Month After

It's time for some high-energy aerobics AGAIN!

Today's class will be led by the Soul Man himself Taylor Hicks!!

Be sure to set your clock ... and check your pulse first!!!

The 2007 Liberty Bowl game begins at 3:30 CST ... but the real action begins ... when the whirling, twirling, soul-injected Taylor Hicks hits the stage at half-time!!

So today's the day to feed our Taylor addiction AND shed those Missing Taylor Blues!


UPDATE
Well ... ESPN did not air the half-time show ... so we did not get a chance yet to get our hearts pumping and pulse racing ... hoping and praying for video now!!
I'm especially looking forward to seeing the kids from St. Judes with Taylor!!!

Here is a short interview from Taylor at the Liberty Bowl ... he sounds great and looks wonderful!

video credit: geanna5876
Thank YOU!

And thanks to Ragsqueen here are a few photos from last night's President's Gala.

'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
nothing would fit me, not even a blouse;
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste,
at the holiday parties had gone to my waist;

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber),
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared;

The wine and the rum balls; the bread and the cheese,
and the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,
and prepared once again to do battle with dirt,
I said to myself, as only I can,
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
'til all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Please pass the fudge!

Can't Whomp Me Down

Taylor Hicks "Forever Man"

'Cause "People Get Ready" there's a train a coming!!

Get your own playlist at snapdrive.net!

Who could ever forget the excitement of Taylor's
'One Night In Nashville' tracks surfacing!!
Everybody was playing Name That Tune
with the lyrics from "Happier With Him".

It's been seven years now since that snowy night Taylor first arrived in Nashville, ready to take the Music City by storm.

From 'Heart Full Of Soul'

(Lost And Found In Music City)
Taylor says it took only one night for his hopes and dreams to come to a crashing halt.
"Thinking back on it now, I can conjure up the excited, hopeful feeling I had driving into Nashville on that very first snowy evening.
The entire Music City appeared before me like one big clean slate.
For one night at least, Nashville looked exactly like I'd hoped it would be - a place of limitless promise where I'd undoubtedly make my mark.
And then the next morning I woke up."

Like a million other hopefuls Taylor had gone to Nashville with the dream of becoming a star and landing a major record deal.
But as Taylor points out ...

From 'Heart Full Of Soul'
(Lost And Found In Music City)
"There was one huge hitch ... I never paused long enough to consider what should have been glaringly obvious ... whatever else I might have been, I was - for better or worse - no country singer.
When I speak I might sound country, but when I sing I am just a soul man."

While Taylor might think he is just a Soul Man, his Soul Patrol knows better.
His music spans an endless list of genres, Country included.

Those Nashville doors he knocked on didn't open for him 7 years ago, but you have only to watch his concert at the Ryman ... and listen to the roar of the crowd ... to know how much Nashville loved Taylor Hicks!

So I say ... Music City get ready ...'cause there is an inbound train approaching and it is on track for 2008 ... get those doors open!

The titles of these 2 tracks from 'One Night In Nashville' ..."People Get Ready" and "Forever Man" .... are telling 'cause you can't Whomp Taylor Hicks down.

From 'Heart Full of Soul'
(What'd I Say)
""If you believe in yourself, anything that comes your way - good, bad, or really ugly - can't knock you too far off track"

video presentation by PayTheDevil
(Thank You)


I love when Taylor sings "Forever Man" and although I have not been fortunate enough to catch him singing it live .... we have video!
Taylor appears with his old band, Little Memphis Blues Orchestra (LMBO), at the Woodlands in Wilkes-Barre 9-24-06 after the final American Idol tour show.

video capture thanks to jensenholmes

And a big thank you to DidNotExpectThat for her wonderful photos of Taylor at the Ryman that I took liberty with to create the header collage!

OUR FOREVER SOUL MAN IS ON TRACK ...
AMERICA GOT IT RIGHT IN 2006
AND THE LIBERTY BOWL GOT IT RIGHT IN 2007 ...
I'M READY AND I'LL BE WATCHING!!

The 49th annual Auto Zone Liberty Bowl will be played Saturday,
December 29, 2007 at 3:30 p.m. CST
at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis
Halftime show ~ Headlined by Taylor Hicks

In The Spotlight - Update

Liberty Bowl President's Gala

Entertainment by

American Idol winner Taylor Hicks
Party through the night at the premier black tie event of the season.

Join dignitaries and celebrities from across the nation for an evening of food, drink, dancing and entertainment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION,

CALL THE TICKET OFFICE AT (901) 795-7700

The 49th Auto Zone Liberty Bowl

Versus

TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT !!!!

A REMINDER
The 49th annual Auto Zone Liberty Bowl will be played Saturday,
December 29, 2007 at 3:30 p.m. CST at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis.

GOOD NEWS

The game will be televised on ESPN.

EVEN BETTER NEWS
The Auto Zone Liberty Bowl will be the only football game on television Saturday in that time slot.

THE BEST NEWS

In addition to Taylor headlining the Liberty Bowl half-time show and the Liberty Bowl President's Gala the night before, Taylor will be receiving the Bowl's OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD that night!!

Woo hoo he is only 31, what an honor!!

Each year this award is presented by the Bowl to an individual or group who has exhibited excellence both in their chosen field and in service to their community.

Some past recipients include Little Richard, B.B. King, Lou Rawls, Clint Black and Alabama.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The 2007 Auto Zone Liberty Bowl will again support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

This is a partnership that brings together a college-football tradition, and an internationally recognized biomedical research center dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic diseases in children.

http://shop.stjude.org/GiftCatalog/shop.do?cID=11692

The Auto Zone Liberty Bowl Football Classic will increase awareness of the lifesaving work performed at St. Jude Hospital for cancer-stricken children by providing international exposure.

For those of you that will actually be watching the football game and not just the half-time show :-)

From CollegeFootballNews.com

Ranking All 32 Bowl Games

#18

Auto Zone Liberty Bowl
UCF vs. Mississippi State

Admit it. You wanted to finally get a chance to see UCF's Kevin Smith, but you missed the Conference USA championship game because you were out shopping with the family. With 2,448 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, he's a superstar player who's flying under the radar. He ran well against Texas, was held in check by South Florida, and now gets a chance to make a big final statement with a chance to break the single season D-I record, held by Barry Sanders, if he gets 181 yards. Mississippi State will be pumped up to be playing in a bowl game and will be sure to bring it maximum effort. Two motivated teams equals a good bowl game.
Stars of the show: 1) UCF RB Kevin Smith, 2) Mississippi State CB Derek

I Heard It Thru The Grapevine

What is going on in Soul Patrol land?
I think the Soul Train has derailed, most certainly it has become side-tracked!
I touched on this issue back in October with my post
Naked In The Jungle, and it seems SOME of the natives are still restless.
Everyone is missing Taylor on board as our conductor, our engineer ... but it was time for refueling and maintenace and we just need to remember It Is About The Music!

So maybe it's time for a chill-pill along with a bit of humor to get back on the right track :-)



And to remember ...
Every time a hand reaches out to help another ....
That is Christmas
Every time someone puts anger aside and strives for understanding ...
That is Christmas
Every time people forget their differences and realize their love for each other ...
That is Christmas
May this Christmas bring us closer to the spirit of human understanding
Closer to the blessing of peace!

Backing up and switching tracks here is the latest Taylor Hicks news via the grapevine!


Taylor Hicks was a big hit on "American Idol" and AutoZone Liberty Bowl expects he'll be a big hit with football fans next month when he performs during the halftime show.

Hey, Isn't That ... From The Washington Post
Taylor Hicks -- yes, the prematurely gray dude who won "American Idol" last year -- dining with three others at BLT Steak Saturday night.
Told the manager he was just visiting D.C. friends on his days off.

THE GRAPEVINE: LATEST NEWS from HQ
11.21 Thanksgiving Audio Message from Taylor!
Taylor wishes you a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

I'm ready to board the 2008 Soul Train,
hope you all will be on board!