Woman's Gotta Have It
Filmed at The Workplay Theater in Birmingham, AL 9-26-09 with Ona Watson.
Song available on Taylor's new album, The Distance.
On sale now! Pick your copy today!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Taylor Hicks Wows Seattle Audience at the Sold-Out "Triple Door" Theater! Video!



All video courtesy of RagsQueen!

The Distance


What's Right Is Right


I Live On A Battlefield (This is amazing! Josh Smith RULES on guitar)


Hide Nor Hair


The Deal


Woman's Gotta Have It


Seven Mile Breakdown


My Sweet Lord


Gonna Move


Heaven Knows/The Maze

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Taylor Hicks to Headline at the Red, White and Cruise Festival


According to the Red, White and Cruise Website, Taylor Hicks will be performing at this years July 4th festival, along with new country artist Jimmy Wayne, to be held in Fontana, CA at the AutoClub Speedway. Looks like a great time for the whole family, with fireworks, parades and lots of fun for the kids! Click here for ticket info!

Alabama’s favorite son continues to be in “The Right Place” since becoming the fifth-season winner of American Idol. Taylor Hicks has seen his debut album certified platinum, performed with the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Allman Brothers and Willie Nelson, toured through Asia, penned a brisk-selling Random House memoir, and made his Broadway debut in Grease. Currently promoting his new album The Distance and his current single “Seven Mile Breakdown”.

Early hardship quickly led him to the warm and tender mercies of soul music. As a youth he realized he had perfect pitch, and taught himself to play guitar and a blues-wailin’ harmonica.

His personal twist of fate came in New Orleans, at the wedding of an Auburn friend, the night before Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005. With his flight cancelled, he was given a free airplane voucher. Earlier that summer, he had considered auditioning for AI in Memphis, but the auditions were cancelled as the city became one of hubs of the Katrina relief effort. Taylor eventually used his voucher to travel for a Las Vegas holiday, coincidentally American Idol were auditioning in Vegas during his vacation.

By February, as the fifth season got well underway. From the start, Taylor’s material set him apart. By May 12, “Soul Patrol!” fever was everywhere. It was an emotionally uplifting night – May 24, 2006 – when Taylor won the fifth season of American Idol. 36.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the season finale, the year’s third-largest audience for a televised event after the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. More than 63 million votes were cast in crowning a gritty, down-home, white R&B singer the new winner.

His debut single, “Do I Make You Proud,” debuted in the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and certified Gold. His eponymous debut album, Taylor Hicks, was released on December 12, 2006 and debuted in the #2 spot on the Billboard 200 charts and was later certified Platinum.

Taylor Hicks Talks American Idol with MSNBC

Monday, May 18, 2009

Taylor Hicks Among Idol's Top 10 Idol Wage Earners


According to Forbes Magazine, American Idol Season 5 Winner, Taylor Hicks, makes it onto Forbes Top 10 Wage Earners last year, filling the #10 slot. Way to go, Taylor!!


LOS ANGELES -- For Adam Lambert or Kris Allen, winning this week's much-anticipated American Idol finale will mean a short-lived media frenzy and the sudden adoration of millions of fans. It could also mean a big paycheck down the road.

David Cook, the scruffy rocker and winner of the last Idol competition, earned an estimated $2 million since June of 2008. That's a huge boost from what Cook made as a struggling singer-songwriter in Tulsa, Okla., before the winning the Idol crown last May.

Yahoo! BuzzForbes estimates that Cook generated the bulk of his income from the 1.1 million copies sold of his self-titled major label debut album. Cook supplemented his music sales with a live tour and a product sponsorship deal with sneaker maker Skechers.

Cook's final competitor, David Archuleta, has also enjoyed a remarkably lucrative year since making it to the Idol finals. Archuleta made an estimated $1.3 million from sales of his first album and more than 100 live concerts.

Yet for a lesson in how to build truly massive riches, the current finalists should study the brief career of season-four winner Carrie Underwood. The farm girl turned songstress has gone on to a hugely lucrative recording, touring and product endorsement career. Underwood raked in an estimated $14 million last year, enough to secure the title of top-earning Idol alum.

With her carefully crafted Nashville pop, Underwood cultivates a massive audience spanning both country and Top 40 fans. Her debut album, Some Hearts, spent 11 weeks in 2007 at the top of the Billboard album charts. Songs from her second effort, Carnival Ride, got massive airplay on both country and adult alternative radio. All told, Underwood has sold 9.6 million albums and 10.7 million digital downloads, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Along with producing crowd-pleasing albums, Underwood understands the financial importance of hitting the road. She has played more than 300 shows since her Idol win. Each performance brings in about $350,000 to be split between Underwood and the concert promoter, according to Pollstar.

Underwood has also supplemented her recording and touring income with sizable product endorsement payments. She generates tabloid buzz with her personal life--former alleged flames include Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo and Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford--but avoids the personal meltdowns that afflict other young female celebrities, making her an ideal pitchwoman for consumer products companies. Vitamin Water, owned by Coca-Cola ( KO - news - people ), pays Underwood to endorse its beverages.

Jennifer Hudson, eliminated midway through the third season, was the second-best paid Idol alum over the past year. Following the show, Hudson smartly bet her best chance and superstardom would come from work that blends her musical and acting talents.

In 2006, Hudson took a supporting role in the film adaptation of the Motown musical Dreamgirls. She won an Academy Award for the performance and has since scored roles in the Sex in the City movie and Winged Creatures, an upcoming indie flick also starring Kate Beckinsale and Forest Whitaker.

Her movie roles, along with a well-regarded album and endorsements from Gap ( GPS - news - people ) and Avon, earned Hudson an estimated $5 million.

Kelly Clarkson, the first Idol champion, holds the title of most albums sold by a show alumnus. The 27-year-old with the powerful voice has sold over 10 million records since 2003, generating a steady stream of cash. Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted, released in March, is currently at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.

Another popular career path for Idol contestants is taking their voices on to Broadway or on tour with roving productions of popular musicals. Clay Aiken, the quirky second-place finisher from the second season, boosted his 2008 earnings by performing on Broadway in the Monty Python musical "Spamalot."

Taylor Hicks, winner of the fifth season, is currently playing the role of Teen Angel in a national tour of Grease. Hicks has also toured extensively as a solo artist and released two solidly popular albums of bluesy tunes.

Constantine Maroulis, who finished sixth place in the fourth season, is the most decorated Idol-turned-Broadway star. This month, he received a Tony nomination for his leading role in "Rock of Ages."

Still, without a big-selling album, endorsement contract or solo tour, Maroulis fell just short of our list of top 10 Idol alums.

As Ms. Underwood can attest, a multi-platform approach is essential to post-Idol riches.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

New Video From Taylor Hicks - Seven Mile Breakdown - Review


BC Music Premium
Author: The Other Chad
Published: May 09, 2009 at 7:22 am

With his latest single "Seven Mile Breakdown," Taylor Hicks is reaching out to the country market. A highlight from his recent album The Distance, the bluesy rocker has been given a twangy makeover courtesy of award winning engineer/producer Chuck Ainlay. The single mix, one minute shorter than the album version, features a prominent piano part throughout as well as some strategically placed fiddling. Ainlay managed to keep the essence of the song the same, since there was already a distinctly country feel to the album version of the song. Hicks' powerhouse lead vocal remains front and center, while the new elements blend smoothly with the original track.

This isn't the first time Hicks has ventured into country territory. In his pre-fame days, he recorded a demo in Nashville consisting of a few early originals. His thick Alabama accent already lends itself well to the genre, but more importantly the songs translated effectively. The unreleased Nashville recording of "The Fall" could've been a smash on the country charts. In his autobiography, Heart Full of Soul, Hicks' expressed dissatisfaction with the results of those sessions. These days, considering all the undeserved brickbats being hurled his way, he needs to catch a break somewhere. "Seven Mile Breakdown" could prove to be a real breakthrough.

The first single from The Distance, "What's Right Is Right," performed fairly well on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, spending the last three months in the Top 30. It wasn't necessarily the best choice for lead-off single though. It's a somewhat formulaic pop/soul ballad with a restrained lead vocal. The first time I heard the entire album, "Seven Mile Breakdown" stood out as an ideal showcase for Hicks' strengths. Given the potential for a country crossover hit, it's a smart choice as follow-up single. When he delivered a rousing rendition of the song on American Idol's Top Five elimination week, it seemed like 2006 all over again. Hopefully many viewers were reminded of why they voted him winner that year.

The song's video debuted this week, and if there's any justice CMT is paying attention. The clip for "What's Right Is Right" was rather somber, with Hicks performing the song in a smokey club. While by no means poorly done, the argument could easily be made that it wasn't going to command the attention of a casual viewer. The "Seven Mile Breakdown" video seems geared toward winning some new fans. As simple as it is, with Hicks playing the song in an open field to a small gathering of fans, there is a sense of fun that compliments the song's mood.

Taylor Hicks is the greatest talent to come out of American Idol, but has struggled finding a wide audience. Plagued by ridiculously overwrought - and entirely unjustified - bad press, the more easily convinced sector of the public has bought into the bogus idea that his Idol victory was a "mistake." If releasing a country remix of "Seven Mile Breakdown" will help him gain wider exposure, ultimately leading to more quality music, then more power to him.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Taylor Hicks - Brand New Video for "Seven Mile Breakdown" Available Now!

Taylor - You needed to be IN DA BED with the girl! Enjoy!

Watch more AOL Music videos on AOL Video