LOS ANGELES -- Kicking back on a couch with a hot cup of tea, Taylor Hicks looks as comfortable backstage at the "Tonight Show" as he might in his own home. When Jay Leno pops into Hicks' dressing room to say hello, the gray-haired soul singer is unfazed _ a moment that reflects just how much "American Idol" has changed the 30-year-old's life.

A year ago, Hicks was a struggling musician unknown to those outside the small Southern clubs where he performed. Today, he is a bona fide TV star and major-label recording artist whose self-titled solo debut hits stores Tuesday.