Taylor Hicks
Season 5 · Winner
Where are they now
Taylor Hicks made his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 16, 2023, after releasing the single Porch Swing in February 2023. He has released music on Modern Whomp since 2008, after Arista and 19 Recordings from 2006 to 2008.
Key figures
- Career score37 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #27 of 365
- U.S. albums sold768,000 albums soldRank on Encore Index: #15 of 21
- Album units1,000,000 certified album unitsRank on Encore Index: #11 (tie) of 22
- Single units500,000 certified single unitsRank on Encore Index: #28 (tie) of 34
- Billboard 200 albums2 albums on the Billboard 200Rank on Encore Index: #33 (tie) of 88
- Hot 100 entries2 Hot 100 entriesRank on Encore Index: #36 (tie) of 66
- Studio albums2 studio albumsRank on Encore Index: #64 (tie) of 182
- Wikipedia views, 12 months246,936 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #22 of 303
- Wikipedia views since 20152,021,282 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #37 of 303
Known for
Interest over time
Monthly views of the English Wikipedia article, July 2015 – September 2026.
Career
- 1997
While in college he was in a band called Passing Through, which he later quit. In 1997 he independently recorded In Your Time, an album that included studio and live tracks.
- 2005
He recorded, produced, and released Under the Radar independently on May 9, 2005. He had not held a recording contract before American Idol.
- 2006
American Idol, season 5
Winner
- 2006
He signed with 19 Recordings/Arista in May 2006, and a press release on May 31, 2006, announced the deal. He joined the Top 10 on the American Idols Live tour, which ran from July to September.
- 2006
Do I Make You Proud was released as a single on June 13, 2006, on Arista and 19. It was later certified gold by the RIAA.
- 2006
Do I Make You Proud debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the issue dated July 1, 2006, with first-week sales of 190,000 physical singles and 38,000 downloads.
- 2006
The album Taylor Hicks was released on December 12, 2006, by Arista with 19 Recordings. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, sold 298,000 copies in its first week, and was certified platinum by the RIAA on January 17, 2007.
- 2007
Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way was released in July 2007 by Random House. David Wild ghostwrote the book.
- 2008
In January 2008, Arista confirmed that it had dropped him from its roster. He was with Arista and 19 from 2006 to 2008.
- 2008
On June 6, 2008, he joined the Broadway cast of Grease at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre as Teen Angel. The lead says he performed on Broadway in 2008 and on the national tour in 2009.
- 2008
In 2008 he signed a distribution deal with Vanguard/Welk to distribute the compilation Early Works, released on August 12, 2008, on Modern Whomp.
- 2009
The Distance was released on March 10, 2009, on his own label, Modern Whomp Records, and peaked at number 58 on the Billboard 200. What's Right Is Right reached number 24 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.
- 2011
In May 2011 he opened Ore Drink and Dine in Birmingham, Alabama. It re-opened as Saw's Juke Joint, a barbecue and live-music bar, on October 30, 2012.
- 2012
He began a residency at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012 and moved to Paris Las Vegas in January 2013.
- 2016
He hosted State Plate on the INSP channel for three seasons from 2016 to 2018.
- 2023
He released the single Porch Swing on February 20, 2023, and made his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 16, 2023.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales | Billboard peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Your Time | Live album | 1997 | Independent | Not documented | 1,500date not given | Not documented |
| Under the Radar | Album | 2005 | Independent | Not documented | 17,000November 2006 | Not documented |
| Takin' It to the Streets | Single | 2006 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 69Hot 100 |
| Do I Make You Proud | Single | 2006 | Arista Records | Gold | Not applicable | No. 1Hot 100 |
| Taylor Hicks | Album | 2006 | Arista Records | Platinum | 705,000May 23, 2011 | No. 2Billboard 200 |
| Early Works | Compilation | 2008 | Modern Whomp | Not documented | 4,400December 31, 2008 | Not documented |
| The Distance | Album | 2009 | Modern Whomp | Not documented | 52,000December 2010 | No. 58Billboard 200 |
Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).
Sources
- Taylor Hicks (Wikipedia revision 1364623378) — Wikipedia, July 17, 2026.
- Taylor Hicks Delivers Romantic Soul in Porch Swing — Taste of Country, February 26, 2023.
- Taylor Hicks discography (Wikipedia revision 1300940922) — Wikipedia, July 17, 2025.
- RIAA Search – Taylor Hicks — RIAA.
- Idols maintain chart presence with guest appearances, compilations (USA Today Idol Chatter) — USA Today, December 8, 2010.
- Idol sales: Cook returns to top 10 at year's end — USA Today (Idol Chatter), December 31, 2008.
- Hicks plans to stick with his own style — USA Today.
- American Idol season 5 — Wikipedia, May 18, 2026.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- Hicks takes 'American Idol' crown — Lawrence Journal-World (Associated Press), May 25, 2006.
- Do I Make You Proud (Wikipedia revision 1347315401) — Wikipedia, April 6, 2026.
- Taylor Hicks (album) (Wikipedia revision 1366564264) — Wikipedia, July 28, 2026.
- MusicBrainz release groups for Taylor Hicks — MusicBrainz.
- List of American Idol alumni album sales in the United States — Wikipedia, September 21, 2026.
- American Idol finale: After 10 years, the beat goes on — The Washington Post, May 23, 2011.
- Monthly pageviews of the English Wikipedia article "Taylor Hicks", July 2015 – September 2026 — Wikimedia Foundation.
- TV singing shows fail to create stars — USA Today, January 14, 2014.
- Where American Idol season 5 winner Taylor Hicks is now — The Sun, May 4, 2022.
- With final winner, ‘American Idol’ bids goodbye — The Boston Globe, April 7, 2016.
- American Idol Series Finale Recap: Alumni Cameos and Star-Studded Performances — ABC News, April 8, 2016.
- American Idol Winner Taylor Hicks Returns for 20th Anniversary and Drops New Single "The Mirror" — JubileeCast, May 5, 2026.
