American Idol Spotlight: Taylor Hicks

As I write this post I am being serenaded by Taylor Hicks, the current American Idol contestant with a voice that is so sweet and soulful that it amazes me that he isn’t already a huge star. So who is Taylor Hicks? Even die-hard American Idol fans might not recognize the name Taylor Hicks but they do know him by sight. Taylor is the grey-haired guy who continuously amazes the judges with his powerful voice.

Is Hicks the Idol to beat? Who knows, but if you check out American Idol message boards, he’s the one name that everyone is talking about. Taylor Hicks might have the talent to go all the way in this competition, but let’s face it, American Idol isn’t just about talent. It’s equally about the look and the attitude. Can Hicks transform himself into someone that the teeny boppers will root for? That could determine how far he goes in this competition. At the end of the day, no matter what demographic watches American Idol, it’s the teenagers that vote. And voting is everything.

I’m anxious to see how far the Birmingham, Alabama native will to go transform himself into someone who looks like an American Idol. The AI staff can work wonders – just look at Clay Aiken. But it’s really about what Hicks is comfortable with.

Another important factor is Hicks’ stage presence. His Idol audition was nice to listen to but hard to watch. He nerves got the best of him, and he was fidgety and awkward. Since making it to Hollywood, the producers seem to want to focus more on the drama than the talent, so we haven’t seen much of him thus far. Maybe he’s already worked out his stage presence issues. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

But I’ll have my eyes and ears on Taylor Hicks in the coming weeks. From what I’ve seen he’s more than just a one dimensional talent that can belt the high notes. He’s got a maturity to his voice that is sometimes lacking in the American Idol competition.