Sunday, March 8, 2009

Taylor Hicks ~ The Distance...Birmingham to Beijing


“We can rise up toward each other
We can build a bridge brother to brother
Take the steps we need to take
To get us to a better place
Where the distance between us fades away
They’ll be no distance between us one of these days
One of these days.”
~The Distance

A Sunday morning is time to catch up on reading about what’s happening with Taylor Hicks. His "Grease" tour was heading up the West Coast with the first stop in San Diego. The Southern California crowds showed up and loved Taylor’s Teen Angel just as the Southwest people had in Tucson last week.

Thursday night, an eclectic crowd came out to Belly Up Tavern in Solano Beach for Taylor live in concert with a new setlist that included “My Sweet Lord” and music from his new album. It was Taylor’s loud and clear callout of “Welcome to whomp on the West Coast.”

It had been a good week for the beaming Taylor who greeted fans after Grease at Civic Theatre in San Diego Saturday night.

The week coming up is very special. It is one of those milestone times that mark the life of an artist who lives by his music connecting with people.

This is Street Week for The Distance, coming out Tuesday from Modern Whomp Records. Taylor Hicks will be everywhere showcasing what he and a few very talented artists have created. Empty out your DVRs. There will be new recordings, new articles and a new journey starting with Taylor Hicks.

Through the magic of this place, the internet, the journey has already reached to the other side of the planet. In the Sunday morning updates and googles there was one from China! There were the beautiful and unreadable Chinese language characters everywhere and Taylor Hicks on the cover of The Distance. There was Taylor walking on a snowy street in Chicago and singing “What’s Right is Right.” I wondered if someone watching this in China and not understanding the English lyrics would understand the story. Music and images are universal and this one told a story very well. I believe they will know the story.

Seeing and hearing Taylor from China was an appropriate beginning to this new journey on which we all embark this week. The moment was so reflective of the title song from the album, The Distance. Music is reaching around the world to places and cultures we can only meet online. We have the technology. Do we have the heart and the will?

It’s a long way from Birmingham to Beijing in more ways than one. Perhaps this new journey may take us to places that are not on maps. Taylor’s music is reaching out to others “where the distance between us fades away.”

A Sunday wish for us all:
“They’ll be no distance between us one of these days.”

A Street Week wish for Taylor Hicks:
“May this new journey with The Distance be happy and successful and take you further along the road of your American dream. Congratulations on an exciting new collection of really good music.”

Like the many other journeys of the past couple of years with Taylor Hicks, we will be there….even to the other side of the planet!

We will…go the distance.

THE DISTANCE, by Taylor Hicks on Modern Whomp Records, is out Tuesday, March 10.

2 comments:

cath said...

Sport has become the biggest unifier of people from across the globe. Now we find that music , too, can bind people together.

Taylor is doing his part; his universal appeal is doing well in Asia. Now to Europe, South America, Africa and beyond.

cath

KarinP said...

I hope that one day that the lyrics to "The Distance" can become a reality. It would really be a "wonderful world" if that were to happen.

I enjoyed your blog. The internet has given us the ability to travel to many places. Loved "Birmingham to Bejing".

I am looking forward to watching Taylor's exciting week ahead and I have high hopes for the success of the CD.

Thanks for posting a very interesting blog!