Taylor Hicks on Mix 97.1 in Columbus, OH

Taylor made a stop at the Mix 97.1 studios this morning in Columbus, OH, the third stop in the national tour of Grease. Lots of fun talk and great info from Taylor - charming - and handsome as ever, according to both the female and male DJs! Seems the new CD is pushed back to March 10 due to a delay in the mixing, but the good news is that he would be on Idol this coming year, hopefully in conjuction with the promotion of the CD. I'd also like to see how the delayed release of the CD will affect the days he took off from "Grease" in the beginning of February to promote it.

And just a plea for those fans who are angsting about the 4-week pushback of the CD, please relax. This stuff happens all the time and it will get released when every button is tweaked & every knob is pushed to Taylor's satisfaction. It WILL be an unparalleled CD and well worth the wait.

New Tour Dates for Taylor Hicks Leads Up To His New Album's Release!

For those fans who are out of the loop, here's you chance to purchase tickets to Taylor's intimate club tour leading up to the new album's release on February 10, 2009. If you live in or around the Annapolis MD or Chicago, IL area, break open that wallet and catch him sing his brand new music! It may be your only chance to catch him in such a small venue since he'll be touring larger venues after the album's release.

The two stops so far are:

Martyrs: Chicago, IL, $40, January 17, 2009
Tickets on Sale Now @ Ticketmaster, w/special guest TBA

Rams Head: Annapolis, MD, $35, Feb 7, 2009
Tickets On Sale Now @ Pollstar. Tickets going fast, so get yours while you can!

Impressive Respect For American Idol's Soulman

If in fact Taylor's CD cover looks like the one shown above, don't you think that it looks a bit (okay quite a bit) like the latest CD cover by fellow blue-eyed soul and legendary singer Michael McDonald? Both have that septia tone glow to them, both have that cityscape, eerie nighttime quietness to them and both artists have that sort of cold blank stare - one looking at you and the other looking down the road - and both dressed in black. It's no wonder that both albums were produced by the same guy, Simon Climie and both have almost identical session men who backed them in the studio. Those session men are mostly from Eric Clapton's current touring band and are some of the finest blues & soul musicians in the industry. Everyone from bassist Nathan East to guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Michael Thompson; from keyboardist Toby Baker and Tim Carmen to drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., who also has played behind Paul McCartney and Sting. It is quite impressive that such an elite and prestigeous group of session men, excited to work with Taylor, were enlisted to accompany him - the winner of Season 5 of American Idol - that lone bluesman who didn't look like the typical American Idol, that young pop star who will make pre-teens part with their parents money in a hurry; that tool that will do as they are told, record what the corporate pigs say and be a true croonie for the corporation.

Nope, this winner, Taylor Hicks, has managed to break free; sort of like finding his "New Found Freedom". He has has forged his own path and is living out his dream his way, playing his music and being true to himself the way he sees fit. Taylor is earning and has earned respect from his peers, both in front of and behind the scenes the old fashion way - through years of hard work, determination, respect, and by having the gift of voice - one of the finest blues voices around today.

WXMI (Fox West Michigan) Interview With Taylor Hicks!

Here's a VERY cool interview that WXMI-Fox TV conducted with Taylor Hicks in Michigan yesterday (12/11/08). In Part 1 he talks about his role in Grease, in Part 2 the talk is about American Idol and the most interesting one, Part 3, Taylor talks about his new album ("The Distance") and how incredible it will be with all those A-List studio musicians - basically Eric Clapton's backing band! Thanks to Sturgess on the Boogie for finding these gems! Enjoy!
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Why does Taylor Hicks get top billing in the musical Grease if he's only in one bit of the show? Because he's an American Idol after all.

I had a chance to talk with Taylor, and see the show at the Wharton center in East Lansing, and I left both of them feeling pretty good.
Hicks, who reprises his Broadway role of Teen Angel does a solid job following in the footsteps of legends like Donny Most and Eddie Mekka. He plays it with some self-deprecating humor and a swagger that lets the audience know that he's in on the joke.

I have to give a shout out to the cast as a whole, especially the actors who played the roles of Doody and Rump. Although neither would be mistaken for the leader of the T Birds, they both had surprisingly good singing voices, and had some of the more memorable moments as far as I'm concerned.

As far as Taylor off stage goes, I appreciated that he embraces his Idol roots, and stays true to his blues styling in his music.
And he's a big golf nut, so we had plenty to talk about off-camera. Although he's a performer comfortable with being in front of millions on TV, when he plays in some of the big celebrity golf events, or PGA pro-ams, he still gets nervous and shaky. Cool to hear him admit that, rather than putting on the brave face saying "yeah, that doesn't bother me..."

Here's to hoping the tour comes to west Michigan sometime in the spring/summer so we can try and go "On the Tee".

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

GREASE, Starring Taylor Hicks Grosses Over $1.1 Million In Its First Week!

Despite a sluggish economy, Taylor Hicks is bringing people out to see the touring company of 'Grease' this winter, which started in Providence, RI on Dec. 2. According to the Providence Journal, "...the new national tour, headlining American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, is doing well at its first stop in Providence. Lynn Singleton, president of PPAC, said he expects the show to gross about $1.1 million this week, or about 10 percent better than Legally Blonde, which opened its national tour here in September.

“We’re very pleased,” said Singleton. “The market has responded well in a daunting time, and on top of that the crowds seem to love the show.”

Singleton said he expects the show to play to about 80 percent capacity before it closes in Providence tomorrow. From Providence the touring show leaves for stops in 13 other cities by the end of May...."

And, he's making believers out of just about everyone who sees the production. Jessica Braley of the Herald News put it this way:

"...Consider yourselves warned. The number of times I voted for Taylor Hicks to win “American Idol” may directly interfere with my ability to be partial when reviewing the touring production of “Grease” at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

At first, I was skeptical at the Idol winner’s ability to pull off the teen role first made famous by Frankie Avalon, but with a booming voice and a few flashes of his harmonica skills, Hicks made a believer out of me. Catching a glimpse of the star posing for pics with fans on his way into the theatre certainly helped.

Bringing a personality and a personal history to the role, Hicks delivered a shining, literally and figuratively, performance as Teen Angel and his performance of “Beauty School Dropout” was certainly one of the high points of the show. Descending from a glittering, fur-lined ice cream cone to the stage in a sequined, glittering suit complete with flashy angel wings, Hicks mesmerized Frenchy and the audience. Frenchy, played exquisitely by Kate Morgan Chadwick, snagged a few laughs when pleading with Hicks as she toyed with his open shirt, “You know ... I voted for you...”

Or how about this unsuspecting blogger who completely get turned on by Taylor's performance as Teen Angel.... check this one out ...

"...omg omg omg just saw grease at ppac.

well, saw it last night. but it hit me so hard that it feels like i just saw it.

see now i feel bad because i honestly enjoyed it, and those last two sentences make it seem like i didn't. so, to clarify, i did enjoy the performance. but what i enjoyed most was TAYLOR HICKS.

awww yeah he's too old to play any of the main characters so he played 'teen angel' and sang 'beauty school drop out' to frenchie.

and i'll be the first to tell you that i was never really big into mr. hicks, there. or american idol at that moment. but now that i saw this show? well, i will also be the first to say that he stole the show.

really, he did. good song, good acting, really enjoyed himself. of course, he has sang this song hundreds of times, but he seemed to really enjoy it. and thus, i did too...."

or Dick Upson of the Blues, Soul & Rock 'n Roll blog:

"...Hicks has a big, soothing voice that was perfect in the best doo wop fashion as Teen Angel consoles poor Frenchy that she can still "...go back to high school.." even if she is a "Beauty School Dropout..."

Or how about this from Randy Rice at BroadwayWorld.com:

"...Taylor Hicks, whom the audience adores, has a magical entrance and does a fine job as Teen Angel. While Hicks may be a draw to bring the audience into the theater, he does not rely on gimmickry. Hicks understands the campy nature of the role but approaches Teen Angel with artistic integrity. He gets to wail a few bars on his harmonica, which adds another dimension to the character..."

You GO Taylor!!!! Show the country what you got, dude!

Photo by Diane @ The Boogie!! Thanks! :)

On Vacation This Week

I'm on a cruise down the western coast of Mexico, with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan, so I'm taking a break from the blog this week. I know 'Grease' opens tonight in Providence, RI and there may be reports about Taylor's new hit 'single', so I'll try and hunt down a 'puter on the boat somewhere! And they better have speakers available, cuz I'll be peeing in my pants if I can't hear it until I get back on Saturday! GAH! I can't wait to hear it...

I'm leaving you with this nice beachy picture of Taylor! Yum! Enjoy!

Taylor Hicks - Sales Update

Now that we're heading into another chapter of Taylor's recording career with the release of his new CD on February 10, 2009 under his own label, "Modern Whomp Records", I'd thought I'd update everyone of the sales of the last album for JRecords. According to the World Wide Albums website, an estimate of sales worldwide of the "Taylor Hicks" album finds a very respectable and solid 803,200 to 835,232 CDs sold to date. Not bad, folks, not bad at all!