American Idol can be a fickle beast. It has the ability to launch complete unknowns into the hearts and minds of the entire nation in a matter of weeks. The trouble though, is that, even for the winners, the exit from the limelight can be equally as hasty. Many stars such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry may have gone on to continued success, but what about 2006 underdog winner Taylor Hicks?

Taylor Hicks rose to notoriety very early on in the competition, when Simon Cowell told him during his initial audition that he would never reach the final round. But once he gave his first contest performance, he gained the attention of both Cowell and the American public. Because of his niche style, however, many were skeptical of his commercial appeal beyond the competition. So where has Taylor Hicks’ career ended up since winning?

Immediately after the show ended, Hicks was signed by 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records, which was managed by Simon Fuller, the American Idol creator. His debut single went to the number one spot immediately, and was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

After enjoying chart success, Taylor Hicks’ star power began to fade, but this was not reflected in his schedule. He continued to appear as a guest star in many large name sets, including Willie Nelson and the unusual fit with Snoop Dogg. This touring schedule culminated in an Idol reunion tour at which point many feared his 15 minutes of fame had run their course.

The next step for Taylor Hick’s would be a very unexpected direction for the New Orleans native and Blues singer. For the next 18 months, Hicks joined the Broadway cast of Grease in a traveling rendition of the famous musical, eventually performing in 20 live shows.

Once the musical run had ended, Hicks returned to the studio to work on his debut album, Taylor Hicks. When launched, it reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 charts, eventually earning a platinum status. His album was followed later by a second, The Distance, which reached only number 24. Despite his debut single and album success, Hicks has had the lowest album sales of any American Idol winner. His success by its own standing has been mixed. He has gone from the highs of the number one spot to being dropped by his label in 2008.

Despite the ups and downs, Taylor Hicks has shown that he is more than just a music fad, though his successes certainly fell short of what many expected. He has since returned as a guest on Idol, and continues to promote his current album.

Taylor Hicks is best known for his rise to fame on the hit television show American Idol. He was the fifth season winner of the singing competition, but his journey as a professional musician began much earlier than that.

Taylor Hicks’ life began in Birmingham, Alabama when he was born on October 7th, 1976. His parents, Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson, were later divorced, and Hicks has cited his childhood as the reason he turned to and relates so well to soul and blues music.

When Taylor was just fourteen years old his hair began to go gray, becoming one of his most recognizable traits. He bought his first harmonica from a flea market at the age of sixteen, and it reportedly cost him $2. He taught himself to play which lead to the discovery that he had absolute pitch, an ability to recognize the pitches of everyday noises and then mimic them using the harmonica. He wrote his first song, In Your Time, at the age of eighteen and then taught himself to play the electric guitar at nineteen.

Hicks graduated from Hoover High School in 1995 where he had played varsity baseball, soccer and basketball. He went on to study business and journalism at Auburn University, but dropped out after three years due to lack of interest.

It was in college where Taylor joined his first band, Passing Through, although he later quit to start a band of his own. He spent a majority of this time touring in the Southeastern United States. In 1997 Taylor independently recorded an album, In Your Time, including both live and studio recordings.

Taylor moved to Nashville, Tennessee to try to further his music career. While there he recorded a three song demo with Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge, Nashville veterans on the music scene. However, he was still unable to find a record label that would sign him.

After a year of having no luck in Nashville, Taylor returned to Alabama where he continued to work on furthering his professional music career, performing at several parties and venues. During this time Taylor had the pleasure of performing with the likes of James Brown, Tom Petty, Snoop Dogg and many more. He also had a very notable gig performing during a Nascar weekend event at the Talladega Superspeedway in 2004.

In 2005, Hicks recorded and released a second independent record, Under the Radar. The fact that he had released two albums did not violate the American Idol requirements for contestants, because he had never actually had a recording contract. Taylor took advantage of that when he auditioned for the show on October 10th 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He went through to the next round with the approval of Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but not Simon Cowell.

Taylor Hicks was named the new American Idol on May 24th 2006, winning the title over runner-up Katharine McPhee, with over 63.4 million votes cast in total. Prior to his win he was named a spokesperson for Ford and the hottest bachelor of 2006 by People magazine. He has released three studio albums – Taylor Hicks, Early Works and The Distance. He has also written a book about his life and performed with the Broadway musical Grease.

American Idol burst onto the entertainment scene and into American living rooms in 2002. One of the highest rated shows in the history of television, it has not only created some of the most well known singers in the music industry, but the show itself has been established as one of the most significant pop cultural icons of the 21st century.

Originally aired in London as “Pop Idol”, the show is the brainchild of British creator Simon Fuller, who was already a successful star maker managing the careers of music industry celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Annie Lennox and Steven Tyler, to name a few. “My business is creating fame and celebrity,” Fuller once said. “And I’m one of the best in the world. I know it to the finest detail.”

When Idol was brought overseas and aired on Fox Television, it wowed audiences immediately. The idea of taking unknown people and having them compete in a singing competition, which could in turn transform them into world famous pop stars, was a big hit with American audiences. The success of the show is due in part to the concept of the American dream. Mundane lives suddenly catapulted into stardom is the driving hope of many young artists, and Idol found a way to market that dream and make it exceptionally entertaining.

Aside from the model of the show, is the likability factor of host Ryan Seacrest , and the original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, all of whom have added to the show’s success. Everyone in the television audience joins in the critique along with the judges, laughing at the ridiculousness of some of the contestants, and cheering on the gifted ones. Simon is the tough and relentless judge everyone loves to hate, but with whom some secretly agree. Paula and Randy play the roles of the nicer and more open minded judges. We are riveted by playful and sometimes tense banter that volleys back and forth as they try to make a decision on a contestant.

This is not just a spectator sport. The final player in this game is the audience. Nearer to the end of the show, when main contestants are put through rigorous singing trials while giving it their all, the audience is allowed to vote by phone or text. We have a choice as to who the winner will ultimately be. 

The show is a winning combination of elements which include something for everyone. The fan, the hopeful, the judge and the critic alike enjoy the drama and spectacle that is American Idol. Anyone with the chops has a chance to hit the big time, ask Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks or Jordin Sparks. Who will the next one be? It might even be you.

I think you’ve done it, Taylor. Great three songs! Such energy, such devotion, such showmanship and charisma!! You are the true, total package and I agree with Simon.

See you in the Finals.

I think Katharine will be joining you. If Amerca appreciated Katharine’s perfomance of Over the Rainbow like I did, I fully expect that Elliot will be voted off tomorrow. Sadly, he failed to win hearts like Taylor and Katharine did tonight. And you know I really mean what I say, because it’s no secret that I really don’t like her at all. The last thing I wanted to do was to say how brightly Katharine shined tonight. But I can’t help it. She did.

They both kind of outshined you tonight, Elliot. You were solid, but they were outstanding. Sorry to say it, but I think this is the end for you. But what do I know? Chris and Mandisa are gone, and that didn’t seem right either, did it?

Be that as it may, I see Taylor and Katharine in the finals. We’ll all see what happens.

Tomorrow night.

Mike