Jamal Roberts Reflects on ‘Overwhelming’ Life for Him And Daughters After ‘American Idol’ Win

Life looks pretty different for Jamal Roberts since winning season 23 of American Idol in May.

The gospel singer, 27, recently spoke to Billboard about some of the challenges that have come with his newfound fame.

“Typically, I can’t go to the store now and when I do step out, I have to have security and all the safety measures and it just gets overwhelming sometimes,” he told the outlet in an article published Thursday, July 24.

The “Heal” singer, who is a dad to three young daughters, Harmoni, Lyrik, and Gianna, said his kids’ lives have also been shaken up.

“Sometimes I have to send them with their godmother or mom when they want to go somewhere fun because going with me can be overwhelming for them,” he admitted. “They don’t realize that now because they’re so young, but eventually they’ll get it.

 

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However, the Mississippi native noted his little ones have great memories from Idol.

“Lyrik is always saying, ‘Daddy, I remember you got the Golden Ticket.’ She still talks about that and they still talk about going to Disneyland,” he shared. “They talk about their experiences, the impact it had on their lives and the impact it has on their lives currently.”

Roberts also revealed he had to leave his job as a physical education teacher behind.

“The first day I went back to school after winning Idol, people were coming up to the school [to see me] and I thought, ‘This won’t work,'” he recounted. “So I had to make that ultimate decision.”

“As an employee, I had to leave, but I still show up and volunteer all the time because this is where my passion is and my heart is, as well as music,” he continued.

“But America voted for me, so they expect to see something,” he added. “They expect me to put in a little more work andI have the work ethic and I’m ready.”

While Roberts just dropped his new single “Mississippi” on Friday, July 25, he is staying mum about his plans when it comes to making music.

“Like I told my label and producers and my manager, I don’t want to put out an album right now,” he told Billboard. “Why don’t we just do what we’re doing? Keep people wanting more and let them support me 100 percent and I’m loving that.”

“Even though ‘Mississippi’ is just coming out, trust me, we’ve got more stuff cooking and it’s going to be amazing,” he remarked. “Stay tuned.”