In the years following his 2006 win on “American Idol,” Taylor Hicks liked to tell people he didn’t have a home.

He most decidedly was from Hoover – often coming back to visit friends and family in the Birmingham area – but he didn’t own a home and spent a good deal of time traveling on tour and working on projects in California, Las Vegas and New York.

So it should come as no surprise to his fans that Hicks is still on the road, this time as host of the new cable series “State Plate.” The show, in which Hicks travels to each state in the country and tastes that state’s most popular foods, premieres on Oct. 21 on the INSP channel.

“It’s a great concept,” says Hicks, who is a co-owner of Birmingham’s Saw’s Juke Joint. “I have been pitching TV shows, and I’ve always wanted to host a show with food and music. When I came across this, I thought, this is a home run.”

Calling the show a cross between “Dirty Jobs” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Hicks says he and the show’s producers are determining the most iconic and popular foods of each state.

“It’s truly farm to table,” he says. “We go to the origins of where these iconic foods come from, and more often than not, it’s the farm. I’ve been educated on a lot of different foods from other regions.”

Taylor Hicks (Photo/INSP)

Hicks has filmed nine half-hour episodes, visiting one state per show.

“Our goal is to visit all 50 states and then territories,” he says, adding that he has not filmed the Alabama episode.

Hicks says he’ll play some harmonica on “State Plate,” and fans can expect a new record – “It’s rootsy,” is about all he’ll say about it – in the spring. In the meantime, he’ll be at Birmingham’s Lyric Theatre on Oct. 28, performing the songs of Van Morrison.

“I’ve never done a concept show before,” Hicks says. “But one of my favorite artists to cover is Van Morrison, so it’s a cool look to do a hometown show with Van Morrison’s music. The Lyric is a beautiful theater, so the stars are aligned.”

Interestingly, Hicks had a brush with greatness involving Morrison about six years ago. Scheduled to appear on “Regis and Kathy Lee,” Hicks was bumped … for Morrison.

“I said, ‘I’ll make a deal with you,’” Hicks recalls. “Do you mind if I get to meet him? They said, ‘Can you be at the studio in the morning?’ If you’re going to be bumped by someone, it might as well be Van Morrison. I got to spend some time with him. Believe it or not, he and his wife knew of ‘American Idol’ and actually watched the season I was on.”

It was one of Hicks’ most memorable post-“Idol” moments, which have also included appearances on TV, Broadway and in residency in Las Vegas, among many others.

“I was over the moon,” he says. “He’s always been an idol of mine.”

Live at the Lyric: Taylor Hicks performing the hits of Van Morrison takes place Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre. Tickets are $27.50-$39.50. “State Plate” premieres on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. on INSP.