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2004-07-28
9:47 p.m.
Before The Iron: The Pursuit of Roots
If you're like me, seeing pictures of Clay Aiken before the work of the skilled hands of the AI stylists (please note that I am NOT including makeup artists in this...She Who Brought The Bronzer must be stopped!), you are continually amazed at the number of radically different hairstyles he's had over the years. Let's face it...this boy changed his hair more than some guys change their underwear.
And, like me, you must be so blown away by how adorable he is, no matter what the hairstyle (or that Forever-80s fashion sense) that you have a hard time determining the year a photo was taken.
As a public service, I have formed a top-notch investigative team, and we have performed painstaking research, using all of our junior detective skills (I'm even wearing a cool hat and holding a pipe in my teeth), in order to provide you, Clay's most loving, devoted, and thorough fans, with a handy reference guide.
As new details and information come to light, this timeline may be altered to accommodate said information. Especially if said information comes from the horse's mouth, as it were...
are you listening, Clayton?
Before we get to the timeline itself, we'd like to share with you what we think are some seriously exhilarating discoveries and/or theories.
#1 -- Clayton's natural hair color was last spotted on and around his high school graduation. It has contacted neither Clay nor his family since 1998. If you discover any new evidence from a period where the carpet still matched the curtains (y'all know what I'm talkin' about), please send it directly to me, post haste.
#2 -- We believe that Clayton has either a cousin or a close friend who was attending cosmetology school and needed a "guinea pig" who would allow experimentation to be performed upon them. This would explain the wide assortment of hairdos (and -don'ts, let's be honest) in such a short period of time, especially upon the head of someone who, reportedly, has never been too concerned about his appearance or fashion.
#3 -- We believe that not only did Clayton get an ill-advised perm, but he maintained that perm for more than a year. This means, with the rate of hair growth (which we've observed since 2003, and it's quite fast), we're talking about re-perming at least TWICE. Very damaging and lightening to the hair. Therefore, we also believe that this may be the reason why his hair became so blonde and...::shudder ::...Andy-Dick-like.
It must be noted here that no matter what the hairstyle, the members of my research team are generally in agreement that, although the first reaction to many young-adult-Clayton pictures is "Oh my GOD, what was he thinking?" the second reaction is "Yeah, but I still wouldn't throw him outta bed for eatin' crackers."
And so, without further ado...
1997
These pictures were taken on the night of Clayton's senior prom in 1997. The lighting is kind of strange, making his hair look a little less red than we believe it was in reality.
Note use of product for formal occasions.
The Graduate
1997
Again, weirdness with the lighting, but you can see that his hair is clearly strawberry blonde here, which we believe is his natural color. Julie will be happy to investigate Clay's natural color more closely, if only he will lift the restraining order.
Note lack of product, despite being formal enough to warrant a tie. ;o)
Also note that Julie could build a house and live here forever, because she is so crazy in love with 18 year old Clayton...but she realizes that she must push forward in the interest of research...and then there's that thing about not actually being in possession of a time machine, and that whole married-and-35 obstacle...
We have also observed that Clayton's hair seems especially soft and pettable here, and have fallen off of our lab chairs.
Red Hot
late 1997?
This one is a mystery...does it fall before or after graduation? Distinct lack of product, and yet hair seems to be more layered and not as long as on his graduation day. The team believes that this was during the fall/winter of 1997. Or could it be early spring of 1997? Late 1996? I'm having trouble concentrating, frankly, because he's giving me that look, and I...I just...oh my.
Just By Chance -- Chicks Dig Guys in Bands
Early 1998
Clayton joins a singing group. A singing group with a predilection for matching shirts. Since Clay still had his long hair when he first performed with Just By Chance, the team agrees this must be the first publicity photo they took together.
Note early use of seductive lip bite.
America's Prom Date #2
1998
Despite Clayton appearing to be about ten years old, this photo was taken in 1998, the year after he graduated from high school, as he accompanied a friend to her senior prom. Hair is similar to his own prom, so we're going with product usage again.
Hair also appears to be darkening somewhat, which leads us to...
Just By Chance -- Got New Shirts, Need New Pics
late 1998-early 1999
Mysterious darkening of the hair, while being cut shorter. Judging by comments Just By Chance bandmate Ronnie Womack made in an article with the Dunn Daily Record about his young appearance and long hair, perhaps Clayton wanted to fit in a little bit more, and look a little older?
Just By Chance -- Hospitaliano!
late 1999
And, as Clayton's career with Just By Chance continued, he temporarily adopted the guise of a waiter at the Olive Garden.
("Fresh grated parmesan, ma'am?")
But perhaps Clayton realized here, in 1999, that his Eric Forman That 70s 'Do needed some updating. He needed to find a style that was more modern, more today...
(tune in tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion of Before the Iron: The Pursuit of Roots, same Broad time, same Broad channel!)
-- Julie, with tons of help and support from her team, including Melissa, Jill, and Lila, and most especially Cella, for going above and beyond the call of Broadly duty to obtain precious photographic evidence and lending her primo fact-finding skills when I was tearing my hair out
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