第五屆（2006年）“美國偶像”冠軍 年齡：29 出生地：Birmingham, AL 海選城市：Las Vegas 個人介紹：泰勒?？怂钩錾诿绹⒗婉R州，從小就展現出音樂天賦，不僅喜歡對著陌生人唱歌，還常拿著吉他自彈自唱創作歌曲。大學時泰勒主修商業學，但因興趣缺缺一年后便休學，隨后便搬到田納西州的納許維爾和樂壇老將Percy Sledge學習音樂。其實在贏得美國偶像之前，泰勒就已獨立發行過兩張專輯。除此之外，泰勒也是大型婚禮歌手的熱門人選。這再顯示出泰勒倍受肯定的歌唱實力。 對其貌不揚，滿頭銀發的Hicks來說，起初幾乎無人看好他，海選階段還差點慘遭淘汰。連評委都直白地說："其實你更適合在幕后唱歌。" 然而Hicks的個人魅力隨著比賽的進程慢慢展現出來。他沉穩渾厚的歌喉和歌曲高潮時迸發的激情，征服了評委和觀眾，并最終為他贏得了"美國偶像"的頭銜。 獲得冠軍后，Hicks已經擁有了一大票忠實的歌迷，他們自稱為"Soul Patrol"，這個名字來源于Hicks在比賽中的口頭禪。 Hicks沒有受過任何專業的音樂訓練，他自學了唱歌，吉他和口琴，并在大學時退學去納什維爾發展，組織樂隊四處巡演。他的音樂風格受"靈魂樂之父" Ray Charles的影響深遠，以至他后來每次演出時都要帶上偶像的小塑像。如今，不懈努力的Hicks順利與唱片巨頭Clive Davis的RCA唱片簽下合約，并推出典型的Taylor Hicks式的單曲《Do I Make You Proud》。 With his raspy, soulful voice and salt-and-pepper hair, Taylor Hicks was one of the unlikeliest contestants to make it to the final round of American Idol, but his quirky charm and rousing delivery of songs like "Takin' It to the Streets" won Hicks a devoted legion of fans called the Soul Patrol and the title of the fifth-season American Idol. Born in Birmingham, AL, and raised in Hoover, Hicks grew up listening to classic soul artists such as Otis Redding and Sam Cooke -- which he said he could to relate to even as a child due to the divorce of his parents and other troubles -- and singer/songwriters like Van Morrison, Bob Seger, and Billy Joel. His chief influence, however, was Ray Charles, whom he admired so much that he carried a little statue of Charles with him whenever he performed. Though Hicks had no formal musical training, he picked up singing, guitar, and harmonica on his own. He began performing for his family at an early age and won a talent contest at his high school (at which time his hair started turning gray). While studying business, communication, and marketing at Auburn University, Hicks formed the Passing Through band, and left school early to try his luck in Nashville. As a touring performer, he opened for artists ranging from James Brown to Drive-By Truckers and also performed at the Playboy Mansion. Hicks released two albums with his band: In Your Time, a live album, and Under the Radar. In 2005, he auditioned for American Idol; the Memphis tryouts were so crowded that Hicks couldn't get in, so he went to the Las Vegas auditions. Despite the doubts of judge Simon Cowell, Hicks' differences from the typical pop star look and sound worked for him rather than against him in the competition, and his performances of "Levon," "Living for the City," and "Dancing in the Dark" helped put him over the top. After winning American Idol, Hicks signed a record deal with Clive Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, and released the single Do I Make You Proud that summer. Hicks also performed with the American Idol tour and began work on his major-label debut album. His self-titled debut arrived in late 2006. Live at the Workplay Theatre, a concert album recorded in summer 2006, was released in 2007.