Clay Aiken

I really love live performing!

You know, I think I'm a stronger person for realizing that you can't make everybody love you.

There are stars out there who would die to have this much exposure.

I decided to study special education and fell in love with working with individuals with autism. That's what I planned to do with my life.

I kind of had my life planned out for me. I'd be married at some point, have, you know, 1.5 children, and be a principal possibly one day. But I think that that was kind of my problem. I allowed myself to plan out my life and didn't let provident direction guide my life.

But I was going to be a teacher my entire life, so I wasn't counting on money to much.

It's not the money. It's not the fame. It's the influence.

My mother taught me that we all have the power to achieve our dreams. What I lacked was the courage.

I mean, that's kind of what this business is about in some ways. You're trying to make everybody like you. But you can't do that. You can't force everybody - anybody to like you if they're just not willing to do it.

I am never going to sound like Johnny Mathis.

Well, financially it's a little bit better. But it's better than than when I was a teacher. But I kind of - it's allowed me to buy a house. And I've been able to help my mother with some stuff and my brother. So, that's nice.

Well, fortunately we found out that the runner-up our particular year was going to get a record contract also. So it was kind of a - it was bitter sweet but it was an opportunity.