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The following biography
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Wikipedia.org
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Free Encyclopedia.”
Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976)
is an American soul singer, songwriter, and musician. Hicks was an
independent artist for the span of a decade before rising to prominence
as the winner of the fifth season of American Idol, becoming the first
white male to do so. Upon winning American Idol, he was immediately
signed to Arista Records, under which his major-label debut, called
Taylor Hicks, was released on December 12, 2006. His energetic stage
performances and influences derived from classic soul, blues, and R&B
music have earned him a following of devout fans, who have dubbed
themselves the "Soul Patrol".
****
Background information
Birth name Taylor Reuben Hicks
Born October 7, 1976 (age 30)
Origin Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Genre(s) Blue-eyed soul
Blues
Blues rock
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, musician,
record producer
Instrument(s) Guitar, harmonica
Years active 1997–present
Label(s) Arista Records (2006-present)
Independent (1997-2005)
Associated
acts Little Memphis Blues Orchestra
Website www.taylorhicks.com
****
Early lifeTaylor Hicks was born at Saint
Vincent's Hospital at 3:30am Central Daylight Time in Birmingham,
Alabama on October 7, 1976, to Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson Hicks.
As an infant, he had blond hair. His hair color turned dark brown/black
as an adolescent and started turning gray by the time he was 13. He and
his family moved to suburban Hoover when he was eight years old. His
parents divorced when he was eight, and his father Brad, a dentist, and
stepmother Linda shared custody until he became of age. Hicks attributed
his difficult childhood as the reason for him to find solace in soul and
blues music.[1] He has a younger half-brother, Sean, who would later
convince him to audition for American Idol.[2]
When he was five years old, he would sing
to random strangers the music of Kenny Rogers or Michael Jackson.[3] He
bought his first harmonica when he was 16, for $2 at a flea market in
Bessemer, Alabama,[1] and taught himself to play blues harp. He
discovered that he possessed absolute pitch when he realized that he was
able to recognize the pitches of ordinary noises and mimic them on the
harmonica.[4] He wrote his first song, "In Your Time", at the age of 18,
and later taught himself to play guitar when he was 19.[5]
Hicks was a former student of Berry High
School and graduated from its successor Hoover High School in 1995. He
played varsity baseball, soccer, and basketball while studying in
Hoover; and even for a while considered a career in professional
basketball.[6] He then majored in business and journalism at Auburn
University, but lost interest and dropped out after three years, despite
being only 40 hours short of earning his degree.[6]
Career
Early career
While in college, Hicks was part of a band
called Passing Through, which he later quit to start his own band.[7] He
recorded In Your Time independently in 1997 at age 21, and he moved to
Nashville, Tennessee in 2000 to pursue a music career. There, he worked
with Nashville veterans Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge[8] and
recorded 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".[9] Hicks returned to Alabama and
launched a professional music career with performances at various venues
and parties mostly around the Southeastern United States, including The
War Eagle Supper Club (a popular college bar) in Auburn, Alabama.[10]
Hicks has performed with James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne,
Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph, and contemporary blues legend Keb
Mo.[11] He also performed in the huge infield of Talladega Superspeedway
in 2004 during a NASCAR race weekend. After Hicks won Idol, driver David
Stremme said that he hoped Hicks would come back for the October race
weekend there.[12]
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.[13]
Hicks has allowed audience members to
record his concerts for personal, non-commercial use, and went so far as
to authorize the Internet Archive to create a section for fans to upload
and share their recordings, but it was unclear whether his American Idol
contract would allow this to continue, so the Archive will not accept
the upload of concerts recorded after January 1, 2006.[14]
American Idol
Hicks auditioned for American Idol in Las
Vegas, Nevada in September 2005. He had originally wanted to try out in
Memphis, Tennessee, but auditions in that city were canceled to
accommodate relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. On the
night before Hurricane Katrina hit, he had been in New Orleans,
Louisiana to attend the wedding of a good friend he met while at Auburn
University. His Southwest Airlines flight out of New Orleans had been
canceled, and he had been offered a travel voucher to use at a later
date. He used the ticket voucher to fly to Las Vegas.[15] Hicks passed
the audition by 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.[16][17] May 12 was proclaimed "Taylor Hicks Day" and
Hicks was given the key to the city.[18] Also on May 12, Gov. Riley
issued a proclamation making May 16 "Taylor Hicks Day".[19]
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. With his win, Hicks (at 29) became the oldest person to
win American Idol. He is the fifth Southerner to win American Idol, the
second winner from Birmingham, Alabama after season 2 winner Ruben
Studdard, as well as the fourth finalist with Birmingham ties.[20] He is
the third winner to have never landed in the bottom two or three, after
Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
In June 2006, Ford Motor Company, the
show's major sponsor, signed Hicks to promote Ford's "Drive on Us"
year-end sales event.[21] He was also named Hottest Bachelor by People
magazine for 2006, appearing on the magazine's cover.[22]
Life after Idol
Hicks signed a recording contract with
Arista Records in conjunction with 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label
managed by AI creator Simon Fuller, in May 2006.[23] 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.[24]
Hicks made guest appearances in concerts by
Snoop Dogg, Widespread Panic, and Willie Nelson, among others.[25] Hicks
also 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 even accompanied at times by the other Idols, such as Elliott
Yamin, Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, and Bucky Covington.[26]
In August, it was announced that Hicks
received a $750,000 (USD) deal to write a memoir of his life, which is
expected to be released in spring 2007 by Random House.[27] The book
will be ghostwritten by Rolling Stone writer David Wild. In the same
month, Hicks's lawyers sued a producer with whom he worked in Nashville,
for redistributing songs, which were copyrighted in 1997, without
permission. The charges were dropped when the masters were handed over
to Hicks.[28]
2006-2007: Taylor Hicks
Studio recording sessions for the eponymous
major label debut Taylor Hicks ran in Calabasas, California between
October and November 2006, and took six weeks in total.[29] The album
was released on December 12, 2006 and debuted at the number two spot on
the Billboard 200 charts.[30]
On February 17, 2007, Hicks is scheduled to
appear at the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans on as as the newest
"King of Endymion", to head the Krewe of Endymion, the largest Mardi
Gras parade.[31] Hicks is then to embark on a US promotional tour for
his album, set to open on February 21 in Jacksonville, Florida.[32]
Hicks, like most contemporary and modern
musicians, uses the internet as an option for marketing and promotion.
In late October 2006, Rehearsals.com started launching weekly videos
from Hicks's rehearsals dated October 4. In November, fan blog Gray
Charles signed a contract with Hicks and his management team, making
Gray Charles the Official Taylor Hicks Weblog. Hicks posted weekly audio
podcasts and offered pre-Idol live tracks on Gray Charles.[33] In
December, Hicks became the first artist to be featured on the Artist
Voices program on the online video network GoFish. This two-month series
will feature ten weekly installments that offer Hicks's fans an
opportunity to interact directly with him through the GoFish
user-generated video platform. The series will also feature footage of
Hicks as he promotes his new album.[34]
Soul Patrol
Fans of Hicks and his fanbase have been
dubbed the "Soul Patrol." The phrase started among his Internet fan base
after the episode of Hicks's Idol audition aired, but it is difficult to
trace its exact origin. Hicks frequently mentioned the Soul Patrol after
performances on Idol, which was best shown after winning the
competition—Ryan Seacrest asked if he had any parting words and Hicks
yelled, "Soul Patrol!"[35]
During a promotional event for Idol in
Alabama, Hicks "inducted" Governor Bob Riley and his wife into the Soul
Patrol.[36] Hicks also has two goldfish, named Lamont and Ray, around
whom fans have created and maintain a blog.[37]
Hicks also became the interest of Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, who was born and raised in Birmingham,
Alabama. The Secretary of State, according to a Time Magazine report,
"took time out from diplomacy to join the millions of Americans awaiting
the results of the singing competition." The report also notes that a
State Department official "tells Time Magazine that Rice is an unabashed
fan of the show and plans to send Hicks her congratulations."[38] Hicks
has also won the respect of President George W. Bush.[39]
An article in the New York Times
characterized the Soul Patrol as a zealous fanatical group that
nitpicked Hicks's appearance, actions, and habits on online message
boards and blogs. Hicks's response, included in the same article, was,
"I would rather have them overly invested than not invested at all. I’m
very receptive to any input they have."[40] |||
Popular culture
Hicks became the subject of two Weekend
Update skits on NBC's Saturday Night Live on April 15 and May 20, 2006,
portrayed by cast member Jason Sudeikis. In an allusion to Hicks'
quirkiness and disposition, Sudeikis mocked playing Hicks' trademark
blues harp and repeatedly shouted out "Soul Patrol!".[41] Hicks, when
interviewed by Ryan Seacrest on the subsequent episode of American Idol
on April 18, 2006, as to whether or not he saw the imitation, admitted
that he had and that the impression made him "fall out on the floor"
with laughter.[42]
"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied Hicks on his
2006 album, Straight Outta Lynwood, on a track called "Do I Creep You
Out?", which is set against the melody of "Do I Make You Proud".
Yankovic impersonated Hicks on a music video for the song, which can be
seen on JibJab.[43]
Discography
See also: Taylor Hicks discography
Albums
Cover Information
In Your Time
Released: 1997
U.S. sales: 1,500[44]
Under the Radar
Released: 2005
U.S. sales: 17,000[45]
Taylor Hicks
Released: December 12, 2006
Chart positions: #2 US, #43 CAN, #5 World
U.S. certification:
U.S. sales: 539,619 (SoundScan as of
1-3-07)
Singles
Year Single Album
2006 "Do I Make You Proud" Taylor Hicks
2007 "Just to Feel That Way"
See also
List of number-one hits (United States)
List of artists who reached number one on
the Hot 100 (U.S.)
List of Hot 100 (U.S.) chart achievements
and trivia
References
-
^ a b Taylor Hicks Bio
archived. Retrieved November 23, 2006
-
^ American Idol - Season
5, episode 32. Aired live on FOX, May 23, 2006.
-
^ 'Idol' Standout Hicks
Likes Music With Soul for the AP by Desiree Hunter on May 10, 2006.
Retrieved May 25, 2006.
-
^ Unlikely ‘idol’ content
with his prospects by Gary Graff for the New York Times Syndicate on
August 11, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2006.
-
^ Alabama Idol for the
Mobile Register by Mike Brantley on February 21, 2006. Retrieved May
26, 2006.
-
^ a b Local American Idol
contestant still keeping up with his passion for statewide sports by
Paul Finebaum for The Alexander City Outlook on April 10, 2006.
Retrieved December 3, 2006.
-
^ Overnight Star? Well,
It's Been a Long Night by Melba Newsome for the New York Times,
December 10, 2006. Retrieved online December 11, 2006
-
^ Promotional flier scan
from Taylorhicks.com
-
^ Taylor-Made Trivia
(archived) by Mary Colurso for The Birmingham News, March 28, 2006.
Retrieved December 6, 2006.
-
^ Fans of Taylor Hicks
hope Birmingham native grabs 'Idol' title, The Montgomery
Advertiser, March 7, 2006, accessed June 30, 2006
-
^ Tapestry interview
-
^ Idol Winner Has NASCAR
Ties
-
^ Bio at Official Taylor
Hicks site. Retrieved December 22, 2006.
-
^ Taylor Hicks collection
at the Internet Archive's live music archive
-
^ Katherine, Taylor speak
up for USA Today by Ann Oldenburg, 5/19/2006. Retrieved May 24, 2006
-
^ Taylor Hicks' 'Soul
Patrol' goes global Mike Brantley, Mobile, Alabama Press-Register,
May 23, 2006, retrieved May 25, 2006.
-
^ American Idol and
Taylor Hicks come to Hoover! City of Hoover, Alabama press release.
-
^ Proclamation from the
Mayor of Hoover, Alabama
-
^ State of Alabama
proclamation
-
^ Season 4 runner-up Bo
Bice was born in Huntsville, Alabama and lived in Helena, a suburb
of Birmingham. Season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo was born in
Birmingham, and her family moved to Georgia when she was three.
-
^ Ford signs American
Idol winner Taylor Hicks to star in national advertising
-
^ 'American Idol' Winner
Taylor Hicks Is The Most Eligible Bachelor for Star Pulse from the
World Entertainment News Network on June 15, 2006. Retrieved July
22, 2006.
-
^ 2006 American Idol
Taylor Hicks Signs With 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records! Press
release from J Records/Arista on PRNewswire.com, May 31, 2006
-
^ Deep in the bowels of J
Records, Gray Charles: A Taylor Hicks Weblog, September 29, 2006.
Retrieved December 21, 2006.
-
^ "Overnight Star?," The
New York Times
-
^ Taylor Comes Home by
Mary Colurso, The Birmingham News, August 6, 2006. Retrieved
December 22, 2006.
-
^ Taylor Hicks Prepares
Memoir, Billboard by Stephen M. Silverman for People on August 4,
2006.
-
^ Harris, Chris. "Taylor
Hicks Files Suit To Halt Digital Release Of Early Recordings",
Country Music Television, 2006-08-26. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
-
^ Interview on the Paul
and Young Ron Show, 21 November 2006
-
^ Taylor Hicks Unveils
2007 Tour Plans by Jonathan Cohen, Billboard, December 27, 2006.
Retrieved December 28, 2006.
-
^ American Idol Taylor
Hicks Appointed Grand Marshal of 2007 Carnival Season by Mariel
Concepción, Vibe Magazine, December 21, 2006. Retrieved December 22,
2006.
-
^ Taylor Hicks Rolls out
Album, Tour Dates by Kim Kilgore, Live Daily, December 12, 2006.
Retrieved December 22, 2006.
-
^ About, Gray Charles:
The Taylor Hicks Weblog. Retrieved December 22, 2006.
-
^ Taylor Hicks Headlines
GoFish Artist Voices (press release) December 14, 2006. Retrieved
December 22, 2006.
-
^ American Idol
performance episode May 23rd, 2006 and results show on May 24th,
2006. Fremantle Media, 19 Television, and Fox Television Network.
(examples of "Soul Patrol!" statement)
-
^ 'American Idol' star
Taylor Hicks dazzles fans on visit home, adds Gov. Riley to Soul
Patrol for the Mobile Register by Mike Brantley on May 13, 2006.
Retrieved May 25, 2006.
-
^ Lamont and Ray homepage
"Finfans and Guppies". Retrieved May 25th, 2006.
-
^ Taylor Hicks' Biggest
Fan? by Elaine Shannon for TIME.com, 25 May 2006. Retrieved on May
26, 2006.
-
^ 'American Idols' to
visit White House, Bush by Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press.
July 21st 2006. Accessed on July 22nd, 2006.
-
^ "Overnight Star?", New
York Times.
-
^ Impressions by Jason
Sudeikis, SNL Archives. Retrieved December 22, 2006.
-
^ American Idol - Season
5, episode 30. Aired live on FOX, April 18, 2006.
-
^ Video Parody of
American Idol Winner, press release, November 16, 2006. Retrieved
December 22, 2006.
-
^ Hicks plans to stick to
his own style by Edna Gundersen for USA Today, December 10, 2006.
Retrieved online December 11, 2006.
-
^ "You Don't Know Me, But
I'm Your Brother" by Jon Caramanica, Vibe Magazine, November 2006.
[1]
****
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