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More about Taylor Hicks from Mary Colurso and the Birmingham News.  I understand I have them to thank for making so many cool ‘bama friends this year? eta: she sent me some readers, I could at least spell her name right. Yeah.

“The decisions he’ll make during the rest of this year will be crucial to his career, and Hicks said he’ll face those carefully. What’s best for him as an artist? Who will he be able to trust? How can he stretch creatively, earn industry respect and ensure longevity?

‘You have to be really true to who you are, ‘ Hicks said. ‘Gut instinct is going to play a key part.’

Hicks said he expects his management team – and what a luxury to have a management team – to be challenged by the notion of marketing and promoting an ‘Idol’ who’s difficult to pigeonhole.

‘They’ve dealt with the other winners on American Idol, he said, ‘but I’m not run of the mill.'”

And there are signs that Clive Davis may be willing to colaborate with his newest American Idol.  From the AP wire:

“[Clive] Davis, who plans to sit down with Taylor very soon to map out his debut album, says Hicks, like past Idol winners, has charisma and a unique singing style that will help him establish his pop audience.

‘He definitely has his own sound, ‘ says Davis. ‘He does have that gift, you know who it is when you hear him.’

‘It comes down to the song, and it’s how you produce that song. As long as your showcasing his voice, you have something that people can connect to, that’s gonna work, ‘ he said.”

And what will that material be? Adult contemporary? Pop? R&B? Classic soul?

Davis says that can’t be determined until he talks with Hicks and sees what kind of music Hicks prefers, and whether he plans to contribute in the songwriting process.”

More about Katharine McPhee…  Here are some photos from her Citywalk party Wednesday night.  And here’s her post-show interview from MTV.com.  A few excerpts:

  • Katharine’s thoughts while Ryan was opening the envelope?, ” After [Taylor and I] did the duet, which was really fun for me, I said to somebody that I don’t think I’m going to win, but if I do that’d be great — but if I don’t that’d be great too. I don’t want any sad faces or people feeling bad for me. That’d be silly. I got a record deal, I got a new car. I got all these great new shoes and fans and really wonderful people in my life.”
  • About her single,  “My Destiny”, “I actually really liked it. I sang it a half-step lower last night than in the recording studio because of my voice, and that really changed it. I think people are going to like it. It’s a traditional pop ballad, and I don’t think that’s going to be the sound of my album, but I thought it did its job. The lyrics explain my journey on American Idol.”
  • About Taylor Hicks, “He definitely knows how to get a crowd going, and that was something I knew he had from the very beginning. There’s something very exciting about him when he performs, and he’s kinda got the American dream story. He’s like the guy who sung in a bar and has gray hair and he’s 29, but he looks like he’s 39. It’s somebody you wouldn’t think would be an ‘American Idol’ — and then he suddenly gets to win and he’s got a huge career in front of him. Those are things that make up the American dream and ‘American Idol.’ [In] the pictures of all the winners … now it’ll be Taylor up there. So it’s good to have another guy up there. It’d been weird if it was girl-girl-girl-girl.”
  • Whose career she’d like to emulate, “I love Barbra Streisand, but it’s hard for our generation to connect with that because she’s not working as much as she used to. Just look at what she’s done. I wouldn’t have the same music as her, but she’s done everything and she’s been respected with pretty much everything she’s done. I’d just like to have a well-rounded career.”

Check out Larry King Live tonight at 9/8c pm.  Both Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks will be interviewed by guest host Ryan Seacrest.

I’m still working on a recap of the finale.  It will be up by tonight, complete with vidcaps.

ETA:  Short interview with Elliott Yamin from the Richmond Times Dispatch.  I thought this was interesting tidbit regarding his duet partner.  Those Stevie rumors weren’t completely unfounded:

“Initially, they asked Stevie Wonder. He agreed, then something came up and he went on tour. Then, Lenny Kravitz, but that didn’t work out. She agreed at the last minute, and I couldn’t have been happier.”

Thanks to GR from HH

And Yet More: Gray Charles, that lucky duck, was in the audience for both Dress and Final performances Tuesday night.  Here is his trip report and a final report from one of his moles who attended the finale Wednesday.