Taylor Hicks Talks to CMT Insider: "Southern, Soulful, Country..."

“…a Southern, soulful, country guy…That’s who I am.” In an exclusive studio interview that aired this morning on CMT Insider, platinum recording artist and American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks, sat down with Allison DeMarcus and shared his new musical vision.

Although it really isn’t new.

"I gotta stay true to who I am. And that’s a Southern, soulful, country guy, and I’m excited about it. That’s who I am." CMT Insider: Taylor Hicks Country Album

He told Ms. DeMarcus he was never comfortable being labeled a pop artist after the Idol show.

"I was a real roots artist."

"What’s your biggest fear about going after the country audience?"

"Everybody knows you can’t fool a country audience. I have to have a career song. And I have to be patient."

He’s been busy during those patient years.

Taylor released two indie albums before winning Season Five of American Idol in 2006, In Your Time and Under the Radar. His post Idol album, Taylor Hicks, went platinum shortly after its release in 2006. He took over his own recording and formed Modern Whomp Records that released Early Works, a compilation of his two previous indie albums. His live concert DVD, "Whomp at the Warfield" captured the energy and stage persona of his 2007 9-month national concert tour as it stopped in San Francisco at the Warfield Theatre.

In 2008, he added Broadway musical theatre to his resume with a very successful summer run as a harp wielding Teen Angel in "Grease." When the Alabama native was asked to join the national touring company, he agreed to the 18-month road trip. During the "Grease" run in 2009, he released The Distance on his own label and promoted the album as he traveled with "Grease" and toured the music into 2012.

Along side the songwriting, recording, and studio work this summer for his new country soul album, Taylor will open at Bally’s in Las Vegas for an eight week engagement starting June 26. He is the first American Idol winner or finalist to land a residency there.

Las Vegas is the city where he auditioned for American Idol.

See all of the conversation and a studio recording clip from what may be Taylor's new single, "Teach Me to Dance," when this episode of CMT Insider is rebroadcast on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. ET on CMT.

WATCH a clip from the interview online at: CMT Insider: Taylor Hicks Country Album