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| Topic Started: Jan 31 2008, 11:47 AM (285 Views) | |
| Taymanfan | Jan 31 2008, 11:54 AM Post #11 |
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Source: Post-Dispatch Date Published: March 15, 2007 Taylor Hicks tunes up a career after 'American Idol' victory By Kevin C. Johnson Judges on "American Idol" comment weekly on the latest batch of contestants, but judge Simon Cowell can't seem to get last year's winner off his mind. Ten months after Taylor Hicks was crowned the newest "idol," Cowell continues to express his dislike of Hicks, saying he couldn't stand him and just didn't "get" him. But Hicks, who is on a tour that's coming to Ameristar Casino's Bottleneck Blues Bar next week, doesn't let Cowell's barbs bother him. "I'm just thrilled he's still dogging me, because it's a good thing if he's still talking about you," Hicks says during a tour stop in Nashville, Tenn., last week. "And it wasn't about him, anyway. It was about America. "Cowell has pointed out that although America voted Hicks its "American Idol," Chris Daughtry ¡X eliminated earlier in the season ¡X is selling many more records. "Daughtry," in fact, is the top-selling album in the country this week, with more than 2 million copies sold since its release four months ago. In contrast, "Taylor Hicks," an album that's been out for three months, has sold more than a million copies and has already fallen into the lower half of the Billboard 200 ¡X causing some to wonder whether Hicks is a fluke. "I'm happy for Chris," Hicks says. "I'm a different artist from him, and we're in different genres. You can't pigeonhole my music. And I'm a career artist. Steady and slow wins the race. That's the way I feel about my music." "Taylor Hicks" is mostly polished, bombastic pop, helmed by superproducer Matt Serletic of matchbox twenty, Aerosmith and Santana fame. The set includes the single "Just to Feel That Way," along with "Heaven Knows," which samples Ray Charles' "What'd I Say," and "The Right Place," originally written by Bryan Adams for Charles. Missing from the set is "Do I Make You Proud," the much-maligned song Hicks performed on the "American Idol" finale, as well as his cover of the Doobie Brothers' "Takin' It to the Streets." Hicks says his CD showcases a wider range of his talent while still revealing the performer TV viewers got to know. "I'm still that blue-eyed soul singer," he says. "The record has that soulful vibe. But now I've got more than two minutes to sing." Hicks is truly someone going along for the ride, basking in his new fame. "I'm sold out every night.That's a dream come true," he says. "You dream about being able to play these really historic venues, and it's real for me. And the fans are wonderful and so accommodating everywhere I go. The Soul Patrol (his fans) lives on. "I'm just glad I'm getting my music out there. You struggle for all these years to get heard, and then it just hits. It had been tough." Although he's still adjusting to interviews with the media and other things that come with being the "American Idol" and a recording star, you won't hear a single complaint from Hicks. "Honestly, there's no worst part of it for me," he says. "I'm happy to be here after all those years of dreaming about great things. It ain't so bad at all." |
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| Taymanfan | Jan 31 2008, 11:55 AM Post #12 |
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Source: Sioux Falls Argus Leader Date Published: March 22, 2007 Q&A: Taylor Hicks 'American Idol' soul man talks about life, love, jam bands and Paula Abdul By Robert Morast There's really only one explanation for Taylor Hicks' unlikely victory on "American Idol" last spring: Television viewers fell in love him. They loved the then-29-year-old's gray-speckled hair. They cheered his jerky dancing. They praised his imperfect, throaty voice that sounds a bit like Michael McDonald. They copied his "whoo" shout. And they loathed the fact that "Idol" judge Simon Cowell stated Hicks never could win the talent competition. So they proved the power of audience influence, flooded the "Idol" call centers with votes and the Alabama native became the latest "Idol" star to find instant celebrity. Yet, while Hicks was the fans' choice last spring, he's been getting dogged in the new year. His record sales are far behind those of his fellow 2006 "Idol" hopeful Chris Daughtry - his rock-centric self-titled disc has sold more than 1.7 million copies, while Hicks has sold only 640,000. And last year's "Idol" runner-up, Katharine McPhee, has more celebrity status as a rising pop sexpot. But as Hicks prepares for a Saturday night concert in Sioux City, Iowa's, Orpheum Theatre, the sudden second - or third - place status doesn't seem to bother him. In fact, the entire idea of celebrity competition doesn't seem to register as a viable thinking point under Hicks' gray hair. Speaking from a phone in New Orleans, the singer kept his answers short and to the point. Here's what he said about his "Idol" days, Cowell's opinion and his future in the music biz. Question: Do you think you have more pressure to succeed, in terms of record sales, than the "Idol" losers like Katharine McPhee or Chris Daughtry? Answer: You know, I don't put any extra pressure on myself to sell records. All I know is that you write the music and record it and tour it. I guess you could say it's old fashioned. Q: For every "Idol" winner outside of Kelly Clarkson, the big question seems to involve staying power. How are you planning to still be relevant in 2009? A: Tour. Q: How much? There are punk bands who seem to tour 300 days a year. Do you want to tour that much? A: I was almost like that for a long time. Q: Really? A: I just did as many dates as I could, wherever they would have me. I probably played 15 shows a month. That's like 200 shows a year. (Editor's note: It's actually 180 shows a year.) Q: It's well documented that Simon Cowell was a severe critic of your singing abilities. But as an "Idol" performer, was his opinion the only one that mattered to you guys? A: No. I mean, you know who's opinion mattered? Q: Who's that? A: America's. Q: How about the opinions of Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, did you care about them? A: Oh, yeah, you listen to what they had to say. Some nights you understood it. Some nights you didn't. Q: Was it competitive among the "Idol" finalists? A: I really didn't feel any competitiveness, because I was out to entertain people. I was out to try to make an audience for myself. Q: In speaking with you briefly, and reading past interviews, you don't seem like a guy who cares about stardom, just the music. Is that accurate A: As you can get it. Q: OK, so if someone offered you $80,000 to $90,000 a year to play and write the songs you want but without stardom, would you be fine with it? A: As long I've got a decent 401(k) plan, I'm happy. That's all I wanted in the first place, a steady gig, man. Q: People love you. I have women here in my office who smile when your name is mentioned. Why do they find you so adorable? A: I have no idea. I mean, I don't know. Honestly, I was kind of analyzing that ... I don't know. That's a good question. That's not a bad thing, though. Q: How's your love life? A: It's pretty much dormant. Mostly all work, all the time. Q: How much freedom were you given in the studio? Were you able to record what you wanted, or was there a perceived "Idol" identity you had to capture? A: If you listen to the record, I think it's definitely a good representation of who I am as an artist. Q: But don't you think some "Idol" fans who loved your music on the show might be surprised by the album's content? A: I think it's a little bit of both. I think we did a great job of bridging the gap of my artistry and the show, where I'm moving forward to. Q: Where are you going? What's your music going to be like in two years on your next album? A: I just think it will be great songs. I'm into songs. I'm a songwriter. Q: What kind of songs, like what genre, R&B, soul, rock? Do you care? A: I think it will just be songs. Great songs. I don't know which genre. I like all kinds. Q: I saw that your No. 1 friend on MySpace is the jam band Widespread Panic. Are you a big jam band fan? A: I was in a Widespread Panic cover band when I was in college. A lot of my live music is based on jam band principles. Q: I saw a few people dressed like you for Halloween last year. What would you say if you met some impersonators? A: I'd probably laugh. I'd probably make them do the "whoo" thing, make them get into character. Q: How much of your on-stage presence is a character? Is that really you? A: I'm me. I'm an entertainer on stage. I guess whatever makes up Taylor the entertainer on stage is me. I'm pretty quiet off stage. |
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| Taymanfan | Jan 31 2008, 01:00 PM Post #13 |
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