America got it right! R&B/soul singer Jamal Roberts walked away as the winner of American Idol last night and he made history in so doing, becoming only the second Black man to win the title in the singing competition’s history and it wasn’t even something he was aware of.
“I made history?” he asked when he was informed backstage at a roundtable that it had been 22 years since Ruben Studdard won. “That’s good to know. That’s really good to know.”
When the 27-year-old father and P.E. teacher from Meridian, MS, sat down to speak with Parade and few other select reporters after his win, he was still overwhelmed.
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“Ryan took so long, I didn’t even know he had called my name,” Jamal admitted. “Then it was like, ‘He called me.’ It still hasn’t settled in yet. I was like, ‘I just won American Idol.’”
Jamal, who won over America’s vote by being diverse and not sticking to one genre, wants to be a soul inspirational singer, but it’s too soon for him to even begin discussing what his album will sound like.
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His first single, “Heal” by Tom Odell was originally not intended to be an R&B song, but as Lionel Richie told Jamal, he has the ability to turn any song into an R&B song. He “Jamalarizes” them.
“I really studied the lyrics,” he said of his talent. “I read them, I write them, and I put myself inside of them. I am, ‘What’s on this paper that I can relate to? What situation have I been through that I can relate to? And I just go from there.”
It was clear from watching the judges, whose job is to remain neutral, that Lionel and Luke Bryan were pulling for him to win. At least it was obvious in the finale.
Related: American Idol‘s Jamal Roberts Reveals What Song He Wants to ‘Bring Out of the Hat’ This Season (Exclusive)
“I felt Luke and Lionel pulling for me. I felt it,” Roberts said. “So, that’s why I stayed focused and I just continued the journey.”
Despite his win, and as Jamal previously told Parade, he has no plans to leave his hometown of Meridian. It’s where his daughters Harmoni, Lyrik and newborn GiannaGrace reside.
Plus, as he points out, “I love my city. There’s no traffic. I don’t wait in line to eat. I love my life!”
And what was obvious from his American Idol hometown visit is they love him back, “”I knew I was loved, but when I saw that many people out there for me — I was shocked,” he said. “So, I’m just going to keep singing and keep moving souls, keep making people happy, and keep being Jamal.”
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