American Idol's Taylor Hicks

Well, American Idol fans, the time is dwindling down to the final finale in two weeks. With only three people left, many are interested in knowing more about the top three contestants. From the beginning, I have had a fondness for Mr. Taylor Hicks. With his premature grey hair and his soulful voice, he was quickly set apart from the other contestants. After learning a bit more about Mr. Hicks, one can see that his life is just as interesting as he is.

Taylor Hicks was born on October 6, 1976 in Birmingham, Alabama to Brad and Linda Hicks. Also included in the family is Taylor's younger brother Sean, who is currently a college student in Georgia. Although he had no formal musical training, Hicks grew up listening to legendary soul and blues performers such as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and Van Morrison.

Taylor attended high school in Hoover, Alabama, yet believe it or, had nothing to do with music. He was very much into varsity basketball at the time, and eventually went on to study at Auburn University. In was in college that Hicks discovered his passion for music and formed a band known as "Passing Through Band". He became so involved in music that he decided to leave college before graduating, and head to Nashville, Tennessee. While in Nashville, Hicks landed several gigs, and later released two albums entitled " In Your Time" in 1997, and "Under the Radar" in 2005.

Ultimately, Hicks decided to try out for American Idol while they were in Memphis. After the audition cancellation because of Hurricane Katrina, Hicks packed up and headed to Las Vegas to audition. Judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson gave Hicks two thumbs up for his first audition, but the notoriously grumpy Simon Cowell though that he wouldn't last past the second audition process. Needless to say, Cowell was wrong, and publicly confessed the error of his thoughts after Hicks flawlessly performed Elton John's "Levon".

Not only has Hicks made the skeptical Simon Cowell a fan, but he has captured the hearts of millions of fans who affectionately refer themselves as Hick's "Soul Patrol". Whether Hicks will go on to become our next American Idol is in the hands of the millions of voters out there. However, it's a safe bet to say that musically, we will all be hearing from Taylor for a long time to come.