Taylor Hicks' Improved Website: If You Build It They Will Come?

Taylor Hicks has not built a baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield but when I saw he has instigated a modification on his myspace the movie, Field of Dreams popped into my mind.

On Taylor Hicks' myspace now are subject headers with the first one "Official Site". Now mind you I had thought the 'official site' was the Taylor Hicks' Headquarters, you know the one with the pay to view membership. I've never joined it because I won't be charged to be a fan, which is actually the basic premise of those pay-to-view websites. Call me a bad fan. I call myself a principled fan.

The second header is "The Soul Lounge". Clicking that does nothing currently, but if you click the "Official Site" header you are transported off of Myspace and to taylorhicks.com. Scrolling down, you can locate the link to the Soul Lounge, the new free forum.

Now, this may be an interesting experiment into the actual interest and breadth of the fan base Taylor has remaining from his days on American Idol. It could possibly also introduce a more positive vibe for Taylor's fans. It's still in the very formative stages with Moderators unidentified - although likely several folks might be clamoring for the position.

As far as the similarities to "Field of Dreams, the line actually in the movie is, "If You build it he will come." I'm wondering if 'the muses' that Mr. Hicks often refers to may have spoke and suggest he do this, much like the "voices' spoke to Ray in the movie. I can imagine the voices whispering, Free Forum, Free Forum. (Kind of scaring myself now.)

Taylor Hicks' new forum attached to his myspace page and official site, could have come sooner, but better late than never, perhaps. Thing is, will it make any difference at this juncture in his career? My question follows the line from the movie, "...is there enough magic out there in the moonlight to make this dream come true?".

Taylor Hicks, in the beginning of his drive for national notice seemed not unlike the character depicted in the movie, Shoeless Joe Jackson. In the movie, Shoeless Joe says upon visiting the Iowa cornfield turned baseball diamond, "I used to love travelling on the trains from town to town. The hotels... brass spittoons in the lobbies, brass beds in the rooms. It was the crowd, rising to their feet when the ball was hit deep. Shoot, I'd play for nothing!"

Taylor has said in the past he did the small clubs and bars just to play, to live for the music. Fans have been questioning if that is still the real Taylor or has his brush with celebrity created a different change in the man. A change not indicated in his rendition of "A Change a Gonna Come" sung during his Idol audition. No, rather, this change brought on by the sparking and dancing flame called "Celebrity". Many an artist has been burned in their quest for it, some flying into the fire and annihilated. Is this change toward a free website and forum a move forward for Taylor Hicks? Is it an affirmation he's still that guy who earnestly sang Sam Cooke's song? Since he's 'building it' will the fans really still come?
"Paper and Fire" John Mellencamp

video graciously supplied by mboxxmm
Lyrics:
She had a dream
And boy it was a good one
So she chased after her dream
With much desire
But when she get too close
To her expectations
Well the dream burned up
Like paper in fire.