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Clay Aiken – On the Cover of the Rolling Stoneby Donna Reynolds -- 06/24/2003
View Printable version of this article In 1972, Shel Silverstein penned a tune for the band Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show called “The Cover of the Rolling Stone.” The song bemoans the fact that, although the band had been successful, they had never appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. The chorus kept running through my mind Friday night as I stood in the local Borders, looking at Clay Aiken’s face on that very same cover. Wanna buy five copies for our mothers Wanna see my smilin' face On the cover of the Rolling Stone (Copyright 1972 – Shel Silverstein) Rolling Stone has been around since 1967, long before many of Clay’s fans were born. It has evolved over the years but one thing has been consistent – that cover. From issue #1 in November 1967, featuring John Lennon in war garb, appearing on the cover of this magazine lends certain credence to an artist. There is even a book – Rolling Stone: The Complete Covers – that documents the celebrity photographs that have appeared over the years. From Lennon to Dylan to Madonna, the impact remains fairly significant. All that being said, I was surprised when I heard they were featuring Clay Aiken. Certainly his inclusion in this venerable magazine lends an air of acceptance not just to Clay but also to the entire American Idol concept. While the article offers few surprises (Clay hates cats, is afraid of water, and is severely allergic to chocolate, coffee, and mint), just his being interviewed for the magazine is significant enough. Interviewed by phone in London where he is recording his album, Clay told WRAL radio that he really didn’t understand the significance of all of this until Ruben explained it to him! Certainly, Clay’s fans will snap these up quickly and revel in his success. Interestingly, at least 30 copies were available for sale on eBay late Friday night and were selling at up to $11.00 per copy. I suppose there must be people somewhere who don’t have access to a decent newsstand but still, it amazes me that people will spend that kind of money on a magazine with a cover price of $3.95 that is still readily available. Why Clay and not Ruben? I am sure Ruben’s fans will take issue with this and I can understand their angst. However, Clay’s story really is a modern-day Cinderfella tale. We all know the story by now but not everyone in America watched this show. The fact remains that Ruben has said that he was in year three of a five-year plan to make it as a singer while Clay was entering his last year of college with the intention of becoming a teacher. He really wanted to be on The Amazing Race and only auditioned for American Idol after friends wouldn’t stop bugging him to enter the competition. He never really believed that he would get too far in the show and still seems puzzled as to why people are so captivated by him. Erik Hedegaard, who did the Rolling Stone interview, seemed impressed by Clay’s down to earth attitude and treated him quite fairly. I sensed that Hedegaard really liked Clay. I didn’t go to Borders to buy this magazine; in fact, I had forgotten all about it until I saw a gaggle of young girls gathered around one of the magazine racks. It was then I remembered and yes, I bought I copy, telling myself (and the guy at the cash register) that I wanted to read it because I was writing an article for a reality show website! I have a collection of magazines related to this year’s American Idol and, if nothing else, I figure they will be collectibles one day. But I, much like other Idol fans, still can’t seem to resist the lure of Idol-related material either in print or on TV. And sales of the Idol’s various CDs are breaking all kinds of established records, indicating that the show was successful at least in creating superstars out of ordinary people. Even Jay Leno had a joke Friday about Justin and Kelly’s movie and commented on the possibility of a movie called When Clay met Ruben. [Editor’s Note: a joke that has been used many times, including by this editor on several radio interviews. We, of course, thought of it first.] American Idol goes mainstream! Who’d a thunk it? Want to make sure you get the next Rolling Stone interview with your favorite Idol delivered right to your door? Click here to subscribe to Rolling Stone now. Donna Reynolds is a freelance writer and technical writer from Syracuse, NY. You can e-mail her at dlrturtle@earthlink.net. Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Fame, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot! View Printable version of this article
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