Tuesday 2/19 – Josiah Leming appears on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Randy Jackson appears on Late Show with David Letterman.

Wedndesday 2/20 – Randy Jackson appears on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Chris Sligh appears on FOX 4 Good Day Dallas.

Thursday 2/21 – Jordin Sparks appears on the 700 Club, the ABC Family Channel.

Friday 2/22 – Jon Peter Lewis appears on Fox and Friends. Blake Lewis guest-stars on Free Radio on VH1.

Saturday 2/23 – Carrie Underwood performs on Saturday Night Live.

Idols on Tour

Sunday 2/17 – Anwar Robinson, Rent, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago,IL. Kellie Pickler w/ Rascall Flatts, EJ Nutter Center, Dayton, OH. Mandisa w/ Winter Jam, Constant Convo Center, Norfolk, VA.

Monday 2/18 – Daughtry opens for the spring leg of Bon Jovi’s US tour beginning at the Quest Center in Omaha, NE. Constantine Maroulis, Paradise Lounge, Boston, MA. Anwar Robinson, Rent, Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN. Carrie Underwood w/ Josh Turner, Wachovia Arena, Wilkes Barre, PA.

Tuesday 2/19 – Constantine Maroulis, World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA. Anwar Robinson, Rent, The Dow Event Center, Saginaw, MI. Carrie Underwood w/ Josh Turner, Times Union Center, Albany NY.

Wedndesday 2/20 – Anwar Robinson, Rent, Memorial Auditorium, Athens, OH. Carrie Underwood w/ Josh Turner, Mullins Center, Amherst, MA. Daughtry w/ Bon Jovi, Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI.

Thursday 2/21 – Bucky Covington w/ Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan, The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI. Daughtry /w Bon Jovi, Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI. Kellie Pickler w/ Rascall Flatts, Amway Arena, Orlando, FL.

Friday 2/22 – Taylor Hicks will be presented with the American Music Award at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He is also scheduled to perform. Constantine Maroulis, Highline Ballroom, NYC.
Jon Peter Lewis, Behrend College of PSU, Erie, PA. Anwar Robinson, Rent, Scranton Cultural Center, Scranton, PA (through 2/24). Bucky Covington, The Machine Shop, Flint MI. Carrie Underwood w/ Josh Turner, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Kellie Pickler w/ Rascall Flatts, Jacksonville Veterens Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL. Mandisa w/ Winter Jam, Colonial Center, Columbia, SC.

Saturday 2/23 – Elliott Yamin performs at the Weinstein JCC in Richmond VA.
Constantine Maroulis, Boulton Center for the Arts, Bayshore, NY. Bucky Covington w/ Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan, Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek, MI. Daughtry w/ Bon Jovi, United Center, Chicago, IL. (through 2/26). Mandisa w/ Winter Jam, The Coliseum, Jackson, MI. Chris Sligh, Girls of Grace conference, Dallas TX.

Source: MJ’s Blog

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Taylor Hicks new book is entitled “Heart Full of Soul” and will be released to the public on Tuesday, July 10. The book will be released by Rand House Publishing.

Taylor Hicks memoir is an “inspirational memoir about finding your voice and finding your way.” Fair enough. The silver haired blues singer has found mild success since winning Idol, but has been overshadowed a few fellow members of season 5. Chris Daughtry, the fourth place finisher, has especially taken the world by storm, selling over two million records. Katherine McPhee and Elliot Yamin haven’t had Daughtry level sales, but both have done quite well. Hicks, however, is the first to write a book.

He didn’t write it alone, however. “Heart Full of Soul” was ghost-written by former Rolling Stone scribe David Wild. It’s been reported that Taylor received a hefty $750,000 advance to write the memoirs, which does seem a bit high. It’s unclear how well American Idol fame will translate into book sales, but Hicks and company seem optimistic.

The book is 272 pages long. There is no word on font size (as of yet; we’ll keep you updated). You can pre-order it anywhere you would normally pre-order a book.

Taylor Hicks has been unfairly chastised for his lack of post-Idol success, and there are a significant portion of Idol fans who don’t believe he deserved to win the whole thing. His performance during the Idol finale, however, was the type of thing that reminds everyone just how good he can be. He’s a unique dude with a style on his own, and there’s no shame in feeling good about him and his Idol victory.

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Taylor has been spotted with Milwakukee News Anchor Caroline Lyders.

The American Idol fifth-season winner was photographed on a Hawaiian beach last week with Milwaukee, WI ABC affiliate WISN morning anchor Caroline Lyders, People reported Wednesday. However the reporter — who first met Hicks during an interview last March before he was crowned American Idol 5’s champ.

“Taylor and I are friends,” Lyders told the website onmilwaukee.com, according to People,” and as a journalist I respect your asking. But beyond that, I’d rather not comment on my personal life.”

Following Hicks’ somewhat improbable journey from Birmingham, AL to Idol stardom, he was placed atop People’s Hot Bachelors list for 2006, but said at the time his busy schedule allowed “no time for any kind of love reaction.” That’s apparently changed since the release of his self-titled debut album last December and his recently concluded five-month U.S. promotional tour. However it still remains to be seen if Lyders and Hicks are in a romantic relationship or just palling around.

“I don’t know about any new girlfriend,” one of Hicks’ friends told onmilwaukee.com, according to People. “But I’m not surprised. Taylor always had girls following him even before he ever became famous.”

Because Hicks reportedly doesn’t like to reveal his personal life, the fact that he was at least seen in public with Lyders should be considered a good sign that he’s ready to make bachelors across America proud.

“He is a romantic when it comes to women, and he treats them with respect,” the friend told onmilwaukee.com, People reported. “So to be seen out in public with this girl makes me know that he likes her, because that’s just how he is.”

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Even curmudgeonly “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell would have been tapping his foot Saturday march 17 night at the Majestic Theatre when Taylor Hicks took the stage, charming the audience with a voice as smoky as his hair and an obvious passion for blue-eyed soul.

The winner of the fifth season of “Idol” stopped in San Antonio on St. Patrick’s Day on his first national headlining tour in support of his self-titled major-label debut album.

Although the show was little more than half full (the Majestic had sold only about 1,200 tickets three hours before the show), the rabid Soul Patrol, as Hicks’ fans call themselves, more than made up for the disappointing attendance with screams and much snapping of camera phones. The audience was predominantly female, and some of Hicks’ most vocal fans were old enough to be his mother.

Dressed in jeans, a button-down shirt, a dark, textured sports jacket and black New Balance sneakers, Hicks, 30, started off his 70-minute set with an energetic romp through the Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It to the Streets.”

He moved easily from his original tune “Soul Thing” to Marvin Gay’s “Wherever I Lay My Hat” to Gene McDaniels’ “Compared to What,” which was one of the highlights of the show. He also rocked Supertramp’s “Take the Long Way Home” and part of Van Morrison’s “Saint Dominic’s Preview.”

Taylor Hicks performs at the Majestic Theatre.

The set list nicely balanced songs from Hicks’ latest album, including “The Runaround,” “Dream Myself Awake” and the single “Just to Feel That Way,” with original tunes from “Under the Radar,” one of his two independent albums he released before hitting it big on “American Idol.” He strapped on his guitar for “Heart and Soul” and “Hold on to Your Love,” among others.

His only reference to American Idol was a polite “Thank you for voting for me” before launching into “The Deal,” another original tune.

The seven-piece band was excellent, especially guitarist Josh Smith, but it would have been nice to have an expanded horn section, which was one of the strong points of Hicks’ most recent album.

Hicks ended the show by donning a bright green sombrero a fan had placed on the stage and bowing deeply to the crowd.

The opening band, Greyhounds, an Austin funk and soul trio, were an unexpected treat. The band is definitely worth checking out when it returns to San Antonio for a show at Luna on April 13.

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American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks needs his Soul Patrol to step up. They were certainly there for him around this time last year, when he was building up a feverish fan base, named the “Soul Patrol.” The things about him that irked Simon Cowell — that mop of gray hair and the herky-jerky dance moves that conjured up images of dorky dads loose at a wedding reception — were instead embraced by millions, who later handed him the “Idol” title over the likes of talented hotties Katharine McPhee and Chris Daughtry.

It was like a made-for-primetime fairy tale, starring the soulful-voiced Hicks. But as the all that hoopla died down, Hicks faced a tougher task: making the transition from reality TV star to established soul singer.

So far, not so good — well, not Carrie Underwood “good.”

His self-titled, post-”Idol” album, released in December, debuted at No. 2 on the charts. While it has sold a respectable 640,000 copies, it has slid significantly to a dismal rank: 136 this week. Discs by previous winners Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia and Ruben Studdard performed a lot better in the weeks after they were issued. And finalist Chris Daughtry is near the top of the charts with the self-titled debut of his band Daughtry — they have sold over 1 million records.

Geoff Mayfield, a senior analyst at Billboard, said he’s got “a strong suspicion that (Hicks) might be the first winner who falls shy of a million units.”

There’s a reason for that, said Tom Corson, executive vice president of J Records, a label within Sony-BMG, which signs the show’s singers. Hicks took a little longer than some of the other Idols to complete the album, he said, and his first single, “Just To Feel That Way,” debuted on radio’s airwaves only three weeks ago.

“It’s a work in progress, and, would we have liked to sell a little bit more? Yeah. But (the album is) still gold and on its way to platinum,” Corson told The Associated Press this week. “And, if the single performs, we’ll turn it around, so we’re quite — we’re quite optimistic about things as it stands right now.”

The power ballad “Just To Feel That Way,” in which he urges a lover to try to make the relationship work, sits at No. 26 on the adult contemporary radio charts, Mayfield said.

“With Taylor, you’re going into an adult format,” Corson said. “We hope it translates younger, but the music right now is much more adult. It’s a longer burn, a longer process.”

Hicks’ target audience is a bit more passive, said Corson, who noted that “it just takes a little longer to get those people to buy.”

And Hicks, who is out on a nationwide tour in support of the album, has a plan to boost sales.

“It’s slow and steady wins the race,” he said Tuesday in a phone conversation with the AP. “You know, to have overnight record success, you know, it’s tough to do. You have to massage the record buying audience as much as you have to massage the live performing audience, you know?”

So he’s going to take a grassroots approach.

“I think the best thing for me as an artist is to get out and be with the people and tour the record,” he said. “And go to the radio stations and be personable.”

Is the Soul Patrol, whose members proudly brandished “Pick Hicks” signs on “Idol” last year, still going strong?

“I mean, it’s been a packed house every night,” said Hicks. “It’s a very musical show and it’s very real and very raw. And that’s who I am as an artist.”

Hicks, who has studied the stage moves of passionate, soulful performers like James Brown and Sly Stone, could have a better shot at success in front of a live audience than on the radio, said Mayfield.

“I think he could have at least some legs as a live performer,” he said. “The one thing I can tell you is I’m sure that a lot of thought was given to this album, and it just doesn’t appear to be a particularly friendly radio climate for whatever niche you would assign to what he does. And I’m not even really sure how to classify him.”

That could be the problem, said Barry James, a program director at the Chicago-based radio station 100.3, which plays a boomer-friendly mix of classic dance and R&B hits.

“Taylor is a terrific club, local band singer,” James said in an e-mail to the AP. “He is, however, so narrowly imaged that he’ll never break out of it. He’s Michael McDonald’s little brother (for lack of a better term).”

James said he HAS an image, “but it’s not one with broad appeal. Is he sweet? The bad boy? The sexy chick magnet? The whacked out artist? The `dark’ one? The answer is none of the above.”

One thing, though, is certain: The guy needs a radio hit if he wants to make on impact on major markets, said Sharon Dastur, a program director at the New York-based radio station Z100, which plays Top 40 songs. His chances for that are hampered by the album’s classic rock feel, she said.

“I think that if he just made it more of a current pop sound, but still he could showcase his soulful vocals in a more current way, that it would still be true to the way he writes and the way he performs,” Dastur said.

It’s too early to tell how things might end up, said Hicks, but, in the meantime, he’s happy to be onstage. And he’s very thankful for that moment on “American Idol,” an undeniably successful launching pad.

And he knows his “Idol” win was no fluke.

“I think you have to set yourself apart,” Hicks said. “And, you know, you really can’t pull the wool over 34 million people live. That’s just tough to do, you know?”

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Kentucky Speedway will become “Soul Patrol!” central July 14 when American Idol fifth-season champion and Arista recording artist Taylor Hicks entertains race fans with an exclusive concert before the green-flag start of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers.”

The soulful artist also will perform the National Anthem live on SPEED Channel.

Hicks’ self-titled album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard top 200 album chart following its Dec. 12, 2006 release. The powerful lead single, “Just To Feel That Way” was just released to radio.  The critically-acclaimed collection features “Dream Myself Awake,” written by Rob Thomas, along with “Give Me Tonight,” which Hicks and two-time Grammy Award-winner Matt Serletic co-wrote with Kevin Kadish and hit songwriter Kara Dioguardi. Hitmaker supreme Diane Warren added “Places I’ve Been” to a list of unique tracks that includes “The Maze,” “The Runaround,” “The Right Place” and “Dream Myself Awake.” Hicks also included his self-penned hits “Soul Thing” and “The Deal” which previously appeared on his second indie album titled “Under the Radar” that helped him gain his strong “Soul Patrol!” following in his native Birmingham, Ala.

“I’ve grown up on NASCAR, so performing at the beautiful Kentucky Speedway will be an honor for me. I’m happy to go out and perform for new fans and support the great NASCAR legacy,” Hicks said. “I’m also looking forward to being there in person to watch those trucks battle it out on the speedway.”

Hicks embarked on his first headlining tour Wed., Feb. 21, in Jacksonville, Fla., at the Florida Theater. A list of current dates follows.

“Our region is one of the strongest American Idol markets in the country so we know our fans will embrace the opportunity to welcome Taylor to our NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event for his only area appearance of the summer,” Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark. F. Cassis said. “Taylor will add an exciting element to what is sure to be a fun-filled and competitive ‘Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers’ weekend.”

More than 36 million television viewers witnessed the May 24, 2006 finale of FOX’s American Idol and many joined the nation’s “Soul Patrol!” legions in casting the 63.4 million votes that propelled Hicks to the coveted win and instant national prominence.

He rewarded his fans with an album that digs deep into the blues-drenched Alabama roots he holds dear while reaffirming the eternal power of pop, soul and R&B by displaying his versatility throughout. A “Vibe” magazine multi-page feature raved, “Taylor Hicks is the embodiment of the last 50 years of popular music.”

Along with Hicks’ heroes, Otis Redding, James Brown, and Sam Cooke, the memory of Ray Charles is always centerstage on the new collection and can be heard on “Heaven Knows,” whose riffs pays homage to Charles’ “What’d I Say” and Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar,” the Motown classic written by Smokey Robinson. Another track, “Gonna Move,” comes from yet another Hicks’ personal favorite, revered singer-songwriter Paul Pena. The song complements Taylor’s take on Marvin Gaye’s classic, “Wherever I Lay My Hat.”

The story of Hicks’ evolving career, which began in his youth when he honed his harmonica skills and continued when he released his first independent CD in 1995 while a student at Auburn University, will be told in a Crown Publishers book entitled “Heart Full of Soul” which is set for release on July 10, 2007. In its pages, Hicks will extract lessons from the decades-long odyssey that led him to the “American Idol” stage following years spent on the road, grappling with life and career decisions that, even as they’ve tested him, have disclosed valuable takeaways for anyone striving against long odds.

The upcoming memoir will also detail Taylor’s life changing twist of fate that came in New Orleans, at the wedding of an Auburn friend, the night before Hurricane Katrina hit on the fateful day of August 29, 2005. With his out-of-town flight cancelled, he was given a free airline voucher. Earlier that summer, Hicks had considered auditioning for “American Idol” in Memphis, Tenn., but auditions were subsequently cancelled there as the city became one of the centers of the Katrina relief effort. Throughout the summer and fall, however, auditions proceeded in eight cities across the country, and Hicks used his voucher to take the first steps up the steep “American Idol” ladder by traveling to auditions in Las Vegas.

Catch Taylor Hicks at these locations
Tour Dates:
Get Taylor Tickets

Feb. 21 – Jacksonville, Fla. – Florida Theater

Feb. 22 – Tampa, Fla. – Tampa Theater

Feb. 23 – Coral Springs, Fla. – Coral Springs Center for the Arts

Feb. 24 – Orlando, Fla. – Universal Studios

Feb. 27 – Mobile, Ala. – Mobile Civic Center

March 2 – Myrtle Beach, S.C. – House of Blues

March 3 – Knoxville, Tenn. – Tennessee Theatre

March 4 – Asheville, N.C. – The Orange Peel

March 6 – Hunstville, Ala. – Von Braun Center

March 9 – Atlanta, Ga. – Tabernacle

March 10 – Birmingham, Ala. – Alabama Theatre

March 25 – Minneapolis, Minn. – Mystic Lake Casino

March 27 – Green Bay, Wis. – Weidner Center

March 28 – Milwaukee, Wis – The Pabst Theater

March 29 – Chicago, Ill. – House of Blues

March 31 – Cleveland, Ohio – House of Blues

April 3 – Boston, Mass. – Avalon

April 6 – New Haven, Conn. – Foxwoods Casino

April 7 – Westbury, N.Y. – North Fork Theatre

April 12 – Lancaster, Pa. – American Musical Theater

April 17 – Baltimore, Md. – Rams Head Live

April 24 – Columbus, Ohio – The LC Pavillion

April 27 – Kansas City, Mo. – Ameristar Casino

Get Taylor Tickets

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Feb. 22: Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Theatre)

Feb. 23: Coral Springs, Fla. (Center For The Arts)

Feb. 24: Orlando, Fla. (Universal Studios)

Feb. 27: Mobile, Ala. (Mobile Civic Center)

March 2: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House Of Blues)

March 3: Knoxville, Tenn. (Tennessee Theatre)

March 4: Asheville, N.C. (Orange Peel)

March 6: Huntsville, Ala. (Von Braun Center)

March 9: Atlanta (Tabernacle)

March 10: Birmingham, Ala. (Alabama Theatre)

March 25: Prior Lake, Minn. (Mystic Lake Casino)

March 27: Green Bay, Wis. (Weidner Center)

March 28: Milwaukee (Pabst Theater)

March 29: Chicago (House Of Blues)

March 31: Cleveland (House Of Blues)

April 3: Boston (Avalon)

April 6: Mashantucket, Conn. (Foxwoods Casino)

April 7: Westbury, N.Y. (North Fork Theatre at Westbury)

April 12: Lancaster, Penn. (American Music Theatre)

April 17: Baltimore (Rams Head Live!)

April 24: Columbus, Ohio (Lifestyle Communities Pavilion)

April 27: Kansas City, Mo. (Ameristar Hotel & Casino)
Catch Taylor Hicks The American Idol Live near you.

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American Idol News

Hundreds of San Diego area Sailors and family members enjoyed a special holiday concert performance by 2006 “American Idol” Taylor Hicks Dec. 19 on the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

The event, sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO), also featured comedians Josh Blue and John Heffron. Both Blue and Heffron earned national attention after winning seasons of the hit NBC series “Last Comic Standing.”

Hicks said he was amazed at the size of the ship and considered it to be an honor to perform for military personnel.

“As a kid I saw the USO Bob Hope stuff and I always had the dream of being an entertainer and having my music get out to the world,” said Hicks. “I think this is the beginning of a long tour for me and the USO. I look forward to going overseas and performing. I can start right here on the Ronald Reagan.”

In addition to the show on the flight deck, Sailors were also treated to free food and beverages in the ship’s hangar bay, and each left with a special holiday gift bag from the USO.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Heidi Lenzini, Ronald Reagan’s event coordinator, the show was an opportunity for the USO to pay tribute to military personnel for their work over the past year.

“Events like this help to give the crew a much-needed break from their daily routine,” said Lenzini. “This special holiday show was also designed so that Sailors could bring their families.”

Ronald Reagan Sailors said they enjoyed the comedians as well as the chance to meet the latest “American Idol.”

“I had a great time. I appreciate them coming out and I had a blast,” said Aviation Ordnanceman (AW/SW) Geoffery Marshall, who works in Ronald Reagan’s Weapon’s Department.

For Sonar Technician (Surface) Seaman Christina Hahs, assigned to Naval Base Point Loma, Calif., seeing the latest “American Idol” and visiting Ronald Reagan combined to be a memorable event.

“This is the first concert I’ve been to in awhile,” said Hahs. “And this is probably one of the best things to happen to me since I joined the Navy.”

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Sales figures are in and it looks like Taylor Hicks‘ ”Soul Patrol” fan base is no match for Chris Daughtry’s rock brigade.

Hicks, the polarizing winner of this season’s American Idol, sold 298,000 copies of his eponymous album to land the No. 2 spot on next week’s Billboard 200 (behind rapper Young Jeezy). Daughtry, who finished Idol in fourth place, sparking an outcry from fans who figured he’d win the crown, managed 304,000 copies recently with his self-titled debut and is still riding the Top 10.

In other Idol news, last year’s winner, Carrie Underwood, accumulated 11 weeks atop Billboard’s Country Singles chart with two releases — Jesus Take the Wheel and Before He Cheats. This puts her ahead of other female country vocalists for most weeks at No. 1 in a calendar year for singles.

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Hicks insists the derogatory words, recently published in Relix magazine, were misconstrued and taken out of context, and that he’s “very grateful” to be part of the American Idol success.

Earlier this year (06), the singer claimed the show was “fizzling out” and branded his Idol hit Do I Make You Proud as simply “the show’s single” which he was forced to record.

But Hicks is now backtracking on his seemingly outspoken stance.

He says, “I’m giving up my crown soon. That’s what I meant. I’m just now learning about how the media can turn things around.

“I’m very grateful to that show and we’re like one big family. It was taken completely out of context. I will be watching next season on my tour bus.

“I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to be on American Idol. It’s a show that teaches a lot of young people about music and ties families together. I’m very grateful

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American Idol News