The Taylor Hicks Community

               In the News ~~ Taylor in The Magic City...

Taylor Hicks
  "My Sweet Lord"

WorkPlay magic...
In Friday's sold out show at WorkPlay, Taylor introduced mentor and renowned blues guitarist, Billy Earl McClelland, who told Taylor's father when Taylor was 18, that Taylor had what it takes to "make it."

The two "got down" and brought the house down on "Dust My Broom."

Saturday night's WorkPlay featured special guest, Ona Watson, musican and owner of Ona's, a popular Birmingham nightspot. He and Taylor did a bluesy duet on Bobby Womack's "Woman's Got To Have It."

The UAB Gospel Choir joined Taylor for the encores, "New Found Freedom," and "My Sweet Lord."

In the wings Saturday night, was basketball legend and Alabama native, Charles Barkley. Taylor and Charles have played golf in local events and on occasions, talked to the media with robust bantering back and forth!

Other special guests included members of the cast of "Grease." Taylor stars as Teen Angel in the Broadway Across America tour of the highly-acclaimed rock and roll musical. Taylor did double duty in Birmingham as Teen Angel in "Grease" and his own Shadow Tour concerts at WorkPlay.

Media, media!
A treasure trove of media from WorkPlay is being collected in special forums on our message board. Videos and pictures are documenting the best Taylor Hicks live concerts! No dissenting votes have been heard...WorkPlay was the best ever! View all the media, or bring yours to share at: Live From Birmingham

Shadow Tour show in FLORIDA
NOVEMBER 1-2~~Orlando, FL, Epcot's Free Concert Series...
Epcot’s American Gardens outdoor theater hosts concert,"Eat To The Beat" Eat To The Beat

Taylor Hicks in    "Seven Mile Breakdown" CONTINUES TO BURN UP THE VIDEO CHARTS ON AOL!
                 (Photo by rajrae, audio taping by Dennis Tyler, WorkPlay, 9.26.09)


                    

 

 

 

 

Birmingham showed its love for its own Taylor Hicks! Joining the locals were fans from as far away as England for the week long celebration with "Grease" at BJCC and two concerts at WorkPlay. Hometown news reporter, Mary Colurso, has covered Taylor since AI. She was on board with her choice of "most dynamic" of Birmingham's three Idols.

First in the magazine section and then on Page 2 of Sunday's paper, Mary reviews her Idol choice:

"Over time, it's become clear: Taylor Hicks is the most dynamic, interesting and consistently entertaining member of Birmingham's "American Idol" trio.

"Perhaps it's unfair to lump Hicks, 32, into a category with Ruben Studdard and Bo Bice, because their music styles are so different - soul-pop, R&B and Southern rock, respectively.

"But all three are local guys who made their fame on the same TV reality series, and their successes happened within a span of just four years. There's an inevitable urge to compare and contrast them, and frankly, Hicks always stands out.

"When the Gray-Haired Guy returns for a concert here, as he did Friday night at the WorkPlay theater, it's always a professional, high-energy show. Hicks works hard as a singer-instrumentalist (guitar and harmonica) and the set never feels amateurish or slapdash." (Al.com/birminghamnews)

                                                                              Photo by san, Taylor Hicks at WorkPlay 9.25.09


























                                                           



 

 
 

Birmingham turns out for Taylor

"Brilliant music" at WorkPlay...
Kathleen Felleca, "music geek" writing for
WriteonNewJersey, was at WorkPlay
and reviews "the best."

"Good music bypasses the intellect and goes straight to the heart. Brilliant music remains there forever. With energy off the Richter scale, Taylor Hicks’ performances of September 25 and 26, 2009 at Birmingham’s WorkPlay Theatre stand in that latter, rarified category. Compared to those concerts, this review will be flimsy. Words cannot match the live gigs, the best I’ve ever been blessed to experience in my long history as a music geek. So I’ll just pull a Pat Benatar and hit it with my best shot.

"Kaleidoscoping between playful little boy, the guy you’d like to knock back a cold one with, and the most dedicated of musicians, Hicks created a riveting, don’t blink or you’ll miss it stage presence. Rockin’, bluesy, jazzy, soulful, and more, he deftly balanced freeform jam with structure, pulling selections from three albums (The Distance. his eponymous CD, and Early Works) and interspersing them with little snippets of gems like Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey and full covers such as The Meters’ Hey, Pocky Way and The Beatles’ "Don’t Let Me Down." WriteonNewJersey.com

Another year around the sun...Happy Birthday, Taylor!
Taylor Hicks turns 33 on Tuesday, October 7th!
Fans are sending virtual birthday greetings. View Taylor's card at:    Happy Birthday Taylor

What you may not know about Taylor...
He was recently asked to divulge something that people may not know about him. He said that he has become a pretty good photographer. (mulletwrapper.com)

TTHC on YouTube
Check out:
TaylorConnections on YouTube

Taylor on Twitter...
"THANKS TO MY HOMETOWN
FOR THE WODERFUL
RECEPTION!!"
TaylorRHicks on twitter

Get The Distance
on Modern Whomp Records!    
     



 

 

 

 

Photo by raj6, Taylor Hicks at WorkPlay 9.26.09