Taylor Hicks - Little Known Facts About

Ever since silver-haired Taylor Hicks stepped on the stage of "American Idol", his good looks and soulful voice started winning the hearts of fans across the nation. Being on the show put Hicks in the American spotlight initially, and his talent and personality kept him in the contest week-after-week. Now that he has become the Season 5 winner of "American Idol", Hicks' career has taken off with no end in sight! Here are some little known facts about Taylor Hicks that you're sure to find interesting, and maybe even surprising!

"Hairs" Taylor Hicks!
According to USA Today, Hicks' nickname when he was a kid was "Coconut Head" because of the hair style he wore. Hicks has said his brown hair turned gray when he was just 15 years old. Even though he was only 29 years old when he entered the "American Idol" contest, his silver hair made him look much older. He was, in fact, older than the other challengers, and he is the oldest winner of the show- both the British version and the American version- thus far. Some of Hicks' fans ("The Soul Patrol") refer to him as "Gray Charles."

Mysterious Black Wrist Band
A little known fact about Taylor Hicks is that he doesn't wear any jewelry at all. But, he can sometimes be seen wearing a thin, black elastic band on his left wrist. What's the significance of the black band? Hicks won't divulge the secret. He told People Magazine the band has a "personal meaning", and that "he swore he would never tell anybody what it means." So, the mysterious black wrist band remains a mystery...

Call Him Superstitious If You Want...
Taylor Reuben Hicks' favorite singers are Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. He used to always take a statuette of Ray Charles with him everytime he stepped onto a stage for a performance. Unfortunately, the statue became lost, but Hicks is reportedly going to replace it.

Taylor Hicks also carries a lucky dime with him, and he says a prayer and counts the audience members before he performs. Call Hicks superstitious if you want, but his popularity shows that he's doing something right!

Taylor Hicks Reveals His Weight Loss Tips
After Hicks won the fifth season of "American Idol", the six-foot, one inch tall soul singer/songwriter/ musician revamped his eating habits and lost 22 pounds. He went from 215 to a sexier 193 pounds.

Another little known fact about Taylor Hicks is that he lost the weight by simply making some healthy changes in his diet. For example, he switched from eating fried chicken to eating chicken noodle soup. He also replaced some of the foods he was eating with plenty of salads, brown rice and fish. And, Hicks exercises by running every other day.

Taylor Hicks Autobiography
After Taylor Hicks won the "American Idol" competition, he signed a book deal with Random House's Crown Publishers. His autobiography, "Heart Full of Soul" earned Hicks a cool $750,000 advance, even though he didn't actually write a word of it. The book is ghostwritten by David Wild who has written for "Rolling Stone" Magazine. The autobiography has a release date of July 2007.