RALEIGH, N.C. — With the spotlight shining so brightly on Clay Aiken, the impact of all that fame falls around the family tree.
Faye Parker, Clay's mother, has been at his side ever since he was just another face in the "American Idol" crowd. Life has changed for Clay, but it has also changed for her.
"There are some times when I want to go in my house and shut the door and scream, 'Help, help,'" Parker said.
Parker almost always calls her son Clayton, and Clayton now makes the call on his mom's security.
"When I go to his concerts, he demands that they get me security because the fans spot me easy enough because [the media] have given me some public attention here," she said.
That was evident
Monday night
during her son's concert at the RBC Center.
"I did have security last night. She was supposed to be my shadow," Parker said. "Everywhere I moved, she was there and they, the security people, helped get my parents backstage and out of the crowd."
While Parker said she feels a little overwhelmed at the shows, she feels safe at home in north Raleigh.
"I really think Raleigh is a wonderful town and most people respect privacy," she said. "Some of the ones who really come around the house are from out of town."
Parker said she was uncomfortably cornered by fans in Chicago and Anaheim, but she said without the fans, she and her son would not be where they are today.
"I'm just really grateful to them," Parker said.
Parker said she has a new technigue for dealing with autograph seekers. She has a stamp with Clay's signature on it. If the fans cannot wait for Clay, she will stamp away.
del.icio.us
Digg
Google
Yahoo!
facebook
StumbleUpon
Reddit
News Alerts to your Email & Cell Phone
STORIES
VIDEOS
SLIDESHOWS
IMAGES
BLOG POSTS
Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.