Taylor Hicks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Taylor Hicks
Hicks in the American Idol motorcade at Walt Disney World in February 2009
Background information
Birth name	Taylor Reuben Hicks
Born	(1976-10-07) October 7, 1976 (age 48) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Genres	Blue-eyed soul blues rock country pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter restaurateur advocate
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica B3 organ
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Arista 19 (2006–2008) Modern Whomp (2008–present)

Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer. He became famous after winning the fifth season of American Idol in May 2006. Before Idol, Taylor was a professional musician for over ten years. He performed all around the Southeastern United States. During this time, he also released two independent albums. After winning American Idol, he signed with Arista Records. His first major album, named Taylor Hicks, came out on December 12, 2006.

Taylor is known for his energetic stage shows. His music is inspired by classic rock, blues, and R&B. His fans are called the "Soul Patrol." In 2008, Hicks performed on Broadway in the musical Grease. He played the role of Teen Angel. He was the first American Idol winner to have a long-term show in a Las Vegas casino. He started his show at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012. Later, he moved to a bigger venue, Paris Las Vegas, in January 2013. In 2016, Taylor began hosting the TV show State Plate. He released a new song, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings," in 2017.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Taylor Hicks was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 7, 1976. His parents are Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson. When he was eight, his family moved to Hoover. His hair started turning gray when he was 14 years old. His parents separated, and he lived with his father and stepmother, Linda. Taylor has said that he found comfort in soul and blues music during his childhood. He has a younger half-brother, Sean, who later encouraged him to try out for American Idol.

Taylor bought his first harmonica at age 16 for $2 at a flea market. He taught himself to play the blues harp. He found out he had perfect pitch, meaning he could recognize music notes from everyday sounds. He could then play those notes on his harmonica. When he was 18, he wrote his first song, "In Your Time." At 19, he learned to play electric guitar and the church organ. In college, he played in a band that covered songs by Widespread Panic.

He graduated from Hoover High School in 1995. While in high school, he played varsity baseball, soccer, and basketball. He then studied business and journalism at Auburn University.

Music Career Before Idol

Independent Music Journey

While in college, Taylor was in a band called Passing Through. He later left to start his own band. In 1997, he recorded his first album, In Your Time. This album had both studio and live songs. In 2000, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to try to make a career in music. He worked with experienced musicians like Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge. They made a three-song demo, but he could not find a record label to sign him. He left Nashville after a year because he felt there were too many musicians trying to make it there.

Taylor returned to Alabama and started his professional music career. He performed at many places and parties, mostly in the Southeastern United States. This included The War Eagle Supper Club, a popular college bar in Auburn, Alabama. Taylor has performed with famous artists like James Brown, Tom Petty, and Snoop Dogg. In 2004, he also played at the Talladega Superspeedway during a NASCAR race weekend.

He recorded and released his second album, Under the Radar, in 2005. Even though he released two albums before American Idol, he was allowed to be a contestant. This is because he had never signed a contract with a record label.

Taylor let his fans record his concerts for their own use. He also allowed the Internet Archive to create a place for fans to share their recordings. However, the Archive stopped accepting new concert recordings after January 1, 2006. This was due to the rules of his American Idol contract.

American Idol Experience in 2006

Taylor Hicks tried out for American Idol in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 10, 2005. Judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul approved him. However, Simon Cowell said Taylor would never make it to the final round. Later, on Taylor's first performance for the public, Simon admitted he was wrong.

On May 10, 2006, Taylor, along with Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin, were announced as the top 3 finalists. On May 12, Idol producers brought Taylor to Birmingham for special events. These included TV interviews, a parade, concerts, and meeting Governor Bob Riley. May 12 was called "Taylor Hicks Day" in Birmingham, and he received the Key to the City. Governor Riley also made May 16 "Taylor Hicks Day" for the whole state.

Taylor Hicks was named the new American Idol on May 24, 2006. He won against Katharine McPhee. Over 63.4 million votes were cast in total. His win was shown to 200 million TV viewers around the world. At 29 years old, Taylor became the oldest person to win American Idol. He was also the first male winner who was never in the bottom two or three contestants.

In June 2006, Ford Motor Company, a main sponsor of the show, hired Taylor. He helped promote Ford's "Drive on Us" sales event. People magazine also named him Hottest Bachelor for 2006. He appeared on the magazine's cover.

Career After American Idol

Hicks played harmonica and guitar on every date of the American Idols LIVE! Tour.

In May 2006, Taylor Hicks signed a record deal with 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records. This deal was managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller. Taylor's first song, "Do I Make You Proud", went straight to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It later earned a gold record from the RIAA.

Taylor joined the other Top 10 Idol finalists for the American Idols LIVE! Tour. The tour lasted from July to September. Taylor's old band, the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, sometimes played shows near the Idol tour. Taylor would sometimes join them as a special guest. Other Idols like Elliott Yamin and Chris Daughtry also joined in sometimes.

In August 2006, Taylor's lawyers took legal action against a producer he worked with in Nashville. The producer was sharing songs Taylor had copyrighted in 1997 without permission. The issue was resolved when the original song recordings were given back to Taylor.

Taylor received a deal to write his life story. The book, called Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way, was released in July 2007. It was written with David Wild, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine.

On June 6, 2008, Taylor joined the cast of the Broadway musical Grease. He played the role of "Teen Angel." After his 18-month tour with Grease ended, Taylor performed in over 20 live shows.

Albums and New Music

Studio recordings for Taylor's first major album, Taylor Hicks, took place in Calabasas, California. The recording sessions lasted six weeks, from October to November 2006. The album was released on December 12, 2006. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 charts. On January 17, 2007, it was certified as a platinum album by the RIAA. Taylor went on a three-month tour across the US to promote his album. The tour started on February 21 in Jacksonville, Florida, and ended on May 12 in Seattle, Washington.

In January 2008, Arista Records announced they were no longer working with Taylor. At that time, his album had sold the fewest copies compared to other American Idol winners.

In 2008, Taylor signed a deal with Vanguard/Welk records. This deal was to release a collection of his earlier songs called Early Works. This album was released on August 12, 2008. He also continued to play the Teen Angel role in the national tour of Grease.

In 2009, Taylor released his second album, The Distance. He released it on his own record label, Modern Whomp Records, on March 10, 2009. The first song from the album, "What's Right Is Right", was released on January 27, 2009. This song reached number 24 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

In May 2009, Forbes magazine listed Taylor Hicks among the "Top Ten earning American Idol stars." He was number 10, earning over $300,000 from album sales and his role in Grease.

In May 2011, Taylor Hicks opened a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, called ORE Drink and Dine. Readers of Birmingham Magazine voted ORE as the city's "Best New Restaurant" in late 2011. The restaurant later reopened as Saw's Juke Joint, a barbecue and live music bar, on October 30, 2012.

On June 14, 2011, Taylor Hicks performed at Bama Rising. This was a benefit concert to help Alabama after tornadoes. According to Billboard, the concert raised about $2.2 million for tornado relief.

On April 19, 2012, Taylor appeared on American Idol. He announced he would start a one-year show in Las Vegas at Bally's on June 26. This show was later extended until December 2013. Entertainment Weekly magazine also shared that Taylor would be on Fox's dating show The Choice.

On August 30, 2012, Taylor Hicks performed at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

Taylor was the first male Idol to be part of a Grammy-winning album. He sang "Friday" on Jimmy Fallon's album Blow Your Pants Off. This album won for Best Comedy Album in 2013.

In July 2013, Taylor Hicks went to the Evolution 2013 fighting game tournament. He competed in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Taylor finished tied for 257th place out of 709 players.

In January 2017, Taylor recorded "Call Paul." This song is the theme song for ESPN's Paul Finebaum show.

In September 2017, Taylor Hicks released his song, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings." This was his first new music in eight years.

Taylor hosted State Plate on the INSP channel for three seasons, from 2016 to 2018. On the show, he explored famous dishes and ingredients from each state in the United States.

In March 2019, Taylor took on the main role of Charlie Anderson in the Serenbe Playhouse musical Shenandoah.

Taylor released a new song, "Porch Swing," on February 20, 2023. He made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on June 16, 2023.

Discography

Albums

• 2006: Taylor Hicks
• 2009: The Distance

See also

In Spanish: Taylor Hicks para niños

• List of Billboard number-one singles
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
• List of Idols winners