New ‘American Idol’ winner to perform at free Alabama festival
Jamal Roberts won “American Idol” and promptly followed that up with a No. 1 gospel song. One of the first stages he’ll hit as “Idol” winner is an Alabama festival coming up in mid-June.
Roberts, 27, a gym teacher from Meridian, Miss., won the most recent season of “Idol” on May 18, triumphing over a field that had included several contenders from Alabama. At the end of May, Billboard.com reported that his latest single, a version of Tom Odell’s 2013 release, “Amen,” had debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart.
Before that, he topped the Gospel Digital Song Sales chart with “Heal,” which also hit No. 2 on the multi-genre Digital Songs chart. Another single, “He’s Preparing Me,” hit No. 4 on the Gospel Digital Song Sales chart.
The city of Atmore and Main Street Atmore have announced that Roberts will perform June 14 during the city’s upcoming Bee More Summer Festival. The free performance will take place at Boxcar Willie, an outdoor venue at 207 W. Ridgeley St.
According to Main Street Atmore, the Bee More Summer Festival highlights the city’s Arts & Entertainment District. According to promotional information, the event also was conceived as “an opportunity to teach about bees and highlight our gardens downtown” with several bee-themed activities.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jamal Roberts to our city,” Interim Mayor Shawn Lassiter said in a concert announcement. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our community and folks visiting Atmore to come together and enjoy world-class entertainment right here at Boxcar Willie. His performance will undoubtedly be a highlight of the day.”
According to information released by the city, activities at the venue will begin at noon. Musical performances start at 2 p.m., and Roberts is scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. Other attractions include line dancing, a foam machine, a mechanical bull, face painting, a caricature artist, food trucks and more.
For more information on the festival, visit mainstreetatmore.org or www.facebook.com/mainstreetatmore.