Take A Hike, Clive, Simon & Nigel, I Got My Own Label Now!

There's a new record label in town and it's called Modern Whomp Records, named for Taylor Hick's self-description of his current musical sound. His next CD release, a two-CD set called "Early Works", will be released on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 on his new label and distributed by Vanguard Records/Welk Distribution. It will be a compilation of his 2 indie albums, "In Your Time" & "Under The Radar". I hope that he also includes a little extra something to entice those fans who are still hesitant to purchase music they already own. Most certainly it will be, at the very least, digitally remixed, which will vastly improve the sound on many of the songs. But in addition to that, I'm hoping we get one or two unreleased tracks or maybe a live version we haven't heard before.

Regardless, a brand new nicely packaged CD with comprehensive liner notes of these great older tunes will no doubt bring Taylor many new fans who only know him from American Idol and his Clive Davis-at-the-reign post Idol CD, Taylor Hicks. Many still don't know of his acoustic and blues roots, so I'm hoping that this long overdue set will open some ears to the troubadour Taylor many of us grew to love since the first time we heard his voice. As far as I'm concerned, some of his best deliveries and most significant original songs came out of those dark, empty bar rooms and lonely nights spent trying to get noticed by anyone in the music industry. I'm glad to see some of them finally being released to a broader audience.

In addition to the Early Works CD, Taylor will be releasing a brand new, full length CD this Fall with all new songs. He says this CD, described as having songs sprinkled with political & social undertones and songs about love & past relationships - "a snapshot of his current life', will be primarily his own original work in additon to collaborations with A-List songwriters from Nashville, New York, & Los Angeles. It's not clear whether this CD of new songs will be released on his own label, but we do know he created it with full creative control/freedom which just about ensures an album vastly different than the one released under Clive. That said, I still listen to the Taylor Hicks album and I really feel there were some wonderful tunes on there that deserved a lot more promotion than it ultimately got (which was zero), most notably Gonna Move, The Right Place, Heaven Knows, Whereever I Lay My Hat and the standout originals Soul Thing, The Deal and Hell of a Day. But there was an attempt here to turn Taylor into a "pop artist" and it pretty much sucked all the natural soul out of his exceptional voice. He is a blues and soul singer, not a pop singer, with a little bit of rock and pop thrown in. This new venture will give him total creative freedom, more money in his pocket, and a distributor to do the leg work of getting it into retail outlets.

Will this new CD sell as many as the last CD (850,000 Worldwide) with Gold and Platinum certification from the RIAA? Probably not, but I tell ya, this might be just the right medicine to heal the wounds that, for the past two years, continued to be a pain in the ass for many of his fans. Everything from sales comparisons to arguments concerning the success and non-success of Idol winners and losers were relentlessly being debated. We know Taylor didn't give a rat's ass about these sorts of things (as he has said in many interviews), but the endless inuendos by disgruntled fans of other Idol losers were, at minimum, draining for his die-hard fans. Ultimately, it was and is, all bogus. So the next time you find yourself getting riled up from one of the brain-dead baiters out there, remember that none of it matters and none of it is meaningful.

Thankfully, all that is behind us now. One thing I'll not be doing when these new CDs come out is angst about the amount of "units sold". I'm sure for many of us, that really took much of the enjoyment out of owning Taylor's music. It's a new day and he's on a new open road with endless possibilities. He wants to wet his feet with more acting roles and no doubt, his tours will always be where he ultimately 'lays his hat'. I'll be traveling this road with him and although I know they'll be more bumps in the road, I know the end result will bring him to where he's going and I'll be there waiting with him at the end of his journey.

BMG/Sony Dumps $Clive Davis$!!! Oh, How Sweet It Is!

You're gonna love this! Clive Davis, the guy who proclaimed selling 701,000 copies of a CD is not "good enough" to keep on his record label was dumped as CEO of the BMG Music Label. Yes, ye old karmic wheel rolls right along, sticking it to old Clive and a few of his croonies today.

Let's see, what adjectives can I use to get the most effect out of this HUGE story? Hmm! How about axed, dropped, cut, washed up, kicked out the door, kicked in the ass, failure? What goes around comes around and I couldn't be happier! A sweet day in the music industry. Somewhere, Taylor Hicks has his feet up, smiling and drinking a cool Coors. :) Read on....

SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHANGES

New York – April 17, 2008 – SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT today announced a series of senior management changes that will further strengthen the operation of the company.

Effective immediately, Barry Weiss will assume the position of Chairman and CEO of the BMG Label Group. Mr. Weiss will report to Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, and will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Group and its labels, which include RCA Records, Jive, J Records, LaFace, Arista, Volcano, Verity, GospoCentric and Fo Yo Soul.

Effective immediately, Clive Davis will assume the role of Chief Creative Officer — SONY BMG Worldwide. In this role, he will also continue to work together with premier artists for SONY BMG and will report to Rolf Schmidt-Holtz. Mr. Davis has been a monumental figure in the music industry for generations. He has shaped the careers of legendary artists such as Janis Joplin, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana, among others, and has become a music legend in his own right.

Mr. Weiss previously served as President and CEO of the Zomba Label Group, where he signed and/or developed some of the world’s most popular artists including Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, R. Kelly, Backstreet Boys, Chris Brown, T-Pain and Three Days Grace. He has built a reputation as an exceptional leader who skillfully combines creative sensitivity with business tenacity. Mr. Weiss will continue to oversee Zomba as part of the BMG Label Group in his new role.

Richard Sanders, currently President of Global Marketing, will now become Head of International, responsible for operations and regional offices worldwide. He will continue to oversee Global Marketing.

Tim Bowen will leave the company. As SONY BMG’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Bowen successfully worked across labels and regions to unify SONY BMG and expand its presence in markets around the world.

Charles Goldstuck will leave the company to pursue other business interests. Mr. Goldstuck helped to build BMG into one of the most successful music label groups in the industry during his tenure as President and COO. His many contributions over the years have greatly benefited the BMG Label Group.

SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT thanks Mr. Bowen and Mr. Goldstuck for their dedicated service to the company.

ABOUT SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is a global recorded music joint venture with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars, as well as a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is 50% owned by Bertelsmann A.G. and 50% owned by Sony Corporation of America.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE AMERICAN IDOL PRODUCERS

Here's a letter by Jenni Jac, who voice clearly echos many viewers feelings about American Idol (what's left of them) who's votes apparently mean nothing - that's according to the show's producers, judges, and associates. Be careful, big shots, karma works in mysterious ways and soon, very soon, the show, and all those associated with it, will go the way of 'My Mother The Car', filed under 'Irrelevant TV Shows'....

"Dear producers of American Idol, Idol Judges, and Idol Associates,

Lately our heart has grown heavy and filled with remorse. We realize now that we have carelessly thrust a mountain of angst upon you. We, the American voting public have caused a wound that seems to have festered even more over the passage of time, and for that we are deeply sorry. As valiantly as you may try to tuck it away, the inner torment seems to be eating away at you. It seems you can no longer hold it in, as you repeatedly cry out: "The Idol voters made a mistake!! Why did they ever vote Taylor Hicks the American idol, why? why?!!!" Oh my God, what have we done?

After hearing your repeated and united cries of injustice, it is finally beginning to sink in. What were we thinking? We allowed a man with a unique voice, charisma, and stage presence to steal the crown away from other contestants with more marketable genres. I mean, Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke are so-o-o 1960s. That crap will never make it onto top 40 radio in the 21st century. To make things even worse, that ungrateful bastard Hicks decides to shun your generous management offer, cutting you out of a big chunk of revenue. I mean really, what is so wrong with a 40% management fee, or even more? You made him, right? We totally understand why you can barely bring yourself to show his picture or mention his name on the show anymore, what with all the financial and emotional damage he has caused.

So yes, we are deeply sorry and ready to atone. With our experience and hindsight, we can tell you how to avoid a travesty such as this in the future:

1. Screen your prospects carefully. Avoid throwback styles altogether. Their musical knowledge should be limited. If they know more about music than Simon Cowell, it will reflect badly on the show. "Empty Vessel" is the operative term here.

2. Avoid picking contestants that use terms such as "vision", "dues", or especially "songwriting". Believe me, they will cause you nothing but heartache in the future.

3. Once you have your contestants chosen, outfit them all with burkas, so they will be completely covered from head to toe. Next, strap them to a chair. This will eliminate any possibility of voters being swayed by attractiveness/unattractiveness, fashion sense, dance moves, smiles, smirks, facial tics or gestures that could either endear or alienate them to the voters. Just to be safe, put them in their burkas behind a screen and show them in silhouette. You really can't be too careful.

4. Pick one song each week and make every contestant sing it. Ignore their pleas for different arrangements. There is good reason for this. If their own song choice or arrangement goes over well, it will only embolden them to demand more artistic creativity when it comes time to cut that record. That can be such a pain.

5. After each performance, instruct Ryan to ask questions that can be easily answered with either "yes", "no", or "maybe". Place these words in a board and give the contestant a laser pointer to pick the appropriate response. This will bypass the personality factor altogether which is not required for a top 40 hit, so don't be tempted. The "No Speak" tactic will also thwart attempts to mobilize or define any fanbase. That just gets messy.

6. Do not allow them to hold up fingers reminding the voters what number they need to vote for. No reason for this other than it continues to annoy us. You could consider allowing them to stomp their number out on the floor like one of those math horses, but that option is strictly up to you.

7. IMPORTANT: You will need to put a crawler at the bottom of the screen to continuously remind voters that they are voting for contestants who will sell the most records, instead of the ones you actually want to see perform again next week.

Well, I hope we have been helpful. Sorry again about the Taylor thing, I'm sure it won't happen again."

Taylor Hicks & Kelly Clarkson - Artistic Differences With Clive

From The Stuck In A Pagoda With Motoko Aotama music website, a very well stated argument about Clive Davis and his battles with Taylor and Kelly Clarkson over artistic differences which I agree with wholeheartedly. In part it reads:

Sadly, in very recent years he’s been known for butting heads with some of his artists over the content of their music in a vain quest to adult-contemporize artists more used to edgier rock and R&B material. Kelly Clarkson in particular had a very public battle with Clive over the more rock-oriented material on her album My December, during which Clive tried to bribe the singer with several million dollars in return for dropping several of the songs off of the album in favor of more bland by-the-nuumbers adult-contempoary material (wisely, she didn’t take the money), while American Idle 2006 winner Taylor Hicks reportedly blamed artistic differences with the veteran executive over his sudden decision to part company with the RCA Records Group. Granted, like most post-Clarkson Idle winners, his status as a ‘fan favorite’ may be in justifiable doubt, but when fan complaints about some of the material on his album plus his post-departure remarks about artistic differences are added together – even without throwing the Clarkson My December controversy back into the mix – it doesn’t help dissipate the image Davis has grown in recent years of an out-of-touch, potentially senile old man.

About the author of the above writing:

CJ Marsicano is a writer and musician from the Northeastern Pennsylvania area. He has written about music and pop culture for such online publications as Scoops, The Bagpipe Report, and Project X, and conducted interviews with such noteworthy musicians as Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges), Bif Naked, and Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Bob Mould). A musician in both the punk/alternative and electronic dance music genres, he has released an EP, WMX8, which is available exclusively on iTunes.

Taylor Hicks Writing For Next Album

Good news folks! We heard from Taylor this morning and yes there is signs of life! Seems he has his sexy patooty in motion and is writing all kinds of music for his next album. He said for the past 2 weeks he's been in Nashville and Los Angeles and has about 30 songs that he's choosing from. Oh boy, if this doesn't make you salivate, I don't know what will. I'm absolutely convinced that this looooooong wait will be worth it in spades when we hear the final product. Imagine someone with the soulful vibe of Taylor Hicks having creative freedom without the strangle-hold of Clive Davis!? Imagine if he comes up with another song like "Somehow" (a masterpiece in my opinion), a song he penned for his first album "In Your Time". Imagine if it makes Clive rue the day he and Taylor parted ways? Imagine if he makes the critics eat crow? Yum Yum! Ah! A glorious day for the Soul Patrol, eh?

Personally, I don't care how much or how little commercial success this album has, just as long as there's some good soulful and bluesy tunes to groove and swoon with!

Also, he said his goal on the next tour is to make it up to Canada AND to give the West Coast of the U.S. lots of Taylor luv! Wooo! Europe and Asia is not out of the question either depending on how the new album does! Let's cross our fingers!

Go Taylor! We're waiting with baited breath!

Taylor Hicks To Write New Album in Nashville, NY & Los Angeles

Happy Superbowl Sunday! We got a treat today from Taylor who gave an update on the progress of his new DVD "Whomp At The Warfield", his public appearances, his upcoming gigs and his new Clive-Free CD which should be out later in the year! Listen to it here:

More Pig Manure from Randy Jackson on the state of American Idol

In the NY Post today:

"Randy Jackson doesn't mince any words when it comes to former "American Idol" contestants whose albums have tanked following their initial success on the show. "Once you graduate high school you can't blame the high school," Jackson tells AOL Television. "The truth really is [that] it's up to them to make amazing records. If they don't make amazing records... you know, the business kinda catches up with them. "

Sure Randy. So you're saying that everyone coming out of American Idol has total control over their first (or second or third) album release, eh? They are never at the mercy of Clive/J/Arista/RCA, eh? The BMG conglomerate insist that even experienced musicians change up their music to force-fit their sound into Top 40 pablum (whether that's YOUR genre or not).

When sales don't sell a million within a week of release, Clive then refuses to promote it, refuses payola to the radio stations to play it 110x a day, and publically denounces you on your state of the American Idol vomit speech you insist on doing every year - a speech crafted to show America what a great music mogal you are.

So then Randy then tells us today in this article that we shouldn't 'blame' American Idol cuz it's winner/co-winners don't put out good albums. Bullshit, Randy. Shame on you and the rest of your croonies for picking who to promote and who NOT too.

These brain-washing lies are just getting too transparent for me. I need a shower.

Taylor Hicks - Courtside at the Lakers Game!

Yep, Taylor is definitely in the VIP section - courtside at yesterday's LA Laker's/Denver Nugget's Game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Sorry about the watermark, but the picture comes from the Getty Image folks and they put that on their pictures. Nevertheless, it's just another flawless image of the Soulman deep in concentration on the game. Keep on living the dream Taylor!

Taylor Hicks - American Idol's Golden Treasure

......yes Clive, Nigel and Simon, it's a pity you white-suit music 'professionals' couldn't see the musical genius of YOUR Season 5 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks - you remember, the musician, the one playing that little blues harp, in the following video?



Yes, Clive, you're right, Taylor will never be a Top 40 pop artist. And he most likely will never share the chart with Fergie, Justin, Beyonce, Carrie or Britney. In your mind, I guess that would characterize him as a "failure" - enough so, to make him feel he needed to drop J Records in favor of gaining his creative musical freedom. Tsk, tsk. You failed him Clive. If you would have just let Taylor be Taylor, things would have been fine and dandy. But no, it just wasn't in the cards. I guess pushing over 700,000 US sales from a modern day bluesman with no hit song and no support from YOUR label wasn't good enough. It's pity you and your 'hip' label couldn't recognize the raw talent you had right before your eyes.

Welp, good riddance J Records - thanks for all your non-support. I hope this year's AI Winner fits your mold better and fills your deep pockets with lots of that green stuff. I mean, after all, isn't that all that matters?

Taylor Hicks - Alabama Hall Of Fame Music Induction Ceremony - Tickets Now Available

Tickets are now on sale (or so we've been told) through Ticketmaster for the Alabama Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that will be held on Feb 22, 2008. Taylor Hicks will be receiving one of the two American Music Awards that will be given out during the awards ceremony. In addition, he is one of the scheduled performers appearing on stage that evening. Other musical guests include Randy Owen, Kris Kristofferson, Percy Sledge, Tommy Shaw, Eddie Floyd, The Commodores, The Thrasher Brothers, Cleveland Eaton, Clarence Carter and Ernie Ashworth.

American Idol Piggies

I've been in a kind of anti-corporate, anti-conglomerate mood these days, so I decided to have a little fun. I call it "American Idol Piggies"!

Hope you likey! :)

Taylor Hicks - J Records Didn't Want to Shove Songs Down His Throat

So we get another piece of the puzzle from a New York Daily News Article Today. Why this wasn't printed initially is beyond my comprehension. It would have stopped the perception Taylor was "dropped", "cut", or "dumped" from J Records.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for Taylor actually. He gets to write the songs, pick the producer, hire his musicians and arrange the songs any way he likes without getting daddy Clive's permission or approval. And after it done, if J likes what they hear, then 'of course', they'll take credit for it. Nice, Clive! That's really 'very big' of you.

Perhaps American Idol was sensing their total sleeziness amongst fans and decided to cough up the truth of what really went down. Geesh! What a bunch of creeps.

"We didn't want to shove any songs down his throat. We wanted to make an album in the style he was comfortable with. We mutually agreed that he'd work on an album [on his own], we'd listen, and we'd see where we go from there. There's no acrimony."

Taylor Hicks - Live Cuts from the "Whomp At The Warfield" DVD!

Just a heads-up to those of you who haven't visited Taylor's myspace page lately. He just added 2 live cuts from the "Whomp At The Warfield" DVD to his music player. "The Maze"/"Warm Love" and a very funktified version of "Heaven Knows" are up for your listening pleasure. SO HOT HOT HOT!!!

Taylor, in the event you read this, please please please release the live music as a CD as well as a DVD. You'd be crazy not too - it's SO good!! The world needs to be able to pop it into it's CD player and boogie-woogie all the time!

Does Clive Miss Taylor Hicks Already?

Seems Clive can't shut the door completely on our Taylor! A spokeman from Arista/J came out today and threw this little bone out there.

"We have an understanding with Taylor Hicks that he will come back to us to play music once he’s finished writing his new material." Source: EW.

This statement comes in an announcement that 2nd place runner-up Katharine McPhee has also parted ways with $Clive$. Good for her.

I'm not quite sure I know how to interpret this. According to Ken Barnes at Idol Chatter, he explains it like this:

This is a way of not completely slamming the door shut; if Arista is captivated by Taylor's new songs, it can arrive at an agreement to release an album of them. Not unprecedented in the complicated world of artist/label relations, and an interesting development.

In my opinion, Taylor, you need to run away as fast as you can from this RCA/Arista/J label. They have done nothing for you, career wise, and there's no reason to think they will do anything for you in the future. They had their chance and blew it. Time to say a final farewell, I say, especially if the following statment is true:

"Mr. Hicks was not dropped by his label, as has been widely reported over the past couple of days. His lawyers were able to get him removed from his contract for a variety of reasons, including breach of contract and failure to comply with promised promotion, among other things. Mr. Hicks has agreed not to reveal the terms of the separation for a specific period of time. In other words, J Records/RCA didn't give Hicks what they promised, he wants more artistic freedom and better promotion, he was able to get out of his contract and he has agreed not to reveal any details at this time. Bear in mind that the new season of American Idol is coming up, and they can't afford more negative publicity - look how badly their treatment of Mr. Hicks impacted last season's show."

Posted by: fromtheinside on 01/08/2008 06:38 AM
http://music.hollyscoop.com/american-idol/taylor-hicks-splits-from-arista_268.aspx

Taylor Hicks Returns to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic ~!

Yes, folks, Taylor will take Palm Springs, CA by storm again and hit the greens for The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, January 16-20.

The winner of the fifth season of “American Idol”, Hicks returns to play at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic off the success of his debut album and his single “Do I Make You Proud”, a number one hit which was certified gold. His energetic stage performances and soul and blues influenced music have earned him a following of devout fans who are dubbed the “Soul Patrol”.

Here's a nice video of last years events! Enjoy! :)

Sweet Freedom

"Sweet Freedom"
By Rod Temperton
Sung by Michael McDonald

No more runnin down the wrong road
Dancin to a different drum
Can't you see whats goin on
Deep inside your heart
Always searchin for the real thing
Livin like its far away
Just leave all the madness in yesterday
You're holdin the key
When you believe it

Chorus:
Shine sweet freedom
Shine your light on me
You are the magic
You're right where I wanna be
Oh sweet freedom carry me along
Well keep the spirit alive on and on

Well be dancin in the moonlight
Smilin with the risin sun
Livin like weve never done
Goin all the way
Reachin out to meet the changes
Touchin every shining star
The light of tomorrow is right where we are
There's no turnin back
From what Im feeling

Chorus:

Coz therell be starlight all night
When were close together
Share those feelings dancin in your eyes
Tonight theyre guiding us
Shinin till the mornin light

Taylor Hicks Gets Creative Freedom At Last!

"I’m worried about my fans and the people who like me as opposed to what’s mainstream. I’m going to be a musician and a soul singer for the rest of my life. In this business, I’ve been denied many times. Mainstream music is a very interesting beast, and if I play a part in that in the next year or so, then fine. But if I don’t, somebody will be seeing me being funky somewhere."
- Taylor Hicks

Yes, Taylor is in an enviable position today, folks. He's now a guy who has the creative freedom to make the kind of record he envisioned for himself the first time around. He's maintained ownership and rights to his 2 independent albums that brings in a ton of money for him at the merchandise table at his concerts (along with all those t-shirts, hats, and cute little gray Taylor Bears). See, he gets to keep most of that profit (unlike the major label album, which goes to JRecords and into Clive's pocket). Thanks to his triumphant win in Season 5 of American Idol, he is now a household name with creative freedom to do as he pleases and a very large and loyal fanbase that believe in him. Yes, imagine having all this and not having to answer to "Big Daddy" anymore. Now *that* deserves a couple of "Woooo's"!

If she hasn't already done so, Kelly Clarkson should place an immediate call to Taylor asking him how he managed such a sweet deal, considering that she too, got the shaft from Clive last year. Come on, Kelly, break free! We're with you too!

Taylor Hicks Buys Out Contract with J Records?

If this EW article is to be believed, then Taylor, Clive and JRecords have parted ways. Or, to be exact, "Taylor is going to record his next album on his own,” said a label rep.

Obviously, Taylor bought out his contract from J Records. That's the only logical conclusion I can come up with. I mean no record label in their right mind drops a platinum selling artist, do they? Hopefully more details with be forthcoming from Hick's camp in short order.

To date, Taylor has sold approximately 825,000 copies of his album WorldWide and 700,000 copies in the U.S., according to SoundScan totals - with Gold and Platinum Certification from the RIAA. His debut album placed #74 on Billboard's Top 200 albums of 2007. That's not half-bad considering he achieved this with no airplay on Top 40 radio, no payola, no push and no support from his own record label - JRecords. Wow! Talk about climbing an uphill battle, eh? Could these totals not be good enough for Clive? Holy Crap!! Does he need a pint of blood too?

But seriously, here are my thoughts on the matter. I personally see this is as a monster weight off of Taylor's shoulders. Obviously he was forced to rush out an album in a mere 6 weeks after the Idol tour, compromising both on his choice of producer (Matt Serletic) and on the songs he was given (it must have taken Taylor's last ounce of strength not to gag when singing that insipid Diane Warren song that Clive pushed down his throat). Even so, I thought this was a good album and I still listen to certain cuts to this day. But I know that Taylor is capable and has the talent to produce a GREAT album - an album that will show off his deep soulful voice and the emotional connection he can attach to the right song. With a producer with the same vision, a producer who knows how to showcase Taylor's unique talent and voice, well, the possibilities are endless for that "masterpiece" he talks about from time to time and most likely dreams about on a regular basis.

Last week Taylor told us in an interview with the Sirius Satellite Network, that he'll be writing with Steve Cropper, one of the founding members of Booker T & the MG's and co-writer on two classic soul songs - 'In The Midnight Hour' and '(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay'. He has strong connections to the STAX Record Label - a label that produced some of the greatest soul singers of my generation - a label that Taylor has been promoting and wearing proudly on his chest for the past 6 months. If I were a betting person (and I am), I would put my money on this label as the next step in Taylor's recording career. I have no inside info, and I look forward to reading the next chapter.

You have to give Taylor kudos for staying true to his musical truths and being stubborn about the integrity of his music. He refused to sing the initial coronation song American Idol wanted him to sing on the finale - even walking out of the gab session. You show 'em Taylor! Apparently, he will not cow-tow, under any circumstances, to the whims and winds of the current music trends or stupid enough to sing a piece of garbage music. That's what 10 years in the business does for you. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Seems so in this case.

It takes a person of great integrity and a strong sense of self and self confidence to acquire the willpower not to surcome to the pressures of the BMG music conglomerate such as the one headed by $Clive Davis$. We are behind you 100%, Taylor! I'm a true believer in things happening for a reason - that nothing is coincidental. It's so reassuring to see people like Taylor with some real guts to do what needed to be done and not be strung out by his balls by this corporation. Good riddence J Records, Clive Davis, Nigel Lythgoe, Simon Cowell and all the rest!

Bottom line is that Taylor is a working musician and lives and breathes to perform for the people. This is his life. In his autobiography, "Heart Full of Soul", he says, "Ultimately, music is all about the people you can connect with - not those with whom you can't." I trust he will continue on his merry way, making albums, touring the country, riding on that tour bus and singing the blues!

'SOMEHOW'
Taylor Hicks

Look at the people around you
stabbing at your heart
but you still smile in kindness
for not knowing who they are

And their stories have ended
And they've lit up the town
And it's time to go home
As they go and lay their bodies back down

There's too many things
Left to be unsaid
So I live in a dark hole
Sometimes in my head

But I'm all right
I'll get by
Somehow

Stay tuned....

Taylor Hicks - The One In A Million Winner

As we gear up for Season 7 of American Idol, I wonder if we'll ever see a winner like Taylor Hicks again (or even a Top 10 contender). My gut tells me no way. He was definitely that one-in-a-millon contestant who had everything going for him and played every move strategically correct. Over 64 million phone votes were cast for Taylor on May 23, 2006.

He brought an excitement and passion to the AI stage that I have yet to see duplicated. He was everybody's underdog - that ultra charismatic slightly paunchy prematurely gray headed guy who wasn't afraid to show you the passion he had for his music. He presented himself as a good natured southern guy but with the grit and determination that just makes you want to root for. Let's not forget he headlined the most successful AI tour ever and Season 5, his season, had the highest TV viewership to date. This is not a coincidence, my friends.



I loved it when Paula said "this is the authentic Taylor". At the time, I said to myself, "Taylor is playing this game brilliantly! He's tapping into the viewers good natured, have-a-good-time-make-you-wanna-vote-for-him heartstring! But if we look underneath the surface, her comment didn't do him any favors in his post Idol success and certainly Simon's snark about him being the perpetual wedding singer hasn't done any favors either. I hate to keep repeating this, but this perception of the wild and crazy singer/dancer is still dogging him, I believe, and he is on an uphill road to get that tag off of his back.

The truth is that the real Taylor Hicks is a serious, extremely hard-working talented musician, songwriter and singer, who puts every ounce of his being into his performances. During Idol, many took this as a goofy throw-back, but in actuality, he used his unconventional style to gain a huge fan base and springboard his career to pursue the kind of music he wanted. That HE wanted, not the Top 40 niche artist Clive Davis wants out of this talent show. Stubborn? Yes? Savvy? You betcha! Smart? Damn right!

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), he's become the black sheep of 'the AI family' because he refused and is still refusing to be manipulated by the powers that be. Whether or not he ever becomes a huge selling recording artist, a pop star that lands in tabloids, or bucks his own vision just to sell those "units", he is creating a long term career based on real cloth, not synthetic fabric. Long after the musical trends change and those who are big today are long gone tomorrow, I firmly believe Taylor will still be out there performing his heart out to his fans, doing it his way. He came into the show as his own man, and will continue on as his own man - and I wouldn't want it any other way.

You can be sure you will not see the likes of a Taylor Hicks again on that American Idol stage. The producers will make sure of that. He was too good for it anyway. Cheers!