Taylor Hicks is one of the most beloved and popular American Idol winners of all time. From the start, Hicks’ material on the mega-hit show set him apart, with a unique take on Country, Southern Soul, R&B and Blues. Sixty-four million votes were cast and nearly 37 million American viewers and more than 200 million viewers worldwide tuned in to crown Hicks the Season 5 winner of American Idol, making it one of the most-watched TV events of the last decade.
Hicks’ star continued to rise after he stepped off the Idol stage. Less than three weeks after his Idol victory, his debut single, “Do I Make You Proud,” entered at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Pop 100, and Single Sales Charts. His self-titled album (Arista), debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and was quickly certified RIAA Platinum. Hicks is the first male Idol winner to be featured on a Grammy Award-winning album, Jimmy Fallon’s “Blow Your Pants Off,” which took home the 2013 Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
Hicks’ career has included stints on Broadway, a national tour with a hit musical, as well as headlining Paris, Las Vegas and other Caesars Entertainment properties all over the United States. He has performed with an amazing variety of artists such as Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Gladys Knight, Earth Wind and Fire, and The Allman Brothers.
The million-selling recording artist has just released his stirring take on the standard “Silent Night,” which he says is very meaningful to him.
“I remember going to church on Christmas Eve and singing ‘Silent Night’ would just give me chills… All the lights in the church went dark. We would all sing softly together as we lit candles down the aisle. With the Nativity on the altar and being surrounded by my closest friends and family, it really made me feel the true spirit of Christmas – and still does to this day,” Taylor said.
“When we recorded the single a couple months ago, it was well after midnight. The studio was dark and we lit candles to help get us into that same spirit. What we laid down that night was very heartfelt, and I really hope the fans can feel that, too. There’s too much darkness in the world today – and my hope is that this song can shed some light into those dark places.”
“Silent Night” has already become the number one streamed song on the weekly PlayMPE Chart for the Christian music format, and is also being worked to pop radio and Holiday-oriented stations. The single is also available digitally through iTunes and Amazon.
The singer is got himself in the holiday spirit with his appearance in the Hollywood Christmas Parade over Thanksgiving weekend, which airs on December 11 at 8pm ET/PT on the CW Network. Taylor will then lend skiing talents to the Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest(#DVSKIFEST) on CBS December 13.
“One of my favorite things about the holiday season is having the opportunity to give back,” said Taylor. “Toys for Tots is a wonderful charity that I look forward to working with every year. There is no better feeling than being able to give back and be a small part of making a child’s Christmas extra special.”
As 2015 wraps up for Hicks, the singer can point to a very busy past twelve months. Hard at work on a new album set for release next year, the singer has also seen two of his previous albums released digitally for the first time – 1997’s In Your Time and 2005’s Under The Radar. Hicks has also made his mark on the culinary world as a partner in Saw’s Juke Joint, located in the Birmingham area. The eatery has become one of the most popular restaurants in the region for barbecue.
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