Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks
Hicks in the American Idol motorcade at Walt Disney World in February 2009
Background information
Birth name	Taylor Reuben Hicks[1]
Born	(1976-10-07) October 7, 1976 (age 47)[1] Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.[1]
Genres	Blue-eyed soul blues rock country pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter restaurateur advocate
Instrument(s)	Vocals guitar harmonica B3 organ
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Arista 19 (2006–2008) Modern Whomp (2008–present)
Formerly of	Little Memphis Blues Orchestra
Website	taylorhicks.com

Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976)^[1] is an American singer who won the fifth season of American Idol in May 2006. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent albums. Upon winning Idol, he was signed to Arista Records, under which his self-titled major label debut was released on December 12, 2006.

His energetic stage performances and influences derived from classic rock, blues, and R&B music had earned him a following of devout fans dubbed the "Soul Patrol".^[2] Hicks performed on Broadway in 2008 and on national tour in 2009 in Grease playing Teen Angel, the role originated by Alan Paul. He is the first Idol winner to secure a long-term residency at a Las Vegas casino. He began his residency at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012 and moved to a larger venue, Paris Las Vegas, in January 2013. In 2016, Hicks began hosting the INSP original series State Plate, and released a single, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings", in 2017.^[3]