Show business. It’s all about talent and timing.

Oh, they had the talent, and two decades ago, they showed their talent to tens of millions of TV viewers. They reminded the movers and shakers in Hollywood that little ‘ole Alabama could produce some of the greatest singers and entertainers in the world.

In a four-year span between 2003 and 2006, the Yellowhammer State boasted of two winners and a runner-up on a televised vocal talent show that set ratings records.

It was 2002, and the three “American Idol” judges were on their way to being known worldwide simply by their first names. And as Simon, Paula and Randy took television by storm, three 20-somethings from Alabama became known by their first names as well.

Ruben, Bo and Taylor took the talent that was rooted in their upbringings and discovered their lives would never be the same.

“I started singing when I was 5 years old,” Ruben Studdard, the winner of season two (2003) of “American Idol” told me. “I would sing in church, and I got more serious about singing when I was about 12. That’s when I started winning some local talent shows.

“I played the trumpet and the tuba in the band, and at Huffman High School I sang in the choir and played football. I became a voice major in college.”

They called him “Bogart.” Harold Elwin Bice Jr. had eyes like Humphrey Bogart, so grandma did the honors. Bogart was shortened to Bo as he grew.

“I picked up my first guitar was I was 9 years old,” said the runner-up on season four (2005) of “American Idol.”

Bo was born in Huntsville. His parents took jobs at Coca-Cola in Atlanta, and Bo later lived in England, graduating from London Central High School where he played football and carried around his guitar.

“I started writing songs at the age of 12, and I formed my first band when I was 15,” Bo added.

He was a creative kid. Athletic, too. Taylor Hicks played football and basketball at Hoover High School.

Taylor was in the first graduating class at HHS in 1995, moving to the new school from Berry High School.

His hair started turning gray two years before he bought his first harmonica at the age of 16. Taylor paid 2 bucks for the used harmonica at a flea market in Bessemer.

He taught himself how to play the blues. It was the best 2 bucks he ever spent.

“I was 18 when I wrote my first song,” said Taylor, the winner of season five (2006) of “American Idol”.

It was all about the timing.

Why not audition? Ruben and Bo and Taylor were 20-somethings confident in their abilities.

Ruben drove up to Nashville to audition. “I drew on my teachings from my high school choir coach Allen Gillespie,” said Ruben.

And as Ruben stood before show judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson?

“I wasn’t nervous,” said Ruben. “I trusted myself.”

It was a wild scene. Bo Bice and 17,000 other hopefuls auditioned at the convention center in Orlando.

“My mom insisted that I give it a shot after the producers of “Idol” raised the age of those who could audition to 29. I slept on the floor of the convention center for three nights.”

Bo knew he had the chops. He had played in a band called “Purge.” He had spent time in Nashville and Muscle Shoals. He was blessed to sharpen his songwriting and performance skills with the help of talented singer and producer Ava Aldridge.

Bo Bice was about to embark on what he calls, “the most surreal experience of my life.”

Taylor Hicks was on a roll. He was a self-taught musician, his style a melting pot of music greats: Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, Bob Seger.

He played the college circuit in and around Auburn. He moved to Nashville just five years out of high school.

But when the fall of 2005 came a-calling during a gig in New Orleans, so, too, did Hurricane Katrina.

“I was in one of the last taxis out of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit,” Taylor told me. ”The cabbie drove me to West Monroe, Louisiana. The airlines couldn’t get me back to Birmingham, so they gave me a voucher for a free flight anywhere in the continental United States.

“I rented a car, drove back to Birmingham and hopped on a plane to Las Vegas on a whim,” said Taylor. There was Taylor Hicks, standing in front of Simon, Paula and Randy.

 The results? Ruben, Bo and Taylor were going to Hollywood.

The show created by Simon Fuller was a runaway hit. A young lady named Kelly Clarkson won the first season of “American Idol,” and in 2003, season two of the show was off and running.

Ruben Studdard, the graduate of a Birmingham city school, walked on stage wearing a pullover shirt with “205” emblazoned on the front. The folks back home in Ruben’s area code were thrilled. The 205 became famous, and the world took notice of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ruben’s smooth pipes were certainly noticed. He had a Luther Vandross vibe, a comforting voice full of soul and gospel. Ruben’s downhome kindness impressed the judges. It also caught the attention of a guest judge.

“Gladys Knight was a judge on one of the episodes, and after a song, she said it looked as if America had found its Velvet Teddy Bear,” Ruben told me.

The nickname would stick.

While Simon, Paula and Randy could draw nerves and jitters from contestants, Ruben Studdard felt at home on the “American Idol” stage.

“It was only season two of the show, and the judges were feeling their way a bit, too,” said Ruben. “They worked with us well, and they were all very nice to us.”

Bo Bice was in his element. He was proud of the way he could play different genres of music. Bo had always been true to his calling.

“When I was on ‘Idol’ I listed my hometown as Helena, AL, because that is where I lived, but I’m a true Huntsville guy at heart,” he told me.

Bo’s heart also rests deep in his faith.

“Being on ‘Idol’ was so new to me. I prayed a lot during that time,” Bo said. “I tried to stay focused on God.”

It was May of 2005, and America was focusing on the final two “Idol” contestants. Bo Bice, the country rock star with a contagious stage presence, advanced to the final night of the competition alongside a young woman from Oklahoma.

Her name? Carrie Underwood.

“I became good friends with Carrie during the competition,” said Bo. “We were a lot alike in that we were from rural states in the South. Neither of us had been on a stage that big.”

His style was quirky, his stage presence energizing. It was the spring of 2006, and Taylor Hicks had arrived. The Soul Patrol had touched down in Hollywood. “I did a lot of thinking, and I knew if I had a catchy name or phrase that fans could relate to, it would help me,” said Taylor.” Jimmy Buffett had the Parrott Heads, the Grateful Dead had the Dead Heads. Why not The Soul Patrol?”

Taylor Hicks had more than a catch phrase going on. His gray hair led to him being called “The Silver Fox” and “Gray Charles.”

“The producers of the show wanted to dye my hair black at one point,” said Taylor.

“I didn’t go for it. I told them the gray had to stay,” Taylor chuckled.

Months before the final results shows arrived, Ruben, Bo and Taylor had become stars.

By season four (Bo Bice’s season), 37 million people would be voting to determine a winner.

TV cameras, newspaper and magazine writers and media galore followed their every step. And when it was time for show host Ryan Seacrest to announce the winners? The lives of Ruben, Bo and Taylor were catapulted into stardom.

Ruben Studdard was in tears that May night in 2003. America voted, and the winner of American Idol 2003 is?

Yes, the Huffman High School grad edged Clay Aiken in the voting.

“It was such a special night winning ‘American Idol,’” said Ruben. “My parents were there, as were family members like my grandfather.

“The most satisfying thing about winning ‘Idol’ was that it showed the folks back home that you can be from Alabama and do big things. It gave the people in our state hope.”

May of 2005 brought Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood to the stage. America voted, and the young crooner from Oklahoma was crowned the winner.

“Even though I finished as runner-up, being on ‘Idol’ propelled me into the stratosphere,” said Bo, who was married that year.

“I do believe I would have been successful without ‘Idol’, but being on the show helped my career. It also made me proud of being from Alabama. I had become friends with Ruben, and like Ruben, I wore my success on the show as a badge of honor.”

Taylor Hicks didn’t know what to think. He stood on the Hollywood stage with Katherine McPhee, 31.1 million people watching.

Simon Cowell, the judge who warmed to Taylor over the course of the season, smiled. Paula and Randy sat on the edge of their seats. The Soul Patrol celebrated, winning season five of “American Idol” in May of 2006.

“I guess you could have called me a 10-year, overnight success story,” Taylor chuckled.

Off and running went Alabama’s Big Three. They each signed recording contacts and over the years added more projects to their already lengthy resumes.

Ruben Studdard lives in the Mobile area today. Ruben, now 46, and his wife Kristin have two small children, and Ruben remains very busy.

He’s released 11 albums, one that included the 2023 hit “The Way I Remember It.”

His “Ruben Sings Luther” album received rave reviews. He will be back on Broadway soon, and yet another album is in the works.

Bo Bice, now 49, lives in Lecanto, Florida, (just north of Tampa) with his wife of 20 years, Caroline, The couple has four children, ages 12 to 20. Bo has been touring with The Artimus Pyle Band, Pyle being the drummer with Lynyrd Skynyrd for many years.

From 2013 to 2018, Bo toured with the group Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Taylor Hicks, 48, splits his time between Birmingham and Nashville.

Taylor’s song “Porch Swing” is a hit, and these days, music is just the tip of Taylor’s iceberg. Taylor starred in the Broadway play “Grease” playing Teen Angel, he did a residency at Bally’s in Las Vegas, and he’s starred in a national TV show called “State Plate.”

Taylor acted in a playhouse production of “Shenandoah,” made his first appearance at The Grand Ole Opry in 2023, and he’s one of the investors in the popular Saw’s Juke Joint barbeque restaurant chain.

He’s also the first “Idol” alum to be featured on a Grammy-winning album, as he performed “Friday” on Jimmy Fallon’s “Blow Your Pants Off” comedy album.

Twenty years ago, three downhome, good guys believed in themselves and took a chance. Today they are in their late 40’s and still doing what they do.

“All of these folks, even the ones from our state who came after us and appeared on ‘Idol,’ deserve a round of applause,” said Bo Bice. “I’m so proud of all of them.”

“I count my blessings each and every day,” Taylor Hicks told me. “To think that I’ve been in show business for 25 years is mind-boggling.”

Taylor’s secret? “Work hard and being great to people who are great to you. Be kind and keep a smile on your face.”

And Ruben Studdard?

“We all had dreams, and we showed that dreams can come true,” he said. “I’m blessed and very thankful for what ‘American Idol’ did for me and my family.”

Show business. It’s all about talent and timing.

Oh, they had the talent, and they had the timing, too.

And the good news?

Ruben, Bo and Taylor have more time to bless us with their talent.

More time to make us proud.

Rick Karle, who writes a weekly ‘Good News’ story, is a 25-time Emmy winner and a 43-year veteran of broadcast news who has lived and worked in Alabama for 35 years. You can find his work on Facebook at Rick Karle Good News. Send your story suggestions to: [email protected]