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Kelly and Clay Champion Causes in DC

American Idol Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Clay Aiken, having once earned the votes of millions of Americans, are taking their mandates to Washington, D.C. Clarkson appeared on Wednesday at Grammys on the Hill -- an event only slightly less cool than the actual Grammys in Los Angeles -- and sang her new song "Maybe" alongside the formidable Congressional Grammy Band, which is made up of eight members of Congress.

But the performance didn't come without strings attached; Clarkson was there as a representative of the Recording Academy, hoping to get Congress to pay increased attention to the music industry's plight, particularly when it comes to illegal downloading.

"Not many people know what it takes to make music," Clarkson said. "They see my face, but there are a lot of people that make it happen."

The Senate's own equivalent of a rock star, Barack Obama, was also on hand to pick up his Grammy for Best Spoken Word (for his memoir Dreams From My Father).

Mr. Aiken, meanwhile, is going to Washington as part of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Members of the committee, initially founded by John F. Kennedy in 1961, advise the president on the many challenges and issues presented by mental disabilities. A press release from the White House confirmed the appointment, which is expected to officially be made by President Bush in the coming weeks. Aiken's qualifications are somewhat unclear, although he has volunteered for UNICEF since becoming a celebrity and once served as a YMCA counselor.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
09.08.06