Former
American Idol winner, platinum recording
artist, TV Host and restrauntuer, Taylor
Hicks, who (along with INSP COO Dale Ardizone)
accepted the "Best Reality Series"
win on behalf of INSP for "State Plate"
at the Cynopsis TV Awards in NY, as
INSP announces 2nd Season for "State
Plate."
In
addition to currently touring the US (schedule
below), his duties as host of "State
Plate" (episode list below) will continue
running weekly (Friday) on the INSP
Network (Episiode link)
as it has been picked up for a new season.
Also, Taylor's theme song for The Paul Finebaum
Show just recently premiered on ESPN. Taylor
is now in the studio recording new music
for a new single to be released in early
2017 and a new Album to be released later
in 2017.
STATE
PLATE states for 1st season include (2nd
Season TBA): Season 1 episodes of "State
Plate" will feature culinary treasures
from California, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Maine, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
PERFORMANCE
TOUR DATES:
Feb
3 - Kalamazoo, MI / Bellâ™ Cafe
Feb
4 - Kent, OH / Kent Stage
Feb
14 - Sheridan, WY / WYO Theater
Feb
16 - Seattle, WA / Benaroya Hall
Feb
17 - Spokane, WA / The Flour Mill
Mar
30 - Orlando, FL / Private Event
Mar
31 - Orlando, FL / Private Event
Apr
6 - Wilkesboro, NC / Community Center
Apr
7 - Charlotte, NC / Neighborhood Theater
Apr
8 - Atlanta, GA / City Winery
Apr
12 - Milwaukee, WI / Shank Hall
Apr
13 - Chicago, IL / City Winery
Apr
22 - Jackpot, NV / Cactus Petes Casino
Family
Entertainment Network INSP Announces Season
2 of Original Series State Plate Taylor
Hicks Will Continue as Host
(Indian
Land, SC) - INSP, the recognized leader
in family entertainment, has announced an
order for a 2nd season of its original series,
State Plate. Production will begin
this spring with a premiere of the
new episodes scheduled for late summer.
The announcement was made by Doug
Butts, SVP of Programming for INSP.
“In
2016, State Plate celebrated the unique
food traditions of 13 different states,”
said Butts. “We have been extremely
pleased with the way our audience has responded.
Ratings continue to exceed our
expectations, and viewer engagement has
been strong. Now that a second season
has been greenlit, we will add programs
featuring additional states to the series
library. Our goal, eventually, is
to feature every state in the U.S.!”
Taylor
Hicks returns as host. “Taylor's wide popularity,
experience as a restaurateur and down-home
charm made him an ideal host for this series,”
said Butts. “Building on the rapport
he developed with audiences in season
one, Taylor once again will take viewers
on a culinary tour of each state featured
and 'assemble' a plate filled with the food
most associated with each state. In
the process, he uncovers the customs and
cultural insights behind each state's unique
food traditions. It's a heaping helping
of America's most beloved cuisine, rich
in history, folklore, and flavor.”
State
Plate is produced by RIVR Media. The
series originally premiered on INSP
in October 2016.
About
INSP
INSP
is available nationwide to more than 83M
households via Dish Network (channel 259),
DirecTV (channel 364), Verizon FiOS (channel
286), AT&T U-verse (channel 564) and
more than 2,800 cable systems. Click
here to find INSP in your area. For quality
dramas, positive entertainment and inspiring
stories, celebrating the American spirit
and honoring timeless traditional values,
it's INSP.
About
RIVR Media
RIVR
Media is an American-based TV production
company, specializing in reality, documentary
and digital programming. RIVR has produced
over 2000 shows for 21 cable networks including
such series as Renovation Realities, Escaping
Polygamy, Trading Spaces, Whale Wars, and
Fat Guys in the Woods, to name a few.
Taylor
Hicks - Bio In Brief
Taylor
Hicks launched his career as one of the
most popular AMERICAN IDOL winners of all
time, going on to prove himself a multi-faceted
powerhouse, dominating in music, on Broadway,
as an author, entrepreneur and actor.
From
the start, Hicks' material on the mega-hit
show set him apart, with a unique take on
Southern soul, R&B, country and blues.
64 million votes were cast when Hicks won.
Over 37 million Americans- 200 million viewers
worldwide, tuned in to crown Hicks the Season
5 winner of AMERICAN IDOL, making it one
of the most-watched TV events of the last
decade.
Hicks'
star continued to rise after he stepped
off of the IDOL stage. Less than three weeks
later, his debut single, “Do I Make You
Proud,” entered at #1 on Billboard's Hot
100, Pop 100 and Single Sales Charts. People
magazine named him “Hottest Bachelor of
the Year”.
His
self-titled album (Arista) debuted at #2
on the Billboard 200 and was quickly certified
RIAA Platinum. In 2007, Hicks penned a best-selling
autobiography, “Heart Full of Soul” (Random
House). He is the first male IDOL winner
featured on a Grammy Award-winning album,
Jimmy Fallon's “Blow Your Pants Off,”- 2013's
Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
On
Broadway, Hicks starred in the hit musical,
GREASE, as Teen Angel, subsequently joining
the 18-month national tour.
In
2012, he began his residency at Bally's
Las Vegas. As a testament to his musical
talent and showmanship, Hicks received a
year-long extension through 2013 at a larger
venue, Paris Las Vegas, making him the first
Idol winner in history to secure a long-term
residency in Vegas. He rapidly evolved into
one of the most popular acts in the city.
It
was during this time he returned to TV as
an actor, guest-starring on Law & Order:
Special Victims Unit.
He
has performed with artists such as Snoop
Dogg, Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight, Earth
Wind and Fire, The Allman Brothers and more.
Hicks
had music on his mind from childhood. As
a young adult, he was a fixture in the Southeast
music scene, performing with stars like
James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne,
Robert Randolph, Keb' Mo' and Widespread
Panic. He released the independent albums
“In Your Time” and “Under the Radar.” Later,
they were compiled and released by Vanguard
Records as “Early Works.”
Hicks
applied his entrepreneurial nature to food
and opened Saw's BBQ and Juke Joint, a BBQ
restaurant and live music venue, in his
hometown of Birmingham, AL. Saw's has earned
acco-lades in 'Best of BBQ' lists from NY
Times Magazine, Men's Journal, GQ and more.
Hicks
recently joined the star-studded Idol series
finale send-off. In true Hicks fashion,
he is plowing ahead full steam. Currently
he is touring the U.S., writing his next
album and filming for his latest venture
in television. He will star in his own show
as the host of State Plate, a new food and
travel series on INSP, premiering this fall.
TAYLORHICKS.COM
For
interviews, press, high res photos and updated biography
please send an email to harlan@bhbpr.com
or call 626.296.3757
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