'American Idol' winner shoots his shot with Kelly Clarkson in flirty message

Taylor Hicks, who won Season 5 of American Idol, chimed in after Kelly Clarkson revealed she never received the car she was promised for winning Season 1. In a statement Friday, Hicks called Clarkson “one of the most incredible voices to emerge from ‘American Idol’” and added, “I would be more than happy to help her find a new Mustang.” Clarkson’s representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hicks, a 49-year-old country artist, performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2023, where he sang his song “Porch Swing.” He has stayed in contact with Clarkson over the years. At the time of his appearance she was fresh off a breakup from Brandon Blackstock; the two had married in 2013, shared two children, River Rose and Remy, and settled their divorce in 2022 after she filed in 2020.

Blackstock privately battled melanoma for more than three years and died in August 2025 at age 48, a family spokesperson said.

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