There Was A Man

There was a man, a lonely man,
Who lost his love through his indifference. . .
A heart that cared, that went unshared,
Until it died in his silence. . .

So go the lyrics to an old song Clay Aiken introduced to a new generation of young fans, and breathed new life into for some older music lovers as well. Clay’s powerful and haunting voice brings both the agony and the beauty of the lyrics to life as if they’re something tangible; as if you could wrap yourself up in the melancholy and the surrealism like a warm blanket and wallow in it.

That is due, in part, to the fact he is a gifted singer with a talent for belting out power ballads. But it’s also due to a particular resonance those lyrics may hold for the singer who says he still is and always will be a special education teacher at heart.

Clay shared his feelings about Solitaire and other painful moments from his life in his book, Learning to Sing; and as he did, he explained how each one helped him grow and evolve, and how he tried to use what he learned to be a better man. A better human being. A better humanitarian.

Clay has always had a heart for helping children. For example, in 2004, he participated in the "Arthur: Stories for Heroes” audio book, the proceeds of which benefited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and other children’s charities.

Also in 2004, Clay performed with Heather Headley at the Children & Families Initiative of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids event in New York City. There was recently a poster from that event, autographed by Clay and other participants, for sale on eBay in continued support.

A shirt and tie worn by Clay during his Summer 2004 Solo Tour was auctioned in December 2004 in support of YouthAIDS, an action-based global initiative working in over sixty countries to educate and protect young people from HIV/AIDS. It brought over $2,400.

In support of the 2004 Give a Hand program, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities, Clay's handprints in cement were auctioned for $15,099.

Clay is a national ambassador and spokesman for UNICEF, which advocates and places a high priority on AIDS education and protection of children’s health around the world.

In 2005, his participation in Kenneth Cole’s “Clothes Off Our Back” charity raised over $27,000 in support of UNICEF and other charities.

Early in 2006, Clay joined Susan Sarandon, Julianne Moore, Dustin Hoffman and other stars on "NBC for Tsunami Relief." The benefit raised more than $10 million nationally.

In addition, he served as 2005 national spokesperson for UNICEF's Trick or Treat campaign, 2004 national spokesperson for the Toys For Tots campaign, and supported Youth Service America, the Make A Wish Foundation, Best Buddies, and more.

In 2003, Clay formed his own foundation. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was created in order to bring awareness to issues of inclusion. Their mission is to “provide services and financial assistance to facilitate the full integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without.” His heart was bound to the issue of inclusion when, while working at the YMCA, he learned there were no means to allow children with special needs into the camp programs.

Clay meets with special needs children and fans at every opportunity. But that’s not what makes him so extraordinary.

The real gift Clay gives these extra special fans is inclusion. He treats them like everybody else. He sees past the disability to the person. And the gift Clay gives to the world is that he inspires by example and teaches others to do the same.

His legions of fans have taken their cues from Clay, and many of them have become involved in these causes in one way or another. In the process they’ve learned the amazing extent and endurance of the human spirit, and of their own hearts. Clay helps others find the humanitarian within themselves.

What greater message can any celebrity pass on to his fans than the mindset that Everybody is Somebody?

Clay knew the pain of exclusion, of being different. He knew the pain of cruelty and apathy. He could’ve, one might suppose, become the man he sings about in Solitaire. He could’ve built a wall around himself, allowed his heart to become battle-scarred and hard until it silently died of indifference.

Instead, he did the opposite. Clay Aiken found he had a voice as a celebrity, and he’s using it. When this man became a star, he shined his light in places that had been dark for too long, and as his star grows brighter he continues to light the way for children that much of the world has ignored. He fights for them to be seen, to be heard. He takes that amazing voice and sings to the world, “Include them!”

He’s succeeding, because the world is listening. Clay Aiken’s mantra seems to be “Use your voice.”

We hear Clay's voice, and what we hear is amazing.

Written by the Staff of Claymaniacs.com

© 2006 Claymaniacs.com