THE OFFICIAL Taylor Hicks Discussion Thread

[Robinrs]

Holy Hannah DG - I was kinda blue when I did that last post. You could not have done any more to cheer me up.

Robin - can we share that cigarette??

ckay, that picture would NOT scare the "heck" out of children...

but this one might.... http://thumbsnap.com/v/g2P52zaG.jpg

 

[LoraJ]

ckay, that picture would NOT scare the "heck" out of children...

but this one might.... http://thumbsnap.com/v/g2P52zaG.jpg

 

[JESW]

oh my goodness Disnygoof...I almost snorted milk through my nose when that picture came up!!!

Jill

 

[Robinrs]

oh my goodness Disnygoof...I almost snorted milk through my nose when that picture came up!!!

Jill

It's now my wallpaper and I've come back to look at it at least 100 times today..... pant pant....

 

[imsorry]

ckay, that picture would NOT scare the "heck" out of children...

but this one might.... http://thumbsnap.com/v/g2P52zaG.jpg

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Robinrs]

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a BAAAAAAAAAD GIIIIIIIRL!!​

 

[disnygoof]

HAHA! I love it, too!!

Some girl recorded the "meet and greet" at one of the concerts and although I find her voice and what she talks about EXCRUCIATINGLY annoying (i.e. nails on a chalkboard), I liked seeing them. Listen for Ace to ask her if she wanted a picture with HIM ( Aren't we full of ourselves?? haha) and how NICE Elliot was to her! He is SUCH a sweetie! Love him! Taylor looked bored out of his mind, though. Just waiting for me, I s'pose...(haha). If I ever got to go to one of these meet and greet things, I would do or say something to totally catch him off guard and entertain him (in a fun way). I don't blame him for being that way!

Anyway, here it is.

 

[Robinrs]

HAHA! I love it, too!!

Some girl recorded the "meet and greet" at one of the concerts and although I find her voice and what she talks about EXCRUCIATINGLY annoying (i.e. nails on a chalkboard), I liked seeing them. Listen for Ace to ask her if she wanted a picture with HIM ( Aren't we full of ourselves?? haha) and how NICE Elliot was to her! He is SUCH a sweetie! Love him! Taylor looked bored out of his mind, though. Just waiting for me, I s'pose...(haha). If I ever got to go to one of these meet and greet things, I would do or say something to totally catch him off guard and entertain him (in a fun way). I don't blame him for being that way!

Anyway, here it is.

Yikes, that was exCRUCIATING!! She talked to them like she was their agent and yes, that voice...

 

[Robinrs]

Happy ThursTAY, Soul Patrol!!!

My my my, Ms. McPhee still has te McPheever! She's still off the tour trail! With my luck she'll be up and fine by 8/3...

NOT that I don't like her... wait.. this isn't the AI boards... I DON'T LIKE HER!!! There, I said it!! Whew.....

 

[Robinrs]

Yikes!!!!

I hurried up and copied this interview Katharine McPhee gave back in June on the AI board because I knew it would be POOFED immediately!!! And guess what? As soon as it got to page 13 it DID!!



CONNECT: So how's the album coming along?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Well, we're mostly [still just] doing a lot of searching for songs and who I'm gonna work with. But I actually go into the studio tomorrow for the first time, so it's coming along okay, I guess, but it's not even close to being started yet. Tomorrow will be the day.

CONNECT: Tell us about your history with the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Is that something you've sang before the show?

KATHARINE McPHEE: You know, I think I've probably sung it before, but nothing like - I mean, I've never sung that arrangement before or anything like that. I mean, it's just kind of a song that I've always known.

CONNECT: And now it's sort of become your signature song.

KATHARINE McPHEE: [Laughs] Well, at least for a while.

CONNECT: What was your favorite part of doing the show, as far as different music guests that were on, or going to Graceland, or whatever?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, I really loved Graceland. I thought that was so fun. It was like the first time we were able to meet real fans, you know, because when we're in LA - I mean, people in LA, as you can see just from like my home story and stuff like that, they're not really amazed by [celebrities], especially people on the show, like American Idol. We got to meet, like, diehard fans at Graceland, and they were just so cool - which is nice to meet people like that who just totally believe in you and are excited to meet you, and I also always loved the shows. I mean, as hard and as stressful as some of them were for me, I enjoyed performing. When it came down to it, it was all about that for me.

CONNECT: What do you think of the voting system?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Umm. [Laughs] I don't -

CONNECT: You don't have an opinion?

KATHARINE McPHEE: First of all, I think that it's sort of silly that they have - I always thought that it was odd that you could vote more than once. That was always my thing. I don't know if they do it for the "wow factor," you know, like, "Oh! 63 million something votes!" But really, if you think about, how many thousands of people voted a thousand times? It comes down to, like, which fans are more diehard. It doesn't necessarily come down to, like, record sales of who's gonna sell the most albums, you know, because a majority of America may not necessarily want the American Idol's music. Do you know what I mean? Like, um -

CONNECT: Yeah, I know what you mean, and I think you'll sell more records that Taylor Hicks, too. But do you think being from LA and the West Coast was a big disadvantage? Obviously, most winners have come from the South.

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, they've all been from the South - Texas or North Carolina or whatever. I sat down with Simon Fuller, the creator of the show, and Simon Cowell at the finale party when all my press stuff was over with. They were like, "You know what? I'm surprised that you even made it as far as you did - not because we don't think you're talented and that you don't deserve it [because] you totally do." They said flat out, they were like, "Had you been from some smaller town, like Carrie Underwood, where you're getting an extra two million votes or something, you might have easily won," you know? Um, and I don't really think about stuff like that because it's not important to sit around and sulk, and be like, "Well, I could have won if I was from Louisiana," or something like that. Because the reality of the situation is [that] I am a winner. I got a record deal and that was like the main thing that I wanted. And I wanted to be able to do really cool things, and be able to reach more people, and that's what I've been able to do. But yeah, I definitely think that it was a disadvantage being from California. I just don't think it's the same kind of mentality that, you know, they have. But I'm amazed that people from these other towns, their small towns, made me kind of their small town girl, you know what I mean?

CONNECT: Really?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah. I mean, it amazes me to this day. Wow, I can't believe all those millions of people voted for me, and they had no reason to be invested in me other than that they liked my talent. So I'm blown away and thankful that I even got as far as I did.

CONNECT: Right on. Would you be more interested in being in Broadway than being a pop star?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, I'd definitely like to be on Broadway some day, but that's definitely not the area of music or the kind of career that I'm going for right now. I definitely want to feel out my recording career first and see what happens.

CONNECT: Back in the beginning of the season, who did you think your biggest competition was?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Um, let's see. I definitely thought Mandisa, Chris Daughtry, and Taylor.

CONNECT: Would "Over the Rainbow" be your own favorite performance?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, probably that and - let's see. I really enjoyed when I sang "Until You Come Back to Me." I really enjoyed that performance. I really enjoyed "Someone to Watch Over Me."

CONNECT: How were you introduced to the KT Tunstall song?

KATHARINE McPHEE: That was sort of a hard week for everybody 'cause, you know, there's not a lot of great music out there right now for us to sing and that would still be appropriate to sing on the show. So they had people for us who had song choices already available to us, and I wanted to do it [the KT Tunstall song]. I had heard it before.

CONNECT: Speaking of that, what can you tell us about the way the songs get picked? Like, do you personally pick all the songs you're gonna perform, or are they selected by producers, or do you have a list of songs to choose from?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, they'll help you, but ultimately it always comes down to your decision. You get the genre in which you're singing, and you start investigating. And the music people - your accompanist, your pianist, and your vocal teacher - helps and tries to look for songs for you. And you're like, "No, I don't like that!" or "Yes, I like that." Basically, it works like that.

CONNECT: What were some of your favorite performances from other contestants?

KATHARINE McPHEE: I loved Taylor's "Taking It To The Streets." I remember thinking, "Oh my gosh, he's really good." I liked, um, I liked Kellie Pickler's"Am I The Only One"? I don't know if that's what it's called. [Starts singing] "Am I the only one, da duh da duh." That one! [Editor's note: She's close. It's "I'm the Only One."

CONNECT: Whose departure from the show shocked you the most and why?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Well, Mandisa's actually really surprised me. That was a big thing where I was like, Wow, maybe I have an opportunity to really be the last girl standing. And of course, obviously everybody knows that Chris Daughtry's was a shock to me, but I also got a phone call that morning. You know, the BLEEP was, like, pretty right on every week. I don't know if people use that, but it was pretty amazing how they were just point-on. I got a phone call and they were like, "You know what? It says here that Chris Daughtry is going home." And I was like, "No, no," because I knew I was second and I knew there was always a chance for a mistake. So I was surprised, but I looked more shocked [on the show] that I probably really was.

CONNECT: How do you feel after a performance and a judge tells you it wasn't up to par, and you're standing there on stage having just belted it out?

KATHARINE McPHEE: You know, it's really not as bad as you think it is! [Laughs] Because I always just try to keep it in perspective, like, there's a war going on right now. This is just a competition. If I don't get a record deal through American Idol because RCA doesn't pick me up or something, I'll get work somewhere else. This is not the end of the whole road. And I knew that. And when I would go offstage I'd kind of just laugh about it. I never went offstage and, like, cried. I mean, there was a lot of stuff in tabloids that was like, "Oh, Katharine was brought to tears." The only time I was brought to tears was when Chris Daughtry got voted off, and it was just like a horrible night for all of us. I was crying just because everybody was like "Poor Chris Daughtry," and I was like, "Uh, what about me? I'm so sad!" Like, everyone expected me to go home, and the producers were like, "Don't you cry. You deserve to be here," and dadadada. I was just so emotional and so overwhelmed. So of course I cried. In the tabloids it was like, "Simon Cowell brought Katharine to tears." It was like, nobody brought me to tears! I mean, like, when I sang "I Have Nothing" and they just totally reamed me - it was like the first time they were really kind of mean to me - that was probably like the best I ever felt about how I'd performed up until then. So it's kind of lesson to me: if you feel good about something you do, it doesn't matter what people think. So it was that kind of thing.

CONNECT: What was it like performing with Meatloaf? How random was that?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Pretty random! But, um, he is just the nicest guy. He's so cool. You would never know that he was like this, you know, huge star back in the '70s or '80s, I think it was. And he is just so dramatic. I just didn't expect that he was gonna be so dramatic, especially when I was just running through the music. And it took me some time to kind of like realize that I had to raises the stakes a little bit higher in my own performance stuff, so that I could bring the emotional level up to his, and so that we could kind of balance each other out. Because if I had just done my regular kind of pop singing performance, it wouldn't have worked. But I had to imagine that I was on a Broadway stage, and it kind of worked.

CONNECT: Do you have a favorite judge?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Not really. I mean, people ask me that question a lot. I like Simon just because he's so honest, and sometimes I feel like he says things just because he wants a reaction from people and he wants the "show," you know. So I don't think he's always 100-percent honest - that's my personal opinion - but for the most part I think he's pretty right on.

CONNECT: When he's not being honest, do you think it's a put-on for drama and theatrics?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Sometimes I think he has an agenda, like who he wants to win. Like I thought Paris had a lot of amazing performances and he was pretty cruel to her at times. I kind of feel like there were some weeks where he just tried to get rid of people.

CONNECT: Did you think Paula was unfair to you?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Um, I feel like Paula sometimes just went along with the flow and really didn't have her own opinion on things, you know. I feel like there was a lot of times the judges didn't know what else to say.

CONNECT: What about Randy? Some people think that he had it out for you at times.

KATHARINE McPHEE: I don't know. It's funny, because you go offstage and I talk to Randy and he's like the nicest guy in the world. It's really not personal. They're just trying to, like, do their job. And I think that they really wanted a guy to win this year, and they got their wish. And, you know, no hard feelings about.

CONNECT: What can you tell us about the acting career? I'm sure everybody's asking you about the Steven Spielberg rumors all the time, and I know you haven't said much yet.

KATHARINE McPHEE: Well, there's no specific films to work on with Spielberg. I just had a meeting with him, and he just wanted to get to know who I was and know what kind of stuff I want to do. You know, that kind of thing. Nothing that's set in stone. Hopefully one day in the future we'll work together, but right now I'm starting to audition for stuff and get calls and readings and starting to read scripts. You know, I'm just gonna make really wise decisions about stuff I'm gonna do. I don't want to just do any movie. So, I'm up for a part in Dallas right now - it's a big film that's coming out I don't know when, probably in a year or two from now. I'm up against some big actresses and I might get it and I may not, and even if I do get it, I'm gonna have to really seriously think about whether I'm gonna do it or not. And it's not like a snobby thing, it's just that coming from the show that I'm on and because I want to have legitimacy with everything that I do, I just have to be careful with the decisions that I make, whether or not that would be a good first film that I do and will I be able to nail it and show that I have actual acting chops.

CONNECT: Speaking of that, do you think there's a stigma attached to people that come out of American Idol?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, I definitely think that, at least for me. I'm not gonna lie. I've had stigmas on, you know -

CONNECT: So how do you combat that?

KATHARINE McPHEE: I think it goes back to what I just said. It's like, Kelly Clarkson had really great song choices, and at least the people around here helped her make a really great album and now she's like a Grammy Award winning recording artist. You have to just get the respect.

CONNECT: Before I let you go, tell us about the tour. Looking forward to that?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, definitely. I haven't started rehearsing yet. I don't start rehearsing till next week.

CONNECT: It starts July 5th, right?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Yeah, the other kids have already started rehearsing, but I have a few other prior obligations that I have to fulfill. But I'm looking forward to seeing all of them. It's gonna be exciting playing those arenas, and I get a good 20 to 25 minute set. It's exciting,

 

[Figment22]

First, LOL at that Taylor/Kat photo, Robin. Too funny!

As to the interview with Katharine, I'm now convinced she doesn't have laryngitis or whatever it's supposed to be. They must have her bound and gagged in a basement somewhere!

So, I'm surfing my NY Yankees' forums yesterday and what do I find but a link to this guy's blog where he was sitting in the same row as Taylor and Elliott at Monday night's Yankees' game! The guy is most definitely NOT a Taylor fan but there are some funny parts nonetheless. Most importantly, I LOVED seeing Taylor in a Yankees' cap!!! (Virgo10, you'd better shield your eyes )

Anyway, here it is:

http://thedailydump.blogspot.com/2006/07/taylor-hicks-likes-yankees-utz-chips.html

Taylor Hicks Likes The Yankees, Utz Chips

Monday night some friends and I went to the Yankees game. The tickets were courtesy of CBS (home of “CSI,” and the most insane marketing campaign since this) through my “industry” friend, John. Needless to say, the seats were awesome – about 10 rows up right on top of the Yankees dugout – so close that the field actually looks smaller, and you can even imagine yourself hitting one 318 feet to left field. (If you are a woman, change that analogy to “you can even imagine yourself having a chance with Derek Jeter.”)

As we settled in our seats and got over the fact that we paid $8.00 for a beer (for the mathematically inclined, that’s approximately a 1,039% mark-up over the national average price of a single beer in a six-pack) we noticed that there was a commotion going on to our left. We look over to see what’s going on and it seems there is a crowd gathering around a very old man sitting five seats away. Finally the crowd disperses and it’s none other than Taylor Hicks! And he’s there with Seth Green! (Ed. Note: It was not Seth Green, it was in fact Elliott Yamin, the third place finisher in “American Idol.” He was, however, the first place finisher in the “Eating Dippin’ Dots Out Of A Mini Helmet Bowl” race.)

For anyone out there who is wondering what Taylor Hicks looks like close up, here is the best description I can give: old. I’m not kidding when I say that this man is lying about his age. (No, I don’t feel bad making fun of him because 1. I watched him pay for his food and he peeled off a $100 bill and 2. in his profile on the American idol website is this:

Q: What's been your toughest obstacle in life?
A: Life itself.

The moment of the night, though, came in the top of the third inning. We had ordered food earlier in the game, and each of our orders came with a free bag of Utz potato chips. My friend Scott, who doesn’t eat carbs, set his off to the side in case someone wanted them later. Suddenly, though, Scott picks up his potato chips, which had been tucked in neatly by his side, and reached across my friend Jeff to hand them to me, sitting at the end of the row, closest to Hicks. He says, nonchalantly, as though it were to be expected, “Pass these down to Taylor. Tell him they’re from us.”

I look him in the eye to judge if he is joking, and it turns out he is completely serious. I look to my left and there is a family of four between me and Hicks. I take a swig from my beer, gather myself and say to the gruff old man sitting next to me, “Would you mind passing these down to Taylor Hicks?” (Keep in mind that saying this at a baseball game, while having no absolute equivalent, is roughly the same as turning to a stranger and saying, “Would you mind getting this dab of ketchup on the side of my mouth, I just keep missing it!”)

The guy looks at me for a solid five seconds with a blank stare before taking the chips from my hand, stretching across his family to hand them to his youngest son sitting on the end of the aisle and shouting, as though directing him to put away his toys, “Hand this to Taylor Hicks. Say it’s from these guys here.” He then goes back to watching the game and he and I purposefully don’t look each other in the eye for the rest of the night.

But his son dutifully gives the chips to Hicks, and while doing so points in our direction, and Hicks looks up to see me and my three friends giving him our best “Here’s looking at you” pointy-finger-gun hand gestures. He nods his head in approval, tears open the bag and eats them right then and there. Mission “Get Taylor Hicks to eat our Utz” accomplished.

There's a bit more on the blog, but I didn't think all of it was appropriate for the boards but here are the photos of Taylor in his Yankees' cap, apparently taken with a cell phone camera because they're not very clear.

Guess you never know where Taylor will show up these days!!!

 

[LoraJ]

Other obligations, huh?

What stood out to me the most was the "Oh poor me" part. Do people really admit that stuff outloud?

 

[disnygoof]

I could only read about 1/8th of that Kat interview. It made me physically ill. What a poor, sad, pathetic and deluded soul she is.

 

[ckay87]

Ok, I read the blog entry. Know that I am famous among those I know for a really sick sense of humor...sometimes

So, that said, I found this part hilarious...

"5. If, for any reason, you wanted to harm Taylor Hicks, a good way to do it would be to poison a snack food and offer it to him in a public venue."

Another way Taylor and I are alike - give me food and I will eat it. Simple as that.

 

[Credit Man]

I spent the morning in Bryant Park (across the street from my office) and watched Mr. Hicks doing his GMA concert. I am now a fan. He was great in person.

 

[LoraJ]

Glad you had a good time.
I was thinking about going when I had first heard about it, but then decided I didn't want to get up so early. lol

 

[ckay87]

I spent the morning in Bryant Park (across the street from my office) and watched Mr. Hicks doing his GMA concert. I am now a fan. He was great in person.

That's so nice to hear and thank you for sharing. I think that's going to be the story of Taylor's career. People liked him on AI; people were glad he won; people will buy his CDs and enjoy his music. But it will be Taylor LIVE that will really win people over.

IMO, when an artist can really perform on stage and is willing to do so as often as possible, that's when they achieve real long-lasting success. I see this for Taylor

I somehow didn't know about Bryant Park - have been quite busy lately. Honestly I am SO GLAD I didn't know because I don't think I could have kept myself away (and I did not have the time for that!) Next time....

 

[Robinrs]

I spent the morning in Bryant Park (across the street from my office) and watched Mr. Hicks doing his GMA concert. I am now a fan. He was great in person.

Wow! Lucky YOU!!

It's times like this I wish I DIDN'T leave NY!!!

I had my son DVR it... he is SO sick of Taylor he could SCREAM! I guess if my middle aged Mom turned into a squealy teenager everytime a Ford comml came on I'd be too!!!

No WAIT!! My Mom used to do it to Tom Jones!! Now I realize how nauseated he is!!

Wasn't that the interview from HECK, everyone? I think her PR person SHOULD bound and gag her, she cannot like give a decent like interview to save her "like" mind.....

 

[Robinrs]

I just watched it!! It was so much fun!

When I got home from work Michael surprised me with a compilation of Taylor Hicks pics!! I didn't even know he cared about his crazy mama's obsession! He said it took him 2 hours but he was determined to get it right! He found pictures of him as a child, when "he had BLACK HAIR" and now. I was sooooo proud!

It really shows love when a kid who is up to HERE with his Mama does a thing like that!

I would post it but it's a LARGE document and I'm home on the dreaded dial up!

 

[TIGGER'SFRIEND]

Hey guys, saw Taylor tonite,his tour bus was outside the arena and he peakedout the window,smiled at us and took a picture of us with his camera. The concert was awsome,his best was TITTS--AWESOME. jUST THOUGHT i'D SHARE!!!