Clay Aiken Due Cyber Birthday Bash

On My Way Here - Montage by Aspiegirl

Happy 31, Singer Man!

Fans Celebrate Clay's Birthday

Clay Aiken's birthday is Nov. 30, but online celebrations among his fans began over the weekend!

Unlike past years when fan salutations of the singer's birthday materialized in song and glow sticks at Joyful Noise Tour venues or the Broadway performance of "Spamalot," this season's recognition of the event is spanning the worldwide Internet.

With the honoree currently recording a new CD for Decca Records, Clay is just one click away from the Cyber festivities via his iPhone and computer.

An outpouring of birthday greetings adorn CA message boards around the globe. The birthday annually inspires charitable gifts to the National Inclusion Project and UNICEF in the singer's honor, as well as creations of new montages, graphics, and blogs.

Aspiegirl's new On My Way Here montage, title track of the 2008 CD, can be viewed in the player above or at You Tube. Also, here is a Sendspace download.

Clay and other Sagittarius-born stars are in the spotlight at ivillage this week. Below is a replica of the website's segment on Singer Man.

Clay Aiken - Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty

Born: Nov. 30, 1978

Singer Clay Aiken embodies the individualism of Sagittarius. The American Idol season 2 alum may have come in second place, but he went on to score multi platinum albums as well as a successful run on the Broadway show Spamalot.

Last year, he came out as a “gay dad,” (he and friend Jaymes Foster had son Parker, 13 months) with the diplomatic directness we can expect from people born this week.

Other celebrities born between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6 under the Sagittarius sign are Britney Spears, Ben Stiller, Tyra Banks, Julianne Moore, Jay-Z, Marisa Tomei, Bette Midler, and Don Cheadle.

Unchained then ... now ... forever. Graphic by cindilu2

Festivities Feature Quotes, Graphics

Two hundred thousand famous quotes by 15,000 people are assembled at the Jittery website, one of whom is Singer Man. In honor of his 31st birthday, the collection of quotes from Clay's index are interspersed with relevant graphics.

Actually, I don't hate cats, I'm just kind of afraid of them.

And I don't think that success can be measured by how many TV shows you're on.

And I think that when I finally decided to let go and let God and allow that to happen, I became a lot more successful than I could have done if I had planned it all myself.

But I was going to be a teacher my entire life, so I wasn't counting on money to much.

I auditioned just for fun.

I could have a degree in music and come on the show, and Simon could still say 'You stink'.

I decided to study special education and fell in love with working with individuals with autism. That's what I planned to do with my life.

I did get a degree in special education.

I got rid of my glasses and they changed my hair. That's really all they did. They went shopping for me, so the clothes are different too. It wasn't like Extreme Makeover where I got a nose job or anything.

I kind of had my life planned out for me. I'd be married at some point, have, you know, 1.5 children, and be a principal possibly one day. But I think that that was kind of my problem. I allowed myself to plan out my life and didn't let provident direction guide my life.

I know that I've got big ears and a big forehead and that my hair sticks up. But I'm happy with myself. I'm not necessarily trying to win a beauty pageant here.

I know this is going to sound cheesy and like I'm trying to be Miss America, but the most important responsibility a celebrity has is to set an example and be a role model.

I mean, that's kind of what this business is about in some ways. You're trying to make everybody like you. But you can't do that. You can't force everybody - anybody to like you if they're just not willing to do it.

I sometimes think I might be autistic because I like to know - I need to know - my beginnings and my ends. I don't have to be in control of it, but I need to know what's going on.

I think celebrities have an obligation to the public to not just sing or act.

I think I probably hoped for it a little bit, but I'm not an optimist. I'm a realist... or maybe even a pessimist.

I thought about that the other day after I went to the grocery store and had to sign fifteen autographs before leaving. On one hand, it's just so flattering. On the other hand, sometimes it would be nice to get the bread and leave, you know?

I want to make sure that no matter how long I go through this, I don't fall into the trap of changing and modifying how I do things that aren't a positive example. I want to remain somebody that the entire family can listen to or watch.

I was on TV for almost sixteen weeks during American Idol. It's at the point now where it's old.

I went to school for special education. I always assumed when I had the opportunity I would love to try and help kids with disabilities.

I'm being trained to shake the bon-bon appropriately.

I'm really not that special. Really, I'm not. I was on a big TV show, but it was just a TV show.

I'm religious. I think this is something God had planned for me.

If my career detour from special education to singing has done one thing, it has afforded me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.

In my ideal world, no child would suffer. Charitable instincts would prevail. There would be global acceptance of all different types of people.

It doesn't really matter to me how I make a difference, I just wanna make sure that I do.

It's a whole team of people working 24 hours around the clock to make me look like this.

It's important that I make a difference in some way. It's not necessarily how I make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do.

It's not the money. It's not the fame. It's the influence.

My mother taught me that we all have the power to achieve our dreams. What I lacked was the courage.

The greatest glory never comes from falling, but from rising each time you fall.

The greatest glory never comes from winning, but from rising each time you fall. A person is defined by what he chooses to do with his life, not by what happens to him.

There are stars out there who would die to have this much exposure.

Well, financially it's a little bit better. But it's better than when I was a teacher. But I kind of - it's allowed me to buy a house. And I've been able to help my mother with some stuff and my brother. So, that's nice.

Well, fortunately we found out that the runner-up our particular year was going to get a record contract also. So it was kind of a - it was bitter sweet but it was an opportunity.

Well, there are certain words and emotions I don't want kids hearing, and I'm not changing because they think it's going to sell better. This is going to sound horrible, but I got 12 million votes doing what I did.

While everyone I work with may not share my beliefs, I have been surrounded by nothing but support.

You know, I think I'm a stronger person for realizing that you can't make everybody love you.

Happy Birthday, Clay! Have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

BLOG ART CREDITS:

TOURS 1: Invisible926 (photos: dc4clay); cindilu2 (Tasapio); AmazingCA (Renee4clay)
UNICEF: Clayquebec1 (Invisible 926); AmazingCA; Claystruck
TOURS 2/SPAMALOT: AmazingCA (toni7babe); cindilu2; JPelligrini
PARKER: cindilu2, Fountaindawg, AmazingCA
ALBUMS: A Beautiful Mind (KarenEh); AmazingCA; AmazingCA
NIP/CURRENT: Ashes; AmazingCA (toni7babe); Fountaindawg; cindilu2