Fortune's Favourite
This story snippet shows the beginning of Clay Aiken's meteoric rise to fame. It seems fitting that it should be the first post in my blog.
I wrote this after watching what the television audience saw. The video that follows is a montage of what happened behind the scenes.
Fortune's Favourite
“Okay, what are you going to sing?” Simon Cowell glanced at the lissome, copper haired boy with a dispassionate eye.
“I’m singing Always and Forever.” Clayton looked back at television’s most hated face unflinchingly. His thoughts spun in wordless prayer behind his tranquil façade. Yet he knew he could sing as well as any ex-contestant. He would only need a dash of luck to be selected for Hollywood.
“Cool. Go ahead.” This should be good, Simon thought, concocting a new sting. You are hopeless. You look ridiculous and whoever said that you can sing needs to have their hearing examined. Your country is full of delusional, tone deaf losers.
Clayton inhaled, opened his mouth, and sang.
Take time to tell me,
That you really care
The voice rang through the room, drowning them all in melody. Simon sat up straighter in his chair and his eyes popped open in disbelief. Randy Jackson raised his eyebrows and stared at Clayton.
And we’ll share tomorrow together!
Baby I’ll always love you,
Forever…”
His voice trailed delicately across the last yearning notes. Clayton’s eyes fluttered open. He smiled, chewing his lower lip nervously.
The look on Simon’s face had changed from disbelief to calculation. But he kept his answer restrained, and injected the customary disdain into his words. “Okay, very good. You don’t look like a popstar, but you’ve got a great voice.”
“Yeah, weird, it’s wild, man.”, Randy added, still staring at the unlikely source of aural nirvana.
“So now what? Randy, yes or no?”
“You know what?” Randy chuckled benevolently. Clayton’s face stilled in a hopeful grin. He was immobile except for his glimmering jade eyes.
“I say yes. I think you can work on your style. You got a really good voice, though. It’s just really wild for me to see that voice coming out of this, this-” – he gestured at Clayton, still smiling.
“Little white boy, yeah,” Clayton murmured. A grin twisted the corners of Clayton’s mouth, and Randy turned to Simon.
“But he can sing.”
Simon’s voice was hieroglyphic. “Clayton, we’ll see you in Hollywood. Congratulations.”
“Welcome to Hollywood, Clayton.” He stepped forward, and clasped the golden ticket in his hand.
“Thank you very much.” Clayton strode from the room with a measured step. He stopped in the darkness before the door, a breathless smile spreading over his face. He laughed silently and his lips moved in grateful prayer.
The man swallowed, raised his proud head, and stepped into the blur.
~*~
The Audition
Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Always and Forever
I wrote this after watching what the television audience saw. The video that follows is a montage of what happened behind the scenes.
Fortune's Favourite
“Okay, what are you going to sing?” Simon Cowell glanced at the lissome, copper haired boy with a dispassionate eye.
“I’m singing Always and Forever.” Clayton looked back at television’s most hated face unflinchingly. His thoughts spun in wordless prayer behind his tranquil façade. Yet he knew he could sing as well as any ex-contestant. He would only need a dash of luck to be selected for Hollywood.
“Cool. Go ahead.” This should be good, Simon thought, concocting a new sting. You are hopeless. You look ridiculous and whoever said that you can sing needs to have their hearing examined. Your country is full of delusional, tone deaf losers.
Clayton inhaled, opened his mouth, and sang.
Take time to tell me,
That you really care
The voice rang through the room, drowning them all in melody. Simon sat up straighter in his chair and his eyes popped open in disbelief. Randy Jackson raised his eyebrows and stared at Clayton.
And we’ll share tomorrow together!
Baby I’ll always love you,
Forever…”
His voice trailed delicately across the last yearning notes. Clayton’s eyes fluttered open. He smiled, chewing his lower lip nervously.
The look on Simon’s face had changed from disbelief to calculation. But he kept his answer restrained, and injected the customary disdain into his words. “Okay, very good. You don’t look like a popstar, but you’ve got a great voice.”
“Yeah, weird, it’s wild, man.”, Randy added, still staring at the unlikely source of aural nirvana.
“So now what? Randy, yes or no?”
“You know what?” Randy chuckled benevolently. Clayton’s face stilled in a hopeful grin. He was immobile except for his glimmering jade eyes.
“I say yes. I think you can work on your style. You got a really good voice, though. It’s just really wild for me to see that voice coming out of this, this-” – he gestured at Clayton, still smiling.
“Little white boy, yeah,” Clayton murmured. A grin twisted the corners of Clayton’s mouth, and Randy turned to Simon.
“But he can sing.”
Simon’s voice was hieroglyphic. “Clayton, we’ll see you in Hollywood. Congratulations.”
“Welcome to Hollywood, Clayton.” He stepped forward, and clasped the golden ticket in his hand.
“Thank you very much.” Clayton strode from the room with a measured step. He stopped in the darkness before the door, a breathless smile spreading over his face. He laughed silently and his lips moved in grateful prayer.
The man swallowed, raised his proud head, and stepped into the blur.
~*~
The Audition
Tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Always and Forever
Hello!!!
Nice blog!! Hope i'm the first one to wish you well!!
Love
Christel
Clay Aiken Rules!!!!
Resistence IS futile!!
Posted by
Christel Klein |
6/05/2006 8:28 p.m.
Loved your story.
VV/EE
Posted by
Allegra |
6/22/2006 4:14 p.m.
Hi! Just want to say what a nice site. Bye, see you soon.
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Posted by
Anonymous |
7/22/2006 1:17 p.m.