It is 4 p.m. in Mobile on a Friday and rush hour is getting an early start as commuters clog Airport Boulevard on their way home or headed downtown to the season’s first Mardi Gras parade. In Los Angeles, it’s 2 p.m., and a frustrated Taylor Hicks rolls his way through the intense traffic for which the entertainment capital is infamous. He’s is a long way from home and he knows it. Hicks is the first to admit the traffic in Los Angeles is galaxies away from the laid back Alabama roads between Mobile and Birmingham he used to travel, but he isn’t complaining about the new environment. Not long ago Hicks was playing smaller venues and bars as a solo musician and with his bands, the most recent being the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra. After charming the judges of “American Idol” and beating out the competition with his electrifying stage presence and soulful voice, Hicks found himself with a record label contract and a major national tour. Within a year of winning “American Idol,” Hicks has gone from performing in front of hundreds to performing in front of thousands, and he can’t wait to get started. “It’s an exhilarating thought,” exclaims Hicks. “Never in a million would I think that I would be able to play the places that I wanted to play within a year. It’s awesome!” His days of playing small, intimate venues filled with smoke and tattooed ladies screaming “Freebird” are almost certainly gone for now. With Hicks’ symbiotic relationship with a live audience, he feels the larger audiences will make his live performances even more soulful than ever before. “There’s more energy,” Hicks explains. “I feed off of energy; I always have. I’ve always been kind of a high impact/high energy performer. The more energy that you can create with more people, the better off you’re gonna be and the harder you’re going to work.” Hicks’ excitement over his latest rise in fame can’t even be shaken by various criticisms and controversies concerning contractual obligations with “American Idol.” Many individuals including former co-host Brian Dunkleman claim that the show practically owns the artist’s soul for a year after they win. There have also been former winners such as Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino who have somewhat faded from the public eye, and many critics cite that this is due to the show throwing them to the wayside after their contract runs out. However, Hicks tells another tale concerning these controversies. “You know, a misconception about the ‘American Idol’ show is that once you’re off the show, you’re pretty much at the mercy of your own decisions,” Hicks says. “Once the show was over for me, I was working on my own terms. Of course, I want to go back and sing on the show, but it’s really up to you on how you create your own opportunities after you win.” Hicks is definitely taking charge of his newfound opportunities. This inaugural tour is in support of his latest self-titled release, which was produced by the two time Grammy winner Matt Serletic, the former chairman of Virgin Records who has worked with such bands as matchbox twenty, Edwin McCain and Rob Thomas. With Hicks’ first single “Do I Make You Proud” debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, there are high expectations for his first full-length, and Hicks is very content with the finished product and sees this album as an admirable team effort. “I was pretty pleased to have three writing credits with a fourth co-writing credit,” Hicks said. “I’m very happy. That’s a pretty good number of songs to have credits on an album being an ‘Idol’ winner.” The trend won’t end soon. “I’m moving toward writing a little bit more for this next album,” Hicks said. “I’m excited to be on a major label because I’ve got a lot of people behind me. I’ve worked with some great people such as Clive Davis (Rock and Roll Hall of Famer/Arista Records founder) and my producer Matt Serletic. Both of those people were very influential in this record and helping me stay true to one vision, and that was to create modern soul music.” From listening to his album with its impressive horns and his rich voice, Hicks appears to have accomplished his mission of remaining America’s number one Soul Man. For him, this has been a long time coming. “I wanted there to be some really great songs on it,” Hicks explained. “I’ve been studying songs, and I’ve been down there at the Frank Brown (International Songwriters Festival) listening to people create songs, sing songs and have their own songs played. Those kinds of places and that kind of stuff really helped to create an idea of having great songs on the album.” Hicks’ philosophy for his first major release seems to agree with the public, especially in Mobile. Tickets for his Port City performance sold out in less than an hour, and Hicks couldn’t be more pleased with his Soul Patrollers. “You know, it just shows how much I appreciate the support that I got from people down there not only when I was winning ‘American Idol’ but also when I was playing Monsoon’s five or six years ago,” Hicks says. Many Soul Patrollers unable to purchase tickets for this performance were left dismayed and demanding a second performance. Though he won’t be able to provide another show the following night, Hicks has an answer for those discouraged fans. “I’ll be back,” he said with his best Terminator impression. “I promise the folks that didn’t see this show that I will come make the rounds sooner than later.” A few blocks over at Soul Kitchen, Hicks former band the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra is planning on throwing one hell of an after-party when the concert is over. Because of this performance, rumors galore have circulated whether Hicks will show up to sit in with them. When asked, Hicks was very vague as to whether this will happen on not. “You never know,” says Hicks mysteriously. “You never know.” Beyond another album, many fans wonder about Hicks’ future plans. Soul Patrollers are hopeful he might reunite with the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra after fulfilling his “American Idol” obligations. One thing in the cards is a book of personal memoirs ghostwritten by former Rolling Stone editor David Wild. “I have a book coming out this summer called ‘Heart Full of Soul’,” Hicks said. “I’m excited about getting that book out. It’s a lot about my life and the back roads of Alabama and the stories that I’ve gathered over the years and a little bit of stuff on ‘Idol.’ I’m excited about it coming out.” Hicks is planning another album and accompanying tour. Most importantly, he is thrilled to be doing what he loves and plans to continue his reign as the King of the Soul Patrol. “I’m excited about playing music,” Hicks says. “I’m a working musician, and I’ve always been that way.”