The “Soul Patrol” was alive and well in Goshen Monday night.

Thousands filled the grandstands and track seats at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair to see 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks perform.

Women sitting on the track seats waved pictures of Hicks, and a few wore shirts proclaiming, “Hicks’ Chicks.” A young fan held up a pink sign with “I love you, Taylor!” written in large letters.

Hicks’ high-energy level proved contagious as many fans got out of their seats to dance to songs from his new self-titled album, including “The Runaround,” “Gonna Move” and “Heaven Knows.”

Hicks, who at age 30 has a head of gray hair, joked that one of the songs he performed, “Heart and Soul,” he’d written “when I was about 48.”

He later slowed things down with “The Right Place,” a song on his album that was composed by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Hicks’ version of the Marvin Gaye classic, “Let’s Get It On,” was a big hit with the crowd, particularly the ladies.

In an interview prior to the show, Hicks said that he was a performer long before he was on “American Idol.”

“I had always been on the road traveling … I’ve been a musician for a long time,” he said, explaining that prior to his big break on the national television show he played bars and clubs in the south.

But it was a bad wedding gig that prompted him to audition for the show.

“Brides can be really pushy about their music,” he said, leaving it at that.

Life has been a whirlwind for Hicks, who admitted that he hasn’t gotten much sleep since he started touring in October.

“I feel like I just won (Idol) yesterday,” he said. While it has taken some time for him to get used to having people recognize him wherever he goes, “I’ve been planning this my whole life,” he said. Hicks learned how to play the harmonica and guitar without formal training, and then began writing his own songs.

When “American Idol” is mentioned, many think of judge Simon Cowell. Was Simon really as grumpy as he seemed on TV or was that just an act?

“It’s a grumpy act,” according to Hicks.

Getting through the first “Idol” auditions was more nerve-wracking than being in the finals, he said. It wasn’t until he was in the top three that he thought he might have a shot at winning. Hicks said he keeps in touch with a few of the other “Idol” contestants, including Chris Daughtry, whose self-titled debut album has gone triple platinum.

So what does Hicks listen to when he is not busy writing and performing? Most recently, it was Van Morrison: Live at Montreux.

A few other tidbits: Hicks had gray hair by the time he was 14. He has written a book titled, “Heart Full Of Soul,” an inspirational memoir. He wasn’t in 4-H as a kid. “But I should have been,” he said.