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.
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Monday, August 10, 2009

Tayor Hicks - Live Album in the Works!


Taylor Hicks recently gave an interview to Rodney Ho of American Idol Buzz. Seems we might get that elusive Whomp At The Warfield DVD yet as well as a new live CD!

Taylor Hicks three years ago said his life ambition was to live on a bus and just play music.

After winning “American Idol,” the prematurely gray-haired soul singer has gotten that wish. He has no house, no rent or mortgage, no utility bills. “I’ve been living out of a suitcase since 2006,” he said in an interview last month to promote his role as Teen Angel in the national tour of “Grease,” which is at the Fox Theatre. “My bills get sent to my parents.”

But even a vagabond like Hicks says he actually would to have roots again someday.

“I’d like to have some home setting in five years, some sort of anchor,” he said.

Of course, Birmingham is his hometown. But Atlanta, he said, is “like a second home,” given how many friends and family he has here. He will also make a return visit to Smith’s Olde Bar on Saturday after his final “Grease” performance. This is where he also performed in 2006 during the “Idols Live” tour.

I took this shot of Taylor back in 2006 at Smith
Hicks not only sings “Beauty School Dropout” in a shiny outfit during the play but during the encore, he gets to sing his latest single “Seven Mile Breakdown.” “It allows fans new and old to see me in two different lights,” he said. “One as an actor performer, the other as a singer songwriter.”

He also signs CDs after the show. So far, he’s sold about 38,000 copies of his current album, “The Distance,” a far cry from the 704,000 for his post-’Idol” victory self-titled album in 2006.

“I think 100,000 is attainable,” he said. “As an independence artist, that would be substantial.”

Hicks knows he helps get Soul Patrol fans into seats, which is why the touring company booked him. “The fan base is definitely there,” he said.

The Fox shows were added after Hicks had prior commitments so he’s only doing the shows from August 11 to 16, although the tour has been at the Fox since Friday.

Hicks is also unfazed by the fact Web sites such as TMZ mock him for not being a monstrous Carrie Underwood-level success. “If they talk about you, then deep down, they love ya,” he said. “If they don’t, then you have problems.”

Simon Cowell, for instance, could barely tolerate him during the actual show but Hicks was amazed to see him give Hicks a standing ovation earlier this year when Hicks came back to perform “Seven Mile Breakdown.”

The rest of the article can be view on Rodney's website!

8 comments:

medolark said...

I can't wait for the Live album. I've been really hoping he'd do an acoustic one. Ü

juliegr said...

Fantastic article. Once again, we see the tide is changing and more and more good and thoughtful interviews are going to the press. I especially love the tone of the "conversation" and the lack of comparisons or even slanted remarks about marketplace standing for his albums.

Nice to hear Taylor hasn't completely given up on Whomp at the Warfield AND that he has plans for another live album down the road.

YEAH!

rohocop said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Live album!! Yes!! I have always wanted Taylor to do a live album.

Great article.

(berney)

Anonymous said...

Griz - I just noticed your little D ballon dedicated to Little Deb and THE BOOGIE. My thoughts exactly! What crap that site is turning out to be! It used to be my favorite site - but it's becoming sickening and depressing. They might as well turn it into another AI board.

Thank you for keeping it real here on your blog Griz.

(berney)

Anonymous said...

So good to read here all the latest Taylor talk and not AI... Nice article on Taylor learned a few more things of interest.

texassoul

soulthing said...

It’s where the action is going to be from now on, cuz your Mods at the Boogie Board just banned me! LOLOL!!!! Feel free to tell your best bud about that!

If you're looking for me, I'll be hunched in a corner writing a new blog - and it's going to be sweet!

Anonymous said...

First let me say I am a Taylor Hicks fan, but 38,000 CD's sold in 5 months. Something's wrong, guess all those voters not interested. Paula Abdul once said to the effect that most singers would give an Arm and Leg to sell 100,000CD's. Taylor may have to give more than that to get there. More concerts may be Taylor's way. Has "Grease" helped him much?JIRO