Do you remember the “American Idol” of 2003? If you remember then you definitely know Clay Aiken. He was in second place in the second season of American Idol which was aired in 2003. Recently Clay Aiken was seen on the Celebrity music show Name That Tune season 3. He is playing for the National Inclusion Project. As he appeared on the show, people became curious to know more about this Name That Tune celebrity contestant. If you are also finding answers to who is Clay Aiken in Name That Tune or what is his Net Worth or who is he married to then you will get all the answers here about Clay Aiken in this article.
Table Of Contents
Who Is Clay Aiken
Real Name: | Clayton Holmes Grissom |
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Birth Date: | November 30, 1978 |
Birth Place: | Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
Age: | 44 Years |
Nationality: | American |
Religion: | Christianity |
Height: | 6’2” /1.88 m |
Occupasion: | Musician, Politician, Activist |
Celebrity musician Clay Aiken is also a His full name is Clayton Holmes Aiken(Grissom) and was born on November 30, 1978, in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. Clay is a popular singer, TV personality, activist, actor, and politician as well.
He became famous first in 2003 when he appeared as a contestant in a singing reality show “American Idol” season 2 in 2003. He finished in the 2nd spot in the season. After that, he released his debut album, Measure of a Man. Which was a hit and later on he released more albums like On My Way Here, A Thousand Different Ways, Merry Christmas With Love, etc.
According to Wikipedia, Clay Aiken has sold over 5 million albums and is the fourth-highest-selling American Idol alumnus. Apart from becoming one of the best-selling albums Clay also holds the title of bestselling memoir. In 2004, Clay Aiken co-wrote a memoir Learning To Sing which became a best-selling.
He also did some acting projects and did guest appearances in many TV shows. He also did a role in a theatre play named Spamalot. Which was a musical comedy. He played the role of Sir Robins.
His Personal Life
Clay was born and brought up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was quite passionate about music from a very young age. He sang in schools, churches, and theatres in Raleigh. Later he also sang in Raleigh Boychoir the 70-member choral group. He also sang in some local bands, too.
His biological father Vernon Grissom was very abusive and that’s why when he was 19 years old he legally changed his surname from Grissom to Aiken. Aiken is her mother Faye’s maiden name.
After passing the school he attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. From a very young age, Clay Aiken was determined that he wanted to make a change in people’s lives. When he was at the university, he was working part-time as an assistant, and once in his job he became an assistant to a boy with Autism.
The boy’s mother Diane Bubel encouraged him to take part in American Idol. Diane Bubel is the same woman with who Clay later founded National Inclusion Project.
On August 8, 2008, he became a father of a baby boy Parker Foster Aiken. His friend Jaymes Foster who was 50 at that time became the mother of Clay’s son via in vitro fertilization. At that time, Clay and Jaymes were not involved in any kind of romantic relationship but they mutually decided to give birth and raise a child together.
Clay Aiken As An Activist
You might have seen Clay Aiken recently in Name That Tune season 3. On the show, he is playing for National Inclusion Project. National Inclusion Project is a non-profit organization that works for the betterment of disabled children. National Inclusion Project provides various services and also financial assistance to support the communities and programs for the inclusion of disabled children.
Clay Aiken with Daine Bubel founded National Inclusion Project in 2003. The foundation was formerly known as Bubel/Aiken Foundation. Later in the next year in 2004, Clay became the ambassador for UNICEF and he continued to be the same until 2013 when he quit his position as UNICEF ambassador. He quit because he wanted to run for congress in 2013. Clay was also appointed to Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities for a two-year term in 2006.
As an activist, Clay has done a lot for the community by indulging in many social causes.
Clay Aiken As A Politician
Clay also had an inning as a politician. In 2014, he ran for the US House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. But he lost to Republican Party‘s Renee Ellmers. Again in 2022, Clay announced that he is going to run for the Democratic nomination in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District. But again he lost to Valerie Foushee in the general election.
Here is Clay’s announcement tweet in which he says,
Can you believe it's been almost 20 years since I first got to share my voice with you? That's a long time. A LOT has changed! We need powerful voices more than ever, so I'm running for Congress. And my voice is even stronger now! ;-) #JoinTheChorus
Clay Aiken in Name That Tune
Clay Aiken is competing in Name That Tune show with other celebrities like another American Idol contestant Jordi Sparks. It is a game show in which people guess which song is being played. Celebrities are taking part in the show to win money and donate it to the charity organization of their choice.
On Wednesday Clay Aiken competed against Jordi Sparks.
Who Is Clay Aiken Married To
This short and simple answer is no one. Yes, Clay Aiken is still unmarried. Though he had three different romantic relationships in his life but the marriage didn’t happen. Previously he dated Reed Kelly from 2008 to 2010. Later in 2010, he was romantically involved with Devin Finn and from 2010 to 2011 he was in a relationship with Jeff Walters.
Clay Aiken publically accepted that he is gay after his child’s birth. He doesn’t have a wife as of now.
Clay Aiken’s Net Worth
Being a celebrity you earn a lot of fame and money. Clay Aiken has been in a limelight for a long period. He had sold millions of copies of his albums, has sold best-selling memoirs, have been participating in various TV programs and that’s how he has accumulated a lot of wealth.
Throughout his career, Clay Aiken has been associated with many real estate deals. He bought and sold many houses in the past years. According to CelebrityNetWorth, Clay Aiken’s net worth is around $4 million.