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. Taylor started his music career as a teenager. For over ten years, he performed across the southeastern United States. During this time, he also released two albums on his own.

After winning American Idol, he signed with Arista Records. His first major album, named Taylor Hicks, came out on December 12, 2006. Fans loved his energetic stage shows and his music, which was inspired by classic rock, blues, and R&B. These fans were 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 Las Vegas. He started performing at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012. Later, in January 2013, he moved to a bigger venue, Paris Las Vegas. From 2016 to 2018, Hicks hosted a TV show called State Plate. In 2017, he released a new song, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings."

Early Life and Musical 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. By the time he was 14, his hair started turning gray. His parents divorced, and his stepmother Linda helped raise him. Hicks has said that his childhood led him to find comfort in soul and blues music. He has a younger half-brother, Sean, who later encouraged him to try out for American Idol.

When he was 16, he bought his first harmonica for $2 at a flea market. He taught himself how 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. Hicks wrote his first song, "In Your Time," when he was 18. He also taught himself to play electric guitar and the church organ at 19. While in college, he played in a band that covered songs by Widespread Panic.

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

Music Career Before Idol

Independent Music Releases

While in college, Hicks was part of 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 included both studio and live songs. In 2000, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue music. He worked with experienced musicians like Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge. He recorded a three-song demo but could not find a record label to sign him. He left Nashville after a year because he felt there were too many musicians there.

Hicks returned to Alabama and started his professional music career. He performed at many places and parties, mostly in the southeastern United States. He played with famous artists such as James Brown, Tom Petty, and Snoop Dogg. In 2004, he also performed at the Talladega Superspeedway during a NASCAR race weekend.

In 2005, he recorded and released his second album, Under the Radar. Even though he released two albums before American Idol, he followed the rules for contestants. This was because he had never signed a contract with a record label.

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

American Idol Journey 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 Hicks would never make it to the final round. Later, after Hicks's first performance for the public, Cowell admitted he was wrong.

On May 10, 2006, Hicks, Katharine McPhee, and Elliott Yamin were announced as the top three finalists. On May 12, Idol producers brought Hicks to Birmingham. He had a weekend of special events. These included TV interviews, a parade downtown, and concerts. He also met Governor Bob Riley. May 12 was named "Taylor Hicks Day" in Birmingham, and he received the Key to the City. Governor Riley also declared May 16 "Taylor Hicks Day" for the whole state.

Taylor Hicks was named the new American Idol on May 24, 2006. He won over Katharine McPhee. More than 63.4 million votes were cast in total. His win was shown to 200 million TV viewers worldwide. At 29 years old, Hicks became the oldest contestant 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 Hicks. 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.

Post-Idol Career and Albums

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

In May 2006, Hicks signed a music contract with 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records. This company was managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller. Hicks'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.

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

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

Hicks received a $750,000 deal to write his life story. The book was called Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way. It was written with David Wild, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. The book was released in July 2007 by Random House.

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

First Major Albums and New Music

Recording for his first major album, Taylor Hicks, took place in Calabasas, California. It 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. Hicks then went on a three-month tour across the U.S. 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 that they were no longer working with Hicks. At that time, his album had sold the fewest copies among American Idol winners.

In 2008, Hicks signed a deal with Vanguard/Welk records. They distributed a collection of his earlier songs called Early Works. He also played the Teen Angel role in the national tour of Grease, after performing it on Broadway. Early Works was released on August 12, 2008.

Later Career and Recent Activities

In 2009, Hicks 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 added to radio stations on January 27, 2009. This song reached number 24 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan produced it.

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

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 the fall of 2011. ORE Drink and Dine 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 recover from tornadoes. According to Billboard, the concert raised about $2.2 million for relief efforts.

On April 19, 2012, Hicks 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 Hicks would be on Fox's dating show The Choice.

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

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

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

In January 2017, Hicks recorded "Call Paul." This was 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.

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

Hicks made his debut in the main role of Charlie Anderson in the Serenbe Playhouse production of Shenandoah in March 2019.

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

Discography

Albums

• Taylor Hicks (2006)
• The Distance (2009)

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