American Idol Winner to Perform Free Concert on Saturday

The big weekend ahead gets a little bigger as Alabama's own "Idol" will perform ahead of kickoff.

Fans coming to Tuscaloosa for the heavyweight fight between Alabama and Texas on Saturday night just got another reason to arrive early. 

Birmingham's own winner of "American Idol" season five Taylor Hicks is set to perform in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium according to the University of Alabama athletics department. 

Hicks will be live at 4 p.m. CT on the stage at the Champions Lane Pregame Fanfare. Admission is free to all, even if you don't have tickets to get into the game. 

Taylor Hicks will be live at Champions Lane on Saturday! WE 👏 CAN'T 👏 WAIT!

Admission is free!
➡️ https://t.co/WecCi8ynVp#BamaGameday | @TaylorHicks pic.twitter.com/9StNcn7s7E

— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) September 6, 2023

Champions Lane is located in the northwest corner of of the Bryant-Denny Stadium lawn, just behind the massive elephant statue, Tusk. 

The activity area was constructed and added to the stadium experience for the 2023 season and includes LED videoboards to watch other college football games, food trucks, a Crimson Tide athlete autograph tent, sponsor activities and more.

Hicks plays a blend of soul, blues, country and rock 'n' roll music and became a popular figure in pop culture after winning the 2006 "American Idol" finale. His musical career led to a GRAMMY-winning record and a Las Vegas residency, which he parlayed into theatre and acting success, appearing in the Broadway musical "Grease" and on "Law & Order SVU".

Fans are sure to hear Hicks and his band just after Nick Saban leads the team into the stadium on "The Walk of Champions". 

Fans interested in information about the newly created Champions Lane can visit this website to begin planning out gameday.

See Also: 

First Time Bryant-Denny Stadium Experience and Texas Talk on The Joe Gaither Show | Episode 76: Sept. 6, 2023