By Kayla DeKraker
AMERICAN IDOL Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts just shared an exciting update: the father of three bought a house!
“I just bought a house,” the singer-songwriter told Danielle Fishel on the official AMERICAN IDOL podcast. “It’s on three acres of land, a four-bedroom, two-bath [house]. I’d seen it online, and I used to drive by it all the time and thought nothing of it. It’s a beautiful home, just never thought I’d be in it.”
Fishel, who starred in the ’90s sitcom BOY MEETS WORLD, responded, “Congratulations! Does it have a mantle for all the future Grammys?”
It doesn’t, but Roberts has a plan.
“My last home that I moved out of, I turned into Airbnb, and I think I’m just going to leave all of my precious memories in there so people can come and live when they rent it out,” he said. “Maybe they can get more people to rent it, too.”
Funny enough, Fishel can relate.
Related: AMERICAN IDOL Alum Celebrates ‘Reward’ of Marriage
“Listen, I was on a show called BOY MEETS WORLD. The BOY MEETS WORLD House is on Airbnb, so you could go and spend the night in the BOY MEETS WORLD House. I did it. We camped in the front yard,” she laughed.
A lot has changed for Roberts in the past year.
“Jamal, just last year you were a PE teacher back in Mississippi. You audition for AMERICAN IDOL, you find yourself in Hollywood, you win the show, and one year later you are nominated for a Grammy. Are you ever nervous that you’re going to wake up and this is all going to be a dream?” Fishel asked.
He said, “No, I think I’ve come to conclusion that it’s not a dream, and I’m still chasing my dream, and I’m still chasing even now…want to go higher, want to get better.”
He acknowledged that he’s still in the “spotlight” as the AMERICAN IDOL winner, so he’s holding himself to a “higher standard, and I’m still chasing dreams.
Roberts got his start singing in church and praised God for his win last year.
“I’m still trying to process this…God is so good. 🙏🏾” he said in an Instagram post.
“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. 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 continued.
“Most of all, I hope my girls see this and know that with faith, hard work, and heart, anything is possible,” he emphasized. “To my city, my family, and everyone out there grinding for something greater, this is our victory.”
He’s since released several songs, including “Mississippi,” dedicated to his home state, and “Heal,” which which went No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart.
It looks like Roberts’ career is only getting started.
Read Next: AMERICAN IDOL Alum Danny Gokey Wants New Album to Inspire Hope in Christ
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +1