Taylor Hicks

Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer who won the fifth season of ''American Idol'' in May 2006. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent albums. Upon winning ''Idol'', he was signed to Arista Records, under which his self-titled major label debut was released on December 12, 2006.

His energetic stage performances and influences derived from classic rock, blues, and R&B music had earned him a following of devout fans dubbed the "Soul Patrol". Hicks performed on Broadway in 2008 and on national tour in 2009 in '' Grease'' playing Teen Angel, the role originated by Alan Paul. He is the first Idol winner to secure a long-term residency at a Las Vegas casino. He began his residency at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012 and moved to a larger venue, Paris Las Vegas, in January 2013. In 2016, Hicks began hosting the INSP original series ''State Plate'', and released a new single, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings", in 2017.

Early life

Taylor Hicks was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 7, 1976, to Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson. He and his family moved to the suburb of Hoover when he was eight years old. His hair started turning gray by the time he was 14. His parents divorced, and stepmother Linda shared custody of their son until he came of age. Hicks has suggested his difficult childhood as the reason for his turning to soul and blues music for solace. He has a younger half-brother, Sean, who later convinced him to audition for ''American Idol''.

He bought his first harmonica when he was 16, for $2 at a flea market in Bessemer, Alabama, and taught himself to play blues harp. He discovered that he possessed perfect pitch when he was able to recognize the pitches of ordinary noises and mimic them on the harmonica. Hicks was 18 when he wrote his first song, "In Your Time", and he taught himself to play electric guitar and the church organ when he was 19. When he was in college, he played in a Widespread Panic cover band.

Hicks graduated from Hoover High School in 1995. He played varsity baseball, soccer, and basketball while studying in Hoover. He then pursued a major in business and journalism at Auburn University.

Career

Independent music

While in college, Hicks was part of a band called Passing Through, which he later quit to start his own band. In 1997, he independently recorded ''In Your Time'', an album which included both studio and live tracks. In 2000, he moved to pursue a music career in Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked with Nashville veterans Billy Earl McClelland and Percy SledgeTaylor Hicks Bio to record a three-track demo but was unable to find a label that would sign him. He left Nashville after a year due to what he called the "oversaturation of the market". Hicks returned to Alabama and launched a professional music career, performing at various venues and parties mostly around the Southeastern United States, including The War Eagle Supper Club (a popular college bar) in Auburn, Alabama. Hicks has performed with the likes of Widespread Panic, James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph, Snoop Dogg and Keb Mo. He also performed in the huge infield of Talladega Superspeedway in 2004 during a NASCAR race weekend.

He recorded, produced, and released a second album, ''Under the Radar'', in 2005. Despite releasing two albums prior to appearing on ''American Idol'', he did not violate their requirements for contestants, as he had never held a recording contract.

Hicks has allowed audience members to record his concerts for personal, non-commercial use, and has authorized the Internet Archive to create a section for fans to upload and share their recordings. The Archive does not accept the upload of concerts recorded after January 1, 2006, due to the terms of his ''American Idol'' contract.

''American Idol'' 2006

Hicks auditioned for ''American Idol'' in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 10, 2005. Hicks passed the audition with the approval of judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but not Simon Cowell, who said that Hicks would never make it to the final round. On Hicks's first performance for the voting public, Cowell called back to this quote, admitting he was wrong.

On the May 10, 2006, results show, Hicks along with Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin, were announced as the top 3 finalists. On May 12, Idol producers brought Hicks to Birmingham for a weekend of promotional events including television interviews for the local Fox affiliate, a downtown parade, concerts, and an audience with Governor Bob Riley. May 12 was proclaimed "Taylor Hicks Day" and Hicks was given the Key to the City. Also on May 12, Gov. Riley issued a proclamation making May 16 "Taylor Hicks Day".

Hicks was named the new American Idol on May 24, 2006, winning the title over McPhee, with over 63.4 million votes cast in total. The proclamation was aired to a worldwide audience of 200 million television viewers. With his win at age 29, Hicks became the oldest contestant to win ''American Idol''. He was also the first male contestant to win the competition without ever being in the bottom two or three.

In June 2006, Ford Motor Company, the show's major sponsor, signed Hicks to promote Ford's "Drive on Us" year-end sales event. He was also named Hottest Bachelor by ''People'' for 2006, appearing on the magazine's cover.

Post-''Idol'' career

Hicks signed a recording contract with 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records, managed by ''American Idol'' creator Simon Fuller, in May 2006. Hicks's debut single "Do I Make You Proud" debuted on the number one spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was subsequently certified gold by the RIAA.

Hicks joined his fellow Top 10 ''Idol'' finalists on the American Idols LIVE! Tour which ran from July to September. The members of the former Taylor Hicks Band, formed by Hicks two years prior, regrouped as the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra and shadowed the Idols' tour route. Hicks occasionally appeared as a "special guest" when circumstances permitted, and was accompanied at times by the other Idols, such as Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, and Bucky Covington.

In August 2006, Hicks's lawyers sued a producer with whom he worked in Nashville, for redistributing without permission songs that Hicks had copyrighted in 1997. The lawsuit was dropped when the masters were handed over to Hicks.

Hicks received a US$750,000 deal to write his memoir. Titled ''Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way'' and ghostwritten by ''Rolling Stone'' writer David Wild, the book was released in July 2007 by Random House.

On June 6, 2008, Hicks joined the cast of the Broadway musical ''Grease'' in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. He played the role of "Teen Angel". Once his 18-month tour in the traveling Broadway show 'Grease' ended, Hicks performed in over 20 live shows.

2006–2008: ''Taylor Hicks'' and ''Early Works''

Studio recording sessions for the eponymous major label debut '' Taylor Hicks'' ran in Calabasas, California

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