Taylor Hicks moves on

Sunday, December 07, 2008
By Lorilee Craker

The Grand Rapids Press

EAST LANSING -- "American Idol" 2006 winner Taylor Hicks has one thing to say to those who have walked in his reality-show-winner footsteps -- or will be:

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," the 32-year-old said in a phone interview from a rehearsal of the national Broadway touring company for "Grease."

"The energy from 30,000 people a night for five weeks will make anyone's head spin. It's exhilarating, and you have to keep your feet on the ground."

Hicks is referring to the dizziness that set in during his own twirl around the country with the "American Idol" live tour in the summer of 2006, and the expectations that rose and fell as a result.

After triumphing over Katharine McPhee in the fifth season of the ratings-busting TV show, headlining the live tour to packed arenas and releasing a major-label debut album, Hicks experienced a quick reversal of fortune. His record label, Arista, dropped him exactly one year after his self-titled debut CD went platinum. Still, the salt-and-pepper topped singer is philosophical.

"I've played for about 10 people at the Steak and Ale on Tuesday nights," he said. "I know there are peaks and valleys."

He wouldn't even call it a "valley" to be dropped by a label -- just another bend in the road of a "working musician."

Here's another twist in the journey: Hicks played Teen Angel on Broadway this summer and is in a 25-city tour of the show that will roll into East Lansing's Wharton Center Tuesday through Dec. 14.

Inhabiting the role famously occupied by Frankie Avalon, Davy Jones, Chubby Checker and others is a way to put his face and voice before a whole new crowd who never may have tuned in to "Idol."

"(Grease) is giving me a brand new audience," he said. "I've really kind of adopted the role. It's a way for me to learn about acting and musical theater."

When he's not guiding beauty-school dropout Frenchy in "Grease," Hicks sinks his musical choppers into his passion. "I'm really excited about songwriting," the Birmingham, Ala., native said about the tunes he is crafting for a forthcoming CD, to be released on his own label in 2009.

"It's an introspective idea (becoming big-label-free). You have control of your own art, and the only finger in the pie is your own."

Describing his musical style as "Modern Whomp -- it's boogie woogie meets blues meets zydeco" -- Hicks is excited about trotting down the artistic road, no matter where it takes him.

"You're always learning to become a better artist," he said. "You have to stay true to who you are and keep working, whether it's a pub down the street, the 'Idol' experience or wearing rhinestones as Teen Angel."

If you go

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14

Where: Wharton Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing

Tickets: $25-$60, (517) 432-2000, (800) WHARTON, whartoncenter.com


http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/...5790.xml&coll=6

Great article. Really great. I'm sure digging on this good press, aren't y'all?
~tyg

tygrlllie wrote:

Great article. Really great. I'm sure digging on this good press, aren't y'all?
~tyg

:) I sure am digging all this good press. Hopefully with this tour Taylor will have tons of supporters when his new album comes out.

I so adore this man!

Great article, thanks so much for posting, I too love the great positive things being said about Taylor these days, I knew once the Public started seeing him more and more that the stuff we alread know would be known by others, Its just to bad that he didn't have this kind of support 2 years ago.

Taylor is finally getting alot of press. I agree it's too bad it couldn't happen like this two years ago but that's OK. He is doing well and I'm very happy for him.