Taylor Hicks ~The Birmingham Blogs ~Leave me with the music

Taylor Hicks is never the star. It is the music.

Watch him on stage. He is lost in the music. He closes his eyes and channels the passion and essence of the music. He is oblivious of his own stage presence. He makes faces as the music inspires. This is not about Taylor Hicks.

It is always about the music, and the music never takes a back seat.

“I gotta be honest. For me, you can take it all, but leave me with the music.” Taylor Hicks

Now, days after WorkPlay, what remains paramount in my mind is the music—the funky sounds of “chicken pickin”, with Josh Smith, the wailing sax of Jeff Lopez, the fired up keyboards of Brian Less and the deep, emotional, and strong vocals on songs like “Maybe You Should” by Taylor Hicks.

Music industry blogger, Bob Lefsetz recently wrote about the power of the music as he attended a concert by the Hollywood Philharmonic:

“... Dudamel [orchestra conductor] did not deal with the music from a distance, he charged right in, bringing the orchestra with him. And not having attended a classical concert in eons, I didn't know they now put the conductor on the big screen, from the musicians' perspective, so you can see him in action.”

“The passion! This isn't someone searching to be famous, to get rich, it's clear he's moved by one thing only, the music! At times he jumped up and down, smiled, but when he closed his eyes in reverie to the music, seeming to channel heaven, not only were you turned on, you connected. For this is the experience of listening to one's favorite tunes.”

“The passion! This isn't someone searching to be famous, to get rich, it's clear he's moved by one thing only, the music!”

Taylor never deals with music from a distance. He dives right in and takes everyone along with him. He is moved by one thing only—the music!

Take it all…but leave me with the music. That is the real legacy of WorkPlay…music to inspire the next WorkPlay, the next song, the next journey. Music to touch our lives.

While in Birmingham, Taylor talked to Alabama Public Television Profile host, Wendy Garner, about his music saying that touching lives is what it is all about. I think that Taylor knows that when he walks off the stage, sweat pouring off his face, that he has touched lives and made them happier. He’s made himself a little bit happier too. The music is what he lives for and what challenges him—make it new, make it better, make it touch lives.

It is the magic of Taylor Hicks--touching lives through his music.

It is the greater good that trumps success, money, CD sales, or sold out venues.

Someday, I think Taylor will look back, not at how many CDs of The Distance he sold, but on places like WorkPlay and remember “Dust my Broom” with his mentor Billy Earl McClelland, and his jazzy duet with friend and musician, Ona Watson. I believe he will look back on the music and the people with whom he shared it. He will remember Brian, Josh and Jeff and the good sounds he made with people like the UAB Gospel Choir.

I believe this is how Taylor Hicks will measure his success and his time well spent. His legacy and his life’s joy will be his music and sharing it with others.

He will remember the WorkPlays.


May Taylor have many more WorkPlays.

May we all have more WorkPlays in our lives!

Thank you, Taylor and Birmingham, for WorkPlay.

Thank you, everyone, who made Birmingham memorable.

I was blessed to be there!

Photo by Natalie Goik: Taylor at WorkPlay.