New American Idol, a Mississippi native, already has Coast concert scheduled
First, it happened when South Mississippi trio Chapel Hart finished in fifth place on America’s Got Talent. Now, Meridian’s Jamal Roberts will head to Biloxi to celebrate his American Idol win.
Roberts’ South Mississippi show is Friday, Aug. 8, at Ground Zero Blues Club in downtown Biloxi — and it’s already sold out.
Ground Zero Blues Club booked Roberts before he had advanced to the top 10 on Idol, said Lee Young, one of the owners of the music venue on Howard Avenue in downtown Biloxi.
Roberts had made the top 3 on Idol when tickets for his show at Ground Zero went on sale May 13.
“As soon as we put the tickets on sale, they were gone in 20 to 30 minutes,” Young said.
They’ve tried to get another show added to the schedule, Young said, but haven’t heard yet if that will happen.
Mississippi roots
Roberts, 27, was an elementary school gym teacher in Meridian when he was chosen to compete on American Idol. He has three children, one of whom is a daughter born during the American Idol run.
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest announced that Roberts had won Season 23 of American Idol thanks to the “biggest finale vote in show history.”
A lot of people were pulling for the Mississippi performer who put his heart and talent into “Just My Imagination” and other songs he performed during the shows.
“From my first step on that stage to this unbelievable moment, I never dreamed a kid from my hometown would one day be called American Idol,” Roberts said when he was announced as the winner.
“This journey has been bigger than me, and I’m so grateful for every person who believed in me when I was just chasing a dream,” he said on Instagram. “Most of all, I hope my girls see this and know that with faith, hard work, and heart, anything is possible. To my city, my family, and everyone out there grinding for something greater, this is our victory.”
Young said he, like many others from South Mississippi, watched the finale Sunday and is very happy for Roberts.
“What I like most about him is his sincerity — not only his vocals — but you can see the sincerity of the guy comes through in his songs and his emotion.
“And you know, there’s just a sincerity to his performance that I think really resonated with everyone,” he said, and will be on display in Biloxi this summer.
From Ground Zero to the world
South Mississippi’s own Chapel Hart scored the group golden buzzer on “America’s Got Talent,” wowed the audience at Grand Ole Opry and then launched their Glory Days Tour in Biloxi.
They also posted a shout out to Roberts on social media Sunday.
The girls from Poplarville wowed the crowd on America’s Got Talent in 2022 with their performance of “You Can Have Him Jolene,” a take on Dolly Parton’s hit song “Jolene.”
Sisters Danica Hart and Devynn Hart, and their cousin Trea Swindle, have performed in South Mississippi several times since and have toured the United States, Europe and Asia, representing their home state. They have a new song just released, “Texas Hold ‘em,” with Home Free.
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 11:43 AM.
