Jay Leno

. [1] (http://www.saturday-night-live.com/snl/reviews/03-04/mullally/psi.html).
. In fact, he good-naturedly lampooned the rumors by playing a member of a gay chorus when he appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live's February 7, 2004 show. Also, Leno's custom "Tank Car" was featured in the 2005 racing game Gran Turismo 4. Some have speculated that Aiken is gay, though he has denied such suggestions. Recently Leno auctioned off a Harley Davidson motorcycle signed by his celebrity guests to help the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, the bike sold for $US800,100.00. The umbrella name including all of his many fan groups is "The Clay Nation.".

He has a very large antique car collection on which he is constantly working in his spare time, and routinely drives cars from his collection from his home to his studio. He is also a promoter of the mechanical crafts, through his columns in Popular Mechanics and his educational activities. Some of Aiken's fans have been fondly referred to as "Claymates," a name that originated on the message boards during the second season of American Idol. In automobile collecting circles Jay Leno is known as an avid collector and restorer of cars and motorcycles. In May 2005 Unicef sent Aiken to Uganda to raise awareness for the plight of children in this civil-war torn country. At some stage the judge allowed Leno to make jokes, as long as they are not related to this incident. In April 2005 he appeared before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations, on behalf of UNICEF. At first Leno was not allowed to continue making jokes about Jackson and the case; however, he could and did still write them, and used a stand-in to tell them. In March 2005 Aiken visited the tsunami-stricken Banda Aceh area as a UNICEF Ambassador to raise awareness for the need to restore education quickly to the children survivors of disasters, to provide stability.

On May 24, 2005, Leno testified that the accuser sounded scripted over the phone, however he did not ask for money and did not hear the boy's mother coaching him. He later also recorded a video, featuring the song "Give a Little Bit," to be used as a public service announcement (PSA) to raise money for tsunami victims. The accuser says he left a message on Leno's answering machine, but did not speak with him. Through his work with UNICEF, he participated in the NBC4 telethon which raised over $10 million and recorded public service announcements in support of South Asia tsunami relief. Leno felt something was wrong and reported it to the police. We're very pleased to have him join the UNICEF family.". He says that by telephone the accuser had begged him for money; during the call Leno could hear the boy's mother coaching him. "Clay Aiken, like all of our National Ambassadors, was chosen based on his compassion and deep commitment to helping children around the world.

In the Michael Jackson child sexual abuse trial, in which Jackson was found innocent of all charges as of June 13, 2005, Leno is one of the many celebrity defense witnesses. Fund for UNICEF. On The Tonight Show's 50th anniversary episode, on September 27, 2004, he announced that he would retire in 2009, when his current contract expires; as many expected, Leno announced that Late Night host Conan O'Brien will replace him. Lyons, president of the U.S. On May 12, 2003, he and Katie Couric switched places as a publicity stunt, meaning Leno co-hosted the Today Show with Matt Lauer. "Education is the best investment any society can make for the health and well-being of its children," said Charles J. In 1998, Jay Leno and his show partner Kevin Eubanks were invited to a wrestling show called WCW Road Wild 1998, from Sturgis, South Dakota, to wrestle against Hulk Hogan and WCW President Eric Bischoff. A budding philanthropist and longtime education advocate, Aiken uses his Ambassador status to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a primary education.

In addition, following the skating controversy surrounding the ice skating pairs event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Leno invited the Canadian pairs teams onto his show the following day and waved a Canadian flag and played "O Canada" for them. Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador, where he is committed to supporting education programs for children. He also spoke about the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. In 2004, he was appointed U.S. When The Tonight Show came back after the September 11 terrorist attacks, he nixed his usual monologue to talk about what had happened. As a special education teacher, Aiken has also been active in lobbying Congress in favor of education. Although known mainly for his wit, he has also shown his sensitive side on air. They have already had a huge impact on many children's lives and experiences.

Although Letterman's Late Show led in the ratings from the start, The Tonight Show took over the lead in 1995 and has, on the whole, had higher ratings ever since. This is obviously a huge honor, especially considering this foundation is just in its second year of existence. When Carson retired in 1992 Jay Leno became the new permanent host of The Tonight Show after a long period of debate and negotiation between the network, Leno, and David Letterman (who had been considered by many to be Carson's heir apparent); Letterman soon signed a deal with CBS, sparking an ongoing late-night rivalry between the two talk-show hosts. His BAF foundation was just presented with a $500,000 grant from the US government to develop a curriculum for inclusion to be used in schools across the country. His popularity was noted by NBC executives, who decided to make Leno the permanent guest host for The Tonight Show when Joan Rivers left that position. Aiken also has donated his time to multiple benefit events and concerts, including performing at the 2004 Rosalynn Carter Benefit, giving out $1,500 BAF Scholarships at the America's Promise Benefit, singing a duet with Heather Headley for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and being one of the celebrity readers for the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook (Stories for Heroes Series)," which benefits the BAF, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), and the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN). He has also served as a spokesman for the "Stories for Heroes" series and for the 2004 Toys For Tots drive. Leno made a record number of appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. RMHC® were so impressed by Aiken's participation and the generosity of his fans that that they asked Aiken to be an official ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

He began making more frequent appearances on television when many of his friends and contemporaries became more influential on late night programs. Another item donated by the singer, an autographed apron from the same World Children's Day event, went for $5,100 in the eBay auction, bringing the total donation to RMHC by Clay's fans to more than $20,000. It has been reported that Leno would sometimes work as many as eight or nine clubs in one evening. During the 2004 World Children's Day, he donated a cement cast of his handprints for a charity auction, with the cast selling for over $15,000. Though he had made the occasional foray onto television in the form of guest appearances on The Tonight Show, then hosted by Johnny Carson, stardom eluded him and he continued to work wherever he was allowed. He first became involved with RMHC® when he participated in the 2003 and 2004 World Children's Day(TM) at McDonald's to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities® and other children's causes. Known for his work ethic and his "nice" demeanor, Leno started his career as a stand-up comic performing in nightclubs, bars and any place that would give him even five minutes of stage time. In addition to his role in the Bubel/Aiken Foundation (BAF), Aiken serves as an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®).

He suffers from a slight form of dyslexia. His interest in autism issues led him to set up the Bubel-Aiken Foundation (http://bubelaikenfoundation.org), which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their nondisabled peers. He grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, and received his Bachelor's degree in Speech therapy from Emerson College in 1973. Apart from his music career, Aiken has been dedicated to advocating for education and for children's causes. James Douglas Muir Leno (born April 28, 1950 in New Rochelle, New York) is an American comedian best known as the host of the popular NBC television program The Tonight Show. In December 2004, Aiken starred in his first TV special, titled "A Clay Aiken Christmas," with special guests Barry Manilow, Yolanda Adams, and Megan Mullally. He was also the executive producer for the Christmas special, which was released as a DVD later that month. At the same time Aiken made the New York Times Best Seller List, debuting at #2, with his "inspirational memoir" entitled Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, written with Allison Glock, published by Random House.

The album went platinum in 6 weeks and was the best-selling holiday album of 2004. That same month, Aiken also released a holiday album entitled Merry Christmas With Love, which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era (since 1991) and tied Céline Dion's record for the highest debut by a holiday album in the history of Billboard magazine. "The Joyful Noise Tour"'s official sponsor was Ronald McDonald House Charities. "The Joyful Noise Tour" was well received by fans, with sellouts or near-sellouts at every venue.

Local choirs from high schools and elementary schools participated at each concert. In some cities, Aiken was supported by the local philharmonic or symphony, such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. "The Joyful Noise Tour" featured a conductor and a 30-piece orchestra. In November 2004, Aiken embarked on his third tour of the year, choosing this time to focus on Christmas favorites.

The entire music video performed by Aiken is presented on the Aladdin Special Edition 2-Disc DVD. The song was originally intended for the film but cut when the Aladdin storyline changed during production. Each concert previewed Aiken's moving rendition of "Proud of Your Boy". Disney's Aladdin Special Edition 2-Disc DVD was the exclusive sponsor of Clay's Summer Concert Tour.

He was also scheduled for a few summer tour dates, but high demand ultimately led to the booking of over 50 dates across the United States, culminating in what many fans called the "Not-a-Tour". From February to April 2004, Aiken embarked on the "Independent Tour" with Kelly Clarkson, winner of the first American Idol contest. The song was "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth", which was originally sung by Crosby and David Bowie on a 1977 Christmas special. Aiken also appeared in numerous specials during the winter of 2003, including Disney's Christmas Day Parade and The Nick At Nite Holiday Special, where he sang a duet with Bing Crosby via special effects.

Later that year Aiken won the Fan's Choice Award at the American Music Awards ceremony, and his CD single "This Is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" won the Billboard award for the Best-selling Single of 2003. The album eventually went triple platinum, and spawned the hit single "Invisible." The album also contained Aiken's first hit song, "This Is the Night," which had debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot 100 Single Sales Chart. In October of 2003 Aiken released his first solo album, Measure of a Man, which debuted at #1 in the Billboard 200 and was the fastest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years. It was this child's mother who urged him to audition for American Idol.

He found his interest in special education during high school, and eventually became an assistant to a boy with autism while going to school in Charlotte. Although his American Idol activities temporarily delayed his academic pursuits, Aiken graduated with a bachelor's degree in special education in December of 2003. Aiken, who changed his last name from Grissom to his mother's maiden name, hails from Raleigh, North Carolina, and attended Raleigh's Leesville High School before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It was the only single to go platinum since 2002, when "I Hope You Dance" did, after being out for over a year.

It was the fastest-selling single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" and the best-selling single of 2003. The single "Bridge Over Troubled Water"/"This Is the Night", released June 10, 2003, has gone platinum. It sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, and has since gone triple platinum. Aiken's debut album, Measure of a Man, was released October 14, 2003.

The seasonal album Merry Christmas With Love, released on November 16, 2004, went platinum in 6 weeks. Though technically the show's "first runner-up," he has since gone on to be the show's most popular and successful star, even more so than Studdard himself. He came in a close second in the contest, with Ruben Studdard winning by a narrow margin. Clay Aiken (born Clayton Holmes Grissom on November 30, 1978) is an American pop music singer who rose to fame on the American Idol television program.

2004 "Winter Wonderland". 2004 "Solitaire". 2004 "I Will Carry You". 2004 "The Way".

2003 "Silver Bells f/Kim Locke". 2003 "The First Noel". 2003 "Invisible". 2003 "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

2003 "This Is The Night". 2004 "The Way / Solitaire". 2003 "Bridge Over Troubled Water / This Is The Night". Merry Christmas With Love (11-2004).

Measure of a Man (10-2003).