Taylor is the Master of his uhmm...Masters.

Taylor Hicks just completed his stint along the "Great White Way" playing "Teen Angel" in GREASE on Broadway. Exploring and crafting his acting chops seems to be just the tip of the iceberg for this talented, down home, platnium selling singer/songwriter. Hicks is joining many other talented artists, and jumping onto the Independent Label band wagon which apparently in today's music industry, is becoming the path most traveled.

While in New York and moonlighting from Rydell High, Taylor was busy in the studio continuing to write and develop his sophomore LP. Regarding the album Hicks says it "is some of the best writing he has done to date", Hicks describes the album "as a true "Snapshot" of many things going on in his life, now and a few stories from his past". A "Snapshot" is an interesting description and great title for his sophomore attempt if Hicks chooses to go that route.

The album will be released on Hicks's Indie label Modern Whomp Records and distributed by Artist to Market (A2M), Hicks sealed a landmark deal -- similar to the one struck by his "Idol" Ray Charles back in 1959 which involves Hicks having complete control and direction of the album. He will also own the licensing and copyrights to all of his master recordings, a deal which he signed on his 32nd birthday October 7, 2008, while getting some well deserved R and R from the "Big Apple" at home in Birmingham, Alabama.

From diving in the Cayman Islands with friends, to taking in some great SEC football games in Alabama and Georgia, to being invited to the hottest Halloween Bash on the planet at the Playboy Mansion...it seems the man known as Silver Fox celebrates his birthday in style, the entire month of October. Life seems to be going great for the leader of the Soul Patrol!

Hicks launched his label late this summer and the first album released was "Early Works", a compilation CD of his two solo albums "In Your Time" and "Under the Radar" which he wrote, produced and recorded before he won the fifth season of American Idol. The release of "Early Works" was a collaborative effort between Hicks' MWR and Welk Music. Hicks also plans to release a concert DVD either this winter or early spring called "Whomp at the Warfield" which was recorded during his first national solo tour at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.

There may be other artists signed to MWR in the label's future but at present Hicks is focused on "his" next album, that has a current release date of February 10, 2009. It appears Hicks is enjoying his time off, which is understandable since he is about to clock-in for ten months of blood, sweat, and tunes.

Sometime soon Hicks will be jetting off to Nice, France for a few weeks to do pre-production for the next album with one of the album's producers Simon Climie who has worked with such artists as Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, and Faith Hill, Then it is back to the states for this Alabama native to record and master the album, while also embarking on the GREASE national tour December 2, 2008 as "Teen Angel" once again.Hicks will be flying this way and that, promoting his new album in between shows during the tour.

Hicks's camp has secured a cutting edge marketing deal with the classic musical's producers, and at the end of each show Hicks will hit the stage solo to perform the album's first single. At the completion of the GREASE run in June, Hicks and his band will begin preparing to embark on his third national solo tour.

Hicks seems to have been able to rise above all the media negativity, that many a past Idol winners and contestants have had to endure; mainly the constant critique from the naysayers since his mutual parting in early January from Arista Records. It appears with the launch of his own label, this recent landmark distribution deal, and a little new age direct marketing plan with the GREASE tour tie-in, Hicks is surely letting his fans know that he is in it for the long haul!

Hicks is formulating, crafting, and directing his own career path, and he appears satisfied and content with not having all the major label "strings" attached. All aboard the Soul Patrol Train, Taylor Hicks is in control and 2009 looks like a heck of a ride!

Claudia Oakenfull

TWT
Photo by: www.rebephotos.com