American Idol

    Taylor Hicks- (Do I Make You Proud) 

        

 

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American Idol Winner:Year 2006
Season 5 - Taylor Hicks
Born: October 7, 1976
Place: Birmingham, Alabama

Best Known As: The "Soul Patrol" winner of American Idol 2006
Singer Taylor Hicks won the 2006 edition of the TV talent show American Idol. Hicks went to high school and college in Birmingham, Alabama before trying to make a go of it in the music business, and released two albums on his own before being tapped for the popular television contest. His prematurely gray hair and enthusiastic dancing helped set him apart from the other contestants, and week after week he applied his barroom tenor to songs by Elvis, The Beatles and Stevie Wonder, while claiming an affinity with Ray Charles and Otis Redding. With the support of fans calling themselves the "Soul Patrol," Hicks won the final competition over the slick pop of L.A.'s Katharine McPhee. With his raspy, soulful voice and salt-and-pepper hair, Taylor Hicks was one of the unlikeliest contestants to make it to the final round of American Idol, but his quirky charm and rousing delivery of songs like "Takin' It to the Streets" won Hicks a devoted legion of fans called the Soul Patrol and the title of the fifth-season American Idol. Though Hicks had no formal musical training, he picked up singing, guitar, and harmonica on his own. He began performing for his family at an early age and won a talent contest at his high school.

   

While studying business, communication, and marketing at Auburn University, Hicks formed the Passing Through band, and left school early to try his luck in Nashville.He later quit the the "passing through" to start his own band. He recorded In Your Time, an album which included both studio and live tracks, independently in 1997. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2000 to pursue a music career. There, he worked with Nashville veterans Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge 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". 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.[10] Hicks has performed with the likes of James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph, and Keb Mo. 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.

 

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 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.

American Idol

Hicks auditioned for American Idol in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 10, 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. 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' 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".

JUST FOR FUN VIDEO! NO OFFENSE (BE WARNED)

                      

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 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.He is the third winner to have never landed in the bottom two or three, after Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

 

       

Life after Idol

Hicks signed a recording contract with Arista Records, managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller, in May 2006. Hicks' 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 made guest appearances in concerts by Snoop Dogg, Widespread Panic, and Willie Nelson, among others. 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.

Taylor Hicks and Snoop                                                      

 

HAIR STYLE

Taylor Hicks has a signature hair style that belongs to him. In American Idol, they always asked Taylor if he would color his hair to be more "In-Style" His response was, let's just wait and see if I do that.Obviously he didn't color his hair. He is very comfortable with the look as he should be.This type of hair style features shorter layers on the sides and back and longer, layered hair in the crown area. To create this style on your own, apply a styling cream or gel throughout the hair and blow dry, using your fingers to shape and position the hair.