Clay Aiken's name is getting to be less synonymous with Fox's "American Idol" and associated more often with U.S. holidays.
Aiken will be seen on New Year's Day riding on the first float McDonald's has ever entered in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif.
However, with a Christmas CD that has sold 270,000 in two weeks that debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, the 21-city "The Joyful Noise Tour" in support of the album and his Christmas special "A Clay Aiken Christmas," Wednesday at 8 p.m. on NBC -- Aiken may become synonymous with Christmas.
A DVD of the holiday special that also features singers Barry Manilow and Yolanda Adams will be released Dec. 14.
Aiken has performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, at the "Capitol Fourth" in Washington on the Fourth of July and numerous Christmas-related television performances including last week's Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony on NBC.