Taylor Hicks and Other Idols Winners and Contestants Celebrate Opening of AI Exhibit in Orlando

Taylor Hicks joined 6 other American Idol winners Thursday, February 12 to help celebrate the grand opening of the new "American Idol Experience" exhibit at Disney World in Orlando, Fl. This was the first time all 7 winners graced a stage together, and didn't Taylor look so dapper? So handsome? So classy? So... so... uh, well you get the picture! Oh yea, can you believe he and Simon Fuller had their picture taken together? Ah, to be a fly on the wall... And you'll notice one bald ugly guy (Daughtry, cough, belch) had the good sense to stay away - why ruin a perfectly good day, right? Anyway, below are some pictures from the event (click to enlarge)!

AI Phonies - Yes, Chris Daughtry & Carrie Underwood I'm Talking To You

CORPORATE-PRODUCED MUSIC

"Carrie Underwood, Chris "Daughtry" Daughtry, Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana ... is this what has become of music? What happened to the bands, the singer-songwriters that lived, breathed and, occasionally, died for their muse? It's like "American Idol," once just a boil on our TVs, has mutated into a pox. Carrie is no more country than Loretta Lynn is pop. Miley Cyrus? We're weaning our future music lovers on meaningless crap. We won't even talk about Chris, who sounds like some opening act for the Clarks. Where are today's Bob Dylans and Janis Joplins, our Jimi Hendrixes and Aretha Franklins? Let's stop rewarding phonies. New Year's resolution: Less B94, more YEP." Source: Pittsburgh Tribune

So I ran across this little blurb from the Pittsburgh Tribune a few days ago, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief that someone out there had the guts to write something that I've been saying forever. I was beginning to think I was living on an isolated planet wondering what had happened to pop music. Was I the only one who had noticed how far downhill the music industry has gone in a mere decade - how low the 'bar' of greatest has fallen. Who threw MY music in the trash without telling me? And when did this happen? Certainly American Idol couldn't have destroyed the music industry by itself - or did it?

Well if you go by their 2 biggest sellers this year - Daughtry and Carrie Underwood, who are relentlessly promoted, I would say they have a big hand in the state of music today. Certainly there is LOTS of other crap out there, but the American Idol karaoke machine is to blame for much of the current musical drivel. I don't get it, though. Daughtry is nothing more than a copy-cat chain-bearing pseudo rocker that doesn't have an ounce of ingenuity in his entire body. Carrie is barely more than a country robot who couldn't show any emotional involvement in a song if her life depended on it. Sing what you're given and play nice, Carrie. Don't ruffle any feathers. Clive loves that. And speaking of Clive, I wonder if he is happy how AI6 turned out. The best singer of that season, Melinda Doolittle, losing to Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks . A total travesty. Serves him right for pimping the wrong people.

Oh well. Such is the society we live in now. It's sad. There are no musical innovators on the horizon - or is there?

You guys can have your mass-produced music pop drivel from the Daughtrys and Underwoods of the world.

I'll pass, however. It's okay. Really. I'll find my music elsewhere - maybe from someone a little more 'under the radar'.

TAYLOR HICKS - THE KING OF SOUL (Patrol)

I love this article from the Philippine Star - We won't find the likes of Taylor on the pop charts anytime soon. Nope. Where you will find him is the hearts and souls of people who see the essence of this man. He is quite unique in this day and age - a time where the pop world is dominated by electronic and synthesized music machines. Instead, Taylor is out there doing his own thing - jamming, snapping, dancing and spreading good 'ol soul music around the world - one country at a time.

The article reads:

If we forget just how good the fifth season American Idol performers were, we need only remember three names: Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry and the salt-and-pepper-haired fellow who was a little more manic and a little more eager than the rest — the one who would whoop and lean a la Stevie Wonder; the one with a penchant for blowing on a harmonica every chance he got. We thought he looked a little like Jay Leno then, but my girlfriend Joyce digressed when she saw him live.

“Pogi kaya!” she said. Poor Jay. But I left it at that.

Pogi or otherwise, the ring leader of the “soul patrol” surely raked in the votes — enough to catapult him past Katharine McPhee and enough to have our unlikely hero crowned American Idol last May 24, 2006 — in front of some 34.4 million rabid TV viewers.

While we’re at it, consider that some 63.4 million people cast their vote for Taylor Hicks — the “gritty, down-home white R ’n B singer” as the AI champ. Yup, presidencies have been settled with far less votes and hoopla.

“Thank you, soul patrol!” he beams on the Hard Rock Café stage in Makati — always referring to the throngs of believers who were won over by the unassuming man with the funny manner yet and soulful — and considerable — vocal prowess.

And, make no mistake about it, Taylor is a true showman — and an original that clearly outshone McPhee who had gone for the hopelessly clichéd, sexy siren stereotype.

He saunters onto the stage, blowing on his harmonica like a judge banging on a gavel: “Hello everybody!” he says, and leans — yes that now famous lean. And just like that, we are taken by Taylor.

It’s his first time in Manila, he reveals, but reckons it won’t be the last. “I love it! I’m excited to be here. I wish I could stay here for a week. I have had a very nice time!”

Ayala Land’s Mall Group seems to have a monopoly on getting AI talents here, but who are we to complain? It wasn’t just too long ago that Yaminoys of all ages went nuts over Elliott’s tour of Ayala Malls.

For Taylor, especially, performing at the mall is certainly a fit. He professes: “I love shopping. I have to get gifts for my brother, my father, my mother, my grandmother, my cousins. Just about everybody. I guess that’s what happens when you win American Idol. You have to buy a bunch of gifts.”

Such candor is rare for usually guarded celebrities. But that’s exactly among the qualities that endeared Taylor to the world — a refreshing character that is purely about the music and rarely about being self-conscious with projections and affectations.

Which is not to say that Taylor takes success for granted. “It’s very exciting for me to be a musician and to be able to travel to places like the Philippines. I am able to share my love for music with other people. I believe that music is truly a universal language. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to come here and perform,” he shares. “Life after American Idol is like sitting on a rocket ship. It’s been great. I love what I do as a performer.”

Taylor got a taste of the vaunted Filipino hospitality upon departure from the plane: “Well, as soon as I arrived at the airport I was received very warmly by the Filipino people. I have heard from friends of mine that this is the place to come to share music,” he says.

Taylor is good friends with Elliott — who was probably a major influence in Hicks’ decision to fly to the Philippines. Someone asked in jest who would win if Taylor and Elliott would fight it out mano a mano. “Well, I would!” he gamely replies. “I would try to win!”

But seriously, Taylor takes his hat off to Elliott. He says he would have rooted for Elliott to win had he himself not joined that memorable season. Taylor also became close with Filipino contender Jose “Sway” Penala (based in San Francisco), his roommate. “He was one of the people who told me that I needed to come over here and play,” Taylor reveals.

Taylor has been polishing his chops since he was a kid of seven or eight, and is truly living a charmed life now. He is already at work on his follow-up album to his eponymously named debut effort.

“It will be coming out next year. I will also have a DVD out next year. I am pretty excited about doing another tour, maybe in the Asian continent early next year,” Taylor says. Expect lots of soul, blues and R ’n B, he avers, and also a little bit of pop. “I am trying to find the right vibe with different songwriters. I am trying to make the best album that I can.”

Of Mau (Marcelo) who participated in the Asian Idol: “She has a big, great voice. We were at rehearsal and I saw her sing. She is a great singer,” Taylor comments.

When not on, well, soul patrol, Taylor is just like the rest of us — watching sports on TV and swinging at the fairway. “I’m just a regular old guy,” he says with a smile. Well, make that a regular old guy who is rich and successful, right? And, of course, a little loopy. We like our Taylor with a little bit of weird. Like, for instance, do you know that he brings along a Ray Charles doll wherever he performs? “It makes me feel better. He was a major influence in my musical background,” he explains.

“The key is having faith, believing in yourself and navigating yourself through your art,” Taylor proffers.

At the press conference, Taylor seems bereft of any self-importance yet is brimming with obvious confidence. We note that he goes out of his way to sign autographs, sing spontaneously at most given moments, and play his harmonica while waiting for photos to be snapped. There is good reason to believe he remains the simple man from Alabama who loves music and the privilege of singing for others.

Wow, what an idol.


USE ME from the Greenbelt Philippines Concert

Taylor Hicks - Taking It To The Streets on Asian Idol

Here's Taylor's cover of Taking It To The Streets on Asian Idol! He totally blew this out of the water, folks! Yep, the Mean, Lean, Dancing Machine!

TAYLOR HICKS ON ASIAN IDOL!!

AWESOME job Taylor!! I hope this doesn't cause a tidewave in Indonesia!

Taylor Hicks Interview on Asian TV


DO I MAKE YOU PROUD w/the 6 Asian Idols


HEAVEN KNOWS


Here's a commercial for the upcoming Manilla Shows!

American Idol Season 5 Best Season Ever

While we wait for the Taylor Hick's videos and pictures from the upcoming Asian Idol Finale and his shows in Manilla, let's look to see why he made Season 5 the most memorable to date. There's no doubt he was the main contributing factor to it's success.



Now take that Nigel Lythgoe, who rang in today with another slam on America and Taylor claiming they got it wrong that year. I don't THINK so, Mr. Lythgoe - you know in your heart that was Taylor the BEST entertainer and singer that show will likely ever see. It's too bad you're too cowardly to admit it. Don't be telling US what we like. Use your time to stop the free-fall your show is undertaking at the moment. Yes, give us more wind up dolls like Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, the 2 worst winner/runner-up CDs debuters to date.

Taylor Hicks Dines in Washington D.C.

Nice to see our boy relaxing a bit on his well deserved creative break/hiatus. The new year is sure to bring us lots of Taylor goodies! A new album! A new tour! A new DVD! and, and, and....

From the Washington Post:
Taylor Hicks -- yes, the prematurely gray dude who won "American Idol" last year -- dining with three others at BLT Steak Saturday night. Told the manager he was just visiting D.C. friends on his days off.

Jordin Sparks - AI's Newest "Failure"?

First let me say that I have nothing personal against Jordin Sparks. She seems like a nice, young girl (she's *only* 17!) who has an above average voice - certainly better than the 2nd place finisher from last year Katharine McPhee. It's a pity that they, the AI conglomerate, insisted to pimp the hell out of her and force her to make a bland, insipid electronically maneuvered techno pop Disney sounding album only a 12 year old will enjoy. I mean, come on, really ... who in their right mind is going to sit through this lyrically vapid, machine-enhanced hand-clapping mindless music otherwise?

Not many, apparantly. Jordin will now take over the crown as having the lowest selling debut CD by an American Idol winner to date, selling a measly 119,000 in her first week and placing only 10th on the Billboard Chart. Hard to believe since it was released on Black Friday, supposedly the biggest shopping day of the year. She also has the benefit of a Top 10 single. What could have gone wrong?

In a strategic move, American Idol pimped the "anti-Taylor" this year. They wanted a teenager with no musical identity whatsoever, someone they thought would appeal to the young buyers, someone they could mold into a Top 40 princess. And although she seems to be doing fine with her single, people just aren't interesting in buying into the whole package.

The AI6 season was a total disaster from the start, starting with lower ratings from the season before. Perhaps they lost a few viewers with the total and blatant disregard to their AI5 winner Taylor Hicks? Perhaps sticking gum on Taylor's picture during the auditions was an error - losing his many fans as viewers? Perhaps the talent was subpar? Perhaps the excitment Taylor brought to Season 5 was nowhere to be seen this year? The AI6 tour was a bomb and their #1 and #2 finishers will more than likely bomb too in the retail stores. Take THAT, Nigel and Simon! That's what you get for trying to manipulate us. There is a wonderful sense of payback and satisfaction I'm getting from all of this. Call it petty, but I don't care. What goes around, comes around - in SPADES. I'm sure $Clive$ is nervously twitching in his kingdom! :)

I'll be curious to see if Miss Jordin gets same vile treatment that was spewed at Taylor for not living up to their "sales expectations". She should! Taylor sold almost 300,000 debut copies of his CD - 2 1/2 times as many as Jordin - this is the guy TPTB love to jab. Maybe they'll make nicey with him now.

According to the AI philosophy, she MUST be a failure, plain and simple. Look how they classified it last year. It's all about sales to them. But what they don't understand is that manufactured plastic doesn't last if you don't let artists develop their own style. You can't force a circle into a square peg. Why didn't they let Jordin do what she does best? She's a ballad singer - that's what she excelled at on the show. They certainly didn't let Taylor have total control on his album, I mean, geesh, forcing a Diane Warren song upon him? That's just plain wrong. One can only hope they're learning their lesson.

FYI, here is a list of the Idols’ debut CDs and their placement on the Billboard Chart:

Clay - “Measure of a Man” - 612,859 (# 1)
Ruben - “Soulful” - 416,569 (# 1) - Winner, Season 2
Carrie - “Some Hearts” - 314,549 (# 2) - Winner Season 4
Chris Daughtry - “Daughtry” - 303,677 (# 2)
Taylor - “Taylor Hicks” - 298,199 (# 2) - Winner Season 5
Kelly - “Thankful” - 297,000 (# 1)- Winner Season 1
Fantasia - “Free Yourself” - 239,389 (#8) - Winner Season 3
Bo - “The Real Thing” - 226,976 (# 4)
Jordin - "Jordin Sparks" - 121,351 (# 9) - Winner Season 6
Katharine - "Katharine Mcphee" - 115,761 (# 2)
Elliott - “Elliott Yamin” - 90,439 (# 3)
Kellie - “Small Town Girl” - 79,133 (# 9)
Bucky - “Bucky Covington” - 60,814 (# 4)
Josh - “Joshua Gracin” - 57,048 (# 11)
Justin - “Justin Guarini” - 57,000 (# 20)
Kim - “One Love” - 56,894 (# 16)
Diana - “Blue Skies” - 47,000 ( # 52)
Tamyra - “Dreamer” - 39,091 (# 23)
Mandisa - “True Beauty” - 17,140 (# 43)
LaToya - “Love and Life” - 12,546 (# 82)
Mario - “Mario Vasquez” - 11,812 (# 80)
Constantine - “Constantine” - 8,918 (# 75)
Constantine - “Pray for the Soul of Betty” - 7,467 (# 129)
Paris - “Princess P” - 6,320 (# 133)
Jasmine - “Jasmine Trias” - 4855
John Stevens - “Red” - 4349
Jim Verraros - “Rollercoster” - 1571
Corey Clark - “Corey Clark” - 557
Ayla Brown - “Forward” - 300

American Idol is Destroying The Music Industry

The initial premise of American Idol is long gone. It's not a simple singing competition anymore, it's a commercial sales contest, plain and simple. It pits winners against losers within each respective season and from season to season. It pits fan base against fan base for bragging rights. It's all about $$$$ baby! It's not about finding raw talent, a unique performer, the best musician, or even the best singer. It's about promoting who they want and who best fills the deep money grubbing pockets of the American Idol pigs (if you grew up in the 60s, you'll know the meaning of the word). Forget musical integrity. If it doesn't sell, they don't want you - even if you win the friggin' show.

Who are they looking for? Anyone who can imitate what's currently selling on the Top 40 or country charts. That's where the money is. It's about making puppets out of stary eyed still wet behind the ears singers - youngsters that won't give them any lip. They don't want performers who know who they are musically and have a musical vision. American Idol wants to MOLD YOU into their idea of a pop star.

It poors millions of dollars into promoting marginally talented unknowns and brainwashes the public into believing their choice (not the voting audience) is deserving of this musical golden spoon. Huh? Could America be so dumb and unaware to actually believe this crap? Don't answer that. I can't take the bad news.

You see, the real hardcore brainwashing really starts after each season ends. The comparisons in sales amongst the Top 10 continue on for years. You see, they want you to believe that more CDs you sell, the more talented you are. Yes, folks, it's all about CD sales - THE SOLE indicator of success and talent. *cough*. Contrary to current popular opinion, I think not. All this is an indicator of is the power of the payola to radio stations and the almighty advertising dollar. TPTB like you because they see dollar signs? You're in! They'll take you to the top, even if you're tone-deaf. You see, they get very nervous if the winner doesn't fit into the Top 40 mold. How will they make their money? Oye vey!

It's all very sad. You see, I lived through an era where musicians and singers were judged on their music, not how they could be manufactured and promoted based on their looks or marketability. They took their musical craft seriously and spent years and years refining it in small clubs earning their way up the latter of success. Nothing was handed to them. The legacy of these musicians are the standard by which all others look up to. The geniuses of the future won't be coming out of the American Idol machine, that I can assure you.

American Idol's philosophy is that you sell over 1 million copies of your album, you're great! You sell under 1 million, you suck! End of story. And heaven forbid a second, third, fourth or sixth place finisher outsells the winner. Holy cow! According the faithful non-thinking AI watchers, this could be a fate worse than death. I mean, come on, isn't it Clive Davis who shuffles out every year with his report card on how well his "kids" have done - how many CDs they've sold and how great they are because of it? The mutual ass-licking couldn't be more self-serving. Is he implying that the more CDs one sells, the more talented and deserving they are? Is he implying that America got it right, or wrong, in their choice for winner, depending on how commercially successful they are relative to everyone else? If the winner doesn't sell like losers, did we get it wrong? Do we not know what we like? It's all so confusing.

The fact of the matter is they choose to promote who they want and who they think is going to be their biggest money maker (regardless of their placement in the Top 10). Winning means nothing as it turns out. It's who can imitate what's already successful on the radio and put money in big daddy's pocket. These puppets, as I like to call them, are used and abused until they no longer serve their purpose. If you weren't their chosen one, then you're on your own. This show isn't really about finding uniquely talented individuals - real musicians, real songwriters or real pioneers. It's about finding people who can imitate the dreck that is already popular with the less than discerning music buyer.

American Idol is destroying the music industry. It's all very sad, but being the optomist I am, I know that people will come to their senses, eventually, and music will mean something again. Perhaps people like Season 5 winner, Taylor Hicks, will prove that being different and breaking the mold is something to strive for, not being a cow and following the herd.

Last Taylor Hicks Concert for 2007

Taylor just finished up his last show of 2007 at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, MS on November 2, 2007. His tour was in support of his first major label, platinum selling album, "Taylor Hicks". In every possible way, it has been a major triumph - performing to thousands of adoring fans and traveling to every corner of the United States to packed houses and rave reviews. Check out this beautiful rendition of his own original song, "The Fall" from Hagerstown, MD on July 6, 2007. The song is included on his first independent album, "In Your Time".

"

Jordin Sparks - The Newest AI Loser

Are they kidding with this album cover? It looks like all of her 17 years of life have just been sucked out of her by the AI conglomerate. "Jordin, make sure you don't smile or even give a hint of personality in this picture". And what's with the leather jacket? I guess that's supposed to make me think she has an edge? That this is a CD worth spending $18 on? I think not, folks.

Ms. Sparks, watch yourself. Your dangerously close to becoming one of their brainless puppets devoid of any artistic redemption.

Wake me up with this nightmare is over.



To her credit, she's not wearing a bumble bee outfit and ho-boots Katharine McPhee was advertising on her CD. I mean, really, Open Toes? LOL!! No wonder it's the worse CD ever to come out of Idol.