Picture: KarinP from Canada TV With his gray hair short and neat, glistening with a coating of gel, Taylor Hicks took the stage with his golden guitar while a harmonica was safely stashed for later use. As the cameras moved in for a closer view, Taylor eyes were sparkling with excitement and he was grinning from ear to ear! He was ready to rock out the Idol house with his latest masterpiece!
Sitting on the stage, playing the steel guitar, was Jay Leach, who is also featured on "The Distance" and helped back up Taylor at the Roxy last month. Other musicians looked familiar but I can't tell you who they were. Doesn't really matter - I was really more focused on Taylor!
Keeping the dance moves to a minimum, tapping his foot to the beat, Taylor plucked his guitar while singing and smiling at the same time! No need for lights on the stage, Taylor's excitement was bright enough to light up the entire place! During the musical interlude, Taylor brought out his harmonica and gave it his famous suck and blow. Once he had used his trusty harp and was ready to go back to the guitar and vocals, he tossed it into the audience for one lucky person to grab!
Taylor was performing with an attitude of excitement and showmanship in a manner that only Taylor can do! That side-to-side movement of his head said it all - "I'm an entertainer, the whole package, watch me show you what I do best!" The foot tapping and leg movement must be his new country swagger which added to the excitement of the performance.
In the end, the entire audience was standing - yes, even Simon Cowell! And applauding for Taylor's terrific performance! No pitchiness! No forgotten lyrics! No missed notes! Even as Ryan Seacrest was interviewing Taylor, Taylor commented with excitement that even Simon was standing! Woo Hoo!!! And Taylor Hicks said it was good to be home, back where it all began for him as well as thanking the audience for making his dream come true!
Taylor gave the contestants good advice about picking the right songs, having the right moves on stage and showing America that you are a performer. He spoke about having fun with "Grease" as Teen Angel and his enjoyment of interacting with his fans as well as reminding us that he had out a new album, "The Distance", that he's promoting during the "Grease" tour.
With his usual grace under pressure, Taylor Hicks paid his respects to the stage of American Idol, the very stage that lead to his Season 5 victory. And true to the performer and entertainer that he is, Taylor Hicks gave his best performance on live TV that I've ever seen! Once again, seeing Taylor Hicks on American Idol gave me more confirmation that America did get it right in May 2006 which Taylor Hicks was crowned the Season 5 winner!
Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community
