Chris Abraham

Early career

Born in Sherman Oaks, California, McPhee has been singing since the age of two. Her mother, Peisha Burch McPhee, a vocal coach and accomplished cabaret singer, recognized a talent for music in her daughter and started training her. McPhee graduated in the class of 2002 from Notre Dame High School after which she attended The Boston Conservatory for three semesters with a concentration in musical theater. She left because she met a manager who wanted her to try out for parts during the television pilot season in Los Angeles. She did a pilot and an independent film.[1] At the Cabrillo Music Theater in Thousand Oaks, California, she performed the title role in a musical theatre production of Annie Get Your Gun. In June 2005 she played Anna Muir in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a musical by Scott DeTurk and Bill Francoeur, based on the book by R.A. Dick, at NoHo Arts Center in California.

Trivia

* McPhee lists Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight as her favorite artists.
* McPhee has a sister named Adriana, who is one year older.
* McPhee is left handed.
* McPhee is 5′7″ (170 cm).
* McPhee was rumored to be a Scientologist. In the past, McPhee had attended and completed two individual courses in Scientology.[2] However, according to an May 12, 2006 interview on Los Angeles radio station KROQ 106.7, McPhee stated she “dabbled in Scientology” because of a former love interest but is not a Scientologist; according to her, she was “quickly out the door.”[3]
* McPhee has a dog named Lily.
* McPhee has a goddaughter who was born during McPhee’s run in Hollywood.

During her initial audition for American Idol in San Francisco, she sang “God Bless the Child.” Judge Randy Jackson said she was the best voice he had heard so far that season, judge Paula Abdul praised her looks, and judge Simon Cowell said she was amazing and “current.” McPhee’s mother had gone with her to the audition, and Cowell made a comment about the possibility that the elder McPhee was a stage mother.

In the final cut-down show for the Top 24, McPhee was the first to be put through and, in excitement, kissed all three judges on the lips. She cried both when she passed her initial audition and when she made it into the Top 24.

In the first round of the semi-finals, she sang Barbra Streisand’s version of Buddy Johnson’s “Since I Fell for You,” again earning high praises as Cowell said that out of the four “very, very good vocalists” of the night, she was the best.

During the week leading to the third round of the semi-finals, where McPhee sang Aretha Franklin’s “Think,” she was rumored to be quitting due to pregnancy. However, during the performance show on March 7, 2006, she denied this accusation, later attributing it to a poor choice of clothing. Host Ryan Seacrest, with tongue-in-cheek, asked about her and fellow Idol contestant Kevin Covais.

During the week preceding the top 3 show, McPhee visited her former high school for her hometown celebration.[4]

McPhee’s run on American Idol led to the popular use of the term “McPheever,” coined by Ralph Garman of Los Angeles radio station KROQ’s morning show Kevin and Bean, and also “McPhan,” “McPhaith” and “Kat Pack.”

Biography

Taylor Hicks was born in Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. As an infant, he had blond hair. His hair color turned dark brown/black as an adolescent, and then grey as a young adult. He and his family moved to suburban Hoover when he was 8 years old. His parents divorced when he was 8, and his father Brad, a dentist, and stepmother Linda shared custody until he became of age. His half-brother, Sean, is a student at Georgia Tech and plays trumpet in the school’s jazz band.[3]

Growing up in Hoover, Hicks played Little League baseball, golf, and varsity basketball.[3] According to his grandmother Jonie, Hicks never had formal music lessons. He came running up to her when he was about twelve years old saying, “Grandma, you’ve got to hear this!” Then he sang Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness” for her. According to his father, when he was 5 years old he sang to random strangers the music of Kenny Rogers or Michael Jackson, to name a few.[3] Hicks’ music reflects his favorites from that era: the classic songs of Redding, Sam Cooke, and Ray Charles. He plays guitar as well as blues harp and writes most of his own songs. [4] He bought a $2 harmonica at a local flea market when he was 16 and has been playing harmonica ever since.

Hicks was a former student of Berry High School and graduated from Hoover High School in 1995. He attended Auburn University majoring in business, communications and marketing for a year, lost interest and dropped out. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a music career and has worked with Nashville veterans Billy Earle McClelland and Percy Sledge. [5] Later he graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham. Hicks had a small following in the state of Alabama for his performances at dive nightclubs and other local venues. His trademark was Hawaiian shirts, and slacks that didn’t quite match. He released two independent albums, In Your Time (1997) and Under the Radar (2005), prior to appearing on Idol; the latter was made available at local music outlets in the Birmingham area. Hicks has also spoken on Tapestry, a radio program on National Public Radio affiliate WBHM in Birmingham, in December 2005. [6]

Before Idol, Hicks worked at a shopping mall, the Riverchase Galleria, and dressed up as the Easter Bunny for Easter and spring promotions. After advancing to the final three contestants, Hicks returned to the mall for a short concert and promotional appearance before several thousand fans.

American Idol

Hicks auditioned for American Idol in Las Vegas, Nevada. He originally wanted to try out in Memphis but the site was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina. Also, he was touring in New Orleans with his band, the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, on the night Hurricane Katrina hit and was evacuated to Las Vegas. (USA Today, 5/19/2006) Hicks passed the audition by the approval of judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but not Simon Cowell, who said that Hicks did not have enough of an Idol image for any of the judges to put him through the Hollywood rounds. In this Cowell was proven wrong, which he subsequently acknowledged.

Fans of Hicks have been dubbed the “Soul Patrol” [7]. Hicks frequently mentions the “Soul Patrol” after performances and in subsequent appearances by exclaiming “Soul Patrol! Soul Patrol! Soul Patrol!”. Hicks became the subject of two Weekend Update lampoons on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on April 15 and May 20, 2006, portrayed by cast member Jason Sudeikis. In the allusion of Hicks’ quirky tweeks and disposition, Sudeikis mocked playing Hicks’ trademark blues harmonica and repeatedly shouted out “Soul Patrol!”. Hicks, when interviewed by Ryan Seacrest on the subsequent episode of American Idol on April 18, 2006 as to whether or not he saw the imitation, admitted that he had and that the impression made him “fall out on the floor” with laughter.