Let's Get Gastronomical, Taylor Hicks

There's Something About Taylor Hicks

Hey Hicks fans. It's time to get your grub on with your favorite former "Idol"...

Yummy!

Though American Idol came to an end Thursday night, Tayolr Hicks' television career is going full steam ahead. He has recently been announced as the host of State Plate, a new food and travel series on INSP, to premiere this fall.

State Plate will celebrate the unique food traditions of all 50 states. “In each episode we dig into the distinctive foods of a particular state,” said Doug Butts, SVP of Programming at INSP. “Unlike most food shows, we won’t be touring restaurants; this is about the food itself, how it is grown and the people who bring it to our dinner tables. What emerges is the trivia and unknown stories behind our states’ most emblematic foods.” Taylor Hicks is no stranger to great cuisine, as the singer is a partner in Saw's Juke Joint in Birmingham, Ala.

“Taylor’s wide popularity, experience as a restaurateur, and down-home charm make him an ideal host for a traveling food series.” Butts said. “In each episode of State Plate, he travels to a particular state, where he will ‘assemble’ a plate filled with the food most associated with that state. He’ll sample everything from crab cakes in Maryland and peaches in Georgia; to chili in Texas and potatoes in Idaho. As he makes his way from coast to coast, Taylor will visit farms, ranches, markets, festivals, and other diverse and unusual locales. In the process, viewers share in the journey as he uncovers the rich details behind each state’s unique food traditions. It’s a heaping helping of America’s most beloved cuisine, rich in history, folklore, and flavor.”

“State Plate has tested very well, and audiences agree that this series complements and enhances INSP’s family-oriented schedule,” Butts said. “We are thrilled that viewers will be taking this journey with such a beloved personality as Taylor Hicks.

State Plate is produced by RIVR Media.

As the nation said a fond farewell to FOX-TV's American Idol, Hicks returned to the show that made him a star, one last time.

Taylor was among those that performed on the series' final episode.

"I'm so grateful for the platform that American Idol gave me as a performer and a recording artist," said Hicks. 

Taylor also has a fast-filling slate of tour dates woven into his taping schedule, stretching well into the fall. His 2016 tour includes more stops next week in his hometown of Birmingham, continuing on through Georgia, Tennessee, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and more!

TAYLOR HICKS ON TOUR:
Apr. 14 Cox Capital Theatre / Macon, Ga.
Apr. 15 Lyric Theatre / Birmingham, Ala.
Apr. 16 Franklin Theatre / Franklin, Tenn.
Apr. 17 Lyric Theatre / Birmingham, Ala.
Apr. 21 StageOne - Fairfield Theatre / Fairfield, Conn.
Apr. 22 World Cafe Live / Wilmington, Delaware
Apr. 23 Avalon Theatre / Easton, MD
Apr. 24 New Hope Winery / New Hope, Pa.
May 04 Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theatre / Branson, Missouri
May 26 The Tobin Center / San Antonio, Texas
Jun. 04 PRIVATE / Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Jun. 11 Flat Rock Summer Blast / Flat Rock, Mich.
Jun. 16 Daryl’s House / Pawling, N.Y.
Jun. 17 Flying Monkey Performance Center / Plymouth, N.H.
Jun. 24 Center for the Arts / Natick, Mass.
Jun. 25 Opera House / Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Jul. 08 Downtown Rutland / Rutland, VT
Jul. 09 Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center / Old Saybrook, CT
Oct. 29 Halloran Centre at the Orpheum / Memphis, Tenn.
Nov. 26 Island View Casino / Gulfport, Miss.
Dec. 01 Black Oak Casino / Tuolumne City, Calif.
Dec. 04 Cache Creek Casino Resort / Brooks, Calif.


For more 411 visit TaylorHicks.com and follow him onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Gucci, Justice Is A Dog's Best Friend

"A Dog Named Gucci" Release (DVD and Digital on April 19th) To Coincide With the Release Of the Song "One Voice,"  the Closing Credits Track Featuring Various Musicians (Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs, Neko Case, Queen's Brian May, and more)  All Lending Their Talents In The Crusade To Stop Animal Abuse From burn victim to rock star, the story of one dog who changed  a law and proved justice is a dog's best friend. Hey all you dog lovers, have you heard the story of Gucci?

Director Gorman Bechard, whose documentary, "Color Me Obsessed, A Film About The Replacements," was named one of "The Seven Best New Music Documentaries of the Year" by Rolling Stone, takes on a rock star of a different sort with "A Dog Named Gucci," a feature-length documentary examining animal abuse laws in the United States. The film will be released on DVD and digital platforms on April 19th, just days after the Record Store Day release of the film's closing credits song One Voice. The film's anthem song features Norah Jones, Aimee Mann,Susanna Hoffs, Lydia Loveless, Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, and Queen's Brian May all lending their talents.One Voice will also be released on digital platforms. Profits from the sales of the song will go to support animal charities around the country.  "A Dog Named Gucci" is a timely and poignant documentary about a 10-week old puppy who was doused with lighter fluid and set on fire. Hearing the puppy's cries, college professor Doug James ran to help. After chasing away the abusers, and at the request of Gucci's young runaway owner, Doug took the puppy in as his own. Thus began a 16-year odyssey of love, devotion, and perseverance. Together with legislators, Doug and Gucci worked to create what became known as the "Gucci Bill," changing Alabama law, and making domestic animal abuse a felony. "Instead of assaulting the viewer with images of abused animals, we chose to tell what is ultimately a positive and uplifting story of one victim who went on to become a hero," explains Bechard, who was recently named the recipient of this year's Media Excellence Award from the ASPCA for his work on this film. "This is a triumphant tale. Gucci might begin his life as Blackfish, but he's a fighter, and in the end he becomes Rocky." The film also spotlights three other dogs who, with their owners, have made an incredible impact on the laws protecting animals. These include Louis Vuitton, from Montgomery, Alabama, the first dog to test the Gucci Law; Susie from North Carolina, who has a felony abuse law named in her honor and was the 2015 American Humane Association's Hero Dog of the Year; and Nitro from Queens, New York whose ultimate sacrifice in an Ohio kennel led to the state's first felony animal abuse laws. The completely crowd-funded film has an extensive social media presence with 68,000 Facebook fans, and tons of followers on Twitter and KickStarter. There have been numerous sold out regional screenings leading to wildly enthusiastic user reviews on IMDb. Website: www.ADogNamedGucci.com Trailer: https://youtu.be/2DR2ZLe29hs Pre-order DVD: http://mvdshop.com/products/a-dog-named-gucci-dvd Pre-order track: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-voice-single/id1077025931 Amazon: http://amzn.com/B019D3J3N4

Let The "Sunshine" In

Get Down Tonight!

KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND HEADS TO WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION, A CAPITOL FOURTH, ON PBS

KC and The Sunshine Band Joins Barry Manilow, Alabama, Nicole Scherzinger, Hunter Hayes, Meghan Linsey, the National Symphony Orchestra, and more! 

It wouldn't be the 4th of July without fireworks and sunshine, KC and the Sunshine Band that is!
 

Just announced, household-name 70s dance group, KC and The Sunshine Band, will help to celebrate America's 239th birthday by performing their top-selling, multi-platinum dance hits like "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)" and more as part of A CAPITOL FOURTH, broadcast LIVE on PBS from the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, July 4, 2015 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. ET. The band will appear along with Barry Manilow, Alabama, Nicole Scherzinger, Hunter Hayes, Meghan Linsey, Lang Lang, Ronan Tynan, Robert Davi and the National Symphony Orchestra. Celebrating the March release of their new 60s cover album, Feeling You! The 60s, The Founder of The Dance Revolution, Harry Wayne "KC" Casey, and his high-energy Sunshine Band plan to bring their ultra catchy Miami-born pop, funk and R&B sound to the celebration, backed by one of the greatest fireworks displays in the country. With sales of over 100 million records, nine GRAMMY nominations, three GRAMMY Awards and an American Music Award, the band is still known today as one of the most progressive acts of the 70s, and their music is still discovered daily by millions around the world through its continual placement in top box office movies, commercials, video games and more. "It's a great honor for us to be a part of this birthday celebration for America," said Casey. "We're fortunate to be celebrating our 35th anniversary of our biggest hits this year, so it's rewarding to see that they have stood the test of time, and when our nation comes together to celebrate something as significant as our nation's birthday and our freedom, we can be a part of it. We hope our performance brings smiles to people's faces." According to event organizers, the top-rated, award-winning extravaganza reaches an audience of hundreds of thousands, and millions more at home through the live broadcast, as well as our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. Twenty cameras will be positioned around the city, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House and the Washington Monument for the national broadcast. A CAPITOL FOURTH can also be heard live on the radio over NPR member stations nationwide. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth/home/. For all of KC and The Sunshine Band's upcoming tour dates visit www.heykcsb.com.