Taylor Hicks has seen better days. Like when he was crowned the winner of American Idol last season.
Since then, however, the Soul Patrol has been stuck on neutral. With some music industry insiders claiming that Taylor's vocal stylings are too old, his debut album is on track to be the first by an Idol winner to fall short of one million units sold.
The self-titled CD, "Taylor Hicks," stands at 640,000 copies right now. It was released in December. Conversely, fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry has already sold over a million copies of his debut disc.
Moreover, fellow American Idol champs Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, and Carrie Underwood all fared much better in their first couple months.
An exec from J Records, in an interview with the AP, blames the record's "longer burn" on the fact that the music is "much more adult." We'll keep you updated on Hicks' progress as his tour rocks on.
Fans, meanwhile, can purchase their Taylor Hicks tickets by clicking here.
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20 Comments
March 1st, 2007 1:54 PM
Not quite sure why everyone keeps quoting Taylor as NOT HITTING PLATINUM status:
http://epk.radioandrecords.com//TaylorHicks/JustToFeelThatWay_0107/ac.asp
That link being from ARISTA RECORDS - now if they're smoking something over there at his record label then fine. But if I'm not mistaken Taylor Hicks went PLATINUM during his 2nd week - this was done after recording an entire album in SIX WEEKS and to then have that album debut without a single released. ANd now that the single HAS been released, it's barely played on any radio stations (to my surprise, since everyone demanded he throw in a few 'pop-style' hits to please all audiences).
Without throwing out at any other Idol contestants, it amazes me that the Winner of Season 5 seems to have been put on the backburner, while others are being 'pimped' to high heaven - which is fine, I'm happy for ALL of them - but it's wrong to step over the winner to accomodate the others.
So what is the point of American Idol if the Idol is not 'idolized'?
Signed,
Disturbed and Confused in NY
March 1st, 2007 11:32 PM
Hi I would just like to know since when is selling 640,000 albums BAD??A year ago all of us fans never heard Taylor Hicks or his music.and now it looks like he has 640,000 new fans....they can't all be SOUL PATROLERS since he got his break on American Idol. I think Taylor Hicks is doing just GREAT and will be in the Music Game for a long time to come. Cut him some slack already. This guy is a winner. I am seeing him in March and his tickets to his two concerts here in Chicago and Joliet have been sold out for months. Now please tell me what is NOT good about those statistics?
March 3rd, 2007 11:37 PM
Thank you, Jeannie!
It seems everyone's so busy overshadowing Taylor's success with other Idol successes - and I don't begrudge any of them, happiness to all...but Taylor won. Hands down.
Can't everyone just let him celebrate his new success without pigeon-holing him into yet ANOTHER competition with his Idol alumni?
Geez...
And I'll be seeing Taylor in Long Island on 4/7 and in NYC on 4/20 - and trust me, these shows are also sold out.
March 4th, 2007 9:47 PM
Taylor was awesome in concert in Jacksonville. Do I think his album was the best ever? No, but how many first albums are. Most of the time artists have very little control early on and it's not till their second or even third before we really see what they can do.
This thing is a marathon anyway...not a race. Taylor is original and there's always a place for originality.
March 5th, 2007 11:04 AM
Nobody "puts Taylor in a corner"
Poor American Idol and "little" Simon Cowell, do they see a decline in their fortunes?
Do we care, no way! Taylor knew he had a voice and with his ENTERTAINING and singing, brought joy and fire to " his soul patrol" and lovers of passionate preformers. They found a hero, an entertainer, a sweet unasumming, HARD WORKING artist who believed in the music and America chose him. We attend the sold out concerts and support our Idol. Why can't they?
March 5th, 2007 1:09 PM
TAYLOR IS THE AMERICAN IDOL HE IS DIFFERENT, HE IS UNIQUE HE IS A GREAT SINGER HE IS ORIGINAL AND ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING PEOPLE I HAVE EVER WATCHED. I DO NOT GET AWED EASILY BUT SINCE BUT HE TOTALLY MESMERIZES ME. I ALSO HEARD MANY TIMES HIS ALBUM WENT PLATINUM AND AM VERY DISSAPPPOINTED IN RADIO STATIONS ETC FOR PLAYING HIM DOWN AND PLAYING UP DAUGHTRY AND KATHRINE MCFEE. I DONT SEE ANYTHING IN HER AT ALL AND DAUGHTRY IS GOOD BUT HEARD IT BEFORE AND WILL HEAR IT AGAIN ALL THE SAME. HE MUST HAVE WON FOR SOME REASON HE HAS ALOT OF FANS I GEO TICKETS TO SEE HIM IN LONG ISLAND BUT I JUST GOT THEM THEY WERE SOLD OUT IN MINUTES. WE THE SOUL PATROLERS KNOW WHAT TALENT IS AND WILL STAND BEHIND OUT MAN FOR EVER ASW LONG AS HE WANTS TO MAKE MUSIC WE EILL BE BUYING IT. I WISH PEOPLE WOULD SEE HIM FOR THE VERY SPECIAL PERSON HE IS.
March 7th, 2007 8:46 AM
Taylor is certified platinum NOT buy albums sold but by albums shippped. Big difference. In the meantime, Daughtry is about to be certified double platinum by CD's SOLD. He's sold more than 1,800,000 units and again this week is #1 in the Billboard charts. When a 4th place finalist outsells by far the winner of AI, I consider Taylor Hicks a flop.
March 13th, 2007 7:31 AM
hello guys how are u ,i wish u fine and good ,
so wana say that the idols are just rocking i mean there are great ,so i wish them best and good luck ,
and i really have a request that plz put i dols songs in the website so that every one can listen to ,bcz i really like to to listen to there songs epecially carrie underwoods song i love it ,but i really dont have the website to donwload her songs so plz do something.
ok best of luck .
sameer
March 13th, 2007 7:35 AM
hi Taylor man u are outstanding i mean u are cool man ,u are sach a great singer man which i really like u and ur vioce man it is just rocking ,
and plz tell us about ur new allbum man bcz we all waiting for that .so hope u will take it out ,so best of luck man bye take care.
sameer...
April 3rd, 2007 9:43 PM
Excuse me if I am repeating some others here but I find it completely unfair and unprofessional for AI to completely leave Taylor out. I am certain that it was because he had some demands of his own and of course they seem to like the ones they can mold to what they want. And they said it was "America's Vote". That certainly rubbish. Look now at what is happening to the show, decline is not the word. This year has become a joke with the whole Sanjaya thing.
Taylor earned and is deserving of his win and all the powers to be should be helping him. I heard rumors that radio stations have been told not to play the song JTFTW, as well as the DJ's managers have told them they can't play it. What is that all about.
Those of us that love Taylor will always be there for him. I am going to two concerts and those were also sold out in hours.
Come on let's get real. The powers to be have something against Taylor and they are doing this.
We have to keep requesting and buying and getting others to buy his music. I have seen videos of his solo tour and he is absolutely electrifying.
I could go on but this whole things makes me so angry.