“American Idol” season five winner Taylor Hicks is ready to play some “old time rock ‘n’ roll.”
Hicks will bring a set full of his songs, “Idol” favorites and tracks by his idol, Michigander Bob Seger to the Fox Tucson Theatre on Friday, April 12. The show includes songs like “Night Moves,” Fire Lake” and “Still the Same.”
“Bob Seger is in my wheelhouse,” Hicks said. “I love his music and, obviously, I grew up listening and playing his music.
“I love all of them. I keep those in the catalog and some obscure ones, too. He’s one of my favorites. I learned how to sing by listening to him. Unfortunately, he’s not touring. Also, in my show, I’m taking songs that I’ve written for other people and I (like) plugging that into the set as well.”
Hicks has a new record in the can that he recorded in his adopted hometown of Nashville at Zac Brown’s studio. He’s so far dropped “Porch Swing,” a song that blends his love of Americana, country, blues and rock.
New music isn’t all that Hicks has been up to since “Idol,” which drew 200 million viewers in 2006. He was featured on Jimmy Fallon’s “Blow Your Pants Off,” and was the first “Idol” to land a Las Vegas residency.
A versatile artist, actor and advocate, Hicks has since ventured into theater, television and film, starring in Serenbe Playhouse’s 2019 production of “Shenandoah,” touring as Teen Angel in the Broadway musical “Grease,” in addition to appearing on “Law & Order: SVU” and hosting the INSP series “State Plate,” which won the Cynopsis TV Award for Best Reality Series.
Hicks’ passion for southern cuisine led him back to his native Alabama, where he opened SAW’s Juke Joint, a restaurant crowned one of the “25 Best Barbecue Spots in America” by Men’s Journal.
Despite all of that, Hicks doesn’t mind having a name synonymous with “American Idol.”
“Fans want to hear songs off of ‘Idol,’” he said.
“I have no qualms with that. It was a crash course in show business. We’re always going to be a part of the fabric of ‘Idol.’ I’m very blessed to have won that show. I will always carry that along with me.”
Taylor Hicks w/Miss Olivia and the Interlopers
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12
WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $20
INFO: www.foxtucson.com
