Taylor Hicks Spotted in Aspen, CO!

According to an article in the Toronto Star, Taylor was recently spotted at the Aspen, CO airport. Could he have taken a much needed skiing vacation hobnobbing with the Hollywood elite? Say what you want, the guy loves to pamper himself with everything from vacationing on the private island of Cayo Espanto off the coast of Belize to taking on the snow covered slopes of Colorado. I hope he got to see the John Denver display in the Rio Grand area in Aspen - an area where he wrote many of his beautiful inspirational songs. Let's hope it inspired Taylor to do the same!

The article reads in part:

"...But to really celeb spot, you need to be here at Christmas or holidays, when the permanent population of about 7,000 can quadruple and regulars such as singer Seal and his wife Heidi Klum, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Jack Nicholson and Jennifer Lopez take to the streets, the stores and the slopes.

Used to be they'd be treated just like locals, but Hawn has complained even out-of-the-way Aspen isn't the discreet getaway from the paparazzi that it once was.

Try as you may, it's almost impossible not to get caught up in the talent tally. I was embarrassed to find myself text messaging my kids to alert them that I was standing just feet from American Idol winner Taylor Hicks at Aspen airport and that I'd passed filmmaker Steven Spielberg on the street.

"That's a good (sighting). I'm impressed by that," confessed one local. "Everybody wants to know who's here, but the fact is you might never see them...."

Taylor Hicks And The Legends

At this point in time, the sweetest thing I like to see is Taylor's name mentioned in the same circle as the great musicians. I ran across this CD review by C.W. Rossand of a new album out by Kevin Max. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when I read the Track 9 commentary. I mean, really, Taylor mentioned in the same breath as these legends?!? Naturally. I firmly believe he has the internal heart & soul, dedication, passion and talent as the greats and those who have good musical sensibilities know it too. You can hear Taylor's version of "People Get Ready" in the side bar.

Track-9 "People Get Ready" The 1965 single by The Impressions and written by Curtis Mayfield has to be one of the most covered songs around. It has been covered by everyone from Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, U2, Aretha Franklin, and Phil Collins to John Denver, Taylor Hicks, and Alicia Keys to name just a few. This version features Erica Campbell from Mary Mary. I liked this cover that stayed pretty true to the original song. I also enjoyed the guitar solo's found on it.