"When I (did) the first album, I ain't been through nothin', you know? ... But now I've gone through some crap, and I've gone through some good things, and I've started thinking, `Oh, wow, I know what that song's saying, I've done that, I've experienced that, that's happened to me,'" he mused in his Southern drawl.

Y'all know it's true! He's seen the best, he's seen the worst, but he wouldn't change what he's been through. He's touched the sky, he's hit the wall, but he did what he had to do, ohhhhhhhhh.

Did you ever wonder what Lindsey Lohan would look like she changed her gender? After seeing Clay's QVC performance above, do you wish you didn't know?

Clay Aiken — "I'm not trying to be Justin Timberlake" [AP]
Clay Aiken-New CD On My Way Here-Live Version [YouTube]

Each of the four acts QVC has featured this year has either jumped onto the album chart or seen spikes in record sales after its appearance. In March, the country-rock group Alabama sold more than 21,000 copies of "Songs of Inspiration II" on QVC, the channel says — or as much as 81% of the figure that landed the album at No. 33 on the chart. After a February performance to promote a special edition of their 2006 album "Let Love In," the Goo Goo Dolls returned to the chart with 15,000 copies sold that week, according to Billboard.

The albums of both Alabama and the Goo Goo Dolls have since dropped off the album chart, making QVC's impact on sales appear somewhat less lasting than some other nontraditional music retailers, such as Starbucks. But QVC's 39-year-old director of entertainment buying, Rich Yoegel, thinks there's a void to fill with the disappearance of music retailers — for example, Tower Records. Last summer, Mr. Yoegel (a fan of groups like Train and Journey) began aggressively approaching labels looking for compatible artists that would offer exclusive bonus material and competitive prices. Since the fall, QVC has broadcasted live appearances by musicians such as Elton John, Barry Manilow, Chaka Khan and Carly Simon. "There is a business for selling plastic" as opposed to music downloads, he says.

Well, yes—although that business may not support the high rents that Tower was paying with all of its stores around the country. One thing that stands out to us, though: the fact that each of these appearances has been accompanied by the albums being hawked selling well says to us that QVC doesn't necessarily have a magic touch for picking acts—instead, the mere exposure offered by being on TV helps (there are precious few outlets where music can get exposure like an hour-long special) and viewers' ability to act on the stimulus of seeing the artist pretty much immediately, without the longer lead time to think over the purchase that a trip to the store (or, even, to iTunes once the episode is over) would allow. The question we have is: How many of these QVC appearances have prompted further delving into a band's back catalog—or even a second listen to the CD that was purchased?

The Music Industry's New Taste-Maker [WSJ]
Earlier: Goo Goo Dolls Just Want QVC Viewers To Know Who They Are

The Goo Goo Dolls are making their QVC debut next Tuesday night to sell a specially packaged bonus material DVD and CD set three weeks before it hits stores.

The shopping network will broadcast a special behind-the-scenes interview and concert with the band live from the music venue Nightclub 9:30 in Washington, D.C.

We're not fans of the Goos' increasingly wan love-rock, but this is a smart move by the band. QVC exposure has been good for artists with large fanbases who may have moved on from actively finding out about new albums—last year, Barry Manilow sold 43,000 copies of The Greatest Sounds Of The Sixties during an hour-long segment on the shopping network. The question, then, is this:If more bands start clamoring for QVC airtime, will a music-only spinoff channel—with blocks hosted by Mark McGrath and Steve Harwell, natch—rise up to give VH1 Classic a run for its hits-of-yesteryear money?

Goo Goo Dolls Make QVC Debut [Showbuzz]