Taylor Hicks News (Page 4)

As the American Idol Tour wound down this summer, it became a tradition: Taylor Hicks (sometimes alone, sometimes with pals named Elliot and Bucky) would surprise customers at some local watering hole after a show.

It took place again last week, two hours after the American Idol winner sang in front of 17,000 people at HP Pavilion in San Jose. Hicks played guitar and harmonica, while singing for about 150 devoted fans in an after midnight surprise show at a local club.

A fan in attendence blogged about the event for The Mercury News and stated emphatically that no one there was let down, as Hicks ran through a medley of soul and funk hits. The audience was about 85 percent female and flashbulbs popped and video cameras ran throughout the performance.

"There's something about this year, with the variety and genres of music that has brought in a variety of people, young and old," said Modesto accountant Alice Pierson, 53, who stood in line outside Club Angel four hours before Hicks took the stage. "It's renewed an interest in music for the Baby Boomers."

Pierson, like millions of others, said she was impressed with Hicks's "charisma, looks and voice."

Hicks was backed by the Birmingham, Ala., quintet LiMBO, with whom he played before a record-number of fans gave him the title over Katharine McPhee this year.

Marcy Feldman, 46, a Los Angeles-based independent consultant for television programming, caught the band in Birmingham and LA. Heck, she enjoyed it even when Hicks didn't show up.

"Their energy is amazing," she said. "You can't sit still. I'm stuck in the seventies. I love Billy Joel and Michael McDonald. There is nothing in the last 15 years that has interested me. But this has brought me back to music."

The band's manager referred to venues such as the San Jose joint as "home for Taylor." Dean Sanders even said the smaller and less crowded, the better.

It's a refreshing point of view from a singer that's bound to become an evern bigger star before the year is over.

The Los Angeles Times reports that reigning American Idol king Taylor Hicks has settled a lawsuit he filed last week against a Nashville producer over the rights to three songs he wrote and recorded before becoming a phenom on the FOX series this spring.

Under the agreement, Hicks gained possession of the master recordings of his material, documents filed in federal court Tuesday reveal.

The lawsuit was filed and put to rest in Hicks' hometown of Birmingham, Ala. In exchange for receiving the rights to his songs, which he alleged were released on iTunes by ex-producer William Smith illegally, Hicks agreed to cease further legal action against the producer.

Smith recorded Hicks several years ago and recently tried to market the songs. He claims he intended to give all royalties to Hicks, and only released the songs to show the true abilities of the American Idol winner. No money will change hands under the agreement.

Yesterday, we reported that Taylor Hicks (right), Bucky Covington and Elliott Yamin skipped out on their American Idol tour after-party in L.A. to hit up a more serious music scene -- and pick up some industry cred.

The trio snuck away to perform at the notorious Hollywood rock club Viper Room. According to TMZ.com, Taylor jammed with the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, along with members of his own band, playing harmonica while taking shots on stage in front of a sold-out crowd.

This crowd wasn't interested in hearing any pop covers or standards, and Taylor Hicks proved he's more than a gimmick, drawing raves from the audience. Nice!

Elliott and Bucky (below, left) also got in on the action to the delight of the packed house which included tons of screaming fans... ones slightly older than the audience at the Staples Center earlier in the night.

Bucky hung with his wife Crystal, while Yamin was joined by his model girlfriend, Jamie (below, right).

As far as Taylor, when he wasn't on stage or fending off members of his Soul Patrol, he retreated to the confines of the closed-off VIP room.

Earlier this week, lawyers representing Taylor Hicks filed suit against music producer William Smith in Alabama's U.S. District Court, hoping to thwart the online sale of three songs Hicks recorded in 2001.

Smith claims that in making the songs available, he's not interested in profiting from them -- but rather wants to silence critics who've slammed Hicks' first single since he won American Idol.

"The whole thing with putting these songs out was, he was getting killed by that goofy single, and I knew he was better than that," said Smith, who owns and operates William Smith Productions in Nashville, Tenn.

"It's going to be hard to recover from the panning he's taken from that song. We're friends. I love Taylor Hicks," he continued. "I had a three-year relationship with him. That single sucks, and this was purely altruistic on my part. I wanted to show critics that were killing him that he was way more than American Idol."

Smith refers to "Do I Make You Proud," Hicks' major-label single that has received massive airplay this summer. The suit claims Smith violated copyright laws when three songs -- "Son of a Carpenter," "In Your Time," and "The Fall," which the producer said were recorded with various studio musicians -- were made available for digital download on iTunes.

The tracks were removed from the online retailer as of yesterday afternoon, in accordance with a temporary restraining order authorized by Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins.

Hicks' attorney, Michael Douglas, told MTV that the songs were recorded in 1997 and released on an album called In Your Time. Therefore, he reasoned, the tracks were copyrighted, and Smith could lay no claim to ownership of them.

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Katharine McPhee may be grabbing the headlines with her recent appearances as TV guest hosts and attempts to break into theatre production, but don't count out Taylor Hicks in the quest for media royalty.

The reigning American Idol winner, 29, has singed a deal to write a book, People reports -- and commanded a sizable advance of $750,000 from Random House's Crown imprint. Hicks's agent, Alan Nevins, says the memoir will be ghost written by David Wild, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone.

The book, Heart Full of Soul, hits shelves in Spring '07.

Hicks, once a struggling singer in Alabama clubs, will chronicle the obstacles he overcame on his road to success, and discuss the whirlwind of emotions he felt along the way. We're big fans of Taylor, and have no problem with him cashing in on his talent. But at 29 he may well become the youngest performer to ever publish a memoir!

In other news, Taylor will appear alongside fellow American Idol stars and Alabama natives Ruben Studdard (Season Two winner) and Bo Bice (Season Four finalist) on a new billboard from the state's Bureau of Tourism and Travel.

According to the Associated Press, the billboards will feature photos of the trio, and will be emblazoned with the message, "Where America finds its voice. Alabama."

Lee Sentell, the state's tourism director, said that six billboards will go up shortly before the American Idol auditions begin in Birmingham, Ala., on August 21. They will be displayed for four months leading up to the start of Season 6.

Between 10,000 to 15,000 hopefuls are expected to try out as Fox holds auditions in Birmingham for the first time. Given that the city boasts two of the five AI winners (Hicks and Studdard) a huge turnout isn't surprising. It turns out the two Birmingham products have more than that in common -- Taylor's middle name is Reuben. Who knew!

Mark it on your calendar, fans.

November 14 will be the day of reckoning -- as well as a day likely to see heavy record sales across the U.S. American Idol winner Taylor Hicks will face off against two of his formidable counterparts from the Fox series once again, as his debut album is released right alongside the efforts of runner-up Katharine McPhee and the always-giddy, newly-signed Kellie Pickler (pictured).

Not only will this mark the first time that Idol finalists have shared a release date, but all three will be crooning for RCA Music Group, having been signed by Idol creator Simon Fuller.

Along with Chris Daughtry (also signed by RCA), the three artists have been all over the news and the digital downloads charts already, so the November release date will be an interesting test of who has the biggest fan base. Unless fans just want to buy all three CDs of course. Good luck to all.

President George W. Bush will come face-to-face with American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and the other Top 10 finalists from this past season at the White House Friday.

It will be the first time contestants from the Fox hit television show have been invited to meet the president.

Hicks won the fifth season and was given a guaranteed record deal after 63 million votes were cast for him in the May 24 finale. That's more than the 59 million that Bush got in 2004, which is a little frightening. Not because the Idol winner got more votes than the U.S. President, but because 59 million people actually pulled the lever for the guy in the Oval Office. Astounding.

Voters can cast more than one ballot on American Idol, of course. Also attending the White House reception will be runner-up Katharine McPhee, who has been on the mend, along with Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler -- all of whom were recently given record contracts as well.

While all the Idol participants will be warmly received in Washington, the top dog may get an extra-special welcome. The Boston Globe reports that Hicks has a personal White House connection in Susan Whitson, his ninth-grade English teacher at Hoover High School in Birmingham, Ala., and Laura Bush's current press secretary!

Taylor Hicks performed on Good Morning America Friday, singing "Do I Make You Proud," the B-side to his first single. Here's a picture of Taylor on stage:

Just because he's risen to fame doesn't mean he's set for life. What if an accident happens? What if he has a wife and kids someday. We all love the glitz and glamour of American Idol, but these are real people just like us. They need to ensure that they are financially secure not just now, at the peak of their fame, but down the road a ways.

The average American needs life insurance to protect the loved ones he or she will leave behind. But let’s say you win the lottery, or even better, American Idol! Does Taylor Hicks really need life insurance? After all, he just won a recording contract, a new Ford Mustang and many, many American dollars.

The answer may surprise you.

There are several types of life insurance, the most popular being term life, which is sold in increments of 10, 15, 20 years, etc., i.e., for a specific term. Term life insurance is a great fit for families since it provides affordable coverage and can protect a family from the loss of primary wage earners during the critical years when children are dependents living at home.

Hicks, as all you female fans know, is single, with no family, no loving wife, no children depending on his recording career to keep them afloat. So he naturally doesn't need life insurance, right? Wrong. If you win American Idol, the lottery, or any other substantial cash prize, you might think you are set for life.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The record contract an Idol might sign with Simon Fuller might have some clauses that would require the winners’ estate to pay back money in case of an untimely death, such as one that occurs in the middle of a tour or even a recording session. Once Hicks or a plain old lotto jackpot winner spend all of that money, there might not be enough left over to cover funeral costs, medical bills, or provide for future generations for many years to come.

Taylor, if you are reading this, and we know you are, you probably want to purchase term life insurance in the near future. Trust us.

Thank goodness for Entertainment Weekly. The magazine reviewed a concert from the Season Five American Idol tour last week. With Taylor, Chris and the crew at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ, here's one critic's take on various performers:

Most likely to succeed: Based on audience feedback, Chris Daughtry may be poised for the biggest post-Idol career. It doesn't hurt that the guy is sex on a stick - parents should probably to cover the wee ones' ears and eyes during his cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" - but he's also the most polished, confident performer of the bunch.

Most embarrassing: Ace Young will never advance beyond cheesy Idol also-ran status, if only for his painfully literal on-stage gestures. He traced a tear down his face on two separate occasions - singing the words "cried" on "Father Figure" and "cries" on Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe." He also tapped his head meaningfully on the word "mind." That's just wrong.

Most surprising: Tenth-place finisher Lisa Tucker had the night's strongest showing among the women, sitting down at the piano to offer a restrained, heartfelt rendition of Elton John's "Your Song" - with no accompaniment from the band.

Most disappointing: Since her grandma Ann Nesby is apparently unwilling to say it, I'll deliver a much needed newsflash to Paris Bennett: "Young lady, you are not, nor will you ever be, the next Beyoncé Knowles." Paris' shenanigans on "Crazy in Love" provided too much awkward wiggle, and almost no vocal sizzle.

Most in need of a good life coach: After hearing his awesome one-two-three punch of "Moody's Mood for Love," "Never Too Much," and "Trouble," who could deny that Elliott Yamin is the best singer on the entire Idol tour? However, even after winning over millions of fans en route to a third-place finish, the guy still looks vaguely skittish at center stage. It might help if he traded a solo career for fronting a smooth jazz-R&B band.

Most sincere: It was actually Kellie Pickler. She sounded sincerely genuine thanking her fans for giving her a chance at fulfilling her dreams.

Most puzzling: No doubt, Taylor Hicks has a fine voice. And no doubt, he's going to sell boatloads of records. Still, this year's champ offered up a set that was just slightly underwhelming. Perhaps he's a little burned out from taking the lion's share of tour publicity, but after opening strong on "Jailhouse Rock" and Bob Seeger's "Hollywood Nights," he seemed oddly detached on "Sweet Soul Music" and "Don't Let Me Down."