On Tuesday, when Wake Forest meets Louisville in the Orange Bowl in Miami, fans can expect a rollicking halftime show with a good dose of soul. Taylor Hicks, this year's American Idol winner, will join with Motown legend Gladys Knight to present a show that should have people "rocking and rolling in their seats," said Phillis Oeters. Oeters, the vice-chairwoman of the Orange Bowl and chairwoman of the halftime show, said that Hicks and Knight will be joined on the field by 500 marching-band performers and 150 dancers.

CeCe Winans will sing the national anthem, and the crowd can expect fireworks "before, during and after" the game, Oeters said.

Hicks will sing a song, "The Runaround," from his new CD, Taylor Hicks. Word has it that he and Knight will also team up for one of her biggest hits, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."

The Orange Bowl prides itself on having a spectacular, family-friendly halftime show, Oeters said. When her committee started making a list of family-friendly performers, Hicks landed at the top.

Oeters asked a friend's 6-year-old son what he thought about having Hicks perform, and he told her he would buy a ticket to see Hicks at the Orange Bowl.

"He's a great artist, and he really covers the spectrum of the audience which we have," she said.

Hicks, a college football fan, said that he hopes to capture some touchdowns on his new camera, which he will bring to the game.

"I keep up with college football quite extensively," said Hicks by phone from San Diego. "Being from Alabama, I can't help it." He doesn't favor either team in the Orange Bowl, he said, but he is familiar with Wake Forest.

"Demon Deacons!" he said.

Hicks visited North Carolina recently when, on a whim, he attended the annual Christmas Jam in Asheville and appeared on stage with John Popper, the founder of Blues Traveler, to wail on the harmonica.

Since he won Idol, Hicks' life has been filled with moments like that.

In a two-day span, he said, he sang to President Bush and hung garlands with Martha Stewart. He has flown in a private plane. At the Orange Bowl, he will sing live in front of 73,000 people, plus millions more watching on TV.

"I'll just be thrilled to be there and see the Orange Bowl," he said.

He said he felt honored and flattered to sing with Gladys Knight, who has served as an American Idol guest judge and is known for such hits as "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "If I Were Your Woman"

Hicks will stick around after his brief performance - he and Knight will perform for 7 or 8 minutes, Oeters said - to watch the game. He requested tickets for himself and his band.

He will be fresh off a holiday visit with his family. Before Christmas, he talked about how excited he was about the prospect of going back to Birmingham.

Since he won Idol, he said, "I've probably been home about 45 minutes." His pets - two goldfish - remain with his family.

The new season of Idol begins in January. After a new winner is crowned, Hicks will regain control of his career. Then, he said, "I just want to keep being the artist that I've always been - keep learning and working, being more creative."

His higher profile may help make some of his dream duets come true. He would like to sing with Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin and Paul Simon. Simon is a great songwriter, Hicks said.

"I just like his soul."

Constant travel and being more active have melted 20 pounds off Hicks' frame since he won Idol. But Hicks might trade a pound or two if he could stay in one place for a while. He doesn't care where.

"I'd just like to settle down, period," he said.