SEMMES, Ala. — Semmes is getting a head start on the nation’s birthday, and it is bringing an “American Idol” along. Taylor Hicks, who won the show’s fifth season in 2006, headlines the City of Semmes Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, July 2, at Mary G. Montgomery High School.
The celebration runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Hicks taking the stage at 7 p.m. for the free community concert, held two days ahead of the Fourth of July.
From Birmingham bars to Broadway
Hicks has deep Alabama roots. The Birmingham-born singer rose to fame on “American Idol” in 2006, when his soulful, raspy style — famously described by The New York Times as “part Stax, part Motown and part Honky-Tonk” — carried him to the title over runner-up Katharine McPhee.
Since Idol, Hicks has proven himself a jack of many trades: headlining tours, starring in Broadway productions including “Grease,” and popping up on television in shows such as “Law & Order: SVU.”
A hometown-style party for the whole city
The annual celebration is one of west Mobile County’s biggest community traditions, drawing families from across Semmes and neighboring communities to the Mary G. Montgomery campus for an evening of music and patriotic festivities leading into the holiday weekend.