Taylor Hicks to sing anthem…
CLEVELAND — Ben Harper and Taylor Hicks will perform the national anthem before games 3 and 4 of the NBA finals in Cleveland….
Popular blues and R&B crooner Taylor Hicks, winner of Season 5 of “American Idol,” will perform his signature soulful rendition of the national anthem for Cleveland fans Thursday night before the Cavs-Spurs game.
The harmonica-playing singer is ramping up for a busy summer beginning with the launch of his tour on June 15, and the release of his book “Heart Full of Soul” on July 10.
Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens. After winning “American Idol” he was signed to Arista Records, under which his self-titled major label debut was released.
His stage performances and influences derived from classic soul, blues, and R&B music have earned him a following of devout fans, who are dubbed as the “Soul Patrol.”
San Antonio is about as fun to watch grass growing or paint drying. I hate to say it, but nobody will be watching this because nobody likes watching San Antonio.
Dan:
I do.
The Spurs play the game the way coaches teach players to play it. It doesn’t correspond to playground, asphalt basketball, but bank shots, team passing, 5-on-5 (not 1-on-5) play, man-to-man defense and helping out on defense wins championships. If stifling LeBron James defensively wins you a title, then that’s what you do. Games like Game 3 the other night were games the Spurs used to lose in the playoffs to the Lakers. Now they can gut these games out because they have secondary players who make shots at key moments. I’m just happy for the wins.
Of course, I began going to Spurs games in 1974, their 2nd year in existence, and grew up with an Iceman poster over my bed; and I was a sports writer at a San Antonio newspaper. So I’m very, very biased.
Jerry Gernander
And of course, I’m very biased towards the smooth voice of Taylor Hicks. I must admit, though, that I didn’t watch my favorite singer tonight. I watched my favorite baseball player help beat Bloomington ! in 15 year old Babe Ruth baseball. I’m sure I can find his rendition on YouTube or somewhere. Hope it was good. Did either of you watch it for me?
TK, I know you’re a big Taylor Hicks fan…but please tell me his performance of the national anthem at the Cavs game was not his best.
Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan…
I just watched it on YouTube. That was a perfect and classic Taylor Hicks performance of a song. His best? Probably not. He just started a new tour one month after ending a long tour. His voice has to be very tired and it sounded just a bit gravel-ey. But…that’s my guy! That’s the voice that makes me turn my head.