Taylor Hicks~~Biography: The Journey, Modern Whomp Sent Spinning

With the Idol tour completed, Hicks entered the recording studio for his post-Idol album that was released December 12, 2006. The self-titled release debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 charts. With his own descriptive genre tag of “modern whomp,” the album “Taylor Hicks” was certified platinum by RIAA a month later. “Just to Feel That Way” was the first single released to radio, and “Heaven Knows” hit radio play in May, 2008.

With “Taylor Hicks” on the music shelves, the next stop for Hicks was his own Modern Whomp Solo Tour that kicked off in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 21, 2007. He was back on the road, and at home in his luxurious tour bus that took him to more than 50 cities for 55 concerts in many sold-out venues from February to May. Touring with him was Music Director and keyboardist, Loren Gold, backup singer Melanie Nyema, and an outstanding band playing a unique blend of modern blues, soul and rock in historic theatres and modern clubs and venues.

During the successful and exhausting 2007 tour, the May 9 show at the historic Warfield Theatre in San Francisco was professionally captured in its entirety and became the first live concert DVD for the touring musician. “Whomp at the Warfield” released in January, 2010, caught the high-energy, show-stopping talent of Hicks and the Tour Band. It includes a bonus interview in which Hicks talks about his music, “modern whomp,” and life on the road, and a special performance of “Son of a Carpenter,” not performed on tour. “Whomp” showcases the high- energy stage persona of this American Idol taking it beyond the singing competition that first gave him a national voice but did not tell the whole story of his musicianship and entertainment prowess.

The new life wasn’t all about music. In collaboration with David Wild, renowned Rolling Stone writer, Hicks took time to write his autobiography, Heart Full of Soul, “an Inspirational Memoir about Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way.” Published by Random House, it hit bookshelves in July, 2007. It told the story of a child finding solace in music, and a young man struggling to find his way in the difficult, and sometimes dark, world of a struggling musician on the road looking for that one elusive break—the elusive break which finally came, looking like fate and named Katrina.

In the summer of 2007, Hicks re-released his original album, In Your Time, which enjoyed new popularity with fans on the concert circuit. Copies of the original In Your Time release are rarely available and highly sought after by music collectors.

A Summer Tour of festivals and special events lasted into November, 2007, with a final concert at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, MS. From Jacksonville, FL in February to Pearl River in November, Hicks appeared in 111 concerts in 98 different cities. The Hicks fanbase, fondly dubbed the Soul Patrol, turned out in mass, in their local towns and crisscrossing the country to see their Idol. Reviews of his live performances consistently praised the intensity and energy on stage with every “always-on” performance passionately and uniquely Hicks. He was credited with setting a new standard for touring entertainers: Give it all you’ve got; never phone it in! It paid off on the bottom line as his Modern Whomp Solo Tour was the 27th highest grossing tour of 2007.

Modern Whomp music went global when Hicks launched an Asian tour in the Philippines in December, 2007. He appeared as a special guest performer on Asian Idol and entertained thousands of enthusiastic fans in Manila.

While the new year brought platinum certification for his current CD, Taylor Hicks, special recognition came back home for the native son who emotionally sings, “My home’s in Alabama.” The Alabama Music Hall of Fame recognized Hicks with its America’s Music Award at its 2008 Annual Music Hall of Fame Induction Gala in February. The Alabama music community annually recognizes the rich musical heritage of its musicians, songwriters and music industry achievers. With this award, Hicks was given an exhibit in the Music Hall of Fame Museum in Tuscumera, Alabama. A brick was placed on the I Believe in Music Walkway at the Museum, a gift from fans and The Soul Connection, the professionally published Taylor Hicks online e’zine.

Tomorrow: “Birmingham to Broadway” Idol turns Angel playing a new kind of harp…