posted by Administrator on May 16
The “American Idol” alum will join the Broadway cast of “Grease” on June 6, playing Teen Angel in the revival of the popular musical.
The gray-haired singer — whose “Idol” fan base was called “The Soul Patrol” — said he plans to add “soulful flavor” to his performance of “Beauty School Dropout.” The flashy role, he said, is “a classic fit for a classic performer.”
“It’s a big number, and, you know, I’ve made some pretty grand entrances before,” Hicks told The Associated Press on Thursday. “And this one is probably the grandest entrance I’ve had in my career.”
Well, besides “Idol.” Hicks, 31, took home the title in the fifth season of the top-rated Fox show — the biggest stage on television.
He later lost his record deal with J Records, a label within Sony-BMG, which signs the show’s singers, and had been looking for the perfect part to make his debut on The Great White Way.
“If you’re gonna be a great entertainer and you’re gonna be a great performer, than these are the things that you have to do to season yourself in that manner,” said Hicks, who views this “opportunity of a lifetime” as a way to improve his “Idol”-tested skills.
The Alabama-born crooner’s run ends Sept. 7. He’ll be the latest “Idol” to hit Broadway, following runs by season-three winner Fantasia Barrino (”The Color Purple”) and a host of also-rans including Clay Aiken (”Spamalot”), Diana DeGarmo (”Hairspray”) and Constantine Maroulis (”The Wedding Singer”).
Hicks’ self-titled, post-”Idol” album, released in December 2006, has sold a respectable 702,000 copies, according to Nielsen Soundscan data. But it didn’t reach the 1 million mark or register a hit song, unlike previous “Idol” winners.
This summer, Hicks intends to finish up a follow-up album — on his own terms.
“I’ve had the creative freedom and the time to write some of the best music that I’ve ever written in my whole life. … The options are unlimited and there has been some great interest now that I’m a free agent, so to speak,” he said.
Source: AP News
ERIN CARLSON
posted by Administrator on Jan 9
American Idol fifth-season champ Taylor Hicks has confirmed his departure from Arista Records, describing the split from his label as a mutual decision.
“American Idol winner Taylor Hicks has announced that he and Arista Records have mutually agreed to part ways,” a statement from his representative announced, OK! Weekly reported Tuesday.
Hicks elaborated on his split from the record label in a subsequent posting on his MySpace website.
“To all my fans and The Soul Patrol, I want to take a moment to talk about the recent news that my label and I have mutually parted ways,” wrote Hicks.
“The important thing for all of you to remember is that I’ve been a working musician my whole life. This is turning the page on a new chapter of my career. Artistic freedom and control is an exciting prospect. The things that are most important to me is creating my art, performing it, and my fans. With the momentum that all of you have created over the years, Taylor Hicks is not going to stop anytime soon. I’ve started working on the new album, writing and scheduling exciting collaborations. The DVD, Whomp at the Warfield, is in it’s final stages, and will be released soon. So as one door closes, a new one opens for 2008 with more excitement for all my fans than ever before. Sit tight, because the best is yet to come!”
News that J Records had ended its relationship with Hicks had first emerged via a recent Entertainment Weekly “Hollywood Insider” blog report which claimed to have “heard” Hicks had “also” met the same fate as Ruben Studdard, who had been “quietly dropped” by J Records in December, according to a New York Post report published last month. (Earlier this week, Studdard’s rep issued a statement saying the parties agreed to “part ways to go in a different direction” sometime last spring.)
“Taylor is going to record his next album on his own,” EW quoted an unidentified “label rep” as saying in a less-than-definitive sounding blog posting that featured a “Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard dropped from J Records?” headline. “He is no longer on the J Records roster.”
J Records confirmed the report of Hicks’ departure, as well as the earlier reports of Studdard’s departure, in a statement released Monday.
“Taylor is going to record on his own for the next album,” J Records representative Liz Morentin confirmed in a statement released to E! News. “Ruben Studdard is still signed to 19 Entertainment [the production/management company behind Idol], and is currently working on his new album, however it will not be distributed by J Records.”
posted by AINews on Jun 29
American Idol 2006 winner Taylor Hicks rocked through Atlanta Thursday night. He hit the Southern Star Stage at Six Flags performing before hundreds of fans.
The gray hair Hicks has been touring since February promoting his most recent self-titled album.
The road is nothing new for the Alabama native. Long before American Idol fame came calling, he was hitting the roads all across the southeast, playing in bands since he was 19 years old. He adds that touring back then has prepared him for the lifestyle now, a lifestyle that includes performing at night, sleeping during the day from time to time, and plenty of time of the open road.
While some past contestants of American Idol have been quick to abandon their ties to the show, not so for Hicks. He says he understands what a great opportunity performing on American Idol in front of millions was, and he continues to learn more and more about it each day.
From here, Hicks continues the tour, a tour he describes as high impact soul aerobics, a modern day approach to soul. Next month, Hicks the artist turns into Hicks the author. He’s got a new book coming out called ‘Heart Full Of Soul’. In it, he tells how a gray haired guy beat the odds, finding his own voice and seizing the opportunity when it came his way. He’ll be back in Atlanta on July 24th at the Barnes & Noble on Cobb Parkway to promote it.
