'Idol' success rescued silver-haired crooner from a banking gig

Four months ago, the idea of Taylor Hicks, hair prematurely silver, mannerisms preternaturally Cocker-esque, as an "American Idol" winner might have seemed absurd.

Now, as the 29-year-old Alabama native joins Katharine McPhee in the "Idol" Finals, the only thing truly absurd is the possibility that Hicks was close to packing it in and taking a day job.

"Yeah, I was at a crossroads kind of before I went out for 'American Idol,'" Hicks admits on a pre-finale phone call with reporters. "I was at the crossroads of music, whether I was going to go work at a local bank or whether I was going to keep playing in clubs. Luckily this opportunity arose and I was able to do that."

What would Hicks' devoted fans -- many of them members of the so-called "Soul Patrol" -- have done this season if he'd spent his spring making withdrawals and deposits? Hicks is honored to have inspired such rabid adulation.

"I just believe in the soul of music It could be rap, hip-hop," he explains. "It could be anything, but as long as it can translate a feeling, that's kind of where I come from in music. The Soul Patrol, it has so many different meanings, but I think it's just an idea of just having more soul and depth. They're just a great bunch of fans. What can I say?"

Hicks had equal praise for his competition, 22-year-old McPhee.

"She has amazing vocal runs," Hicks raves. "She's had some great moments on the show. It's so cool to see somebody that talented and with that amazing vocal talent, just to be able to watch them. I'm a fan."

Despite a life-changing season of shrieking audiences and brushes with celebrity, Hicks remains the kind of down-to-earth guy who describes his ideal woman as "funny, entertaining, obviously easy on the eyes and can cook turnip greens," the kind of guy who says that what he anticipates most about the "Idol" tour this summer is the bus.

"Well, you know, as a struggling musician before 'American Idol,' I would always be on the road traveling at night, place to place, and... you would see buses on the road in Alabama going to their next destination," he recalls. "And I would always dream about being on one and now I have the opportunity."

While some experts have expressed concerns about how Hicks would be able to fit into the contemporary music scene should he win, the singer has no such concerns.

"I'm worried about my fans and the people that like me as opposed to what's mainstream," Hicks says. "I'm a musician and I'm going to be a musician and a soul singer for the rest of my life."

He adds, "Mainstream music is a very interesting beast. If I play a part in that in the next year or so, then fine; but if I don't, somebody will be seeing me be funky somewhere."

The last "American Idol" performance episode airs Tuesday (May 23) night, with the results coming at the end of Wednesday's two-hour finale.