He said--no, he didn't. He said that we don't have the power over him to make him sing a certain song, etc. just because we talk about it on the boards. He said that Quiana reads the boards a little, and that he sometimes looks in at the OFC message board, and obviously he doesn't spend much time on the blog. Someone said that we wish he would spend more time on the blog!
The mother who was there with her daughter asked if Clay had any advice for an aspiring singer (the daughter) other than to develop a thick skin. Clay said that a tough skin was necessary, and that he also advised choosing a style of music and staying with it.
I told him that a friend wanted me to ask him why he was in NYC a few weeks before. He said it was none of her business! He said we don't need to know every move he makes. What struck me as funny is that in the middle of saying it wasn't our business, he mentioned that he'd had some meetings to go to and "other stuff" to do in NYC. But again, it wasn't our business! I told him I'd take great pleasure in telling my friend he said that.
While we were asking the questions, Mary stacked up our items to be autographed and gave them to Clay to sign while he continued to chat with us. He would stop and ask each person to spell her name. When I spelled my name, I emphasized the "e" as I always do, and he said, "That's the feminine spelling." I said, "You're so smart! Most people want to spell it with an 'i' !" (Isn't he smart?)
I believe the last question while we were still sitting was whether Clay is "monkish." I was thinking "monk" as in "monastery" so I asked what they meant. Clay turned to me and said, "Like the TV show, Monk." Somehow the question got deferred to Mary, who seemed to me to be trying to be diplomatic, because she was saying something about all of us having a tendency toward being monkish about something. Clay jumped in and said he was much better about his refrigerator, because it was totally not as he would like it to be, BUT it at least it didn't have any leftovers in it. He won't allow leftovers in his fridge.
Mary said she needed to line us up in a certain order for our pictures so that they would be emailed correctly. As she called our names, we were to line up in the other part of the room. We would still be able to talk with Clay while we were taking the pictures. She called my name first, and as I stood up I said that I had another question. Clay told me to wait until Mary stopped talking!
After Mary got us lined up, Clay stood and walked toward me (I was first) and as he approached he asked me what was my question. I asked him if he would sing a few bars of a song for me. He said, "No." As he said this, he put his left arm around my waist and I put my right arm around his and asked if I could put my arms around him. He said, "Yes" and I put my left arm around his waist in the front and we turned toward the camera and smiled. We lingered for just a moment :shower: until Jamie checked the photo and said it was good. As I let go and started to walk away, he asked, "What was the song?" I told him, "I Could Not Ask For More. " He said he wouldn't sing it, but he'd tell a story about the song. He said that Josh Gracin also wanted that song, and told how he got to sing it instead of Josh. I wish I could remember the details of this story, but I really didn't understand his explanation at the time! I told him, "I'm glad you got the song, because it's the one that made me vote for you instead of Ruben!"
Jerome asked me to return to my seat, and it was then difficult to hear what was being asked. Someone asked him about the horse on Kimmel. I believe he said that it was originally supposed to be a mule like he'd ridden in Afghanistan, but Kimmel changed it to a horse. The joke was that he was sitting on a horse but no one noticed. No one else returned to their seats, so I got back up and rejoined the group, but it was pretty much over at that point. Clay and Jerome left in the elevator. Mary and Jamie hung around for just a couple more minutes. I asked them if they knew how the OFC M&G winners were chosen. They said that they thought it was by random selection.
We were then escorted out the way we came in and back down the stairs. We were told we could wait there by the box office and be allowed admittance before everyone else. I'd say the M&G lasted 20-25 minutes. I enjoyed every minute!
--by teacherspet
:loveclayssmiley:
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Ms Marmalade
CHECK THE CH CALENDAR AND CNN THREAD!
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 20462
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:24 am GMT Post subject: |
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| spotlightlover wrote: |
For the three or so people besides me who never heard the true skinny on Clay's shaved arms this summer, listen up.
NOTE: I have permission from CH mods to post this because apparently the truth was revealed sometime ago on the Clayboard and just didn't get around to everybody.
I received an email from a fan I know. This lady was one of the M&G attendees who actually heard it from the horse's mouth. She wrote me that she lurks at the Clackhouse and was surprised at how many people here were still wondering about the shaved-arms secret. Here is what she wrote me:
| Quote: |
| I was one of the lucky fans in that M&G at Canandaigua, NY on the 19th of July. I don't know why it's still not known to some of the CH members when it was revealed already by another lucky fan at the CB. I guess nobody had read, forwarded and posted it at CH. Honestly, it's not really a big deal or a big secret as many fans had already speculated about it correctly. Clay just liked to tease us at the time. He said that after watching earlier clips of the SRHP show, they saw that he was so "blindingly" white in most of them and it's not good for the show nor the video or the clack, so it was suggested to him to get some tan but it wouldn't stick to his skin due to his thick hairs on his arms and needed to be shaved. That's all there is to it. |
I have emailed her back to ask if he actually said it wasn't good for "the clack". If so -- how adorable. He shaved his arms for MEEEEEE! |
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