Chairman of the Soul Patrol, the Gray Fox, American Idol '06 winner Taylor Hicks returned home triumphant to Alabama for Birmingham's City Scenes festival over the weekend.
Arriving in a style befitting his new station in life, Hicks, 29, rolled out of a cool stretch limo into the Alabama heat to join his old band, Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, Sunday afternoon for a southern-fried 20-minute soul show. Hicks and the band performed “Soul Thing,” “In Your Time,” and a cover of Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles.”
Then, after chilling a bit, Hicks hit the festival stage again that night, jamming on harmonica with the legendary Allman Brothers on "One Way Out" near the end of their set.
All of that sounds pretty normal, but how about this? Surely the incongrous highlight of the weekend was Hicks doing his spasmodic enthusiasm dance on stage with ice cool Snoop Dogg Saturday night. In addition to the frenetic motion, Hick featured some smokin' harmonica riffs on the Snoop classic "Gin and Juice."
Of Snoop, Hicks told the Birmingham News rather effusively, "I have the greatest respect for Snoop Dogg as an artist, but also as a family man, a businessman and an integral part of pop culture. Rap music has the most advanced lyricism there is. Rap is real; there's nothing pretentious about it. I'm very excited about appearing with Snoop. I think it's great."
Hmm - good to know. Pretentiousness seems to matter quite a bit to the Gray Haired Guy. When named People Magazine's bachelor of the year last week, Hicks said he is looking for a woman who can "let her hair down and can be who she is and is not pretentious about anything."
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
yes, breaking protocol: but did anyone see any of these Birmingham performances?
2 - DJRadiohead
Attendance at Birmingham's City Stages has declined over recent years. I'm not sure anyone was there.
3 - El Bicho
Taylor is certianly making the rounds. He appeared at the Greek Theatre on the 14th for a couple songs with Robert Randolph and the Family as they opened up for The Black Crowes, played harmonica on one, sang on the other.
4 - Guppusmaximus
"Rap music has the most advanced lyricism there is."
Are you F*cking kidding me?? FoSho my peeps...LOL
Rap is not pretentious? Yeah, maybe back in the 80's with Public Enemy but nowadays it's all pretentious shite!!
Taylor Hicks definitely lost his integrity and it's only been a couple of months since he won... Get off of Snoop's Junk. Snoop is a jackass.
5 - Mark Saleski
Common
The Roots
Lauryn Hill
...honestly, you can't judge hip hop by what's on the radio. pretty much like every other form of music.
6 - Guppusmaximus
Well, I wasn't judging Hip-Hop... I was judging Rap. Yes, back then POPULAR Rap bands had something deep to spew forth. Bands like EPMD,Public Enemy, NWA and Ice-T had credible view points of the neighborhoods they lived in which were certainly in an oppressive state. There were alot of things I couldn't relate to because I'm not black and/or from the "Hood" but I could relate to the pain, anger and the cry for awakening.
7 - Eric Olsen
my friends, it's all showbiz