Reality TV Stars | Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks took the audience by storm during the fifth season of American Idol. He was older, grey headed, and delivered a different type of music than the fans were used to hearing, but many jumped on the Soul Patrol bandwagon and Hicks was named the winner of American Idol.

Taylor was born in Birmingham, Alabama on October 7, 1976. Taylor started singing at the age of five. By the age of 13, he began to get his signature grey hair. He taught himself to play the harmonica at the age of 16. He wrote his first song “In Your Time” at the age of 18 and taught himself to play guitar at 19. Taylor’s musical style was influenced by many soul singers including Otis Redding, Same Cooke, and especially Ray Charles. He also lists Van Morrison, Bob Seger, and Billy Joel as influences as well.

Taylor auditioned for the fifth season of “American Idol” at the urging of his brother. He flew to Vegas and wowed the judges with “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. Simon did not think Taylor had what it took to be an American Idol, but America proved him wrong. During the entire season, Taylor was never in the bottom three. After singing songs such as “Takin’ It to the Streest” (The Doobie Brothers), “You Send Me” (Sam Cooke), and “Play That Funky Music” (Wild Cherry), he finally convinced Simon he could win. Taylor found himself in the finals against fellow competitor Katharine McPhee. On May 24, 2006, Taylor was named the winner of the fifth season of “American Idol.”

After his win, Taylor signed with Arista Records. He released the single “Do I Make You Proud,” a song he had first sang during the finale, on June 13, 2006. The B-side was his version of “Takin’ It to the Streets.” “Do I Make You Proud” sold 190,000 singles in addition to 38,000 digital downloads during the first week of its release. It debuted at #1 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart. Taylor’s self-titled debut album was released on December 12, 2006. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, #43 on the Canada Top 100, and #5 on the United World Chart. The album has sold over 700,000 copies and it was certified platinum by RIAA. His latest single from his album, “Heaven Knows” reached #27 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

This past July, Taylor’s autobiography “Heart Full of Soul” was released. This memoir was mean to be inspirational to others going through rough times in their lives. This summer, he spent time at bookstores promoting his book while still on tour.

Taylor Hicks has a bunch of really cool ringtones. Here are some that we found: