Taylor Hick's Currently Recording in Los Angeles - And Visits Dad Along The Way!

After winning the fifth season of “American Idol” in May 2006, Taylor Hicks’ life has been a whirlwind.Hicks, a native of Birmingham, is the son of Dr. Brad Hicks, owner of Same Day Dentures in Jasper. The “Idol” winner made his first stop by his dad’s office since winning the show on Tuesday morning.“I stayed up at Smith Lake over the weekend with a friend and was going back to Birmingham,” Taylor Hicks said. “I thought it was a good chance to stop by and see dad and all the folks at his office. With my schedule, it’s hard to get out this way, so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”Brad Hicks said it’s always good to get to spend time with his son.“It’s great for Taylor to get to stop by the office,” he said. “He used to come out here a good bit, but it’s tough to get by Jasper very often when you are flying from Los Angeles to New York to France.”Taylor Hicks said he was appreciative for the support he’s gotten from Walker County.“My dad kept telling me when I was on the show how much people out here were supporting me,” he said. “I do appreciate everyone supporting me then and supporting me now that I’m doing other things. It means a lot to know that people care about you. I feel like I’ve been adopted by the people out here.”

Taylor Hicks explained his hectic schedule has kept him moving frequently.“I joke around that I’ve been homeless for three years now,” he said. “I’m happy to be working, and I’ve been extremely blessed, so I’m staying on the road a lot.”After leaving Jasper Tuesday, Hicks said he would be in Birmingham for a few days before flying to Los Angeles to finish work on his next album, which is set to be released in Feb. 2009. Hicks said he expects his sophomore album to be somewhat different from his first release after “American Idol.”“With this album, I had a chance to really sink my teeth into the song-writing process,” said Hicks, who has co-wrote several of the songs that will be on the new album. “The first album was so rushed to get into stores by Christmas of that year, and I think that hurt the overall process.”

Along with working on a new album, Hicks also recently concluded a Broadway run in “Grease!” and will star in a national tour of the musical. The tour is set to begin on Dec. 2, and Hicks said he expects it to make a stop in Birmingham during 2009.“A date hasn’t been set yet, but there is a lot of talk about it coming to Birmingham,” Hicks said. “I feel pretty confident that it will be scheduled.”In the musical, Hicks plays Teen Angel and sings “Beauty School Dropout.” He said he will also be cross-promoting his new album during the tour and will sing a single from the album after each performance. Hicks said he would have never imagined starring on Broadway.“This is the first time I’ve done anything like this,” Hicks said. “I think I did well during our stint on Broadway. The Teen Angel character isn’t a real stretch for me, because it fits my personality.”With the national “Grease!” tour and an album tour to follow, Hicks said he expects to be on the road for most of 2009 and into 2010.“It will be a long year and a half on the road,” Hicks said. “Despite the busy schedule, I hope it doesn’t take me as long to get back to Jasper. Thanks again to everyone here. Soul Patrol!”

Source: Daily Mountain Eagle