Taylor Hicks - Season 5

[Blues Fan]

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

Something interesting for everyone in this board to consider. Go to eBay, on the search text, type "TAYLOR HICKS CD", you'll see an amazing number of sales ( CAUTION : some are copies ). The astonishing thing is this --- PEOPLE ARE BIDDING AS HIGH AS $56 for his "Under the Radar" CD. The CD only has 7 songs !!

Unfreakin' believable how much people are taking to this man. And to think that he only has about 15 minutes of TV time !

[lambikins]

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.

Okay, when someone gets bashed enough, my natural instincts are to feel sorry for them and find out the GOOD that they've done.

For all of the alledged mishandlings of careers by Clive, THESE are some of the famous people he's helped launch their careers:

" Janis Joplin and Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Columbia went on to sign Electric Flag, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Pink Floyd. The company, which had previously avoided rock music, doubled its market share in three years. In 1972, Davis also signed the group Earth, Wind & Fire to CBS Records.

In 1974, he founded Arista Records, naming it after his secondary school honor society. This label has one of the most diverse lineups in the record industry. It has been home to Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Monica, Exposé, Angie Aparo,Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, Kenny G, Puffy Combs, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Air Supply, Ace of Base, The Alpha Band, The Grateful Dead, TLC, Willie Nile, and Patti Smith, among others. In the 1970s, Arista also had an extensive jazz line, most notably its Freedom imprint, concentrating on contemporary, sometimes avant-garde, musicians and widely praised reissues from the legendary Savoy label.

In building his new company,J Records, some of his first signings were recording artists Luther Vandross and Alicia Keys. That same year, Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performers branch."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Davis

Having found this out, Taylor would be honored to share the same producer as Vandross, Keys, Santana and others. And I own or have owned, at least 90% of the above artists, at one time or another.

Maybe as time goes by, any artist is going to suffer from "The Grass is Greener" syndrome and want to move on. But, with producers like Clive Davis....damn....that's a pretty hefty help out of the Starting Gate into a recording career!

[Blues Fan]

As an addendum, I note with pleasure, Simon actually saying to Taylor Hicks after he sang LEVON — “I WAS WRONG” ( for being a naysayer in the beginning. Remember, it was Simon who said he would not be put through in the finals ).

Well, well ,well love Simon or hate him, it takes a lot of guts to eat crow in front of 30 million people. I've never heard him say that before.

[lambikins]

As an addendum, I note with pleasure, Simon actually saying to Taylor Hicks after he sang LEVON — “I WAS WRONG” ( for being a naysayer in the beginning. Remember, it was Simon who said he would not be put through in the finals ).

Well, well ,well love Simon or hate him, it takes a lot of guts to eat crow in front of 30 million people. I've never heard him say that before.

Yah, two apologies in ONE week! First Mandisa and now Taylor; what is this world coming to???

[razorbacker]

Okay, when someone gets bashed enough, my natural instincts are to feel sorry for them and find out the GOOD that they've done.

For all of the alledged mishandlings of careers by Clive, THESE are some of the famous people he's helped launch their careers:

" Janis Joplin and Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Columbia went on to sign Electric Flag, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Pink Floyd. The company, which had previously avoided rock music, doubled its market share in three years. In 1972, Davis also signed the group Earth, Wind & Fire to CBS Records.

In 1974, he founded Arista Records, naming it after his secondary school honor society. This label has one of the most diverse lineups in the record industry. It has been home to Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Monica, Exposé, Angie Aparo,Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, Kenny G, Puffy Combs, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Air Supply, Ace of Base, The Alpha Band, The Grateful Dead, TLC, Willie Nile, and Patti Smith, among others. In the 1970s, Arista also had an extensive jazz line, most notably its Freedom imprint, concentrating on contemporary, sometimes avant-garde, musicians and widely praised reissues from the legendary Savoy label.

In building his new company,J Records, some of his first signings were recording artists Luther Vandross and Alicia Keys. That same year, Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performers branch."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Davis

Having found this out, Taylor would be honored to share the same producer as Vandross, Keys, Santana and others. And I own or have owned, at least 90% of the above artists, at one time or another.

Maybe as time goes by, any artist is going to suffer from "The Grass is Greener" syndrome and want to move on. But, with producers like Clive Davis....damn....that's a pretty hefty help out of the Starting Gate into a recording career!

That's a pretty impressive biography, but Jethro Tull once did an album the title of which speaks to Mr. Davis. It was called Living in the Past. I have no doubt that Taylor would be honored, but I still say his style would be so modified that he would be almost unrecognizable.

[burntbrat]

Okay, when someone gets bashed enough, my natural instincts are to feel sorry for them and find out the GOOD that they've done.

No doubt Clive has had a big part in music history. And who knows, maybe it wasn't his influence that made Bo's cd so bland (Fantasia's wasn't so good, either and she thanked Clive for being so ghetto). But I have to blame somebody for the big disappointment. I just don't want to be disappointed again. So I hope Taylor is signed with somebody who will help him showcase his style, not replace it with what they think we want to hear.

[TLynnMartin]

He has SOUL when he sings. The song emanates from his
entire being. I think some people just don't get him.
This is the first year ever I will be able to get my husband to sit and watch this show with me. He loves Taylor Hicks too. I'm a fan for life.

[MICHEY]

I love Taylor...he's so cool and passionate with his songs. I hope he goes far. He's got Michael McDonald written ALL over him - the first few seconds of seeing him and I'm humming "Minute by Minute"

[dvm]

The way everyone is carrying on about Taylor, I think it's his competition to lose. Do you all agree, or is it still too early to tell?

[Thonolan]

The way everyone is carrying on about Taylor, I think it's his competition to lose. Do you all agree, or is it still too early to tell?

I think he's probably in the driver's seat right now. I'm still kind of worried because my favorites rarely do much better than seventh or eighth on this show...hopefully Taylor will be the exception.