June, 2003 Clay Aiken has  been described  by some  as behaving like  "a church lady" and by others as being a man who knows how  to make women swoon by "making love to the camera" as he sings.  Some feel that he is innocence itself, and  he has no idea of what what women feel when he sings.  Others argue that they are certain that he knows exactly what he is doing and he does it to perfection.  Then there are those who know that he actually has both those characteristics and embodies the perfect balance of those two characteristics as well as many others.

In June of 2003, he appeared on the cover of the music industry's influential 'Rolling Stone' Magazine, an honor that only superstars have been invited to experience in the past.  The controversial cover left tongues wagging and hearts throbbing, but those who had been captivated by Clay since they saw his first audition didn't miss the fact that in the cover photo he still wore his WWJD bracelet, that they knew he rarely took off his wrist at that time in his life.

Although fans believed that behind the sensual photo was a deeply religious young man, whose inner convictions would always remain steadfast, they flooded internet message boards with excited speculation about the cover photo of Clay and happily entertained each other with speculation about his various physical characteristics!

 'Rolling Stone ' magazine had covertly made slightly nerdy, 
enigmatic, golden- voiced, boy next door Clay Aiken sexy!
 

In subsequent interviews, Clay has said that the cover shoot for Rolling Stone magazine required 8 hours of work and many changes of clothing.  He says the photographer asked him to put on the black shirt and to not button it all the way down.  He didn't know why, but before he knew it, they had turned on a fan and there was the photo they ended up using on the cover, when in fact they only took about 2 photos of him in that shirt.  "I don't know why people get so excited about that picture." he says incredulously, "It's just me! 

Click on the player at left to listen to Clay's comments (from a radio interview) about being on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.

In a radio interview, one female DJ says, "Clay, we saw your tummy!"
Laughing, Clay replies, "I know, and not many people have!"

If technically not ' The American idol,' Clay Aiken is indeed The Ideal Idol, a true gentleman, with great  respect for the feelings of others.  A caring young man of deep faith who knows who he is-  a "God and mother lovin' southern boy"-  what he stands for, and he is not afraid to state it in public.   Although his incredible voice thrills millions, he is amazed at the attention he is receiving and has said many times in his North Carolina drawl, with a perplexed smile on his face, "I don't get it, it's just me!"  When an interviewer asked him if he had bought a copy of  'Rolling Stone' magazine with his photo on the cover, he replied that he was too embarrassed to go in and buy it, and that someone else bought one for him.   He says, laughing, "I couldn't go in and say 'Can I have a copy of me on a magazine?!"
 

And, when an another interviewer asks Clayton (who is taking time to answer questions amidst  the whirlwind tour of  summer concerts performed in a different city  each night) what his plans are for the future, he says, "I used to have my whole life planned out, but not anymore.  I don't even know what day it is! " 

 Clay states that he is very happy with the songs on his first full- length CD ALBUM "Measure of a Man", and that there is nothing on the album that compromises his "morals" and nothing that he would be ashamed for his (future) children to hear.  Those are values,  says Clayton Holmes Aiken,  which he will never compromise.

For a humorous and interesting perspective written right after Clay's cover issue of Rolling Stone hit the stands, click here!