Idol to Angel-Simon pushing Taylor to do movies, And some in

FROM IDOL TO ANGEL






With his trademark salt-and-pepper hair and down-home style, Taylor Hicks became one of the most recognizable faces to emerge from American Idol. In 2006, Hicks was crowned the show’s winner after beating out such notable competitors as Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry and Kelly Pickler. His reward: a recording contract, worldwide notoriety and a guaranteed place in the annals of musical history. Perhaps even more importantly, Hicks was subsequently impersonated on Saturday Night Live, thereby achieving musical icon status.

Now, Hicks is cutting his teeth on stage in the touring production of Grease. Taking on the role made famous by Frankie Valli in the 1978 film version, Hicks plays Teen Angel in the fantasy scene featuring the hit number, “Beauty School Dropout.”

“I had numerous roles offered [for the stage] but we thought the Teen Angel role would be great to get my feet wet,” explains Hicks, who has been on the road since Grease started its tour in June of 2008.

Grease has been a popular musical for decades. After premiering on Broadway in 1972, it quickly became a smash hit. With the subsequent film and numerous regional and community productions thereafter, Grease has become a musical theater classic. Named after the teen greasers of the fifties, Grease became one of the longest-running shows on Broadway, transporting audiences to the seemingly innocent era of the 1950s with such song favorites as “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Sandy,” “Grease,” and “You’re the One that I Want.”

The story centers around the teenage love affair of Danny and Sandy — two teens from different sides of the tracks. After a whirlwind summer romance, they believe they are going their separate ways, but fate steps in and gives them a second chance at love when, unbeknownst to Danny, Sandy enrolls at his high school. What follows are the challenges of restarting their romance amidst the drama of high school cliques.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Hicks holds the distinction of being the oldest winner of American Idol, taking the title at the ripe old age of 29. Prior to that, he had struggled for years in the music industry.
“I left home at 17 to be a musician. I did weddings, the openings of city parks. I did that for ten years,” says Hicks.

His win on American Idol can be attributed to the support of his well-known group of fans, dubbed the Soul Patrol, whom he acknowledged with numerous shout-outs on the show. When he released his eponymous debut after the Idol win, that support quickly helped it achieve platinum status. His sophomore effort, The Distance, was released in March of 2009 as the first imprint from his own record label, Modern Whomp Records. “Because of the ever-changing music industry, I wanted to have my own label and [be able to ] sign acts in the future,” he explains.

Hicks is excited to return to Washington for Grease. “I love the city,” he enthuses. “I had great memories there. I performed at Christmas in Washington.”

Despite his busy tour schedule and Idol commitments, Hicks found time to write an autobiography, “Heart of Soul: Find Your Voice and Finding Your Way,” to inspire other singers. “When you go through fame, life can be hard. This book is inspirational and it is about living the American dream,” says Hicks.

In typical over-achieving fashion, Hicks not only performs as Teen Angel, he also sings “Seven Mile Breakdown,” a song from his new album, as an encore performance. “I am doing a shadow tour with Grease,” he explains, noting that his band will be booking shows to correspond with the musical’s travel schedule.

Hicks won’t be the only Idol on stage at the National Theatre; fellow 2006 finalist Ace Young is playing the lead role of Danny. A musical success in his own right, Young has gone on to become a Grammy-nominated songwriter.

In addition to singing and writing, Hicks is adding acting to his growing list of talents. “When I made a guest appearance on Idol last year Simon Cowell was pushing me to do movies,” says Hicks. “He was interested in that path for me and I am too.”

http://www.ontaponline.com/wordpress/theater/idol-to-angel/




THEN LOOK AT THESE TWEETS...

This tweet is very interesting!..movie or tv role??

Quote:
clintonesquire It's good to see Idol winner Taylor Hicks getting work...as ESPN's Pedro Gomez


Maybe he will respond to this!

Quote:
sweetsmoke1 @clintonesquire Is there a film or tv thing where Taylor Hicks will be playing Pedro Gomez? The resemblance is amazing! Care to elaborate?

Pedro's pic..the resemblance is kinda eerie!

Whatever Taylor decides to do in his future is going to be something that fits his mold. Taylor has always been one to do things out of the norm for him to expand his career. So I'm there for him all the way.

Good luck with all you do Taylor! Your a winner in anybodys book.

Thanks for the article Sandy. Great reading!