HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - He may have won "American Idol," but Taylor Hicks is now a man without a record label.

The soul singer, who claimed the "Idol" title in 2006, has apparently been dropped by J Records, a label within Sony-BMG, which is responsible for signing the show's singers.

"Taylor is going to record on his own for the next album," said J Records publicist Liz Morentin, who did not provide any further details regarding Hicks.

Another "Idol" winner — Season Two's Ruben Studdard — left his contract with J Records late last year. Studdard still has a contract with 19 Entertainment, the company managed by "Idol" creator Simon Fuller.

Studdard is at work on an upcoming album, but it will not be distributed by J Records, according to Morentin.

Studdard's previous album, 2006's "The Return," has sold 236,000 copies.

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