Sun Sentinel Broward Edition

Back to his roots

2006 “Idol” Taylor Hicks drops by country fest.

- By Nick Sortal Staff writer

On Saturday night, Taylor Hicks will follow the music of Garth Brooks, Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney.

“I can check that one off on my bucket list,” says Hicks, in on the joke. The 2006 “American Idol” winner will take the stage after tribute acts to those country superstars perform at the Kickin’ It Country Music Festival at Pompano Beach Amphitheat­er.

“It’s kind of hard not to be country when you’re from Alabama,” says Hicks, 38. “I’ve grown up around roots music, and these days it’s tough to be genrespeci­fic. That part’s all about radio.”

Hicks’ sound is similar to that of the Doobie Brothers and Darius Rucker, who also have gone country in recent years. Hicks says he has recorded a couple of new songs, but is “waiting for the right time and place to release an album.”

“It’s funny,” he adds. “Some of the music I’m creating, it’s like Jackson Browne and Zac Brown had a kid, it’d probably be me. ‘Idol’ was more soulful than what my live show is. My live show is very roadhouse and ‘rootsy.’ ”

He hasn’t had a Billboard hit since 2006, but Hicks says album sales aren’t everything. He earned $3.5 million by playing regularly at Bally’s Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, and being co-owner of a Birmingham restaurant, Forbes magazine reports.

On Saturday, though, he’ll be all about performing, which was Hicks’ favorite thing about music even before he was on “American Idol.”

“I think you just have to really have it in your blood to perform every night,” adds Hicks, who also spent two years post-“Idol” on Broadway and on tour portraying Teen Angel in “Grease.”

The Kickin’ It Country Music Festival will begin 5 p.m. Saturday at the Pompano Beach Amphitheat­er, 1806 NE Sixth St. Gates open at 4. Tickets cost $30 in advance, $40 at the door or $75 for VIP, which includes a twohour buffet, special viewing and two drink tickets. Accompanie­d children younger than 12 will be admitted for free. Go to PompanoBea­chArts.org. NSortal@SouthFlori­da.com

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