A Deaf Fan Finds Inspiration in Taylor Hicks

July 19, 2006 — -- Taylor Hicks has it all.

He's the latest "American Idol" winner, has received a hefty record contract, and is a hero to a group of fans.

Fans are the key to success for any rising musician. For "American Idol" contestants, fans are crucial.

Without fans, there are no votes, and without votes, there is no hope for a singer to continue on the show.

So, whereas the tabloids and other media are curious about Hicks' past, and others ask about his gray hair, we wanted to get to the root of Hicks' success: his fans.

For many fans of Hicks -- who, inspired by his music, call themselves the Soul Patrol -- he was the natural "American Idol" choice.

He looks different, sounds different, and was the underdog from the beginning.

For Jane Croft, he's an inspiration.

Croft, 40, is one of the 25,490 members of TheOfficialSoulpatrol.com, the Taylor Hick's fan club Web site.

Croft was born deaf from maternal rubella, and believes she is one of a handful of deaf Hicks' fans.

"I can actually hear Taylor sing. Although I may not catch all the words at first, I do eventually," Croft said in an e-mail interview with ABC News.

Croft learned to listen through auditory-verbal therapy and two powerful hearing aids but can't attend any of Hicks' concerts because the amplifiers drain the batteries in her hearing aids.

She also couldn't vote for Hicks during the "American Idol" season because she could not use a telephone.

Croft still gets to hear Hicks' music by watching and listening to videos on the Internet, and, more specifically, on TheOfficialSoulpatrol.com, where his fans gather.