Taylor Hicks ~~ Trip Around the Sun

Taylor Hicks began this past “trip around the sun” the same place he will begin the next one—Epcot Center in Orlando, FL.

Minnie Mouse should start bringing him a birthday cake.

One of the projects that TTHC created and has maintained for the last four years is a log—Taylor’s Journey~~The Timeline. Starting with his audition in Las Vegas in 2005, it chronicles the milestones along the way.

Here's our latest additions to The Timeline as Taylor's journey continued—starting at Epcot!

November 1-2, 2009 – Entertaining the visitors at EPCOT CENTER in Disney World – Orlando at the "Eat to the Beat" concert series

November 11 – Remembering our veterans by providing a free download of "Nineteen" on the Alabama Veterans Affairs, The LA Red Cross, and Soldiers’ Angels web sites.

December 6 – Honoring our country by singing the National Anthem at the Panthers/Bucs game in Charlotte, NC

December 11 – Taking the stage for an acoustic performance at The High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI

December 29 – Ending this DECADE with "Do I Make You Proud" being in the #39 spot on the Singles Sales chart

January 6-7, 2010 – Entertaining at the Pep Rally and enjoying the festivities at the BCS National Championship Game between Texas and Alabama

January 16 – Attending the Adoption Exchange Karaoke Benefit in St. Louis with other “Grease” cast members

March 18 – Building a house for the Habitat for Humanity Project in Birmingham, Alabama

April 11 - Singing the National Anthem at the Inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

April 19 – Recording "Save My Body, Save My Soul" for the SOS Children's Villages charity tour

May 11 – Opening the NBA Playoff Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavs and the Boston Celtics to sing the National Anthem

May 13 – Teeing off at the Region's Charity Golf Tournament at Ross Bridge, Hoover, AL

May 21 – Judging and performing at the "Sing Your Way to 100 K" Talent Contest at The Windstar Casino in AL

May 23 – CLOSING A VERY SUCCESSFUL 2-YEAR RUN AS “TEEN ANGEL" IN GREASE IN CLEVELAND'S PLAYHOUSE THEATRE.

May 26 – Appearing on the Red Carpet and onstage at the American Idol Season 9 Finale with all previous Idols singing a tribute to the departing Simon Cowell

June 4 – Giving a private performance at closing night at a Golf Event in the Bahamas.

June 9 – Lending his voice to support the Alabama Department of Tourism by taping advertisements inviting people to "Come on Down" to Alabama to vacation

June 13 – Previewing the Summer Tour and new music with a concert with full band in tow at the Syracuse Balloonfest at Jamesville Beach Park

June 18 – Voicing his support for the Gulf Coast in an appearance on MSNBC with Chris Jansing talking about the effects of the Gulf Oil Spill

June 21 – Writing a piece for Larry King Live's Blog about the Gulf Oil Spill, pointing out ALL the issues and encouraging people, especially the media, to see the relief effort through until the problems are solved

June 25 – Jamming on the harmonica with Ivan Neville and the jam artists at the Rocky Mountain Power Jam in Denver, CO ~”Love the One You’re With” debuts!

June 29 – Releasing Genevieve Rose's song "Save my Body, Save my Soul," on which Taylor performed the vocals, at Amazon.com and iTunes for the international charity, SOS Children's Villages.

THE “KICK ASS” SUMMER TOUR OF 2010 BEGINS!!!

July 25 – Waking up early for Sunday morning with Fox & Friends, New York City, introducing the Tour Band and performing live outside the studio.

July 25 – Opening Summer Tour 2010 playing to a sold-out crowd at The Highline Ballroom in New York City with tour bus waiting ~”Bulletproof” debuts!

July 27 – Performing for another sold-out venue in Ogunquit, ME

July 29 – Rolling with the “kick ass” band and new music into the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA

July 30 – Rocking it out at the Crocodile Rock Cafe, Allentown, PA

July 31 – Mixing it up at the Mexicali Live - Teaneck , NJ

August 3 – Streaming webchat for fans and sharing his thoughts on the inspiration behind his music.

August 3 – Enjoying the stage at the Ram's Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD

August 6 – Taking the band and bus to the Fat Fish Blue, for a great evening of music in Cleveland, OH

August 7 – Sampling the wonderful food and performing at Veterans' Memorial Park -Bay City, MI

August 9 – Rocking at the big city’s Reggies’ Rock Club, Chicago, IL

August 10 – Singing in the Heartland at the Sangamon Auditorium, Springfield, Il

August 11 – Taylorizing his music set to fit the bluesy atmosphere of the Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN

August 12 – Entertaining the intimate crowd at The Annex, Madison, WI

August 14 – Giving the sold-out crowd at Knuckleheads in Kansas City, MO a night to remember

August 15 – Unveiling of his Alabama Tourism PSA debuted at the Governor's Conference by Lee Sentel, Director of Alabama Department of Tourism with ads now airing in the Gulf area .

August 17 – Appearing on stage for taping of a Free Concert at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum for Gulf Relief airing on August 25th on the CW Network.

August 19 – Traveling west for a scenic concert at the Mesa Theatre Grand Junction, CO.

August 21 – Burning up the stage for a large enthusiastic crowd at the Aquarius Casino on the river in Laughlin , NV ~ Rick Carter guests on “The Weight”

August 22 – Hitting the West Coast with a critically acclaimed show at The Anthology in San Diego, CA.

August 24 – Brewing up a memorable experience for concert goers at the Downtown Brewing Company in San Luis Obispo, CA

August 25 – Dazzling the dinner guests and music lovers in the elegant Rrazz Room at Hotel Nico in San Francisco, CA

August 26 – Answering questions for enthusiastic fans with a pre-concert USStream Web Chat

August 26 – Striking gold for music lovers in the beautiful foothills of Yosemite on stage at the Chukchansi Gold Casino, Coarsegold, CA

August 27 – Airing of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum Concert on CW Network with rebroadcasting on September 1 and throughout the year

August 28 – Honoring veterans at the Ft. Walton Veteran's Appreciation Day Celebration at the "Bull Ridgon" Fairground in Ft. Walton , FL.

September 11 – Lending his talent and charm to the charity gala for LIFE CHANGING LIVES in Laguna Niguel, CA, benefiting Wounded Warriors and The Susan G. Komen Foundation

September 14 – Talking it up on the Wendy Williams Show and singing "Seven Mile Breakdown"

September 15 – Returning to the East for a ramped up popular show at the Infinity Music Hall and Bistro in Norfolk, Ct.

September 16 – Presenting his usual 150% performance in Tarrytown New York at the Tarrytown Music Hall & Bistro

September 17 – Excelling with vocals and doing it all at The Boulton YMCA Performance Hall in Bay Shore, NY

September 18 – Sporting Vermont plaid and owning the stage at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland , VT.

September 20 – Shooting his segment for the American Idol Season 10 TV Show in Birmingham with Golareh Safarian

September 25 – Gifting his fans with a grand performance at the 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim, WA

I have always wondered if Taylor were choosing a few milestones each year for a Timeline, what would they be?

I’m not going to speculate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAYLOR, FROM THE TAYLOR HICKS COMMUNITY!!!

We wish you many more “kick ass” years like this one!!!

A wonderful birthday video was created in 2008 by KarinP, a great fan from Canada:

Taylor's Trip Around the Sun 2007-2008 from KarinP on Vimeo.

Have a great birthday!

See you at Epcot!!!

Thank you, KarinP for Trip Around the Sun and Mouser for The Timeline 2009-2010!

Taylor Hicks ~ The Birmingham Blogs ~ On any stage...

On any stage, Taylor Hicks will give his all.

The Birmingham stage would get it all and then some. And Birmingham loved Teen Angel and Frenchy!

While fans came from all over to see Taylor live at WorkPlay, they also joined locals to see Broadway Across America’s touring production of “Grease” at BJCC, a beautiful entertainment complex in Birmingham.

I expected everything to be special in Birmingham and “Grease” was no exception. I have seen it a “few” times in cities from New York to LA. I thought I had seen it all. I know now that “seen it all” never applies to anything that Taylor Hicks does.

When Taylor made his lofty entrance, the crowd went wild. They knew Taylor, and he knew them. He played the hometown crowd!

His gestures were exaggerated, eyes wider and more playful, and the smile bigger.

The couple next to me had come to see Taylor. They commented that he only had one song. They were happy when I said that he would do his own song, “Seven Mile Breakdown,” at the end.

The “Grease” showstopper is always the interaction between Taylor and Frenchy when she cuddles up to him and says in cooing voice, “I voted for you!”

In Birmingham, Frenchy’s line was literally a showstopper.

Frenchy went over the top with it, not cuddling up to him, but standing back and grandly announcing that, “I VOTED FOR YOU!” and then ran her finger down his chest.

As the crowd exploded, Taylor could only turn to the audience with a smile that had to be seen and acknowledge Frenchy’s performance with hands outstretched and fingers “asking for more” applause. And then Frenchy looked at her Teen Angel standing on his hometown stage and began applauding!

It was a priceless moment of performers connecting with the people who put them on the stage.

It was Taylor Hicks reveling in the love from Birmingham.

My first night in Birmingham had been smashing! I knew it would only get better.

I was about the meet the biggest star in Birmingham, and it wasn’t Taylor Hicks!

Next, The Birmingham Blogs~~The Iron City

Photo by san, Taylor and Billy Earl McClelland at WorkPlay, 9.25.09

Taylor Hicks ~~ New Found Freedom

Taylor Hicks spread his wings and flew…

It was a musical journey from a prophecy made when he was 18 years old in 1994 to the new found freedom of success and stardom in 2009.

It was Taylor Hicks live in concert at WorkPlay in Birmingham last Friday and Saturday nights!

On Friday night, after a funky dancing entry, he said hello to the hometown crowd with visitors from all over the country and as far away as England. Then Taylor admitted that he was speechless.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s always good to be home.”

Words were not coming easily. So he said he would just sing.

He took us back to the beginning when about half way through the concert, Taylor introduced renowned blues guitarist, Billy Earl McClelland, and the two “got down” –way down—with blues that you will never hear from a recording studio. It was music that could only happen live on stage charged with electrifying energy from a frenzied crowd.

The music pounded on your chest. It was musicians and people oblivious to all else but the music and the moment!

Taylor Hicks was in his element with the musician who perhaps started it all.

In a hat and with a broad smile, Mr. McClelland told the story that when Taylor was 18 years old, Mr. Hicks brought Taylor to him and asked him if Taylor was good enough to “make it.” Mr. McClelland said that he replied, “Well, I hate to tell you this, but, yes he is!” Taylor appeared speechless again.

At that young age, Taylor hired McClelland to teach him the ropes and he told Taylor to just “be yourself.”

Just “being yourself” got him to Birmingham last week starring as Teen Angel in the Broadway Across America production of “Grease” and to sold out concerts at WorkPlay, where he had performed as a struggling young musician.

It must have been an emotional two nights for Taylor as he surrounded himself with those who have been helped shape his path. Ona Watson, musician and popular owner of Ona’s, where Taylor has appeared throughout the years, shared the stage on Saturday night for a bluesy duet of “Woman’s Got To Have It.” Band members, Brian Less, and Jeff Lopez were part of the Taylor Hicks Band.

It was a 15-year journey from the prophetic words of Billy Earl McClelland to WorkPlay, 2009, on Saturday night when Taylor and the UAB Gospel Choir raised spirits and the roof with the gospel sounds of “New Found Freedom,” from Taylor’s latest album, The Distance.

“When I walk
I walk with confidence
I hold my head up high
When I talk
I’ve got a positive sense
Of who I am inside.

New found freedom
Let the light be my life
New found freedom
I’m gonna spread my wings and fly.”

A special commemorative black t-shirt marked the occasion in Birmingham with dates and “Grease’s” Teen Angel wings on the back.

The wings say it all. Taylor has spread his wings.

Billy Earl McClelland was right.

Taylor Hicks has “made it.”

And two nights at WorkPlay told us that Taylor Hicks can outdo Taylor Hicks.

I think we haven’t seen anything yet.


Media from WorkPlay is available on our board in a special forum, “Live From Birmingham.”
http://taylorconnections.com/index/

~More “Birmingham Blogs” will try to capture the magic of Taylor at home and all of the incredible Birmingham experience.

Photo credit: RajRae, via twitter.

Taylor Hicks ~~ Roads home...

Taylor Hicks goes home to Birmingham this week!

In 2007, as I prepared to fly to Birmingham for Taylor’s Solo Tour, I wrote about returning to the South:

“I’ve never been to Birmingham. When I step off a plane there on March 5, I will be coming home.

“Growing up in the South in the 40s and 50s was as idyllic as Opie in Mayberry. We lived in beautiful white farm houses, and my brothers and I played in the woods. We didn’t own the house or the farm; my father was a tenant farmer.

“The future then was in the cities and, like many Southerners, we moved away. I was eight years old when we left the South with everything we had in an old Chevy. My long journey began.

“Our family never lived in the South again. Roads took me to the gray, frigid winters of Michigan, sunny beaches and Hollywood hills of California, and the scorching deserts of the Southwest.

“I returned to the South only twice since leaving all those years ago, once for my father’s funeral in the white country church I attended every Sunday as a child, then again for my mother’s funeral in the same small church a few miles from the Ohio River.

“I have always known that I must see Taylor in the South. I know now that even though I left the South, the essence of the South is still in my heart. For me, Taylor personifies that unchanging character of a world I knew as a child--a quieter, slower time and place where hearts could dream, and a boy could dance and sing in his grandmother’s kitchen.

“It has been said, ‘Home is where the heart is.’ When I step off that plane in Birmingham, I will close the circle started when I was eight. I will be coming home.”

For me, going to Birmingham felt like reclaiming that connection with the South that I had never really lost. Growing up there was a magical time and place that will always be in my heart.

A lot has happened since I first flew in over Birmingham over two years ago with my face pressed to the window looking at football fields thinking I might see one that said “Hoover.”

Taylor has a new stage, a new album, a new genre, and many new fans. He still commands an audience. He still has fans flying across the country to see him.

I’m going back to Birmingham…

And I will probably, once again, press my face against the window and look for anything that says, “Hoover.”

Make the sweet tea and fried green tomatoes…

Thanks, Taylor, for bringing me back to my roots.

See you in Birmingham!


“Birmingham,” was first published in Taylor’s fan e’zine, The Soul Connection, February, 2007.

Taylor Hicks~~Atlanta revisited...

Taylor Hicks returns to Atlanta this week.

It was cold in Atlanta even in a wool turtleneck and leather jacket. In March, 2007, spring hadn’t arrived yet. A fast road trip from Nashville, with lunch from a convenience market/gas station, put us in line by mid afternoon.

Whatever you may save on General Admission tickets, you spend for food and drink while waiting in line, and you are very happy to do so. A couple of eating establishments close by were real bonuses. A rock ledge along the sidewalk even gave us seats for the long wait outside The Tabernacle. And it gave us a good vantage point for the tour busses. Taylor Hicks and his entourage had arrived. We had a good position in the line and a good shot at the front row.

Atlanta promised to be good. And it was.

After a five-hour stay in the line and a dangerously mad dash for the front, we were in the second row. It was close enough to never again be satisfied with further back! It was close enough to get fabulous pictures if your camera captured fast moving targets. It was close enough that others wanted your place. That was when “stand your ground” took on a whole new meaning.

It was close enough to see the passion that Taylor Hicks has for his music!

Although it has only been a little over two years, Atlanta seems like a long time ago. What a difference two years makes. What a long road it has been for Taylor and for us. There have been other GA lines—New Orleans where we had dinner in the French Quarter instead of waiting in line and had to settle for places in the back—Tempe, Arizona, hotter than blazes outside in the line before it got hot on stage—and most recently, first in line outside Roxy’s high above LA. We were front row center.

Close enough…

Atlanta was the first and the coldest.

I can still stand for more hours that I thought possible. I can still “stand my ground.”

I can still see the passion that Taylor Hicks has for his music.

Time doesn’t change some things!


“Grease” starring Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel opens tonight at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

Taylor brings his music to Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta Sunday, August 16, at 8:00 p.m.

Go see the passion for yourself!

Tickets for Smith’s Olde Bar:

http://order.ticketalternative.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS%3ATAUSA%3ATA09%3ATAY0816%3A&linkID=tausa&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode

Photos by San, from Taylor’s Modern Whomp Solo Tour, Atlanta, 3.9.07. (photos originally published in The Soul Connection, May, 2008)

"Grease" DJ is living the dream...

Taylor Hicks is living the dream. So is Dominic Fortuna who plays Vince Fontaine in “Grease.”

Dominic answered questions for TTHC about his career, living the dream, and Taylor Hicks.

The Michigan native who also played along side Taylor in “Grease” on Broadway, was asked what would be his “dream role” in theatre.

“This might sound funny, but it really is Vince Fontaine! And doing the warm-up and everything. I can't imagine anything fitting me so well! I'm living the dream! :)”

Dominic is the welcoming face and voice of “Grease” as the charismatic DJ who warms up the theatre crowds and then steps into the role of DJ for the Rydell High School prom. With a strong, dramatic voice mimicking the recording artists of the era, he brightens up the theatre before the lights go down. You would swear you were in the back seat listening to the Top Twenty! Even his instructions to turn off all listening devices are entertaining!

Dominic is friendly and personable off stage, and is so much the character that he plays, it is hard not to call him “Vince.” He attended Taylor’s show at Roxy’s and told fans afterwards that it was “great.”

Read more about Dominic’s other musical ventures, his entertainment idols, how he relaxes, and what it’s like to work with Taylor Hicks.

What is his review of Taylor’s music outside of “Grease”?

Check out the interview with Dominic on our TTHC discussion board:

http://taylorconnections.com/topic/2098274/1/

Photo courtesy of broadwayworld.com

Taylor Hicks ~~ Thanks, Canada!

Canada welcomed Taylor Hicks and the cast of “Grease” to Ottawa on a grand scale. The opening night show was sold out and Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was there.

When you are living the dream as Taylor is, what makes his list of lasting memories?

I think his stay in Canada will.

“Grease” is playing to packed houses at the National Arts Centre through Sunday. Canada’s Head of State escorted his young daughter and her friend to see “Grease” and met Taylor and the cast after the show.

The highly regarded and nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, the Globe and Mail, captured the event:

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his daughter Rachel and her friend Sheetza McGarry pose for a photo with Taylor Hicks after a performance of Grease at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on July 23, 2009.

“Hot: Stephen Harper. The Prime Minister took his daughter, Rachel, and her pal, Sheetza McGarry, to the National Arts Centre's Thursday-night performance of Grease. Taylor Hicks, the 2006 American Idol winner, plays the Teen Angel role. During one of his songs he did a little shout-out to the PM, telling the audience to behave because the Prime Minister was among them. The crowd applauded.”

This is Taylor’s first trip to Canada since his appearance at the Niagara Wine Festival during his 2007 solo tour. He has had many fans north of the border since the beginning of this journey. I think he added a few more this week.

One Canadian fan told me that she was sorry they couldn’t give Taylor the usually beautiful Canadian summer weather. Still, he was out and about the city viewing the beautiful and impressive Parliament buildings. He has become quite the tourist and has said many times he likes being in a city for a week so he can get to “know” it. He is even shopping locally. He was wearing a new safari jacket in media appearances this week that he bought in Philly, his last stop.

Thank you, Canada, for welcoming Taylor Hicks and “Grease!”

Canada rocks!

And lest we forget...

Halifax Airport, a safe haven for U. S. planes, September 11, 2001.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Taylor Hicks photo courtesy of http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Halifax Airport photo courtesy of www.alts.net

Taylor Hicks owns the Idol stage...with miles of attitude!

Taylor Hicks belted out a whole bunch of attitude...with a grin!

He held nothing back! “Seven Mile Breakdown” rocked the Idol stage tonight and Taylor Hicks, in chic-country black, smiled, growled and hit every note like no one was listening. It was pure joy in performing.

It was an absolutely stunning performance by Taylor Hicks!

Taylor to the world: "What'd you expect?"

Thanks to Gypsee for the screencap from tonight's Idol performance.

Taylor Hicks~~tonight on American Idol..."What'd you expect?"

The harmonica was Taylor’s first instrument—the first one purchased at an outdoor sale for $2 when he was fifteen. He later disclosed in his autobiography that it was his wisest $2 purchase although the girls were not impressed with a harmonica-wielding teenager.

Taylor Hicks and his screaming harmonica has become a signature. On the stage, it can take him to his knees. He is very good. He even took it to Broadway!

When he appeared on a radio show last week in Portland, he wielded the harmonica, not to a familiar tune, but to the station’s theme song. It couldn’t have been something that Taylor had practiced or performed many times. In the background, the radio tech listened attentively, then smiled, and then smiled broadly. At the end, grinning from ear to ear, he said, “That was awesome!”

Taylor smiled and joked, “What’d you expect?”

It was just a little bit of good-natured attitude by someone who has paid his dues—traveled the wrong side of Mississippi, performed in empty clubs, sold CDs from his car trunk, and never given up on his dream. He has practiced, performed, and perfected his craft into “awesome” musical artistry.

Taylor Hicks has earned the right to a little attitude! He has the talent to back it up.

Yet, that rare bit of “attitude” is balanced by a remarkable and humble spirit that is reflected when the modest Taylor Hicks says over and over how blessed he is to have had opportunities like American Idol and “Grease” on Broadway.

Taylor returns to American Idol tonight to perform “Seven Mile Breakdown,” the new single release from The Distance, his new album on his own label, Modern Whomp Records.

We wish him the very best…

“Wield that harmonica tonight, Taylor!

And giv’em a little attitude!

You’ve got it coming!”

Taylor Hicks~~in his own words...

Grease, acting, fans, touring, and performing…

When you thought Taylor Hicks couldn't do anything more, there he was in a media blitz that kept him busier than the week before. He phoned radio stations and talked; he was interviewed and he talked more. And, oh yes, he performed in “Grease.”

I thought you might like to read in one place some of the words that struck me as relevant and insightful about this extremely busy songwriter and performer. Here is Taylor Hicks in his own words.

Taylor revealed his dilemma as he traveled from Lower Alabama to New York City to star in the Broadway production of “Grease”: “What the hell am I going to wear?” So, he designed the Nudie inspired Teen Angel suit with 13,000 encrusted rhinestones! (KFOG Radio)

“Keep great musicians around you. I still keep that mentality.” He talked about the back up band on The Distance that includes members of Eric Clapton’s touring band. (KFOG)

“I’ve stayed true to myself and I’m still in the game.” (99SanFrancisco)

“The music on the record is timeless. I’m very pleased about it.” (WRVR Memphis)

He described one of the “coolest moments” since American Idol: “Going into the White House and meeting the President. My ninth grade English teacher was Laura Bush’s press secretary.” (94.7 Austin)

In a discussion about lip syncing, Taylor gave an instance where it is totally unacceptable. “I can’t stand someone who lip syncs the National Anthem. I think that should be from the heart. I think it should be sung live every time.” Taylor will do just that at the San Francisco Giants’ season opener game Tuesday, April 7th. (94.7 Austin)

Taylor was asked about the enduring support of his fanbase, the Soul Patrol. “I think the main thing is touring. If you look at any great body of work by any great entertainer, you’ll always see that taking their show to the people and being on the road is the common thread in all of them. So for me, touring extensively is where you can come to a particular city and you’re going to have fans.” (CBS5 Sue Kwon Bay Sunday)

He spoke of being blessed to perform in “Grease.” “It’s the perfect fit. The more that I perform on that stage, the more that I think that being in a live theatre, and a live audience itself, fits me. It’s who I am as an entertainer.” (Bay Sunday)

In a somewhat surprising reveal, Taylor was asked what is next, and he talked about acting. His interviewer asked, “Is that something you’ll try? You have such a great presence.” “For right now, I need to stick to music. Music should be the common thread. I think sooner or later, yes. Learning the role [in “Grease”] is kind of an introduction to understanding theatre and acting." (Bay Sunday)

Taylor explained off camera to Sue Kwon on Bay Sunday that when the ice cream opens he can see the people. She asked him what it was like to see the audience. “I’m blessed to be able to have the opportunity to perform and be a working entertainer. I know what it’s like to not work as an entertainer. So that’s a key for being a performer…understanding what’s it like when you’re not able to.” (Bay Sunday)

Taylor talked about getting through the extremely busy schedule for American Idol participants and drawing strength from within. “You have to love performing and you have to love performing for nobody…to be able to perform for somebody.” (myFOX.la)


There is always the temptation to expound on Taylor’s words, but I am not going to. He speaks very well for himself… especially when he sings!


Get The Distance at Amazon.com or with bonus tracks at music retailers: Target~”Indiscriminate Act of Kindness,” Walmart~”Hide Nor Hair,” iTunes download~”Yes We Can.”

Photo: " Taylor at Roxy's" by San/TTHC~~please do not repost without permission.

Dear Fans, Please Don't Stalk Me ...

David Cook is hoping he can convince his fans to show a little more respect for boundaries so that he can continue to be as accessible to his fans as the AI stars are known to be.

On Sunday, the 25 year old winner of Season 7 posted this request on his MySpace blog...


Sunday, March 22, 2009

ATTENTION!

Hey everyone,

First off, I want to say thank you to everyone who has been coming out to the shows since my last post. The vibe at these shows has been amazing.

Secondly, I have to address some behavior that has become disturbing. We pride ourselves on being accessible to you as fans, but in contrast, we do enjoy what little privacy we can muster. To that end, the efforts by some fans to find our hotel rooms, call our hotel rooms, attach things to our bus, etc., is something I have to condemn. This relationship only works when it remains healthy for both parties, and should this behavior continue, the only thing we can do is take more preventative measures to maintain our privacy, which in turn makes us less accessible to you.

I hope this doesn't come off as harsh. I merely want to nip this in the bud so we can continue to have a great experience with all of you at the shows we have coming up. Take care and see you at the next show.

~D



What an impressive young man. He loves and appreciates his fans, he wants to continue to be able to interact with them, but he sees the boundaries starting to blur between expectations and entitlement, and wants to be clear on what he finds unacceptable.

I don't know if David is just a quick learner and saw himself becoming a hostage, if he was smart enough to watch and learn from some of the guys who have gone before him and fallen victim to having not spoken out when it happened to them, or if he actually thinks it is going to be as simple as just posting this blog and the fans will have that "ah ha" moment where they realize how unreasonable they were being and suddenly respect his "down time".

Note to David .... I hope you are not counting too much on the last one.

The great thing about the AI machine is that you have some loyal, supportive, incredible fans who love you, who will follow you from tour stop to tour stop. Who suddenly, at the age of 50, will learn how to make a video or create a web page, or become proficient in the music industry lingo. They will take it as their personal responsibility to ensure your success and without ever thinking twice, will, for some reason they can never explain, grab up 10 copies of your new CD.

But the part you didn't see .... the part you missed with some of your "fans" is that they actually dialed that second number when they voted for you. The one that indicated "by David counting my vote he will forever 'owe' me because I am the reason for his success, and he will from this day forward be chattel".

As I am sure to come under fire as overly critical or insulting, I will give you some insight into two of the most egregious abuses of an artist's privacy that I know to have occurred within the AI fan base.

Several years ago, one of the AI artist's father passed away, and for a number of reasons, it was going to be a rather strained and hard time. Several of the fans decided it would be perfectly appropriate for them to attend the funeral, of course, standing back a bit because they certainly wanted to observe proper decorum for a total stranger fan at someone's funeral for their parent. They even said they felt he would find some comfort in their presence.

We just recently were made aware that one of Taylor Hicks' AI fans who happens to live in the Birmingham area and work for a government agency decided that since he was, after all, a celebrity, that any information a fan could obtain on him they were entitled to. It was this logic that led the fan to decide they would use their job to access Taylor's parent's legal records. I cannot imagine a more callous lack of respect or violation than prying into something that personal.

So David, I guess you can see why I am somewhat cynical that such a pure and respectful attempt on your part is going to fix your problem, but boy am I rooting for you. I've seen what can happen, and once they do sense "control", you can never get it back without becoming "ungrateful" or "not needing them anymore".

What I hope most for you is that if your request isn't respected that you give yourself permission to actually do what you said and step back, put some barriers in place, and manage to hold on to just a piece of your life. You deserve it.

Taylor Hicks rocks a full house on the Sunset Strip!

High above the lights of LA on the Sunset Strip, the magic of Taylor Hicks live on stage rocked the packed Roxy’s Nightclub when the platinum recording artist performed the music from his new CD, The Distance, Wednesday night.

It was Taylor Hicks where he lives—on stage! “The Distance” was a bold opening song. It was a big sound that set the tone for an amped up, “We’re gonna party all night” kind of Taylor Hicks concert! In fact, he asked if we were ready to party all night and jumped into a setlist of the old and the decidedly new.

One of the highlights was “Seven Mile Breakdown,” which raucously rolled through the delta with the hammer down! This will be a concert favorite for a very long time!

“I Live On A Battlefield” was another all out Taylor-and-band fest that said Taylor Hicks can do anything. The band took this one home was a sound that rocked the rafters and must have spilled onto the street! Sunset Strip had been whomped!

“Nineteen” settled the house into a poignant moment. Taylor dedicated it to our soldiers, reminiscent of his dedicating “Do I Make You Proud” to the troops. He said it had been very well received in San Diego [at Belly Up Shadow Tour performance] where there were many servicemen and women in the audience. He introduced it as “a war hero’s story.” And that it is. It grabs your heart. Taylor sings it straight out, unfolding the story recognizing and celebrating the bravery of our American heroes. Taylor lets “Nineteen” speak for itself.

“What’s Right is Right” warms up the stage every time, whether for the “Grease” audience, where he performs it after every show, or in the many media performances of this first single release and first music video. With his hand on his heart at times, he sings with sincerity as if imploring that relationships stand the test of time. You want to believe that this is what love is.

There was the new and the old. Taylor seemed to say, “We are moving on with new music, but let’s remember where we’ve been and hear it one more time.” “Heaven Knows,” “Give Me Tonight,” and “Soul Thing” were some that made the cut for this soul meets country meets rock setlist ending with a new encore, “My Sweet Lord.”

The new, but forever-eclectic setlist:

The Distance
Give Me Tonight
Heaven Knows
The Maze (tags: Inner City Blues/Warm Love/Be young, Be Foolish, Be Happy)
Hide Nor Hair
Nineteen
Gonna Move (tag: Old Weakness)
Woman’s Gotta Have It
I Live On a Battlefield
The Deal
Seven Mile Breakdown (harp)
The Right Place
Once Upon a Lover
What’s Right Is Right
Soul Thing (tags: Mama Said/Eastbound and Down)

Encore: My Sweet Lord

The lively crowd showed their love frequently yelling, “We love you, Taylor,” to which he responded once saying, “It’s one fan at a time.”

I had to think, “Shades of Atlanta!” In 2007, I stood almost center stage second row in Atlanta for the first close up experience of Taylor Hicks on stage. This stage was low and the crowd was against the stage. As he did in Atlanta, Taylor wore his concert shoes—the customary New Balance, for navigating a small stage full of equipment and cords. And, yes, he broke in those shoes with new dance moves to the delight of fans!

Taylor Hicks is seriously into concert frame of mind. It showed at Roxy’s on the stage and in the audience. It was a perfect match of entertainer, music and crowd coming together to celebrate one of the good things in life—sharing music, dreams and time together. This is another milepost on that long train running. It took off again at Roxy’s last week!

Congratulations, Taylor, on a stunning showing on Sunset Strip!

I wouldn’t have missed this one for all the soul music in Memphis!

photo by san~please do not repost without permission.

Taylor Hicks~The Distance...first impressions

It feels like the journey that Taylor Hicks promised…across genres, emotions, and sounds.

“The Distance”—A message for all mankind. One to play the world for a long time. A stand up song for the live stage. A favorite from the first listen.

“What’s Right is Right”—The way we all want true love to be. Makes you want to be in Chicago during a blizzard with true love along side. What’s not to like in this first single release from the album and first Taylor Hicks music video. Still a favorite.

“New Found Freedom”—A big gospel sound that makes you believe in yourself.

“Nineteen”—It feels like back home as it tells a story that we’ve lived too often. Grabs your heart and speaks unsaid volumes. Country sound from a soulful voice.

“Once Upon a Lover of Mine”—A change of beat for dancing feet. Taylor rolls an “r”.

“Seven Mile Breakdown”—Makes “on the road” sound cool. This is the concert showstopper that will go on forever with tags and band solos and bring down the house as only Taylor Hicks can! A big favorite!

“Maybe You Should”—A reminder that love’s end never becomes less painful. It touches a forgotten place in many of us. It will melt the hearts in live performances; smooth as honey, pure Taylor Hicks voice. A first place favorite!

“Keeping It Real”—A couple of people come to mind. We make pop culture.

“I Live On A Battlefield”—A raspy, hard look at a relationship. Word images are stunning.

“Wedding Day Blues”—Someone had fun with this one! It will be fun on stage.

“Woman’s Got To Have It”—Friends singing soul. Elliot Yamin makes this a double dose of world-class voices singing world-class soul. Pure listening pleasure.

First impressions are just that. First favorites usually don’t change, but then other songs “grow on me.” The musical vibes and nuances take several more listenings for this music lover. And from my first impressions, future listenings promise to be a delightful connection with the new music of Taylor Hicks. It’s mine, and it’s worth a lot of listenings!

The Distance by Taylor Hicks on Modern Whomp Records is available for download and in retail stores. Three bonus tracks: iTunes: “Yes, We Can,” Target: “Indiscriminate Acts of Kindness,” and Walmart online: “Hide Nor Hair.”

Get The Distance!

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.

Taylor Hicks sings "What's Right is Right" in Tucson...

It was a stunning metamorphosis...

"When there’s joy inside your heart I’ll share it
When you got a dream I say reach for the sky
And if you ever fall I’ll catch you.
What’s wrong with you is wrong with me
And what’s right is right. "

Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel descended in an ice cream cone with chocolate on top and sent Frenchie into swoons as he crooned Beauty School Dropout in full Elvis-inspired rhinestoned regalia. It was over the top, hamming it up fun, and it brought down the house at Music Hall in Tucson last week. Frenchie delivered the show-stopping line when she alluded to Taylor’s American Idol win, stoking his chest and cooing, “I voted for you!” It could have been Saturday Night Live at the theatre!

The curtain call was a glimpse of the change. Taylor appeared in the Grease rhinestoned jacket but with jeans and black t-shirt underneath, and the signature gray hair showed no sign of hairspray.

When the Grease DJ Vince Fontaine announced to the audience “Singing his single release What’s Right is Right from his new album, here is Taylor Hicks,” the real blue-eyed soul singer, Taylor Hicks, showed up. He was live on stage where he excels!

The rhinestone jacket was replaced by what could have been a Dolce & Gabbana jacket with the jeans and black t-shirt. The snakeskin boots would make a good impression in Tucson. The best impression was the soulful sounds of Taylor Hicks singing “What’s Right is Right” with the intensity and ‘taylorization’ that always brands his performances. Some of the audience was surprised, not expecting a “concert” after Grease. It was a well-received surprise!

A few thousand people in Tucson last week had the chance to see a campy Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel and Taylor Hicks live on stage singing his music. It showed the amazing range of talent of this Season 5 American Idol winner.

When you remember the Season Five American Idol competition, you have to think, “How little they knew of Taylor Hicks!”

There were no Hillerman storms—the weather was perfect. The beauty of the desert was the perfect backdrop for the beauty of good theatre and good music.

There was a magical moment on Sunday morning when the sun and shadows were just right, and I captured the picture above of Teen Angel in Tucson.

I had a great time going along on this one!

The Distance ~~ Taylor Hicks

Streaming on …KOL.com

Taylor Hicks promised a musical journey, and it is on the road and rolling through genres and emotions.

AOL posted its Listening Party for The Distance on KOL.com last night. You can hear all the new songs from Taylor Hicks, create your own playlist and be part of the buzz on AOL that is so important to getting new music out there.

Taylor said the music would cross genres, and it does. The journey goes through Delta country, painful goodbyes, and hopeful pleas that “…there’ll be no distance between us one of these days.” There is fun and humor in up-tempo tracks. And The Distance tells a poignant story of the American dream cut short--one that is too often repeated.

One has to believe that this is the music of Taylor Hicks that we are suppose to know!

Listen to The Distance on KOL… It really feels like a journey!

http://kids.aol.com/KOL/2/Music/Article/taylor-hicks-the-distance

Whomp in the desert...

Taylor Hicks can finally put away Chicago’s sweaters and Ohio’s wool scarves. He can pull out the t-shirts and baseball caps again. Well….maybe…

Whomp visits the Southwest as Taylor Hicks dons his Teen Angel wings again and rejoins the cast of Grease in Tucson, Arizona, February 24 through March 1. Sunshine is always expected in the desert, and it promises to welcome the Grease troupe as they travel west for the first time on this national tour.

Taylor’s upcoming return to Arizona brought back pleasant memories of his first visit in 2007 when he appeared at The Marquee in Tempe. It was a small venue compared to others on that concert tour. The performance was not small. It was one of the best on the tour, and I saw a few of them.

From Relix Magazine: “At the Marquee, he affirmed that the stage is where he excels, offering a soulful charisma, rich voice and imaginative setlists littered with multi-genre selections.

“Perhaps what made Hicks a contest champion became evident by show’s end as the band eased into Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” without a hint of misplaced showmanship. The man appears determined to deliver the entertainment goods his way and if that means that he earns his crown via the road one gig at a time then it is certainly a setting he embraces without qualification.” (Relix: The Magazine for Music, by Randy Ray, 5.25.07)

In Tempe, Taylor opened with Runaround and never looked back. He romped around the stage with his usual abandon… walking to the very edge and once, turning around and encountering a stage light, jumped over it without missing a note! From “Runaround” to a soulful exit all alone playing “Long Way Home” on his harmonica, it was one of the most memorable performances in a long list of unforgettable concerts. The smaller crowd never deterred him from giving it his all. It was another “I never phone it in” performance!

This was just the kind of performance we have come to expect from Taylor Hicks….every venue, every night, every song. You know what to expect…only the very best from this Alabama son who keeps raising the bar with new music, new experiences and new horizons for himself and his fans.

Welcome back to the West, Taylor!
Now, if you know the desert or Tony Hillerman novels, you know that the weather can change like the tags in a Taylor Hicks song…in a moment. Better pack a couple of those sweaters!

Just looking over the sweaters... I’m going along on this one!

"The Wrap Out: Taylor Hicks 'What's Right is Right'"

by Jake Davis

“Ultimately I’d like this video to stand the test of time.”

With “What’s Right is Right” playing on Yahoo, Videographer Jake Davis had time to reflect on making the first music video for Taylor Hicks. This Manhattan director is an artist who challenges himself with each new endeavor. From Jake’s look back at “What’s Right is Right”:

“I went into directing this project with the same expectations I always do. …you're going to push yourself like never before, and you're going to be a better director at the end of it. That was the bar and I think we raised it. With my videos I want to make timeless, beautiful, cinematic, iconic, imagery that tells a story people can connect with on an emotional level. I want to be able to look back with no regrets and I want the motion picture to hold up the same way my favorite classic films hold up decades later. I think for the most part we're living in a disposable culture right now and I've never really related to that ideology. The concept of quantity over quality has never appealed to me. Ultimately I'd like this video to stand the test of time.
…
“…The styling was all classic from the Burberry trench coat to the fitted tailoring of the Dolce & Gabbana suit. …Taylor is actually quite a clothes horse and was really into it. We even incorporated a silk scarf reminiscent of a late sixties Miles Davis. We looked at a lot of my references from the great photography of Jim Marshall's book Jazz and Dennis Stock's work of James Dean. If you watch the video closely at 26 and 36 seconds in you can see that iconic James Dean photograph. It was actually already in the Edward Hopperesque diner when we scouted it. That was a sign that what we were doing was right.
…
“Ultimately Taylor and I wanted to tell the story of everlasting love. From the older couple at the diner who have overcome the obstacle of the husband's physical disability to the younger couple at the diner embarking on their first romance. And finally Taylor's own potentiality of love at the end of the video. These all represent the different stages of true love.”

Their vision was to tell the story of everlasting love as the song does. And just as the iconic images like that of James Dean that inspired this work remain with us, the timeless, classic scenes and music in “What’s Right is Right” promise to never go out of style nor off the charts.

A salute and thank you goes to Jake for caring about what endures and for putting in the hard work and talent to create a beautiful visual of things that really matter. Taylor’s music has touched our hearts and souls, and now Jake has put a face on those emotions.

This is a must read wrap for all those who followed this journey.
Read Jake’s complete “The Wrap Out: Taylor Hicks ‘What’s Right is Right’” at:

http://jakedavis.typepad.com/jakedavis/

Taylor Hicks takes it downtown...in first music video!

Taylor Hicks takes modern whomp downtown in his first musical video, “What’s Right is Right,” now on Yahoo Music!

It is a stunning package of city classic wrapped around Southern soul! It is the new sound of soul from Taylor Hicks! ~Timeless images and intense, raspy sounds of enduring commitment~~

“When there’s joy inside your heart I’ll share it
When you got a dream I say reach for the sky
And if you ever fall I’ll catch you

What’s wrong with you is wrong with me
What’s right is right.”

Bringing the big city vibes is the award-winning Manhattan film director, Jake Davis, who created the clean, classic images with inspiration from what he called the “iconic”.

Bringing the soul is Alabama’s native son, singer and songwriter, Taylor Hicks. “What’s Right is Right” is the single release from Taylor’s new album, The Distance, due out March 10 on his own recording label, Modern Whomp Records.

This is classic and modern and all Taylor Hicks soul! Stunning in its images, intense in its sounds!

Taylor Hicks via music video!

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--205814483

Taylor Hicks Whomp Meets Jake Davis Films

The Taylor Hicks Community had a chance to interview Jake Davis and get some insights about the video for Taylor's new single, "What's Right is Right." Jake dicusses what it is like to work with Taylor Hicks in a creative endeavor and about how the concept for the video came to be. See what Jake Davis has to say about Taylor Hicks and his blue eyed soul style of music! You will enjoy this one!

Link to our interview on Connections:
http://taylorconnections.com/topic/1223379/1/

Please also stop by Jake's sites as thanks for taking the time to give us all this great interview!


http://jakedavis.typepad.com/jakedavis
http://www.kleinerinc.com/
www.jakedavisfilms.com