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Clay Aiken glided into the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night to give voice to a Christmas wish that we can all relate to: a world without flash photography. "Gimme a camera and I'll flash it at you," Mr. Aiken purred, smiling wide so no one could mistake his offer for a petulant threat. This was a night when theater ushers, too often hidden behind a drab facade of jacketed professionalism, got a chance to perform backup vocals for the guy onstage. As Mr. Aiken crooned "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the ushers contributed a gruff basso...

We're guessing even Simon is speechless right about now. Five months after finishing runner up to Ruben Studdard on American Idol by just 1 percent, Clay Aiken has shown himself the biggest Idol of all where it counts--on the charts. Making A.I. sales history, the nerdy North Carolinian's Measure of a Man sold a whopping 613,000 copies last week, according to SoundScan numbers released Wednesday. No other Idol has sold even half that amount in a week. Last April, inaugural champ Kelly Clarkson (news) sold 297,000 of her debut disc, Thankful, to top the charts and Aiken spoiler Studdard sold...

''American Idol'' winner Ruben Studdard filed a lawsuit last week against 205 Flava, makers of the jerseys he made famous during the competition, arguing that the company has profited from his image without compensating him. But the company says it secretly paid Studdard to wear the shirts, emblazoned with the area code of his native Birmingham, in possible violation of his contract with the ''Idol'' producers, which forbade him from seeking outside endorsements. The firm's owners and lawyers held a press conference on Monday, where they displayed several checks made out to the singer's brother, Kevin Studdard, or his manager,...

And then there were nine. The hot-ticket American Idol tour will be minus little-bit country, little-bit pop singer Joshua Gracin, it was announced Friday. Gracin was pulled from the lineup by his Uncle Sam, a harsh taskmaster also known as the U.S. Marines. The 22-year-old, a lance corporal with the 1st Force Service Support Group, was "unable to complete his required training in the allotted time," Major Curtis L. Hill said a statement. When the Idol tour was announced in May, word was the Marines had signed off on allowing its poster boy to return to active singing duty. "We...

Ruben Studdard, winner of "American Idol." KnoxNews   'Idol' winner eats well at home Weight of 360 pounds due to mom's cookingBy LEIGH ANNE MONITOR, Scripps Howard News ServiceMay 25, 2003When "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard was a little boy, his mama cooked foods that would help make him grow into a singing sensation. It's likely no one guessed as much back then, but a few specialty Ruben Studdard dishes are oh-so-famous - around mom Emily Studdard's kitchen table in Winewood, Ala. Ruben, 24, the city's tie to the Fox show "American Idol," loves his mama's chicken tetrazzini, her...

<p>Clay Aiken(l) was still smiling after Ruben Studdard was named the "Idol" winner.</p> <p>'AMERICAN IDOL 2" runner-up Clay Aiken already knew he had lost to Ruben Studdard at least five minutes before the decision was announced, show judge Simon Cowell said yesterday.</p>

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