Judge Taylor Hicks? No, not on "American Idol." And why was he chased around by helicopters?
Clearly, he's done a lot more than sing over the years.
Following Taylor Hicks' 2006 win, he was immediately signed to J Records — a label
owned by Sony-BMG that managed artists from the competition. In January of 2008,
the label's publicist Liz Morentin announced that Hicks was going to record his own album,
leading to speculation that he had been dropped from the label.
However, the musician didn't acknowledge the rumors when he spoke to Birmingham News.
But Hicks did say he thought he'd have more creative freedom with his next record.
Two days later, Hicks confirmed the news on his MySpace page. He wrote:
"The important thing for all of you to remember is that I've been a working musician my whole life.
This is turning the page on a new chapter in my career.
Artistic freedom and control is an exciting prospect."
In 2009, Hicks independently released his second album
"The Distance" through his label Modern Whomp Records. He told Today:
"I had traditional label offers but I just thought to myself,
you know, I think this is a pretty good comeback story."
In June 2012, Taylor Hicks announced that he would be performing a three-month
Vegas residency at The Indigo in Bally's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.
Las Vegas just so happened to be where the star initially auditioned for "American Idol"
back in 2005. Hicks was also the first alum of the show to land a residency in Vegas. Since then,
winners like Carrie Underwood and "American Idol" judge Luke Bryan have also taken the plunge.
The popularity of Hicks's initial residency run resulted in the musician moving to a bigger
venue at Napoleon's in Paris Las Vegas in January 2013, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He performed at the venue for five nights a week until November before extending his residency at
the venue with another run of performances between March and April of 2014 as a result of receiving
"nearly-universal positive reviews" for his act, according to Vital Vegas.
In a surprising twist of events, Taylor Hicks made his television
debut as a judge on an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 2013.
"That was fantastic! Your voice – liquid velvet."
Playing himself, Hicks sat alongside "American Idol" season two runner-up Clay Aiken
and R&B musician Ashanti on the judging panel for a fictional singing competition.
The episode revolved around a scandal involving a singing coach played by Billy Porter.
Hicks had a blast shooting the episode and reveled in channeling his "inner Simon Cowell." It was
also his first opportunity to experience the realm of acting. He told The Hollywood Reporter:
"Playing yourself is a really great way to get your feet wet in the acting field.
I was born on TV, meaning that's where I caught my break.
So that's where I always have to be smart and revisit that medium as much as I can."
In 2021, Hicks branched out to the film world with the independent movie
"Stars Fell On Alabama". Not only did he star as himself in the film, but he also provided a few
songs to the soundtrack. He provided a taste of his next album through the single "Porch Swing."
Outside of music, the musician opened a restaurant in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama,
called Ore Drink and Dine in April 2011. Before Taylor Hick's ownership, the venue used to be the
Open Door Café and was owned by his late friend Robert Hawkins. Hicks regularly performed there
so he decided to take it over and transform it into his own place when Hawkins passed away.
According to Birmingham Business Journal, a year later,
Hicks partnered with another Birmingham restaurateur and Ore Drink and Dine joined
Mike Wilson's Saw’s Juke Joint as a combined venue. Hicks told AL.com:
"The opportunity came up to partner with a great restaurant group,
and we thought it fit the space perfectly. I think the concept fits the area perfectly.
We all know Saw's has the best barbecue in town, and the juke joint concept is a home run."
In 2016, Hicks took his love of food even further by hosting his food show "State Plate"
on the cable network INSP. It ran for three seasons.
"That's the best baked bean I've ever had."
The series saw Hicks travel across the United States to make the perfect
dish that personified each state he visited. Hicks told Commercial Appeal:
"As a touring musician [...] I think, like all of us Southerners do, I have been on a food
tour. INSP has this wonderful idea for a food and travel concept, and it all just came together."
It wasn't easy for Taylor Hicks after winning "American Idol" in 2006.
The fame the singing reality show brought him meant exaggerated attention from the paps. In
fact, the fan frenzy around Hicks got so vigorous at times that he had to hire personal security.
Insider reported that the singer was once the target of a stalker-like situation
wherein a cameraman allegedly tailed him for months in a helicopter. Hicks said:
"I had a bodyguard for six months, it was very intense for me."
Despite the frills surrounding his vocation, Hicks knew from a young age that this was the
path he wanted to take. Acknowledging the fame he came into after his victory, he told Dr. Phil:
"I had a vision as a child about three years old to be an entertainer and to create music."
According to data presented by YouGov America, Hicks is the 22nd most popular blues artist
on a list that also ranks the likes of music legends Janis Joplin and B.B. King.
Though his "American Idol" days are long past, Taylor Hicks can still be found belting out tunes
in his powerful, recognizable voice. Following his Season 5 win, Hicks never did stop performing,
continuing to pull large crowds at public shows and tours. In June 2022,
he set audiences grooving on the last night of the 32nd Annual Jazz Fest, which he headlined.
A month later, he performed at an Alabama high school, performing for thousands. Hicks,
a frequent performer in his home state, has previously spoken about the pride he takes
in Alabama and the vital place it holds in rock n' roll legacy, according to Billboard.
Despite the many restrictions brought on by the COVID pandemic, Hicks began touring in
November 2021. Elaborating on how he clinched opportunities after his "Idol" win, he said:
"I think that you have to be smart about the directions that you take."
Hicks fans have more reason to rejoice since the 45-year-old
singer is en route to releasing a new album of original soul music after 10
years. He said during a 2022 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"For me, this is a big opportunity for me to put some real career music
on tape and let everyone hear it."
Taylor Hicks has kept his romance with reality television thriving, long after "American Idol"
ended. The Alabama native thoroughly surprised fans when he appeared as an unexpected surprise
guest on the national tour run by "The Masked Singer" in 2022. In the Fox show's own words,
Hicks "brought the house down in Memphis" with an enthralling stage performance. Hicks told AL.com:
"I jumped at the opportunity — a great hit, a fun look, and no strings attached."
Unlike many who faze out of attention after a major reality show break,
the "Idol" winner has managed to remain relevant to his fans
years after his 2006 victory. According to The Times Union, he said:
"The key is to still try to work as much as you can, and I'm coming up on 15 years
in show business. I'm really happy that I still get to perform shows and be in entertainment."
When Taylor Hicks was crowned the winner of the fifth season of "American Idol,"
over 36 million people tuned in to watch — among the highest-viewed finales of the reality show.
Naturally, that would be a hard high to forget — and Hicks clearly hasn't.
The 45-year-old singer often reminisces about his glory days on social media.
In May 2022, he shared a clip of his memorable purple-jacketed rendition of "Living for the
City" on the "American Idol" stage 16 years ago. He wrote to his 20,000 followers on Instagram:
"The journey continues."
Though the reality show reportedly hasn't peaked lately as it did around 2006,
Hicks has been all praises about the platform that shot him to fame. He told Rolling Stone:
"I think there's a unilateral focus on the show
and really trying to create a star in this business."
Calling it one of the "biggest blessings" of his life, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"I will always be a cheerleader when it comes to that show."
"And that right there, my friends, is a great rendition of Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come'”
One particular statement Hicks made in 2018 about the show left mouths agape,
though. He alleged on a radio show that during his "Idol" stint, he had an inside person in
production who relayed weekly elimination results to him before they were made public.
According to TMZ, the only result he wasn't in the know about was his own finale win.
Nostalgia for the good ol' early millennium days of "American Idol" just
doesn't end! Hicks has continued to since perform with his reality show buddies,
much to the delight of fans. At the World Games in Alabama in 2022,
he regrouped with other "Idol" natives from the state — Ruben Studdard who won the second season,
and Bo Bice, runner-up in the fourth season — for a special act. As per the event's official
website, the grand performance featuring Hicks, Bice, Studdard, and others sought to encapsulate
the spirit of the "Hope of Alabama," with the song standing out as the theme song of the 2022 Games.
Famously dubbed "American Idol's" silver fox,
Hicks honored his reality show legacy by turning up for a special reunion organized for the alums
on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2018. The episode featured Hicks and other "Idol" stars and had
them tell the audience what their lives looked like post their respective television stints.