By Jessica Jones
Taylor Hicks, the season five winner of American Idol, will be headlining at the Tailgate for a Cure concert and football party to be held on Oct 12, at the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
The proceeds will benefit the Alabama Institute of Medicine to fund research for a cure for advanced stem cell research that restores the function of cells and tissues damaged by cancer.
Hick’s upcoming appearance comes on the tail of his Sep. 15 visit to Birmingham for a concert at Linn Park, held on the final day of Empowerment Week, a week of 50 years post-Civil Rights celebrations that culminated on a commemoration of the bombing of the Sixteenth Baptist Church.
“I definitely think that Alabama has really moved forward,” Hicks said in reference to his Sept. 15 appearance. “I’m very proud at this time to be in Alabama and be in Birmingham because we have moved forward like we have.”
Hick’s American Idol victory was only the beginning of a string of successful accomplishments. After being named an American Idol, Hick’s single “Do I Make You Proud” entered the Billboard Hot 100 Pop 100 chart at #1 and the Singles Sales Chart.
Celebrity has given him more than one home now, but Hicks, who graduated from Hoover High School, said Birmingham still has a special place in his life.
“I love coming back and meeting family and friends and being able to perform for the great causes there,” Hicks said. “I love the people of my home city and we’re a very proud community and we’re a very proud state.”
Hicks said that Alabama, a state he considers to be full of different musical styles, played a key role in his musical career.
“There are so many different styles of music in Alabama,” Hicks said. “We’re in the heart of the South so I think there are a lot of genres of music that we pick up; we’ve got a little bit of gospel, obviously delta blues, some country. So I think it’s good to be right in the Heart of Dixie. Hicks also cites Nat “King” Cole and The Temptations as soulful influences on his music.
In addition to his Birmingham performance, Hicks can also be seen at The Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, where he has residency.
The Tailgate for a Cure has been dubbed “Birmingham’s Biggest Tailgate Party” and is part of the Alabama Institute of Medicine’s effort to raise $10 million before April 2014.
Tickets for Tailgate for a Cure can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at LiveNation.com.
