Blogs have become a popular means to let people know your thoughts, or the happenings of a certain subject. However, what does it take to run a blog? What are some of the subjects covered? Is doing a blog really worth someone’s time? My Blog Spotlight today is a blog called Taylor is the Boogie found at http://tayloristheboogie.wordpress.com/ .This blog was constructed out of one fans love of Taylor Hicks the American Idol 2006 winner. I contacted the woman who runs the blog, Ash and asked her if I could interview her and she graciously agreed to be in my Blog spotlight. Taylor is the Boogie has become a well knows blog with information concerning Taylor Hicks. Keeping this blog up is a very consuming process. Ash however says it is worth the time. Let’s get to the interview from the choice of my Blog spotlight.
When did you first publish the Taylor is the Boogie Blog?
The first post was published May 8th 2006.
What made you decide to do the blog?
I started it to have a place to collect and post information about Taylor Hicks and other Soul singers.
How difficult was it for you to learn how to maneuver within your blog and get things looking the way you wanted them to?
Dealing with the appearance and technical areas has been the least difficult part of running the blog. Word press is a very user-friendly platform.
How much time do you spend on average per day on your site?
Between the blog, the board, and taking care of members (answering e-mails and the like) I spend 4-6 hours a day involved in the sites, some days much longer.
Who was your intended audience, and who do you believe your actual audience has been so far? Is it different then you expected?
My intended audience was intelligent, open-minded music lovers, and I think so far my target audience and my actual audience coincide.
Have you written any other blogs?
Yes, but they are now defunct.
What are some of your favorite blogs besides your own?
Apartment Therapy.com, Treehugger.com’s, Architecture Archives, GrayCharles.com, Happy Mundane.com, Dooce.com
What about Taylor Hicks inspired you so much, as to start a blog dedicated to him?
Taylor is a hardworking, sincere, talented musician.
His dedication, resilience, perseverance and passion, are inspiring to people, musicians or students… school teachers or mechanics. People from all professions, all classes and all walks of life can relate to Taylor. To see the everyday guy going after his dream and his calling with such love and moxie is wonderful. He makes you want to support him. His mix of old-school style and respect for the classics, mixed with his innovative and progressive mindset is intriguing, refreshing, and much welcomed.
Has anything in your life changed since you started the blog?
A lot has changed. I would be lying if I said it hasn’t.
If so What?
I’m much, much more busy. I spend hours a day in front of the computer working on the blog and board. I have traveled more often to see and learn about the band, and I have met some amazing people during this experience.
Did the blog become more popular then you expected?
It has. I remember when the blog went from getting 300 hits a day to over 14,000. What a shocker. I was thrilled and a little apprehensive. Soon the apprehension subsided and I felt blessed to have so many readers. Since GC started back up again the number of daily hits has gone down, but there is still a steady stream of a few thousand readers each day.
Is it hard making the time to keep the blog up?
It can be, but it is something I love to do so I make time.
How many regular readers do you think you have of the blog?
Around 3,500 regulars
Have you ever gotten any feedback from Taylor Himself, or met him?
I have heard from people that Taylor has seen the site, but I have not heard from him personally nor met him.
Why do you think Taylor has become so popular?
Taylor Hicks is charismatic, intelligent, genuine, articulate, kind and talented. His pure enthusiasm is something that has been lacking in modern music, especially pop music. Taylor sings with his heart, as it has been said before: the man has SOUL. He crawls inside the song and brings you with him, laying it all out there, often with reckless abandon… and people love it. I also think part of his appeal is the admiration people have for his confidence and tenacity. He embraces who he is and doesn’t apologize for it, and that is inspiring to many people.
You also have a board with lots of discussions people can have concerning Taylor and music. When did the board come about? How far after the blog?
I created the board on June 22nd- The day after Gray Charles posted his ‘letter of resignation’, as I liked to call it. I wanted to create a welcoming environment that allowed a sense of community that is hard to create and cultivate with only a blog. The board can be found at http://excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=19754
How many fans are registered at the board?
1,666.
What seems to be the most popular topic about Taylor discussed at the board?
The music, his dissections of ‘old’ songs- especially the recorded live sets such as The Open Door Cafe and the December 23rd ‘Christmas Set.
Do you think the blog and board has made some fans out of those who otherwise may have not known who Taylor Hicks was?
Perhaps, I have heard a few stories from people who stumbled across the board and blog while doing searches for everything from Taylor to Soul Music to specific songs such as “I’m In Love.
Could you ever imagine giving up doing the blog?
Can I imagine it? Yes.
Will I? Not anytime in the near future.
You also cover other music artists sometimes, could you name a couple of them?
A few examples of artists I have covered: Son House, Thelonious Monk, Them, Anthony Hamilton, Charlie Musselwhite, Matisyahu. I generally focus on Blues, Jazz, Funk and Soul, but occasionally Hip-Hop and Folk will work themselves in. I try not to limit to genres. I just feature what feels right.
Do you think there music and style is similar to Taylor’s?
In some ways, yes, in others, no, when I post other artists I am usually not aiming for a connection to Taylor’s music. Quite often there are common themes: Soul, Grit, Vocal Stylings, similar lyric structure. But I also veer off fairly often. The main theme is heart. I mix it up a bit, but it has to have heart.
Do you have any tips for the blogger wannabe?
Stay true to your vision, respect your readers, and do not be afraid to try new things.
I would like to thank Ash for her time in answering my questions. Taylor Hicks is becoming very popular and there are many websites and blogs dedicated to keeping fans informed on the goings on concerning Taylor Hicks and great music in general. www.tayloristheboogie.wordpress.com/ is just one of them, however Taylor is the Boogie is a very popular blog for all Taylor Hicks fans. The fans know if they want to find information about Taylor Hicks they can check the blog and the boogie board to find the information and discuss Taylor Hicks. Ash puts in lots of hard work keeping this blog up to date for the fans of Taylor Hicks. Her admiration and love of American Idol Taylor Hicks keeps her very busy and she doesn’t regret a single moment, her readers are very thankful for all she does.
Reference:
- www.tayloristheboogie.wordpress.com/ The Famous Boogie Board excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=19754
