Photo SpecialIdol Scrapbook: Taylor Hicks

See why the newest American Idol earned his own Soul Patrol – from his audition to the road ahead. By Julia Wang

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HE'S DA MAN!

There are no hard feelings between Hicks and booted singer Elliott Yamin, who narrowly missed out on being in the finale by the smallest margin in Idol history. "I'm really close with Taylor," Yamin says, "and that's my dog, man. We're going to be friends for life."

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