Editor

Taylor Hicks takes the Nashville road to new album If the music industry is a game of chess, then Taylor Hicks is the black knight, carving an indirect path across the board. Equally as likely to move forward as back, he is more than likely to give his hips a good shake as he goes. He was born to the blues, raised on soul and schooled in the dimly lit bars and clubs of the South. He has since danced on Broadway, sung the blues in Chicago and headlined in Las Vegas. Now Taylor Hicks is writing a country record. He has never fitted the mould. The American Idol winner stood out from the beginning. More salt than pepper in his hair, Taylor’s appearance belied the 28 years stamped on his driver’s license, prompting officials to check and recheck his credentials. In the audition room he surprised with a compelling version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”-hands clasped behind his back and torso swayed by the emotion of the verse. The power and tone of his voice impressed and the enthusiastic approval of two judges was enough to send Taylor to the Hollywood round. Head judge, Simon Cowell cast the lone dissenting vote, convinced of the singer’s limited commercial potential. As the season progressed, Taylor captivated a growing television audience with songs and performances that set him above pop music standards and apart from his less experienced competition. There was soul in his voice as he sang “Takin’ It To The Streets” by Michael McDonald and “Trouble” by Ray LaMontagne. He evoked memories of Otis Redding and Joe Cocker with renditions of “Try A Little Tenderness” and “You Are So Beautiful”, respectively. While others performed behind the microphone, Taylor used the entire stage and audience to his advantage, dancing in the aisles with an endearing clumsiness. He was delightfully and decidedly different. Denied the use of an instrument onstage, Taylor circumvented the rules by blowing blues harmonica offstage, yet in full view of the television crews. He sang and danced with an air of funkiness. If the camera moved left, he moved right. He refused to dye his grey hair or change his quirky performance style. He attempted (although failed) to organise the American Idol finalists as a bargaining unit. He declined his American Idol coronation song and was given another. Taylor Hicks brought millions to their living rooms, glued to the television every Tuesday and Wednesday evening for months. He brought passion to his performances and smiles to the faces of the “Soul Patrol’-the fans who offered their fervent support throughout the competition. He sang with heart, laughed with abandon and charmed a willing audience. On finale night he sang “Do I Make You Proud”, and the answer from viewers was a resounding yes. On one of the decade’s highest rated television shows, and following a nationwide poll that tallied more than 63 million votes, Taylor Hicks was named the fifth season winner of American Idol. Move the chess piece two triumphant squares forward, one cautious square to the side. The newly crowned Idol created ripples within days of his coronation. In a May 2006 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Taylor described his talent show tenure as: “…dancing with the devil…’ referring to the commercialism of the Idol business machine. Controversial at the time, his remark reflected the mindset of a veteran musician, one who had spent more than ten years on the road knocking on doors, singing for pennies and looking for the break that would lead to a record contract. As Taylor told a scowling Simon Cowell: “I want my voice heard,’ the talent show competition was simply the means to an end. Victory in hand, Taylor planned to use his newfound fame to showcase his original roots music and talent. There was no expectation of, nor the desire for the glamour of pop music stardom. As a child, Taylor realised very early that music was his calling. He studied the great soul musicians, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, amongst others. He listened to Hank Williams, George Jones, and Johnny Cash-the heart of country-and to Ray Charles who brought modern soul to country music. He sang for family and friends, and at the age of 15 made a casual purchase at the local flea market. An old harmonica proved the catalyst for an intense focus on music performance. Whilst still a teenager, Taylor was already singing the blues and playing the harp in smoke filled bars; his youth disguised by the occasional grey hair. By the age of 18 he had picked up a guitar and penned his first song. “In Your Time” would later become the title track for the young musician’s first album, pressed and self-released at the age of 21. That album-as well as Taylor’s subsequent independent recordings-offers original music that easily crosses genres. While there are songs clearly written with a blues or rock intention, others are easier to brand as roots or country music. One of the strongest songs from the first release, “The Fall” laments the end of a relationship. Written for simple acoustic guitar and given a subtle emotional delivery, the break-up song borrows deeply from traditional country music for both subject and style. From 2005’s UNDER THE RADAR, “The Deal” and “Hell Of A Day” confirm a consistent country soul influence on Taylor’s original songwriting. Taylor has described his music as a fusion of styles-country, rock, blues, soul and Cajun spices all tossed into a cooking pot, stirred, and served with a generous side of harmonica. He credits the diverse musical flavours of his southern home base for guiding his writing and performance styles, but might also cite the influence of mentor Keb’ Mo’. Like his student, the legendary blues musician defies categorization. When asked, Keb’ explains that his music is not strictly blues, but the sum total of all his musical experience: “I’m a product of the kind of music I listened to,