Clay Aiken Sends Emotional Message to His Teenage Son by Rewriting Old Song (EXCLUSIVE)

Clay Aiken has always had a gift for conveying emotions through music, whether singing in front of millions on the second season of “American Idol” or performing to packed theaters across the U.S. two decades later.

So, when the 46-year-old crooner found himself growing emotional watching his teenage son, Parker, starting to spread his wings, Aiken decided to capture how he felt — and what he wanted to say to Parker — by rewriting a song he’d recorded 22 years earlier, “Measure of a Man.”

“My son is at an age where he wants a lot of independence,” Aiken told EntertainmentNow before releasing a Father’s Day version of the song on June 13, 2025. “You know, you miss that childhood where they always want you around. I guess I’m waxing a little bit nostalgic … for the little boy that is now a young man and is doing wonderfully on his own. He just doesn’t need me as much anymore. And I’m a little sentimental over it, I think.”

Clay Aiken Admits ‘Emotions Don’t Flow as Easily’ Between Dads & Their Teens

When Aiken released his first album in 2003, including the original version of “Measure of a Man,” he had just skyrocketed to fame on “American Idol” during the most-watched finale in the show’s history. Nearly 40 million viewers tuned in live as Ruben Studdard won season two and Aiken took second place.

Aiken didn’t write the original version of “Measure of a Man,” but told EntertainmentNow that the “ambiguity” of what kind of relationship it was about made the song perfect to tweak when he got inspired to put his feelings about fatherhood to music.

“It’s hard to tell an almost-17-year-old young man how you feel,” Aiken acknowledged. “You know, emotions don’t flow as easily between (dads) and teenagers, so being able to modify the lyrics a little bit gave me an opportunity to convey emotion in ways that I think are easier sometimes than spoken word can be.”

“Coming up with something metaphorical was sort of fun for me,” Aiken continued, mentioning his new lyrics about giving him a shoulder to ride on or cry on.

“When he was (little), obviously, I always threw him over my shoulders,” Aiken said. “Now I would love to think that he would cry on them. I do think that for many dads, that’s what they can offer. You know, that sort of support network, that wisdom, that playfulness.”

Clay Aiken Jokes He May Have to Make His Teenager Listen to Father’s Day Song

Aiken’s soaring, heartfelt ballad is sure to bring tears to plenty of parents’ eyes, but he doubts it will pull at Parker’s heartstrings right now. In fact, Aiken laughed while admitting that he’s not even sure his son will hear the song.

“I’m sure I can make him listen to it, he does still need money,” Aiken joked. “I don’t think he’ll naturally gravitate towards it. When we get in the car, we have to negotiate what we’ll listen to. His stuff, I have no interest in, and we have to find middle ground somehow.”

Aiken, who shares Parker with his dear friend Jaymes Foster, said he won’t be with Parker on Father’s Day. The teen, “who’s big into F1 now,” will be in Canada with Foster’s side of the family for the Montreal Grand Prix.

“I’m sure I will, at some point, cleverly remind him it’s Father’s Day, or his mom will,” Aiken laughed.

Meanwhile, as Parker continues to exercise his independence — including already training to be a pilot, he recently told People — Aiken plans to spread his own wings as an independent artist, with “Measure of a Man (Father’s Day Version) as the kickoff.

Aiken told EntertainmentNow, “Coming back to music is an opportunity for me to say something, to do something that I love to do, to sing about things that are important to me, to do them on my terms this time, and not on the terms of a record label. So in the coming months, and I think, the end of this year and beginning of next year, I’ll be doing things that are far more original.”

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