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Why Clay Aiken Says He'll Need to Be 'Sedated' Amid 16-Year-Old Son's Career Plans
Clay Aiken's 16-year-old son, Parker, is getting closer and closer to realizing his dream of becoming a pilot, and that has the American Idol finalist feeling, quite literally, queasy.
Speaking to People ahead of the re-release of his debut single, "Measure of a Man," Aiken explains he's not all that ecstatic about Parker, as part of his pilot training, getting on a plane and flying solo across the state.
Aiken, who shares Parker with his longtime friend, Jaymes Foster (the sister of famed producer and composer David Foster), says it was one thing to see his 16-year-old son hop on a plane solo taking laps around the airport.
'He just went and did his first solo flight two weeks ago, so a big milestone there,' he tells People. 'Now we're planning on the next one, which I'll need even more Xanax for.'
And the next one involves Parker flying solo across the state, which is proving to be too much for Aiken to handle.
'I'm not going to be able to see the plane,' Aiken says. 'You're gonna have to sedate me. Just call an anesthesiologist because I don't have the nerves for that.'
Parker is apparently a very driven young man. Aiken, a 2003 runner-up to Ruben Studdard on season 2 of American Idol, shares that his son has always known he wanted to be a pilot.
'He's known what he wants to do for, gosh, his whole life,' Aiken says. 'It was a little weird to me because I didn't know what I wanted to do — I still don't.'
Good luck, Parker!
Why Clay Aiken Says He'll Need to Be 'Sedated' Amid 16-Year-Old Son's Career Plans first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
