Clay Aiken Reveals 16-Year-Old Son Parker Is Training to Be a Pilot (Exclusive)

Though his family consists of many musicians, Clay Aiken’s son Parker is not looking to follow in his footsteps. 

Parker, whom Aiken shares with his longtime friend Jaymes Foster, the sister of producer and composer David Foster, has much higher aspirations — altitude-wise, at least. 

Exclusively speaking with PEOPLE, Aiken reveals for the first time that Parker, 16, is training to become a pilot. 

“He’s known what he wants to do for, gosh, his whole life,” the American Idol finalist tells PEOPLE. “It was a little weird to me because I didn’t know what I wanted to do — I still don’t.”

Aiken adds that Parker has “never changed his mind” on his future career path and has taken some impressive steps toward officially becoming a licensed pilot. 

“He just went and did his first solo flight two weeks ago, so a big milestone there,” the proud dad shares. “Now we’re planning on the next one, which I’ll need even more Xanax for.” 

The “Invisible” singer notes that while his son’s first solo flight involved him taking laps around the airport, the next one will involve him flying across the state solo. 

“I’m not going to be able to see the plane,” Aiken explains. “You’re gonna have to sedate me. Just call an anesthesiologist because I don’t have the nerves for that.”

While Parker’s mom, Jaymes, has flown with their son, Aiken has yet to join him on a ride. 

“His instructors all have said he’s better than the adults that they’ve taught, but like I said, he’s been focused on it for years, and that’s what he wants to do,” Aiken says. “I’m not worried about his skill level. I’m worried about the plane. I told him, ‘When you are flying in a big plane, we can talk, but I don’t do those JFK Jr. planes.’“

The musician adds that news of recent aviation disasters hasn’t helped his anxiety regarding his son’s passion. 

“My blood pressure broke the cuff because that was in the news around this time,” Aiken says. “He knows what he’s doing. His idol is [pilot] Sully Sullenberger, and he wants to be as good as him. And that’s what he puts his energy into, and I think he is.”

Aiken and Foster kept Parker’s childhood private after initially sharing his first photo on the cover of PEOPLE in 2008. But since he turned 16, they have opted to share more of him publicly, including an appearance on Family Feud in 2024. 

“He got to the age where his mom and I realized, you know what, 16 seems about the age, the milestone birthday where if he wants to do Family Feud, then we’ll let him do it,” Aiken explains, noting that Parker doesn’t have a problem with being more public and even urged his dad to share more about his passion for becoming a pilot. 

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As Father’s Day approaches, Aiken is preparing to re-release his debut single 22 years later, adding a special twist. “Measure of a Man (Father’s Day Version)” takes the track, tweaking the lyrics to be from the perspective of a dad, specifically a dad to a teenager.

“If I get more than a grunt some days, we’re in good shape,” Aiken quips. “I force him to come in my room in the morning before he goes to school now because I don’t get to drive him in anymore. He drives himself. I force him, he has to come in my room and talk to me before he goes to school because otherwise he probably wouldn’t talk to me all day.”

He adds, “I think, especially, a lot of fathers and sons have that in this period of development and I realized that I could kind of tweak the lyrics of the song and talk about how sometimes it’s kind of difficult to put into words your emotions and how sometimes I may not be able to say it, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

“Measure of a Man (Father’s Day Version)” is available on Friday, June 13.