Taylor Hicks Independent music
where did he get his start at before going to american idol
where did Taylor Hicks get his start at before going to american idol
While in college, Hicks was part of a band called Passing Through, which he later quit to start his own band. In 1997, he independently recorded In Your Time, an album which included both studio and live tracks. In 2000, he moved to pursue a music career in Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked with Nashville veterans Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge to record a three-track demo but was unable to find a label that would sign him. He left Nashville after a year due to what he called the "oversaturation of the market". Hicks returned to Alabama and launched a professional music career, performing at various venues and parties mostly around the Southeastern United States, including The War Eagle Supper Club (a popular college bar) in Auburn, Alabama. Hicks has performed with the likes of Widespread Panic, James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph, Snoop Dogg and Keb Mo. He also performed in the huge infield of Talladega Superspeedway in 2004 during a NASCAR race weekend.  He recorded, produced, and released a second album, Under the Radar, in 2005. Despite releasing two albums prior to appearing on American Idol, he did not violate their requirements for contestants, as he had never held a recording contract.  Hicks has allowed audience members to record his concerts for personal, non-commercial use, and has authorized the Internet Archive to create a section for fans to upload and share their recordings. The Archive does not accept the upload of concerts recorded after January 1, 2006 due to the terms of his "American Idol" contract. CANNOTANSWER
While in college, Hicks was part of a band called Passing Through,
Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer who won the fifth season of American Idol in May 2006. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent albums. Upon winning Idol, he was signed to Arista Records, under which his self-titled major label debut was released on December 12, 2006.

His energetic stage performances and influences derived from classic rock, blues, and R&B music had earned him a following of devout fans dubbed the "Soul Patrol". Hicks performed on Broadway in 2008 and on national tour in 2009 in Grease playing Teen Angel, the role originated by Alan Paul. He is the first Idol winner to secure a long-term residency at a Las Vegas casino. He began his residency at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012 and moved to a larger venue, Paris Las Vegas, in January 2013. In 2016, Hicks began hosting the INSP original series State Plate, and released a new single, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings", in 2017.

Early life
Taylor Hicks was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 7, 1976, to Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson. He and his family moved to the suburb of Hoover when he was eight years old. His hair started turning gray by the time he was 14. His parents divorced, and stepmother Linda shared custody of their son until he came of age. Hicks has suggested his difficult childhood as the reason for his turning to soul and blues music for solace. He has a younger half-brother, Sean, who later convinced him to audition for American Idol.

He bought his first harmonica when he was 16, for $2 at a flea market in Bessemer, Alabama, and taught himself to play blues harp. He discovered that he possessed perfect pitch when he was able to recognize the pitches of ordinary noises and mimic them on the harmonica. Hicks was 18 when he wrote his first song, "In Your Time", and he taught himself to play electric guitar and the church organ when he was 19. When he was in college, he played in a Widespread Panic cover band.

Hicks graduated from Hoover High School in 1995. He played varsity baseball, soccer, and basketball while studying in Hoover. He then pursued a major in business and journalism at Auburn University.

Career

Independent music
While in college, Hicks was part of a band called Passing Through, which he later quit to start his own band. In 1997, he independently recorded In Your Time, an album which included both studio and live tracks. In 2000, he moved to pursue a music career in Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked with Nashville veterans Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge to record a three-track demo but was unable to find a label that would sign him. He left Nashville after a year due to what he called the "oversaturation of the market". Hicks returned to Alabama and launched a professional music career, performing at various venues and parties mostly around the Southeastern United States, including The War Eagle Supper Club (a popular college bar) in Auburn, Alabama. Hicks has performed with the likes of Widespread Panic, James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph, Snoop Dogg and Keb Mo. He also performed in the huge infield of Talladega Superspeedway in 2004 during a NASCAR race weekend.

He recorded, produced, and released a second album, Under the Radar, in 2005. Despite releasing two albums prior to appearing on American Idol, he did not violate their requirements for contestants, as he had never held a recording contract.

Hicks has allowed audience members to record his concerts for personal, non-commercial use, and has authorized the Internet Archive to create a section for fans to upload and share their recordings. The Archive does not accept the upload of concerts recorded after January 1, 2006, due to the terms of his American Idol contract.

American Idol 2006

Hicks auditioned for American Idol in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 10, 2005. Hicks passed the audition with the approval of judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but not Simon Cowell, who said that Hicks would never make it to the final round. On Hicks's first performance for the voting public, Cowell called back to this quote, admitting he was wrong.

On the May 10, 2006, results show, Hicks along with Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin, were announced as the top 3 finalists. On May 12, Idol producers brought Hicks to Birmingham for a weekend of promotional events including television interviews for the local Fox affiliate, a downtown parade, concerts, and an audience with Governor Bob Riley. May 12 was proclaimed "Taylor Hicks Day" and Hicks was given the Key to the City. Also on May 12, Gov. Riley issued a proclamation making May 16 "Taylor Hicks Day".

Hicks was named the new American Idol on May 24, 2006, winning the title over McPhee, with over 63.4 million votes cast in total. The proclamation was aired to a worldwide audience of 200 million television viewers. With his win at age 29, Hicks became the oldest contestant to win American Idol. He was also the first male contestant to win the competition without ever being in the bottom two or three.

In June 2006, Ford Motor Company, the show's major sponsor, signed Hicks to promote Ford's "Drive on Us" year-end sales event. He was also named Hottest Bachelor by People for 2006, appearing on the magazine's cover.

Post-Idol career
 Hicks signed a recording contract with 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records, managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller, in May 2006. Hicks's debut single "Do I Make You Proud" debuted on the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and was subsequently certified gold by the RIAA.

Hicks joined his fellow Top 10 Idol finalists on the American Idols LIVE! Tour which ran from July to September. The members of the former Taylor Hicks Band, formed by Hicks two years prior, regrouped as the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra and shadowed the Idols' tour route. Hicks occasionally appeared as a "special guest" when circumstances permitted, and was accompanied at times by the other Idols, such as Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, and Bucky Covington.

In August 2006, Hicks's lawyers sued a producer with whom he worked in Nashville, for redistributing without permission songs that Hicks had copyrighted in 1997. The lawsuit was dropped when the masters were handed over to Hicks.

Hicks received a US$750,000 deal to write his memoir. Titled Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way and ghostwritten by Rolling Stone writer David Wild, the book was released in July 2007 by Random House.

On June 6, 2008, Hicks joined the cast of the Broadway musical Grease in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. He played the role of "Teen Angel". Once his 18-month tour in the traveling Broadway show 'Grease' ended, Hicks performed in over 20 live shows.

2006–2008: Taylor Hicks and Early Works
Studio recording sessions for the eponymous major label debut Taylor Hicks ran in Calabasas, California between October and November 2006, and took six weeks in total. The album was released on December 12, 2006, and debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard 200 charts. It was certified as a platinum album by the RIAA on January 17, 2007. Hicks embarked on a three-month US promotional tour for his album that started on February 21 in Jacksonville, Florida, and ended in Seattle, Washington on May 12.

Arista Records confirmed in January 2008 that it had dropped Hicks from its roster. Hicks had, at that stage, the lowest selling American Idol winner's album.

As of June 2008, Hicks has signed a distribution deal with Vanguard/Welk records to distribute a compilation album Early Works. He also starred in Grease in the national tour as the Teen Angel after playing the role on Broadway. Early Works was released on August 12, 2008.

2009–present: The Distance
In 2009 Hicks released his second album, The Distance, on his own label, Modern Whomp Records, on March 10, 2009. The first single, "What's Right Is Right", was added to AC adds on January 27, 2009. The single reached number 24 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. It was produced by Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan.

In May 2009, Taylor Hicks made Forbes''' "Top Ten earning American Idol stars" list, coming in at number 10, with over $300,000 earned from album sales and from his role as "Teen Angel" in the national tour of Grease.

In May 2011, Taylor Hicks opened ORE Drink and Dine restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham Magazine readers voted ORE as Birmingham's "Best New Restaurant" in the fall of 2011. ORE Drink and Dine re-opened as Saw's Juke Joint, a barbecue and live music bar, on October 30, 2012.

On June 14, 2011, Taylor Hicks performed at Bama Rising: A Benefit Concert For Alabama Tornado Recovery at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. According to Billboard, the Bama Rising benefit concert raised an estimated $2.2 million for Alabama tornado relief efforts.

On April 19, 2012, Hicks appeared on American Idol and announced he would begin a one-year residency at Bally's in Las Vegas on June 26 that has been extended until December 2013. Entertainment Weekly magazine revealed that Hicks would be a celebrity contestant on Fox's dating show The Choice.

On August 30, 2012, Hicks performed for the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

Hicks was the first male Idol to be featured on a Grammy-winning album when he performed "Friday" on Jimmy Fallon's Blow Your Pants Off, which won for Best Comedy Album in 2013.

In July 2013, Hicks attended the Evolution 2013 fighting game tournament as a competitor for Super Smash Bros. Melee. Hicks finished tied for 257th overall out of 709 players.

In September 2017, Taylor Hicks premiered his song, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings" with Billboard Music, his first musical release in eight years.

Hicks hosted State Plate via the INSP channel for three season from 2016 to 2018 where he featured iconic dishes and ingredients from each state in the United States.

Hicks debuted in his starring role as Charlie Anderson in the Serenbe Playhouse production of Shenandoah in March 2019.

Discography

Albums
2006: Taylor Hicks2009: The Distance''

See also
List of Billboard number-one singles
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
List of Idols winners

References

External links

 Taylor Hicks's Official Website
 
 

1976 births
American blues singers
American harmonica players
American Idol winners
American male singer-songwriters
American male pop singers
American blues singer-songwriters
Arista Records artists
Auburn University alumni
Living people
Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama
People from Hoover, Alabama
19 Recordings artists
Participants in American reality television series
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
American soul singers
Super Smash Bros. Melee players
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
Singer-songwriters from Alabama
Madeline Mae "Maddie" Poppe (born December 5, 1997) is an American folk singer, musician, and the season 16 winner of American Idol. She is a multi-instrumentalist—playing the guitar, piano, and ukulele. Prior to winning American Idol, Poppe released an independent album titled Songs from the Basement. Poppe released her first studio album, Whirlwind, with Hollywood Records in 2019.

Early life
Maddie Poppe was born to Trent and Tonya Poppe in Clarksville, Iowa. As a young girl, Poppe loved to sing for her family, but did not start performing until she was in middle school. She graduated Clarksville High School in 2016, attended Iowa Central Community College and then went to Hawkeye Community College. Her father is also a musician and is a guitarist. She used to perform with her father and his band at the Pioneer Days festival. She got her start performing at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Allison, Iowa. Poppe had also been a stagehand, setting up equipment for musicians at the county fair. 

Poppe has talked about not wanting to settle for things she did not like to do. She remarked, "I was trying to get gigs while I was supposed to be paying attention to a lecture." More than fame, Poppe is looking for career longevity and the enjoyment of being in music and performing.

Career

2015–2016: Songs from the Basement and The Voice 
Poppe independently released her first album, Songs from the Basement, on June 20, 2016. That same month, Poppe opened for Diamond Rio at the Butler County Fair.

Prior to Idol, she auditioned to The Voice in 2016. The program aired on NBC on February 29, 2016 in season 10 of the show. She sang "Dog Days Are Over" from Florence and the Machine, but none of the judges (who were Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton) turned their chairs, thus being eliminated. Despite her elimination, Clarksville honored her with a city event at the Clarksville Library.

2017–2018: American Idol 

In an audition held in New York, Poppe sang "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie. Judge Lionel Richie said she had a "storytelling voice" and that "we need you in this show". Katy Perry said she had a "distinctive quality in your voice" and Luke Bryan said "I'm not critiquing you, 'cause you got me, I'm saying yes." After singing her original song "Don't Ever Let Your Children Grow Up," Perry said Poppe reminded her of herself as they "write a little bit of the same style."
 
Before her Top 24 performance, Poppe admitted that she didn't expect to win American Idol, planning to make it to Top 24 and get eliminated at some point. "This sounds terrible, but I don't want to go into things with super high hopes because then, obviously, I would be super let down if it doesn't work out," she told Bobby Bones. Poppe also admitted she has stage fright. "I remember times when I'd gotten up on stage and it totally just flopped. I fear that every time I walk on stage, I worry that it's going to happen again."

In her Top 14, Poppe sang "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel, sparking Katy Perry to remark, "I closed my eyes and I thought I was listening to Joni Mitchell," while Luke Bryan labeled the interweaving of her modal voice and falsetto as "seasoned" and "big-time pro." 

Prior to the May 20 finale, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds declared May 20, 2018 to be "Maddie Poppe Day". During the finale, she performed her winners' single "Going Going Gone", which was originally written by Mitch Allan, Lindy Robbins and Julia Michaels. At the end of the show, after Poppe performed "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, Katy Perry revealed she would be voting for her. 

On the results show broadcast on May 21, Poppe was declared the winner, with Caleb Lee Hutchinson as runner-up and Gabby Barrett in third. Prior to the results being revealed, Hutchinson announced that he and Poppe were dating.

2019–present: Whirlwind and Christmas From Home 
On May 17, 2019, Poppe released her first studio album, Whirlwind. She appeared on American Idol on April 21 to advertise her new album; however, the show cut to commercial before she was able to mention it. She also appeared on the finale episode of season 17. Whirlwind's third single "Made You Miss" debuted at number 39 on the US Adult Top 40 chart, later peaking at number 21. In total, the single spent 16 weeks on the chart. Whirlwind's fourth single "Not Losing You" debuted at number 37 on the US Adult Top 40 on October 12 and peaked at number 26, spending 17 weeks on the chart. 

Poppe joined Ingrid Michaelson on the Dramatic Tour in the United States from October 3 to 29, 2019.

On November 20, 2020, Poppe independently released her holiday EP, Christmas From Home. She went on the Maddie Poppe's Acoustic Christmas tour in Iowa from December 4 to 19, 2020.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Promotional singles

Awards and nominations

See also
List of Idols winners

References

External links
Official website
 Maddie Poppe on American Idol
 

American Idol winners
American Idol participants
The Voice (franchise) contestants
1997 births
Living people
People from Butler County, Iowa
Singers from Iowa
21st-century American singers
Hollywood Records artists
19 Recordings artists
21st-century American women singers David Anthony Hernandez (born May 31, 1983) is an American singer and the twelfth place finalist of FOX's seventh season of the television series American Idol. He moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his music career after his time on American Idol.

Early life
Hernandez was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but grew up mostly in Glendale. He was raised by his single mom, Spring Hernandez. His father is a truck driver and he has a younger sister named Alexandra, 8 years his junior.

He began singing at age six. His grandfather took him to his first audition for a local theater company, Valley Youth Theater. David was chosen for one of the lead roles, and decided on a career singing and performing. Hernandez used to train at Voices, a vocal coaching studio. His teacher claimed that Hernandez trained "whenever he could afford it" as he wasn't always financially stable.

He was a young gymnast and won medals in the Grand Canyon Olympics. Hernandez had some acting experiences and was in an independent film before American Idol. He also once had aspiration of becoming an entertainment show host.

As a teenager, Hernandez went to a college in Tucson, Arizona. During college, he had a job selling knives door-to-door. He was a student at Arizona State University, majoring in broadcast journalism.

Before American Idol, he worked various jobs, including singing on cruise ships, working as a server at a pizza bistro, and working at night clubs. Hernandez also used to sing with a local Phoenix cover group called Tribe 7.

Musical influences
On his American Idol "Fast Facts" page, David cites musical influences as: Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Alicia Keys, Anthony Hamilton, Michael Jackson, Peabo Bryson. When asked to list his top pop artists, he cites; Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson. He also cites Fantasia Barrino and Kelly Clarkson as his favorite former American Idol contestants. Randy Jackson claimed after one of his performances on American Idol that Hernandez has a Stevie Wonder vibe coming from his singing style. Hernandez himself described his sound as pop and R&B influenced.

Musical background
David Hernandez was once part of a singing group called Vinyl Four which consisted of four singers prior to his appearance on American Idol. The group performed on the cruise ships. Hernandez also has performed with the Latin/R&B bands Tribe 7 and Straight up. Prior to his participation on American Idol, Hernandez has performed at Urban Network Events, Arizona Idol and at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade. He was a finalist in Arizona Idol (the winner of the competition secures a chance to audition for FOX's American Idol). After failing to take first place, he traveled to San Diego to audition successfully for the seventh season of American Idol.

American Idol
Hernandez auditioned for American Idol season 7 at San Diego, California, singing "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" in front of the judges. All the three judges loved his audition and let him advance to the Hollywood round. In Hollywood, he sang "Love the One You're With" for his audition and received unanimous praise from the three judges. Hernandez was finally chosen as one of the Top 24 semi-finalists for season 7 (albeit with some hesitance from Simon).

During the first week of the semi-finals, Hernandez was the first contestant to perform. He performed "In the Midnight Hour" and was voted through the next round. During the top 20-week, he performed The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". This performance received praises from all the three judges and converted Simon Cowell into a fan. His "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was both vocally convincing and demonstrated a degree of showmanship that he had previously been missing. After performing "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" during the Top 16-week, Paula Abdul claimed that he has one of the best vocals in the competition. Simon added that he definitely secured his place in the finals on that. Hernandez was voted through to the Top 12 the following day.

Hernandez, considered by some an early favorite, was the first member of the Top 12 to be eliminated, on March 12, 2008. Hernandez, along with 11th-place finisher Amanda Overmyer, did not perform on the annual summer tour.

Hernandez was revealed to have worked as a nude male stripper at a gay strip club, called Dick's Cabaret, in Phoenix, Arizona. No disclosure of his career as a stripper was made by Fox prior to the release and he was allowed to remain on the show. American Idol has had female former strippers in the show before and has not held the work against them.

Performances and results (during voting weeks)

Post Idol
After he was eliminated on American Idol, David Hernandez made various appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (where he performed the song "In the Midnight Hour") Today Show, Access Hollywood, TRL, and TV Guide Network's Idol Tonight. He was subsequently asked to perform at The Children's Hospital of New York Presbyterian where he sang "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "In the Midnight Hour."

Hernandez sang the National Anthem at US Airways Centre on April 4, 2008, for the Phoenix RoadRunners hockey game finals. On May 1, 2008, Hernandez made an appearance at TV Guide'''s Sexiest Stars 2008 Party.

Hernandez stated that he had hoped to have an album out by 2009. He claimed that his first album is definitely going to be pop- and R&B-influenced, and he would like to write his own songs on the album. "It's definitely going to be an eclectic kind of vibe. I'd like to put a little bit of rock and R&B in it too. That's the kind of image I want to put out there. I'm more of an R&B, grit-and-grind kind of singer."

Hernandez toured with Diana DeGarmo, Kimberley Locke and Chikezie on a 20-city Idol Holiday Tour from November 28, 2008, through December 21, 2008. Hernandez has appeared on the CBS Early Show and performed on FOX's The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. He finished a run performing his own show at the upscale nightclub Barcelona Scottsdale, located in Scottsdale, Arizona in June 2009. Hernandez opened for John Legend at the Declare Yourself Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 2009. He collaborates with sideman Shea Marshall for private performances around the Western US and Canada. Hernandez toured with Gina Glocksen, Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace in "The American Stars in Concert 2009" and released his first Christmas record entitled "This Christmas." Hernandez headlined a New Year's Eve show at the Greek Isle Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, with Mikalah Gordon and Dezmond Meeks. He rejoined the "Ballroom with a Twist" tour in mid-January 2010 that extended its run through March 2010. He was in "Motown Memories", a Motown tribute show located in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Talking Stick Casino & Resort that ran until April 30, 2011. He then rejoined "Ballroom with a Twist" alongside Gina Glocksen for a three-month run in Las Vegas, Nevada, while also continuing the "American Stars in Concert 2011" Tour with Lakisha Jones, Gina Glocksen, Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace. Hernandez has been reported to be working with Printz Board of The Black Eyed Peas on a single. Hernandez performed at San Jose Pride Festival on August 18, 2013.

In 2021, Hernandez replaced Aaron Carter as the headliner of the nude male musical revue Naked Boys Singing'' in Las Vegas, for a three-month residency beginning September 15, 2021.

Personal life 
Hernandez came out as gay after releasing his single "Beautiful".

References

External links
Official website

1983 births
21st-century American singers
American Idol participants
American male erotic dancers
American gay musicians
LGBT singers from the United States
LGBT people from Arizona
Living people
Male actors from Phoenix, Arizona
Musicians from Glendale, Arizona
Musicians from Phoenix, Arizona
Singers from Los Angeles
Singers from Arizona
21st-century American male singers
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people