Taylor Hicks: Escape from L.A.
By Wade KwonThe Soul Man is heading home.
Not to worry. Birmingham native Taylor Hicks advanced to the final three this week on “American Idol,” facing a singing showdown with Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin for the title to be announced May 24.
But before the competition resumes Tuesday, the finalists are making promotional stops in their respective hometowns Friday. Yamin returns to Richmond, Va., and McPhee, well, she’s stuck in her hometown of Los Angeles.
Updated schedule.
Hicks, 29, won’t have a lot of time to hang out Friday before returning for rehearsals.
- He’ll be on Fox 6’s “Good Day Alabama” between 7 and 9 a.m. [video clips]
- He’ll be on “The Rick and Bubba Show” on WYSF (94.5 FM) after 9 a.m. [streaming audio: Real | Windows]
- He’ll be on parade at noon in downtown Birmingham. The route runs from Powell Avenue north to Linn Park along 20th Street. Mayor Bernard Kincaid will be there, and expect a song or two (from Hicks, not Kincaid).
- He’ll perform with his band, the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover at 1:45 p.m. On hand will be Mayor Tony Petelos.
- He’s heading to Montgomery afterwards to meet Gov. Bob Riley.
- And sometime between 5 and 10 p.m., Hicks will be making an appearance at the first 2006 Art on the Rocks at the Birmingham Museum of Art. No official word on if he’s performing.
Meanwhile, if that ain’t enough Idol for ya, 2005 runner-up and Huntsville native Bo Bice will be Helena for Friday’s 5th annual Buck Creek Festival. He’ll be signing autographs but isn’t scheduled to perform.
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Read more on Taylor Hicks.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006, 9:19 am
[…] UPDATE! Check out today's post on Wade on Birmingham to get the rest of Taylor's schedule! […]
Thursday, May 25, 2006, 10:41 pm
Love ya Taylor Hicks! This is America’s music!!!! You are US and WE sent the music industry a big fat message!!!! Much love, ~ Michaux
Hicks’ sound is more classic soul and R&B, which isn’t among the current priorities of the ClearChannel empire. That means it’s not heard on the radio very often.
Perhaps that’s the point. The 63.4 million votes that led to his victory could be read as a signal that maybe not everyone is in the market for cookie-cutter pop music. Maybe the viewers are asking for some variety in their radio diet, rather than just another manufactured Jessica Simpson/Britney Spears clone.
http://www.myspace.com/michaux
Wednesday, June 21, 2006, 9:28 pm
[…] UPDATE — Taylor made the cut… the parade is a GO. See the Catalyst blog and Wade's blog for more details! See you there. […]