Salt Lake City - Provo Utah Appearance!

My man Taylor Hicks, performs in the Stadium of Fire show July 1 in Provo, Utah. (Provo is a suburb of Salt Lake City.) This will mark his first public concert appearance and will be the first live concert gig Hicks has accepted since 43 million viewers watched him crowned as the "American Idol" winner last month, said Taylor Macdonald, executive director of America's Freedom Foundation, which stages the annual patriotic extravaganza.
"He's about as hot as they get on the planet right now," said Macdonald, who likes Hicks' cross-generational appeal. "He is upbeat. He is fun. He's got an unlikely head of gray hair. And when you hear his voice, you know it's him."
The Alabama native will make his Utah debut four days before he joins the "American Idols Live" tour, which kicks off July 5 in Manchester, N.H. That 54-city tour is not scheduled to come to Utah.
Hicks, 29, joins a Stadium of Fire entertainment lineup that also includes country singer Lee Ann Womack, Queen, The Beach Boys, Abba, LeAnn Womack, and Raven Simone also marching bands and, of course, a huge fireworks show. Nearly 50,000 people are expected to attend the event, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Lavell Edwards Stadium, Macdonald said.
Tickets are $20-$100. Call 801-422-BYU1 or visit http://www .byutickets.com

I have read and heard anywhere between 63 million votes for Taylor and 43 mil. I would imagine the 43 million votes to be closer to accurate because reports from Idol, supposedly 69 million total were cast and counted.

I find this interesting that he will be appearing at this event because previously the "Idols" were not allowed (or so I had thought) to make any concert appearances independently from the Idol Tour that starts up right after this event.

It is interesting, too that this year, winning Idol seems to pack so much more punch and carry so much more clout and positive presence than in years past when it (the show) was considered by many to be a 'cheesy' talent search production. I remember Bo Bice said numerous times after the Season 4 ended how very glad he was that he did not win. The program has seemingly entered into a new phase and has been elevated in stature from its modest cheddar roots. Personally, I attribute Taylor Hicks as playing a hand in its positive evolution. His appearance on the show re-generated the Ideals of finding a True Star and True Idol to follow in the music world.

I would love to be present to watch Hicks perform amidst the mountains and the fireworks. I have relatives in the Salt Lake area...Sandy, Utah to be exact...

Groove on Soulman!