Taylor Hicks won the American Idol title over Catherine McPhee on May 24, 2006. Almost 63.5 million votes were cast in total for the climax to the series, and a worldwide audience of 200 million television viewers watched in awe. Hicks became the oldest person to win American Idol, aged 29. With his gray hair and somewhat mature appearance, Hicks cut an initially unlikely silhouette as a potential Idol winner, but as the competition progressed, his soulful talent began to shine. His debut single "Do I Make You Proud" on Arista Records, made number one on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the Idol winner gold status from the RIAA his first go around!
Hicks' fans have become known as the "Soul Patrol", and the origins of this term remain a mystery. After Hicks won Idol, Ryan Seacrest asked him if he had a message for his fans, and Hicks shouted, "Soul Patrol!", leading many to believe that this is the moment when Hicks devotees officially gave themselves the moniker.
Hicks kicks off his latest tour in Nashville, TN, on March 8, and treks through GA, AL, TX, AR, WI, IL, and many other states, before coming to rest in Seattle, WA on May 12. It is recommended that you move fast to secure tickets from ticketliquidator.com now, and catch the Idol himself as he whizzes through a town near you.