Taylor Hicks - Season 5

[OrangeDingo]

A little eccentric and over the top but...<3

[Victrola]

Go Earl Grey - we love you and your bowl haircut! Lee-von!

[Justafan1]

I would truly love to see Taylor win this thing, but I get cold sweats just thinking about how Clive Davis would neuter him in the studio. Maybe a non winning thing is best.

I think you are right. He doesn't need to win AI and I think he knows he will not win. He just needed an exposure. He got this already and will go on to top 12 I'm sure.

So it doesn't really matter when he is out. People WILL remember him and buy his CD.

[southernbeauty]

He's amazing...I think he is gonna be one of the viewer's and judges favorites...I really don't like the song he chose lastnite but he pulled it together...he's definetly talented..

[Apollonia]

Logged in only to say that this guy is awesome! Love his style, authenticity, the whole Ray Charles shtick.
I actually hope he doesnt win. He's doesnt have the generation x, "it" factor for the pop world that is out there but for the adult contemp, soul, wherever the guy gets into, he's great.

[bbnbama]

Ray Charles! Joe Cocker!! This young man is talented beyond his years!!! He has more depth than any other contestant on the show this year! You can see and feel his joy when he performs!

What a Man!!!!!

If he doesn't win this, it's because they are looking to promote the same middle of the road, milquetoast that they usually like to go with. This contest could have been the wrong road for him to take. I'm hoping that a record producer sees what he's got and snatches him out of this competition before they are able to stifle him and put him into cookie-cutter mode, where I think a lot of people would like to see him.

Folks are always challenged when they see something/someone that they don't understand. They don't want to understand him; they want him to change to fit their narrow comfort zones.

I absolutely agree with this statement but one thing I really like...my son, who is 12 and a diehard Eminem, Nelly, Ludacris, hip hop rapper lover, has embraced Taylor on his own without any coercing from mom here. He loves the way he sings and the way he is on and off the stage and I'm so thankful that maybe my son will see that mom has some pretty good taste in music and he can learn to appreciate Taylor's style of singing and performing! Yeah, we are from Alabama but he didn't even take to Bo the way he has taken to Taylor...makes me so proud to know that both mom and son can be members of the Soul Patrol!!!

[barbiedolly67]

I liked Taylor right from the beginning. The reason is because he is so different from the others. I am hoping that he will at least make it the top twelve.

I am anxious to see what songs he will pick and see how he does the different types of songs.

[jasminefan]

Don't worry Barbie, Taylor's a shoo-in for the top12. He's fantastic and the judges love him.

[pillbeam]

I think you are right. He doesn't need to win AI and I think he knows he will not win. He just needed an exposure. He got this already and will go on to top 12 I'm sure.

So it doesn't really matter when he is out. People WILL remember him and buy his CD.

Taylor has already reaped the benefits--sales of his CD "Under the Radar" (what an apt phrase) have skyrocketed.

Also, I'm not sure "he will not win." From the countless fan postings on the Web (and comments to Simon), I think he could be the front-runner in votes. I also think 19E and Clive Davis are drooling to record someone with a different sound this year, so as not to compete against previous Idol winners. Taylor's blue-eyed soul just might fit the ticket.

The most astonishing thing to me is Taylor's attititude is so different from Ruben's and Bo's. Yes, all three had years of professional experience before AI as hip performers. But while Ruben and Bo kinda held their noses about being on AI, implying it was uncool, Taylor has embraced AI with full force, saying " I Love American Idol" on Thursday night. I was stunned, and pleased. Taylor is still hip, but he is humble enough to give American Idol full credit for his exposure.

[razorbacker]

Taylor has already reaped the benefits--sales of his CD "Under the Radar" (what an apt phrase) have skyrocketed.

Also, I'm not sure "he will not win." From the countless fan postings on the Web (and comments to Simon), I think he could be the front-runner in votes. I also think 19E and Clive Davis are drooling to record someone with a different sound this year, so as not to compete against previous Idol winners. Taylor's blue-eyed soul just might fit the ticket.

The most astonishing thing to me is Taylor's attititude is so different from Ruben's and Bo's. Yes, all three had years of professional experience before AI as hip performers. But while Ruben and Bo kinda held their noses about being on AI, implying it was uncool, Taylor has embraced AI with full force, saying " I Love American Idol" on Thursday night. I was stunned, and pleased. Taylor is still hip, but he is humble enough to give American Idol full credit for his exposure.

The highlighted sentence is the most disturbing thing about a Taylor win. We have seen multiple examples of Clive Davis' heavy handed production & neutering of these folks. If Taylor were to win I would hope Clive Davis stays way way out of the picture. Afterall, you only need to look at last year's runner up album & see the mistakes made with Bo.