'Sex Symbol' Taylor Hicks Comes Home for Father's Day

Taylor Hicks is everywhere in the public eye.  Hicks, 29. the winner of the 2006 American Idol contest and now America's newest sex symbol has his every move documented, but it appears the budding star will remain grounded and keep to his roots, and will be home for Father's Day.

Taylor Performs in his hometown earlier this year (Image Credit: TMZ)

Good for Taylor Hicks.

He could allow this to all go to his head, but where is he for his Dad's special day?  He's home in Birmingham, Alabama and plans to spend the day with his dad.  The Birmingham News reports that he flew home to celebrate Father's Day with his dad, Brad Hicks, and to play Stages as a gift "for all dads ... for the people of Birmingham, for everybody," Hicks said, according to the AL.Com website.

The crowd went crazy when Hicks stepped onto the Miller Lite Stage blowing his harmonica just after 11 p.m. on Saturday night, a report from Birmingham states.

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Mary Colurso of the News documents Taylor's Saturday before Father's day:

1. Eat barbecue that had been sent to his hotel room.

2. Buy harmonicas at Bailey Brothers Music Co. in Southside.

3. Look forward to yet another City Stages set, at 4:50 p.m. Sunday with his bandmates in the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra.

4. Hang out at the hotel with his bodyguard and a few intimates.

"I really can't get out much these days," Hicks told the News. "This is the starting point for my getting back into reality, back into society, back in my hometown. I haven't been around people much. People have seen me, but I haven't seen them. I haven't gotten out there and been able to really touch them."

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This is why Hicks is bound for stardom. 

By all accounts, he is grounded and after absolutely dominating the idol (he never finished in the bottom three and by all accounts the final vote was not even close) and performing for 30 million plus each week it would be easy to lose his way.

I was a big fan of Hicks as he made his mark week-by-week and rose to the top on idol so I'm a bit biased but I believe Hicks will remain grounded and soar to the top with his old school sound.

Forget all the negatives - he's the real deal.

--Michael Amsterdam writes from Nashville