American Idol' finalist Taylor Hicks visits Alabama home

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. "American Idol" finalist Taylor Hicks returned to his native Birmingham today with a made-for-TV visit that includes a parade, a visit with the governor and some down-home Southern food he just can't get in Los Angeles.

The gray-haired Hicks said this afternoon at the governor's mansion that he got a chance to have the grits he's been craving.

Hicks had a packed schedule today with a parade through downtown Birmingham, three performances, and the trip to Montgomery, where he met with fans and Governor Bob Riley.

Riley received a fax from "Idol" judge Randy Jackson, who picked "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker for Hicks to sing in next week's show.

Footage from Hicks' trip home will be shown on "Idol," which already has had one winner from Birmingham -- Ruben Studdard -- and a runner-up, Bo Bice, who's a Shelby County native.

The 29-year-old Hicks, who grew up in Hoover, said the success of Studdard and Bice helped eased his way through auditions for the show.

The next "American Idol" winner will be announced on May 24th.