What's Right Is Right - Music

Taylor Reuben Hicks Born October 7 1976 In Birmingham Alabama Is An American Singer-Songwriter And Musician. Hicks Got His Start As A Professional Musician In His Late Teens And Performed Around The Southeastern United States For Well Over A Decade. During That Time He Released Two Independent Albums In Your Time 1997 And Under The Radar 2005 . His First Major Label Album Was Taylor Hicks 2006 Released By Arista Records. Hicks Rose To Sudden Prominence As The Winner Of The Fifth Season Of The Reality TV Series American Idol During Which He Became Known For His Dynamic Crowd-Pleasing Stage Presence Wide-Ranging Musical Influences Derived From Classic Soul Rock Funk Blues Jazz And R&B And Stunning Harmonica Playing. He Has Been Called The "anti-Idol" Because His Music Differs So Strikingly From The Usual Formulaic Pop Showcased On Idol. He Bought His First Harmonica When He Was 16 For $2 At A Flea Market In Bessemer Alabama And Taught Himself To Play Blues Harp. He Discovered That He Possessed Absolute Pitch When He Was Able To Recognize The Pitches Of Ordinary Noises And Mimic Them On The Harmonica. Hicks Was 18 When He Wrote His First Song "In Your Time" And He Taught Himself To Play Guitar When He Was 19. While In College Hicks Was Part Of A Band Called Passing Through Which He Later Quit To Start His Own Band. He Recorded In Your Time An Album Which Included Both Studio And Live Tracks Independently In 1997. He Moved To Nashville Tennessee In 2000 To Pursue A Music Career. There He Worked With Nashville Veterans Billy Earl McClelland And Percy Sledge And Recorded A Three-Track Demo But Was Unable To Find A Label That Would Sign Him. He Left Nashville After A Year Due To What He Called The "oversaturation Of The Market". Hicks Returned To Alabama And Launched A Professional Music Career Performing At Various Venues And Parties Mostly Around The Southeastern United States. He Recorded Produced And Released A Second Album Under The Radar In 2005. Despite Releasing Two Albums Prior To Appearing On American Idol He Did Not Violate Their Requirements For Contestants As He Had Never Held A Recording Contract. Studio Recording Sessions For The Eponymous Major Label Debut Taylor Hicks Ran In Calabasas California Between October And November 2006 And Took Six Weeks In Total. The Album Was Produced By Matt Serletic Who Has Produced For Collective Soul Matchbox Twenty And Rob Thomas. The Album Was Released On December 12 2006 And Debuted At The Number Two Spot On The Billboard 200 Charts. It Was Certified As A Platinum Album By The RIAA On January 17 2007. On February 21 2007 Hicks Launched A A Three-Month US Promotional Tour For His Album Followed Almost Immediately By A Summer Tour. One Of The High Energy Shows Was Captured On Film And Appeared On HDNet Under The Title "Whomp At The Warfield." In 2009 Hicks Released His Second Album The Distance On His Own Label Modern Whomp Records On March 10 2009. The First Single "What's Right Is Right" Was Added To AC Adds On January 27 2009. So Far The Single Reached #24 On Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. It Was Produced By Simon Climie And Dennis Morgan. Hicks Returned To The American Idol Stage On April 29 2009 During Season 8 And Performed The Second Single From The Distance Seven Mile Breakdown Which Was Re-Released In A Country Format. Both "What's Right Is Right" And "Seven Mile Breakdown" Were Made Into Music Videos. In May 2009 Taylor Hicks Made Forbes "Top Ten Earning American Idol Stars" List Coming In At Number 10 With Over $300 000 Earned From Album Sales And From His Role As "Teen Angel" In The National Tour Of Grease. read less