For many artists in this day and age, being crowned victor of “American Idol” might be enough for a career. But for season 5 winner Taylor Hicks, it was just the beginning. His win came during arguably the zeitgeist of the Fox television singing competition when the since canceled show was a bona-fide American phenomenon viewed by over 25 million people weekly. The win vaulted Hicks, with his distinctive salt and pepper hair, from a bar band regular who paid his dues in the clubs of the South to a recording contract with Arista Records. Hicks has since had a long-term residency at Bally's in Las Vegas, made numerous cameos on network television, and become an enduring live act across the country. On June 25, Hicks will bring his unique blend of Southern rock and soul to the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor for a single evening performance.

“This will be my third time in Maine,” said Hicks from his home base of Los Angeles. “This will be a stripped down, acoustic show.”

The leader of the “Soul Patrol” — a moniker bestowed on him — will perform a set of career-spanning songs with fresh interpretations of classic hits such as Elton John's “Levon” and Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me.”

His upcoming short summer tour was designed to connect with fans on a small, intimate level. Hicks said he is always in the process of creating and the craft of songwriting doesn’t always follow a normal schedule.

“To me, you have to be in the right frame of mind,” he said. “I have a hard time writing on the road but when I'm in a place that feels right, it definitely comes easier.” For Hicks, the road to stardom was anything but easy. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, he began his musical career at an early age and played with such luminaries as Tom Petty, James Brown, Keb Mo, Robert Randolph, Jackson Browne and Widespread Panic. His rise to stardom was years in the making, a journey he chronicled in the 2007 bestselling book, “Heart Full of Soul.”

His earliest recordings were released by Vanguard Records in the compilation “Early Works.” Hicks has also performed with Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight, the Allman Brothers, and Earth, Wind and Fire. He also performed at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

The fame helped Hicks open a barbecue restaurant in his native Birmingham, Saws Juke Joint. Food will also play a central role on his summer tour; he is currently filming a culinary-themed reality show — State Plate — at each of his stops. According to the network producing the show, INSP Television Network, in each episode, Hicks will travel to farms, ranches, markets and festivals in each state, assembling a menu of food associated with the area, be it crab cakes in Maryland, Georgia peaches or Idaho potatoes. In Maine, he will presumably avail himself of lobster and the restaurants that have made Maine into an attractive destination for food lovers.

“I'm hoping to have lobster for sure,” he said. “I hear Portland has great food. It will be a good time and I hope to see everybody turn out.”