BACKTRACK! Clay Aiken (Sort Of) Apologizes To Adam Lambert

NEW YORK — Clay Aiken says blood didn't truly pour forth from his ears when he heard runner-up Adam Lambert sing "Ring of Fire" _ and hey, he's sorry for his "colorful choice of words."

The former Idol contestant writes in a blog on his Web site dated Friday that "I obviously meant it as a colorful statement to imply that I did not enjoy what I heard." He also says he didn't mean it as "a 'slam' on Adam as a person."

He had blasted Lambert's take on the classic Johnny Cash tune as "contrived," "awful" and "slightly frightening." Aiken says he hopes Lambert can forgive him _ but adds Lambert probably doesn't care about what he said.

Aiken lost out to Ruben Studdard in 2003. He's since released several albums, appeared on Broadway and publicly confirmed he's gay.

Comments

[Kiwuck]

Nine chances out of ten Adam will go on to have a bigger rock career than Clay Aiken or Kris. His voice is reminiscent of Freddy Mercury and Axl Rose - only with a btter chance of surviving than Freddy and without Axl's mental illness. If he tours with Queen, which is in the cards, it'll be a blow-out.

I wouldn't expect Clay to like Adam's way of singing, it's a very different style. I wouldn't have expected Adam to go very far with American Idol, which is aimed more at milk-bread 12 year old nymphets with their romantic fantasies, not the kind of hard-driving music Adam puts out.

[Bostongirl1]

It's not that he didn't like Adam, that is making this 'news', it's the insulting way he said it. Who really cares if Clay liked Adam or not - he didn't have to be so catty about it.

[factotem]

Clay Aiken has done the best he can with the looks he has, but noone wants to hit that. He's envious.

[redsongia]

Everything he said about Adam, most of the world thinks of him. It's only thanks to American Idol that we have this "talent show" winner on magazines, including us in his boring life and sharing his boring opinions with us...constantly...and unsolicited.

I'm not a wild fan of Lambert, I don't follow his every move on a blog, say, but if I catch him singing in a clip, on TV, I have to say, he's pretty good and not a mariah carey wanna be 25 years too late, like most talent show contestents, including Aiken.

[Aimleft]

I wasn't even going to watch Idol this year, but happened to catch Adam singing Ring of Fire, and that was it for me. Perhaps a little out there, but I thought (and still think) it was wonderful. He is the only reason I then continued to watch for the rest of the season.

Clay Aiken is entitled to his opinion, but I find it galling that he, whose musical abilities I consider somewhat limited, would criticise Adam's singing and arrangement. He made the song - and the show itself - exciting and unpredictable, which is more than I can say for ANY other contestant in the history of the show.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Ditto! I heard ring of fire and was hooked on Adam!

[harriettubman]

Clay has a Broadway voice to me and nothing more. When I saw him on AI, thought how great he'd be on Broadway. What happened?

[Kiwuck]

What happened is that he went on to make a living on Broadway in "Spamalot"

[Furby]

Albeit a brief living, which is now morphing into making shocking statements to the press to try to get back into the limelight.

[crayola 08]

i bet clay wouldn't throw him out of bed.

[TomInJax]

Adam's got more taste than Clay Aiken.

[Furby]

Another NON APOLOGY. Clay didn't apologize for being insulting to Adam in a public forum, he apologized for not choosing his words well. So I guess the question is, does he plan on offering a real apology to Adam? Not that I care one way or another, but I just find these fake apologies hypocritical.

[redsongia]

Sanjaya will be throwing us his best Roger Ebert next, I expect. 5th judge on Idol, anyone?

[psbintl]

The MSM is making way too much of this!

They did not seem to have any problems while over the past six years, unfounded, insensitive and mean-spirited things have been said about Mr. Aiken. Someone who has devoted much of his spare time to philanthropic works to help children with physical and mental challenges.

Yet they go off the deep end about one single opinion.

Go figure!

[Furby]

Get a grip Clay. This may be keeping you in the headlines a little longer, but it's butt ugly. Now just stop it.

[psbintl]

I am not Clay, you idiot!

LOL!

[CAMBEL]

Oh, you mean all those unfounded accusations that he was...GASP GAY?!? Well they turned out to be true didn't they?

[dlvme2]

When I first saw Clay on American Idol - I thought he was the sweetest person. Years later when I saw him interviewed on several talk shows especially Regis and Kelly he was the rudest, most into himself person I had seen. He was very arrogant and my opinion changed. He went on idol showing how he worked in his church and was super normal and yet he was gay the entire time. I just feel he has a lot of nerve criticizing anyone - he is not that great and has not done a whole heck of a lot since Idol. I know he has his fan base, but he is not that big. Adam like him or not he is a nice person. Clay was rude as always even if a fan asked his opinion he should and could have been more gracious - but he does not know how to do that.

[psbintl]

You are wrong!

For many who have met him just the opposite has been said. You want to judge a person because of one opinion?

[Furby]

Like I said before Clay, let it go, this isn't helping at all.

[Melissa]

I think he is just jealous. I can't stand him since the Regis & Kelly show. He showed his true colors that day.

[MAXIE19]

Could not have said it better.

[redsongia]

Clay reminds me of the time a coked up Amy Winehouse got in the camera lense and talked a lot of smack about U2, wondering why they were even famous, etc.

Only Aiken on his best day could never measure up to Amy Winehouse's coke sweat. Just her runaway cokey thinking and bad manners.

[NoSillyName]

Oh, pshaw. I only saw AL one time and that was enough for me. "Glam Rocker"? Not. Hair Band shrieker? Yes. Maybe he can bring back the '80s.

[TheBaffler]

Aiken was right, he needn't apologize. Lambert is an overrated drama queen, more interested in hamming it up than in singing well. He's an "entertainer," not an artist.

[LisaBee]

Do you think just because a singer who appears more earthy or understated is more of an artist? You have been FOOLED. Anyone you've ever seen in a video - or on a stage, for that matter, - is ACTING & PERFORMING... even those with an ARTSY, DOWN-TO-EARTH LOOK... they are ALL ENTERTAINING...with every DEEP, EMOTIONAL look on their face- with every wince of pain they are supposedly FEELING in their music as they close their eyes as they sway with their acoustic guitar - THEY TOO ARE ENTERTAINERS - just utilizing different props. Heck, I can whip out my Martin guitar, whail out a Linda Rondstadt or Karla Bonoff song and LOOK & SOUND like an artist... but if i were to don a punk outfit & make my hair black & spikey and belt out a Joan Jett song- would I appear more of an entertainer, and less of an "artist?" SAME THING... different PROPS... one appears more artsy, doesn't it? (it's all bs in the end)

Whether you like Adam Lambert's voice or not -you can not deny it is one of great quality... and range.. You can also not take away the fact that he had the guts to be different and unique in a venue where almost everyone else (especially the men) were all the same Timberlake-clones (BORING)... if that is not being artistic (being unique, not conforming to the mainstream, talented), I'm not sure what is...

[seachild]

i just watched adam sing ROF for the first time...though different from johnny cash's version (how could it not be? two very different voices) it's fantastic...reminded me of jeff buckley singing it..

but whatever Aiken's opinion...gotta respect it...even if it is out of jealousy...Adam will have a larger career (and Aiken perhaps knows this...)

[psbintl]

He was responding to a fan's question at his fan site on his own personal fan site blog!

I have met this man in person and he is extremely gracious and nice!

A person can't even give an opinion these days without everyone getting themselves crazy!

[psbintl]

Oh good grief!

He was responding to a fan's question at his fan site on his own personal fan site blog!

Get a grip!

I have met this man in person and he is about the least cranky person I have ever met besides being extremely gracious and nice!

A person can't even give an opinion these days without everyone getting themselves crazy!

[Furby]

Now it's getting downright embarrassing. If you're not Clay, he should be suing you for inadvertent defamation.

[KickerBoard]

Clay, this is sounding desperate now. Let it go. Memories will fade.