MTV Goes Back Stage With Taylor Hicks

We catch up with the season-five "American Idol" champ backstage at the musical's latest Broadway revival.
video from MTV News

"I started doing seances to channel Elvis"

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'American Idol' Alum Taylor Hicks Channels Elvis, Liberace For 'Grease' Gig


Here is a video capture for those unable to view the MTV site video, like my Canadian friends!
Karin I did it, lol aren't you proud of me :-)
(whoops, I missed some of it, well not bad for my 1st try lol)

From MTV News
In 2006, when salt-and-pepper-pelted soul singer Taylor Hicks won the fifth season of "American Idol," he probably never imagined he'd be popping out of an ice-cream cone, singing "Beauty School Dropout."

Now Hicks is doing just that, playing the Teen Angel - a role made famous by Frankie Avalon in the 1978 film version of "Grease" - in the musical's latest Broadway revival. For his first foray into acting, it's not a bad gig, and Hicks is hoping it will open more doors for him down the line.

"It's a really cool part," he said. "The Teen Angel comes down and tells Frenchy she should put down her teasing comb and go back to high school. I've kind of channeled Elvis, a little Graham Parsons and Liberace, all at the same time, for this role. It was just a perfect fit and a way for me to experience the Broadway stage in a small dose, instead of a full role. I come out in the second act. I pop in from an ice-cream cone, in a blue rhinestone suit, and rock it out for a few minutes."
Hicks said his Teen Angel is like none that has graced the stage before him, because he "Taylor-ized it."

To prepare for the role, he claims he "started doing séances to channel Elvis, and he told me that I needed to wear a midnight-blue, rhinestone-studded suit, and that's what happened. Now we're packing the place out. It's sold-out every night, and I get to play a little harmonica, which is cool. I couldn't do that on 'Idol.' That wasn't the year where you could play instruments."
(article continued in my sidebar)

MTV News
By Chris Harris, with reporting by Jim Cantiello


Sweet two videos from MTV in one day, plus two great articles, and I finally got to see Taylor Hicks' Angel Wings!

"I Don't Want To Jinx It"


Who Is Taylor Hicks’ Mystery ‘Megastar’
Published by MTV News
Thursday, July 10, 2008
By Garth Bardsley

On Tuesday night, we swung around the corner from our Times Square offices to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where “American Idol” season-five champ Taylor Hicks is cutting his teeth on Broadway, playing the part of the Teen Angel in the most recent revival of “Grease.”

The silver-haired “Soul Patrol” leader gave us a tour around the theater, which is actually a bit of a reality-show mecca. Besides Hicks, the show’s two leads, Max Crumm (Danny) and Laura Osnes (Sandy) were found via the little-watched NBC show “You’re the One That I Want.” And then there’s Cody Green, who won Bravo’s even littler-watched “Step It Up and Dance” while a member of the Grease ensemble.

Hicks is also writing lots of songs, mainly for his own use on his sophomore album coming out in the fall. But he spilled the beans that a certain “megastar” has one of his songs on hold to possibly record. He wouldn’t say who, but he did let it drop that the singer is a female.

Any guesses?
Is Tina Turner gonna rock on a harmonica-filled blues tune penned by Hicks?
Whitney Houston?
Grace Jones???

Two Scoops Please

Last night, at about midnight, as I was polishing off a bag of White Castle hamburgers, I was wondering if Taylor had yet succumbed to a bag of sliders??

Was he now a member of the luv em club?
Or the leave em club?
There's seems to be no sittin' on the fence, you either love them or hate them!


Not surprisingly visions of malt shops, diners, burger castles and giant ice cream cones have been dancin' through my head recently.



Miss LuLu (Lugracianna), my 4 year old granddaughter, is absolutely mesmerized by the site of the giant ice cream cone containing Taylor Hicks.
(can you tell she is definitely a two scoop?)

The first thing she asks for when visiting is for me to play the Taylor video with the ice cream cone in the sky.

We have to play it over and over (not a problem for me) so she can watch the big ice cream cone open and come to Earth (her words).

Like Frenchy, she dances in her chair when he begins to play his harp .... it's just too cute!

Having a full tummy at midnight, I decided to stay up and begin a blog for today revolving around my dancin' thoughts.

Little did I expect how nicely it would tie in with this morning's article from The New York Post.




photo caption:
As Teen Angel, "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks is helping draw crowds to "Grease."

HICKS IGNITES 'GREASE'
DESPITE PANS, REVIVAL GETS BOOST FROM 'IDOL'
The New York Post
by Michael Riedel
June 27, 2008

TWO shows that shouldn't be making it - but are - must be given their due today.

First, "Grease" - which vaulted right over the critics to box office glory.
It's playing to sold-out houses and is grossing nearly $800,000 a week.

It got a little lift from the Tonys, but its real draw this summer is "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks, who's playing Teen Angel.



(Isn't this just perfect?)
An insider says Hicks is worth at least $150,000 in extra ticket sales a week.
(Make a note of that, Mr. Agent.)



Whenever Hicks whips out his harmonica, the audience goes nuts.

They're having such a blast that the "Grease" megamix at the end of the show - this is where the critics ran screaming from the theater - now runs 10 minutes, with Hicks singing the title song and then playing it on his harmonica.

Meanwhile, the producers of the show are no longer flinching from the critical blows but are starting to have fun with them.

Charles Isherwood recently wrote: "Are the Tonys going to open up the lines so viewers at home can phone in their votes for their favorites?

In which case perhaps 'Grease' would have been the year's big winner."

Look for a newspaper ad that will say: "If the audience had voted, "Grease" would have been the year's big winner!"
Charles Isherwood, The New York Times


Speaking of audiences and voting ....



Do you remember this?
The Taylor Hicks inspired ice cream flavor .... Soulful Sundae Cone
(vanilla and chocolate light ice creams swirled with chocolaty coated peanut and cone pieces)


And I'm wondering ....



Will there be a revival of the American Classic Malt Shop float for Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade this year?
The cast of "Hairspray" rode the float last year, but I'm thinking it should be the cast of "Grease" this year, led by one harp blowin Teen Angel!



And an absolute show stopper would be to incorporate Taylor's giant ice cream cone into the float, can't you just imagine the crowd response if he was riding in the cone!
(To quote: Whenever Hicks whips out his harmonica, the audience goes nuts ... oh yeah!)


I wish I had a good photo of his dazzling ice cream cone to share, but I haven't run across one ... yet ... so in the meantime ... two scoops please!




In keeping with the flavor of today's blog, instead of my usual cup of Karma coffee, here is today's scoop, or I should say scoops!



"I doubt whether the world holds a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice-cream."

"Life is like an ice-cream cone,
you have to lick it one day at a time."

A Match Made In Heaven

I like the whole rock-and-roll heaven idea.
The rock-and-roll Gods have been very good to me,
and they're good to me in this part too.
~ Taylor Hicks ~

The above quote was taken from Taylor Hicks' recent interview with Kathy Henderson of Broadway.com.

It is a fabulous interview, filled with great questions and many insightful answers from Mr. Hicks.
(interview in full below, in case you've missed it)

When Taylor talks about Rock and Roll Heaven, I'm reminded of the original song by the Righteous Brothers.
click here for lyrics

I ran across this video tribute a while back, it is a spine tinglin' tribute, aptly titled Rock and Roll Heaven.



A music video tribute to the rock music heroes who have passed away.
The soundtrack is "Rock and Roll Heaven" (Stevenson/O'Day) a (2006) demo recording, sung by Ronnie Kimball, with reworked lyrics from the 1970's Righteous Brothers hit.





Taylor Hicks Finds Broadway Heavenly in GREASE
BROADWAY.COM
by Kathy Henderson

Frenchy's got a new muse at Grease, and this time around, her guardian angel is a silver-haired crooner with rhinestone wings sewn into the pattern of his midnight blue suit.

When a giant ice cream cone descends from the heavens at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Taylor Hicks emerges to sing "Beauty School Dropout" in his Broadway debut.

By now, audiences have gotten used to reality show winners turning up in musicals (Grease alone has four, with leads Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, Step It Up and Dance champ Cody Green and now Hicks, the season five victor on American Idol) and Hicks' loyal fans, known as the Soul Patrol, are avidly cheering him on.

Director Kathleen Marshall plays to his strengths by showcasing Hicks' bluesy harmonica playing and brings him back to sing a verse of the title song (and gamely do the hand jive) during the curtain call.

In conversation, the Birmingham native is friendly, down to earth and grateful for the opportunities that have come his way since winning Idol just before he turned 30, after years of struggle.

Above all, Hicks seems delighted with his summer gig on Broadway.

How are you enjoying your first experience on Broadway?
I love it!
I think the part suits me perfectly, and it allows me to get a toe wet on Broadway. It's a great way for me to start exploring the idea of an acting career and learn what Broadway is all about.

How did this opportunity come about?
I was in Birmingham, Alabama, eating a barbecue sandwich and playing golf and writing music for my next album, and my agent called me and asked me if I wanted to do the gig.
Basically, I had until I finished my sandwich to decide whether or not I wanted to do it [laughs].
It was a really quick decision, and honestly, I'm having the time of my life.
[Broadway] is a wonderful, extremely talented community that deserves all kinds of respect and praise.
To go out there and be spot-on every night for eight shows a week—that's live performing at its utmost, and I'm very excited to be a part of it.

Were you familiar with the part, and with Grease?
I knew the Frankie Avalon part from the movie, but I thought I could add a Taylor flavor to it—kind of Taylorize the part, no pun intended.
I'm able to play some harmonica, and I like the whole rock-and-roll heaven idea.
The rock-and-roll gods have been very good to me, and they're good to me in this part too.

What was it like to work with director Kathleen Marshall?
She is a force to be reckoned with! I was excited when she started directing me. I thought, "This is very similar to producing an album; it's just theatrical."
I've been produced musically, but I've never been directed theatrically.
It was a really cool first experience.
Kathleen was so accommodating and made it easy for me.

She guided Harry Connick Jr. to a Tony nomination, so you were in great hands.
What did she say about Teen Angel's function in the show?
She said that my purpose was to lead Frenchy to go back to high school and put down the teasing comb [laughs].
I'm more or less the voice of reason and the voice of reckoning for this young girl.

Were you nervous before your first performance?
I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my whole life! [Laughs.]
I've been lucky enough to experience a lot of things—the American Idol stage, singing at the Orange Bowl—but I never would have thought in a million years that I would be as nervous as I was.
It's easy to walk out on stage to sing, but when you're coming down 40 feet in an ice cream cone to debut on Broadway, it's a different story.

Did you ever do plays in high school?
I was Santa Claus in the second grade and Santa Claus in the eighth grade.
I've always come bearing gifts [laughs].
It was always the jolly jester, the entertainer—they always put me in that kind of role, which is perfect.

Had you seen many musicals?
I saw Rent probably 10 years ago, and growing up, I always went to the Summerfest shows in Birmingham.

When you saw Rent, did you think, "I should do this"?
You know, I was so entrenched then in learning instruments, harmonica and guitar, and writing music that I never really thought about the idea of doing it.
But now, having the opportunity to explore a particular part, the idea has come to life.

Your costume is quite different from the all-white suit that was used before.
How did that come about?
I just thought about the part and the time period.
A rock-and-roll angel in the '50s made me think of the Nudie suits [flamboyant, rhinestone-studded cowboy suits created by Nashville tailor Nudie Cohen] that country-and-western stars like Bob Wills and Porter Wagoner used to wear.
I thought: Nudie suit leads to Gram Parsons leads to Teen Angel.
And I thought it would be a cool idea to incorporate the angel wings in rhinestones.
Martin Pakledinaz, the costume designer for the show, was exceptional in talking with me about the outfit, and his creativity just took off.
It's a beautiful suit, and I think it looks great for me and the part I'm playing, especially with the embroidered rhinestone angel wings on the back.

Why do you think so many American Idol alums have come to Broadway?
In a way, the Idol experience is similar to the Broadway experience.
We'd do the group numbers every week [on Idol], and the rigorous schedule is very similar to the Broadway schedule.
And it's live!
You really have to be on your best game every night, but I've lived in a live setting musically since I was 16 or 17 years old.
That's where I thrive.

I would think that nothing could be as challenging as surviving a season on American Idol, not to mention actually winning!
It's a gut-check and a soul-check.
It definitely teaches you a lot about who you are as a person.

Some Idol alums, such as Clay Aiken, express mixed feelings now about constantly being identified with the show.
It doesn't bother me.
Once you become an American Idol, it will always stay with you.
You have to work as hard as you can to be as successful as you can—and be glad you're able to perform and grateful you had American Idol to give you that platform.

Is there extra pressure that comes with Idol in terms of who sells the most records?
Yes, there is pressure.
But the measuring stick for American Idol winners is everybody's measuring stick.
Each of us has our own identity and our own path.
For me as a performer, it's about the marathon, not the sprint.
I'm in this for the long haul, whether it be Broadway or acting or music.
It's using everything I've learned.

You never struck me as a top-40 singer.
You have to be who you are, and find and write great songs.
Great music will stand the test of time.
It will also cross over—radio will come find a great song.
And that's what it's about: playing great music and finding great songs and letting those songs speak for themselves.

You're working on a new record, right?
Yes, I've got a record coming out in the fall.
I've written half of it, and I'm going to be recording it while I'm here on Broadway.
[Just after Hicks' Broadway.com interview, an announcement came that Vanguard Records, known for jazz, blues and folk recordings, has agreed to distribute the singer's next album, which he will cut on his own label.]

Your fans seem to be turning out to see you in Grease.
The Soul Patrol is definitely invading Broadway!

Is having such fervent fans ever a mixed blessing?
How do you make sure that the attention doesn't intrude on your life?
I'm just excited to have fans.
For a long time, it was a struggle for me—one night I might play for nobody and the next night I would play for 50 people.
It was a grind.
For me to be able to catch a break and have the opportunity to perform in front of a lot of people?
You never take it for granted.
And as long as you don't let [fan attention] be intrusive, it won't be.
It's out there and you're aware of it, but I'm a private person by nature.
I try to keep as much normalcy as I can in my daily life, in my social life, in my private life.

Are you enjoying living in New York?
I love it.
I just spent about four hours in Central Park.
When I've come to New York in the past, it's like I leave my hotel room and then I get out of a sedan and then I'm lighting the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center and then I'm stuffed into a sedan again and then I'm in Virginia somewhere.
It's been nice because I've been able to enjoy the city as opposed to doing a show or doing a press tour.
I'm excited about being here because I know [New York] is where it all starts.
Being on Broadway is a big honor for me.

I hadn't realized that you wrote a book [Heart Full of Soul, subtitled "an inspirational memoir"].
What message did want to convey?
The importance of self-determination and a deep inner belief that you're going to succeed; not letting anything get in the way of your vision, whether it be music or theater or running a Fortune 500 company.
I am the American Dream.
In four months, I went from playing at a Steak and Ale to performing for 37 million people!
The book also allowed me to connect with fans in my own words and show them the prelude to what they see [now].
People talk about overnight success—it's been a 13-year "overnight success" for me. But I really believe that when people become successful, 99.9% of the time it's because they have dedication and don't see anything but the bull's-eye.
That's what I wanted to show in the book.
You can overcome things if you're good to people and you work hard.

You're living proof of that, for sure.
I remember standing outside in Las Vegas at American Idol [auditions], and kids were coming up to me asking me where my kid was that was auditioning.
If that doesn't make you want to walk away, I don't know what does.
But I never walked away.
I knew I had a vision, and that was to entertain people—and here I am.

Is Alabama still your home base?
I was in Birmingham for a few weeks visiting my family, but I don't have a permanent residence.
I've been living out of four suitcases for about two years.
I went down to two suitcases, but I had to fill two more up and move to New York.
I toured Asia in December—I went to Jakarta, I went to the Philippines.
I went out on tour in February of last year and basically stayed out for eight months.

That sounds lonely!
You know, I've always made the people I perform with my family.
And it's so interesting—the theatrical experience is very similar to what I see with musicians on the road.
Broadway really is a family atmosphere, and I'm thankful for that.
I love working with the cast of Grease.

Would you like to try a more substantial part in the future?
Yeah, I definitely would.
We'll see what happens, but hopefully there's some more stuff in store for me.
I'm having a ball.








JUST FOR FUN



In the twilight of his years, a man asked God what it would be like when he went to heaven.
This man was a child of the 50’s.
He had a strong sense of the past, especially his, as he was fortunate to be a teenager when times were simpler.

Those were the days when girls were flirty but virtuous; boys were devilish, but gentlemanly.
As their lives were molded by the traits of honesty, integrity and hard work, they endeavored to live their lives accordingly.

So God told this man, “Your eternal life in heaven will reflect the most innocent times of your particular generation.”
The man did not totally understand, but he accepted God’s explanation.

Several years passed, and this old man was finally sent to Heaven’s door.
As he arrived at the front gate, he could hear music from inside.
The sounds were soothing to his ear, and he felt a wave of nostalgia come over him. As he knocked on the gate, he heard a voice, “I Hear You Knocking, must be an Earth Angel arriving.”

A really cool male angel opened the gate, and asked, “Well RollOver Beethoven, Great Balls Of Fire, who are you?”
“I’ll bet you think you’re Sleep Walking or this is Just A Dream.”

The man said, “Some call me Speedo, but my real name is Mr. Earl.
I passed away In The Still Of The Night, and I Cried A Tear as I recited My Prayer that God would embrace me in a Sea Of Love.”

The man continued, “My wife died a few years ago; I called her Susie-Q.
As I leaned over her bed sobbing, she said very softly, Honey Hush.
I cried, Wake Up Little Suzy, but she had moved on.
There Goes My Baby, Goodnight Sweetheart.”

The angel said:
“Well my friend, you’re not Stranded In The Jungle.
You need to know a Story Untold.
Your Little Darlin has abided by the Ten Commandments Of Love
and the Book Of Love says Save The Last Dance For Me.”

“Don't You Just Know It, your Angel Baby is waiting for
you This Magic Moment!”

The man said, “Well I'll Be John Brown, you mean My Babe is
here in My Blue Heaven?
Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Let The Good Times Roll.
Hallelujah, I Love Her So.
Could This Be Magic or Just A Dream?
Take me to my Little Bitty Pretty One!”

The angel admonished:
“You will see your Honey Love soon.
But first I need to hear your story.”

The man described his last days:
“Well sir, I was on a Sea Cruise and met this Long Tall Sally from Ko Ko Mo.
Her real name was Peggy Sue and she was a real Party Doll.
One night after One Mint Julip, I touched her Tutti Frutti, she touched my Ling, Ting, Tong, then one thing led to another.
I told her, I’m Your Sixty Minute Man.
After that, I called her Tweedlee Dee and she called me Speedo.

We’d start to Flip Flop & Fly, and we both were Breathless.
Then one night I got this Fever which I thought was Poison Ivy.
I felt this Ting-A-Ling after One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer.
Then I went into this Endless Sleep and Sh-Boom, I’m Over The Mountain, A Thousand Miles Away and here I am.”

The angel said,
“Ain'T That A Shame.
Sounds like you were the All American Boy.
Love Is Strange.”

The angel beckoned,
“Didn’t know if you were a Devil Or Angel.
But you’re OK.
Come Go With Me, I Want To Walk You Home.”

As they entered the gates of heaven, they passed this old Hound Dog.
The angel said, “He belongs to this long haired dude who likes to
wear fancy clothes and drive Cadillacs.”

The angel pointed to a man, “His name is Carl.
He loves wearing those Blue Suede Shoes.”

Then they saw a sharp lady drive by in her Rocket "88".
Her license plate read “Maybellene”.

Another man passed by and waved.
The angel said, “He’s the The Great Pretender who thinks he’s the Duke Of Earl.”

When a huge crowd of people making all this Yakety Yak passed by, the man asked, “Where are they going?
The angel said, “They’re going to Shake Rattle & Roll down at Smokey Joe's Cafe.”
This Jim Dandy of a woman went by carrying a cake with Sixteen Candles.
The angel advised, “She’s headed to her School Days when she was Sweet Little Sixteen but she knows Its Only Make Believe.”

The angel advised, “You should know that here in heaven we Rock Around The Clock. Every day we go up on Blueberry Hill where we Rip It Up with a Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On.
And there will be some Good Rockin Tonight as we Honky Tonk and do the Night Train. You’ll see Short Fat Fannie, Johnny B. Goode, Be-Bop-A-Lula, Rock'N Robin, Good Golly Miss Molly, Mr. Lee, C.C. Rider, Stagger Lee, Charlie Brown and lot’s more all dancing to Wooly Bully and the Chicken Shack Boogie.”

As they walked further into heaven, the man saw a dazzling lighted entrance to a huge theatre.
The angel pointed and said, “That’s the GRRHOF building.”
“What?” the man asked.
The angel replied, “ God’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It’s the place where you can meet all your favorite singers and bands.”

The angel continued, “It’s growing everyday.
When a new singer or group arrives, we play When the Saints Go Marchin In.
Let’s go inside and see who’s there today.”

As they entered the theater, you could hear the sounds of rhythm, boogie and beat, strumming guitars, doowop-de-wop and a thunderous background noise of cheers and applause.
There was one group doing a rock-a-billy song with Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins. Another group singing some love songs consisted of Roy Orbison, Ritchie Valens, Jimmy Clanton and Ruth Brown.
Doing some heavy
blues tunes were Joe Turner, Hank Ballard, Smiley Lewis and Faye Adams.
And perfect harmony in doo-wop style was coming from the Five Keys, the Five Royales and Frankie Lyman.

In the rear of the theater there was a brightly colored door in the shape of a guitar with the initial “E” painted in the center.
On either side of the door there were replicas of a grill from a 1956 Cadillac.
The man asked, “What’s in that room?”
The angel replied, “It’s not what’s in the room, but who!
And you can believe he’s here.”

As they walked outside, suddenly, as if out of A Thousand Stars, this Little Star appeared.
It was Susie-Q!
Oh What A Dream!

Susie-Q said “No more Tears On My Pillow.
My Treasure Of Love has returned to me.
The Glory Of Love has brought us together once again.
Come Softly To Me, My Love.
Eddie My Love!”

And Eddie said, “There are many Moments To Remember Since I Met You Baby
but now that I’ve Got You Babe, I have but one.
Only You!
Do You Wanna Dance?”

The angel then left Eddie and Susie-Q to their Good Lovin.
As the angel walked away, he said, “See You Later, Alligator.”

~ S. Gray Steifel, Jr. ~


Today's cup:

"Music can be all things to all persons.
It is like a great dynamic sun in the center of a solar system which sends out its rays and inspiration in every direction.
Music makes us feel that the heavens open and a divine voice calls.
Something in our souls responds and understands."
~ Leopold Stokowski ~

Soul Shining Through

"Heaven Knows"
by Taylor Hicks


A slice of Heaven on Earth!




Lovin' you is easy cause you're beautiful
No one else can make me feel
The colors that you bring
Lovin' you
I hear your soul come shinin' through!

Whether he's playing the part of Teen Angel or singing our National Anthem, Taylor Hicks' voice always reflects that his musical roots are firmly planted in Soul and enriched by Blues.

Will his highly anticipated new CD, promised for this Fall,
have a bit of Country added into the planting mix?

Will the light needed for his radio airplay to blossom be provided not by sunshine, but by the lights of Broadway?

Taylor's "Heaven Knows" never got much of a chance
for it's roots to take hold.
Whether from lack of watering by his former label, or the fact that American Idol chose to focus their light elsewhere, it's airplay wilted and died quickly, while common weeds flourished.
Whomever was in charge of laying the mulch did a half ass job of spreading it!
(Hmm .. Whoever versus Whomever ... a whole other ponder)

Taylor Hicks' voice is like a breath of fresh air, it revives my soul.
His music fills my world with color and makes me feel as if I've brought my gardens indoors!
And oh that harp, it is indeed, the music of Angels.
A slice of Heaven on Earth!

My thanks to my friend Karin for her "Heaven Knows" video tribute.
"Heaven Knows" has been one of my top favorites since first listen, and she showcased it perfectly!
It is as enjoyable to watch, as it is to listen!

I took a bit of liberty with the lyrics from Minnie Riperton's
"Lovin' You" from her album 'Perfect Angel' (1974) to use here today.


A truly talented lady, with the voice of an Angel, her young life was cut way too short.
Listening to her music I am reminded of the words
God must have needed an Angel.
Listen



Today's cup:
All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions.
Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.

Good Morning New York!

It's a beautiful morning, in this case not because of the weather, but because first thing I saw this morning was Taylor Hicks on TV!

Taylor joined Sukanya Krishann, co-anchor for CW11 Morning News, WIPX Television in New York, to talk about his debut on Broadway as a bluesy Teen Angel in the current production of GREASE at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.


It's a wonderful interview and Taylor is in fine form, enjoy!

Taylor Hicks Came From Alabama With A Banjo On His Knee


My thanks to janibeth from Taylor Is The Boogie for her video capture!


CW11 Morning News blogspot and video




It's a beautiful morning
I think I'll go outside for a while
And just smile!

Today's cup:
All mornings are like paintings.
You need a little inspiration to get going.
A little smile to brighten up ...
From someone who cares to color your day.

Taylor Hicks Loves New York

Taylor Hicks has taken a bite out of the Big Apple
and he is lovin' it!



It was 'Broadway Week' at LIVE With Regis and Kelly, this past week.



On Friday, Taylor Hicks (Broadway's new Teen Angel), and Kirsten Wyatt (Frenchy) appeared and performed a shortened version of "Beauty School Dropout", aided by four of the GREASE chorus Angels!

Taylor has so much stage presence, it is one of the things I have always loved about him.
It was a fantastically fun performance, thoroughly enjoyable, and Mr. Hicks was looking very suave and debonair in his sparkly suit!



Thanks, to my good friend Karin, here is a video capture of Taylor's "Beauty School Dropout" and of his great chat with Regis and Kelly following the performance.


video capture by: KarinP
(Thank You!)




"It's definitely country come to town," Taylor Hicks said of his presence in the Big Apple.

"The traffic, all the people and the fast pace of New York is an adjustment.
But I love it and I'm starting to become more comfortable with my role in the show."

The role is that of Teen Angel, played by Frankie Avalon in the 1978 movie version, and Taylor gets a nice, BIG solo in the production.

"The music is classic and the part is a perfect fit," he said.
"I couldn't turn down the opportunity to perform on Broadway for the first time."

But don't expect an imitation of Avalon or anyone else.
Like everything else he does, the 31-year-old performer said his number has been "Taylorized".

"The great thing about this role is I was able to be Taylor at the same time as Teen Angel," he said.

"It allows me to get my feet wet a little bit before I really dive into acting."

Taylor will be living in New York until at least September 6, when his run in the show is due to end.
But he will be multitasking all summer: writing songs for a new album planned for later this year and an appearance on "A Capitol Fourth," which airs live on July 4 (on PBS).
From the Press Telegram,
Long Beach, CA
By Greg Hernandez, Staff Writer



Taylor Hicks celebrated his heavenly Broadway debut as Grease's Teen Angel with true star finesse, adding his imprint to the collection at New York's Planet Hollywood.

After an enthusiastic curtain call, where the silver haired Angel soulfully crooned along with fellow reality show winners (and Grease stars) Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, Hicks and cast made their way to the iconic Hollywood-inspired restaurant for a 1950s worthy fete and plenty of pictures.








Kirsten Wyatt is simply adorable in the roll of Frenchy!
I haven't seen the play, but just watching her interact with Taylor on Regis and Kelly was absolutely delightful!
Love when she dances in her chair while Taylor plays his 'harp'!
We always knew Angels played harps!



Kirsten Wyatt is an American Broadway actress portraying Frenchy in the new Broadway revival of Grease.






Since completing her training at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Wyatt has appeared in a number of Broadway productions.
Her Broadway premiere was as the understudy for Kristen Chenoweth (Sally Brown) and Ilana Levine (Lucy van Pelt) in the revival of
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Other notable Broadway roles include Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown and Allison and Anna in High Fidelity.
Wyatt has also been a member of the national touring casts of Urinetown and The Boy Friend (directed by Julie Andrews).
Her regional credits include Peter in Peter Pan and Eponine in Les Misérables.



Today's cup ... compliments of Karin:

"Every calling is great when greatly pursued"
~ Oliver Wendall Holmes ~




I just Love this expression, so Elvis and yet so Taylor Hicks!

Tell Me More, Tell Me More

Grease is the word
is the word
is the word

With Taylor Hicks debut on The Great White Way playing the part of Teen Angel in Grease, there is no doubt that Taylor has brought the wow factor and his woo to Broadway!

Several blog posts ago I asked the question of whether Broadway was always one of Taylor's dreams.
Then I began to think about doing a video of Taylor's "On Broadway" recording from his 1997 'In Your Time' album.

Well it is done and here it is!



Thank you again to all who have graciously shared their photos!

For additional photos, recaps and media of Taylor's Broadway debut, please visit my favorite Taylor Hicks' links located in my sidebar.


The Great White Way is a nickname for a section of Broadway in the Midtown section of the New York City borough of Manhattan, specifically the portion that encompasses the Theatre District, between 42nd and 53rd Streets.

Nearly a mile of Broadway was illuminated in 1880 by Brush arc lamps, making it among the first electrically lighted streets in the United States.

The headline "Found on the Great White Way" appeared in the February 3, 1902, edition of the New York Evening Telegram.
The journalistic sobriquet was inspired by the millions of lights on theater marquees and billboard advertisements that illuminate the area, especially around Times Square.




Today's cup:
Be careful of the words you say,
Keep them short and sweet.
You never know, from day to day,
Which ones you'll have to eat.

It's Not All Black And White

Sometimes you gotta throw in some neon.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway
They say there's always magic in the air
Well we know wherever Taylor Hicks is ... magic happens!

I ran across the following article which was written a year ago tomorrow, and in light (neon that is) of Taylor's Big news that hit the wires last night, I thought it timely to take a look back at this interview that took place as Taylor was nearing the final leg of his Spring Tour.



Taylor Hicks sells out Atlantic City

By J.R. Taylor
May 17, 2007

I've interviewed many famous people, including several from my parents' generation.
Taylor Hicks, however, is the only celebrity who has ever prompted my mother to ask if I could get her an autograph.
That's pretty impressive.
I've interviewed William Shatner, and everybody wants William Shatner's autograph.
But my mother only cares for Taylor Hicks.

The problem—and I'm thinking about this on the drive from New York to Atlantic City—is that Taylor Hicks has every right to refuse the simplest favor for anyone who's ever covered the Birmingham music scene.
What did any of us ever do for him back when he was struggling to get an afternoon slot in a moldy City Stages tent?

If I were Taylor Hicks, I'd have set up this interview simply to exact bloody revenge on anybody from the South.
All I have to offer Hicks is the fun fact that I was at the Flora-Bama Bar last week, and it seems that he doesn't owe anybody there any money.
I'm hoping that'll put him in a good mood.

• • •

Taylor Hicks is taller than you'd expect.
He's also more handsome.
He looks like a heterosexual Jake Gyllenhaal.
I've never met anyone from Birmingham with such a perfect Elvis Presley drawl, but it doesn't matter if that's an affectation.
Hicks makes it sound perfectly natural.

“I was 30 years old and playing Wednesday nights at DanielGeorge restaurant, and everyone would come in with their business suits and their 401k plans and their aspirations, and I was stuck hoping that I’d be playing at a Steak and Ale on Thursday night.”

We're in the dressing room of the Music Box Theatre at the Borgata Hotel Casino.
Jet was using it last Saturday.
Wanda Sykes will be here the Saturday after this.
Hicks has finished his sound check, and he's dressed in an outfit that looks exactly like the one on the cover of his major-label debut.
It seems he casually poses in what is his actual casual wear.

Most important, Hicks is happy to talk to someone from Black and White.
"I ran some ads with you guys," he notes.

And yet, I reply, pre-"Idol", Black and White ignored him like every paper in Birmingham did.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that I was—well, yeah.
It wasn't just Birmingham.
I had my two albums out, and I was trying to get over to Atlanta to play, and I was doing anything and everything to be heard.
I went unnoticed, but I wasn't big enough.
You can't cover everybody.
If somebody is not making a buzz, you're sure not going to cover him."

So every thing is okay between us and Taylor Hicks.
That's a relief.

• • •

I arrived in Atlantic City thinking that Taylor Hicks was a likable guy who deserved respect for not making a crappy pop album in the wake of "American Idol".

Hicks' major-label debut is perfectly fine as major-label pop albums go, and has some strong playing.
But I'm still not expecting what I hear during the sound check.
It seems that a Taylor Hicks concert is surprisingly raw.
And impressive.
The guy has a great voice when he gets to take the top down.
It's a big difference from what we heard winning over the hearts and minds of teenagers and housewives voting via their cell phones.

I'm suddenly interested in hearing what he has planned for his next album.
He could really do justice to obscure blues-rock songs by acts such as Blodwyn Pig.
Hicks could make the kind of daring album that would either establish him an important artist or send him off to the jam-band circuit as a surprisingly entertaining oddity.
Huey Lewis does that a lot nowadays, and Hicks already has enough money to enjoy the same indulgence.
I ask Hicks what his income tax was like compared to last year's.

"Financially," he says, "it's better right now, but I'm dealing with The Man—as opposed to having never really had to deal with him.
You know, I was 30 years old and playing Wednesday nights at DanielGeorge [restaurant], and everyone would come in with their business suits and their 401k plans and their aspirations, and I was stuck hoping that I'd be playing at a Steak & Ale on Thursday night.
Terrell Owens once said that the only person who could cover him is the IRS.
I know what he's talking about now."

As for that aggressive live sound—well, Hicks isn't afraid of scaring an audience that might include my mother.

"There are so many preconceived notions about me.
The only thing I have is my live show and my songs.
That's it.
I have to be booked.
I'll always hang my hat on being a live performer, because that's my bread and butter.
My shows will always have that edge that comes from years of performing.
There's room for me to play around as an instrumentalist, and I'm working with an incredible caliber of musicians.
Tonight's audience is going to hear the best live music that I've played in my whole life."

• • •

Hicks appreciates his own good fortune.
Even better, he isn't kidding himself about his strange career.

"I know that I may not be as hot as I am in two or three years," he says.
"I understand the business.
I'm having to re-establish myself having just been established.
There aren't too many artists in the world who can say that.
Billy Earl McClelland was Delbert McClinton's old guitar player, and he was my sideman when I was 18.
That's still amazing to me.
He once said to me, 'It's not how you get there; it's if you get there.' That's stuck with me for a long time.
It's always going to be an uphill battle for me, and that's okay."

• • •

Atlantic City on a Saturday night in April can be kind of slow.
Many resorts aren't even booking headliners for their theaters.
George Carlin is in town, and there's something called The Sammy Davis, Jr., Revue.
Otherwise, Taylor Hicks doesn't have much competition.

That's not why his show at the Borgata is sold out.
He won't just be playing to big spenders who got handed free tickets.
Hicks has drawn a group of hard-core fans.
There are already lots of Taylor Hicks T-shirts visible in the casinos — "Drink until he's Taylor Hicks," proclaims one — and plenty of enthused females who are clearly here for more than a spin of the slots.

Most of these women have likely driven in from Philadelphia.
They're the types that I like to call Philbillies, but that's no reflection on Hicks.
He'll be playing New York City in a few weeks, and that shows also on the way to selling out.
I tell Hicks that he's going to really enjoy doing a show in Manhattan's Beacon Theater.
It turns out that he already has.

"I played with the Allman Brothers there," he explains, "on their last night when they did a lot of shows.
I played some harmonica.
That's definitely one of the pluses of having this kind of opportunity.
I started out in a Widespread Panic cover band, and I just sat in with those guys in Cleveland.
I've exceeded every expectation I ever had for my career.
If you had told me a year and a half ago that I'd ever sell 700,000 units, I would've looked at you like you were crazy.
I'm really enjoying this."

• • •

The big Taylor Hicks show is over.
It went very well.
He had the fans hooked.
It makes sense.
You're some suburban gal goofing on being part of a Soul Patrol, and then you get the Taylor Hicks live experience and realize that he's the real deal.
I bet many of his older fans were into Bonnie Raitt and thought of Taylor as their transition into easy listening.
Instead, they discover that they're still capable of tapping into some rough rhythm 'n' blues.

Now I'm sitting at a bar in the Borgata next to a woman from Asbury Park who's asks, "Where do you think Taylor Hicks lives now?"
I'd asked Hicks that question a few hours before — although it seemed to me that the guy must have been homeless for the past year.

"Yeah," said Hicks, "I have no permanent address.
I have an alias.
I don't have a home."

Then he leaned in close: "If you think about it, it's really cool."

• • •

This, incidentally, is how Hicks autographs the CD for my mother:
"Soul Patrol! Taylor Hicks"
That's no good.
He doesn't have to cover Blodwyn Pig, but Hicks should really take my advice on this one.
The entire Soul Patrol thing has to go.
I won't let my mother be part of it.

There was magic in the air and neon lights too, when Taylor Hicks performed in Atlantic City @ The Music Box Theater.
Here are two videos that captured a taste of his magic!

Borgata Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
April 14, 2007

video capture by dg90001
(Thank you!)



video capture by Azgoddess
(Thank you!)

One year later ...


Taylor Hicks: I'm Bringing the Soul Patrol to Broadway
By Ivory Clinton and Christina Tapper
Friday May 16, 2008

Taylor Hicks is following in the footsteps of Fantasia and Clay Aiken:
The American Idol winner will make his Broadway debut June 6.

Hicks tells PEOPLE he can't wait to perform in Grease.
"I'm truly honored to have a role in such an American institution," says Hicks, who made the announcement Friday on the Today Show.
"I'm going to Broadway shows and just watching and learning."

While in New York City, the Alabama native will also record his country-influenced second album.

"I've been spending a lot of time with songwriters in Nashville," Hicks tells PEOPLE.
"I can really breathe creatively without the constraints of a post-Idol album."

He also plans to tackle some serious issues.
"It's an election year so there will be some political undertones.
I've become a sponge while creating each song, soaking up what's going on whether it's political or about love."

Since he was recently dropped from his record label, he's considering releasing the upcoming album himself.
"It's motivation," says Hicks.
"This is a marathon for me, not a sprint.

But he'll make time for some N.Y.C. fun as well.
"I need to go to the Statue of Liberty for the first time," he says, adding that he knows one way he'll try to fit in with the natives.

Says Hicks: "I'll have to figure out what fan I should be, Yankees or Mets!"



From:
THE TODAY SHOW MSNBC
May 16th, 2008
Taylor Hicks Heads To Broadway


A performer at heart, with the world his stage,
there is no pigeon holing Taylor Hicks ...
he goes where the music leads him.


On that musical note, I'll finish today's blog with this thought!

Today's cup:
When you go in search of honey, you must expect to be stung by bees.