Taylor Hicks Does Sports Radio?
April 14, 2009 – 8:29 am by Michael Bean
It’s not too often that you’ll see SRI looking towards current and former contestants on American Idol for our content, but with the NBA playoffs not yet underway and the MLB season just getting started, now seems like as good a time as any to check in with Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks. The Birmingham, Alabama native, who managed to win over the hearts of America last year despite being being gray haired at the tender age of 28 when he won, joined KNBR in San Francisco recently to talk about his life since winning the contest, what it’s like to interact with Simon Cowell when the cameras aren’t rolling, as well as a little bit of sports talk to round out the conversation.
On why he thinks American Idol continues to dominate the ratings nearly a decade since premiering:
“The American Dream is happening right in front of your eyes, and I think that’s the beautiful part about the show. You know it does involve a storyline that’s just regular people and how they have a dream. And people get to watch it unfold and I think that’s one of the great things about the show.”
On whether he was ready to handle the celebrity and fame that accompanies winning American Idol:
“I was ready to be a performer. I don’t think anybody gets ready for celebrity…I definitely put my time in in terms of how to be a performer, but I don’t think the celebrity part, anybody gets ready for.”
Responding to a comment about it being nice that a seemingly nice dude like Hicks came out on top:
‘You know, it’s a lot of years playing in front of chicken wire that teaches you a lot about who you are a as a person. And the more experience you have performing and entertaining – not so much the celebrity idea – the better off you are obviously.”
On if there was ever any doubt that he wanted to try out:
“I was one of the last cab rides out of Hurricane Katrina and Southwest Airlines gave me a free ticket to anywhere in the country. I’d never been to Las Vegas before, my brother called me that night, and four hours later I walked in and won.”
Alabama or Auburn?
“There’s no way I’m ever going to tell you that. I can not pledge my allegiance. I can not give up the ghost and if I did, I’d be blackballed from Alabama.”
Listen here to Hicks on KNBR in San Francisco
Tags: American Idol, celebrity, celebrity interview, KNBR, Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks has gray hair
