Can you believe it was way back in 2006 when Taylor Hicks won American Idol ?
Like many of his predecessors, Taylor Hicks has been rather quietly successful since his Idol coup back in the mid-noughties. The prematurely gray singer had famously gotten through initially with votes from Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, but did not secure a go-ahead from frequent naysayer Simon Cowell, who felt the slightly-older star at 30 would “never make it through to the final round.”
But Taylor Hicks prevailed, going on to beat American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee in the final round to become the 2006 winner with more than 63 million votes. Hicks was also the oldest American Idol at the time of his win.
Since winning on Idol , Hicks has been in Ford commercials, performed with Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, and penned a memoir, Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way. He has also done Grease on Broadway, and another residency is in Taylor Hicks’ future, with a newly-announced residency at Bally’s in Vegas.
The selection of venue is notable, as it was in Vegas that Taylor Hicks got his initial American Idol shot. Of the announcement, Hicks comments:
“A residency in Las Vegas is one of those opportunities an entertainer dreams about. Vegas is where Sinatra’s Rat Pack and America’s greatest talents make musical history,” says Hicks. “To join those ranks is both humbling and thrilling. My goal is to live up to that legacy of live showmanship.”
Bally’s Las Vegas president David Hoenemeyer added:
“It’s not every day that a property on the Las Vegas Strip can announce that an ‘American Idol’ winner will be a headlining act. We are very excited to welcome Taylor to Bally’s. Taylor won the hearts of fans across America when he competed on ‘American Idol,’ and I am sure that he will have just as many fans among our property’s guests.”
Taylor Hicks will begin his Vegas residency on June 26th.
