Clay Aiken, the spiky-haired boy next door, proved he's got what it takes to win the hearts of millions of Americans when the 24-year-old Raleigh, N.C. native also won himself a recording contract on RCA Records through Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings.
As the runner up of FOX television's May 21 'American Idol' finale, Aiken will become the latest singing sensation taken under the wing of music industry legend Clive Davis who will also executive produce his full-length debut, in consultation with Fuller due in September.
In the meantime, Aiken's debut double A side single, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and an original song recording of "This is the Night" (Aldo Nova/Gary Burr/Chris Braide), will hit stores on June 10. If the success of inaugural 'American Idol' champion Kelly Clarkson is any indication, Aiken's biggest accomplishments are yet to come. Clarkson's RCA Record's debut, Thankful, recently stormed into The Billboard 200 at No.1, selling over 300,000 copies in its first week and becoming the year's best-selling release by a debut artist. Additionally, both Aiken and this year’s Idol winner Ruben Studdard have already been enjoying their first tastes of success: Both singers are featured on the 'American Idol' finalists'version of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A."
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