Two decades after being crowned American Idol champion, Taylor Hicks is still making music at 49 — and his post-show path has included much more than recording and touring.
The season 24 finale of American Idol aired last night (May 11), with Hannah Harper taking this year’s title.
The 25-year-old performer from Missouri reportedly left the judges emotional after debuting her original track, ‘String Cheese’.
Jordan McCullough finished as runner-up, while Keyla Richardson placed third.
In an interview with Gold Derby, Harper was asked how she’s handling the win. She said: “It’s not real. I’m going to wake up tomorrow, right? Life’s going to be normal.”
Hicks can relate. He won season five of the long-running competition and understands how surreal the moment can feel.
During his winning run, he performed his original song ‘Do I Make You Proud?’ — and it remains one of his best-known tracks even 20 years later.
Reflecting on the milestone in an interview with PEOPLE, Hicks — who became American Idol’s oldest winner — said: “It’s been a whirlwind since my win in showbusiness. I mean, I’m coming up on almost 23 or 24 years in showbusiness, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
When Hicks took the title, he was 29, and the victory marked the culmination of an ambition he’d carried for years.
As he put it: “The dream that I had when I was a little boy, in making it and being an entertainer, was realized on American Idol and [with] that win,” he said.
Since then, Hicks has stayed active in music, releasing four studio albums. His most recent single, ‘The Mirror’, arrived on May 4.
Music hasn’t been his only focus, though. Over the years, Hicks has also taken roles across theater, TV, and film.
In 2008, he stepped onto Broadway as Teen Angel in Grease. More recently, in 2019, he portrayed Charlie Anderson in Serenbe Playhouse.
His screen work includes a role in the 2021 film Stars Fell on Alabama.
Another chapter in his career has come through business, with Hicks also moving into the restaurant world after his reality TV success.
In 2012, he opened SAW’s Juke Joint in Birmingham, Alabama. The wider SAW restaurant group was founded by Mike Wilson, with SAW standing for Sorry Ass Wilson.
TV Insider reports that Wilson and Hicks partnered more than a decade ago to launch the brand’s third location.
On the menu are BBQ staples including pulled pork, chicken, ribs, and baked potatoes.
Hicks is also rumored to be joining the next season of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS). Speculation picked up after he appeared on a recent anniversary episode of American Idol marking 20 years since his season — airing alongside a DWTS crossover.
Asked about the chatter by PauseRewind, Hicks hinted it could be possible: “It’s not a no for me. I’ve been such a fan of that show all of these years.”
So far, Maura Higgins and Ciara Miller are the only names confirmed for the upcoming 35th season at the time of writing.
Watch this space!