Jamal Roberts’ American Idol Journey Started With A Rick James Cover
Early in the competition, Idol star Jamal Roberts sang a Jelly Roll song. Then, he revisited that same song during the finale.

Jamal wowed American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood on day one. He auditioned for Season 23 with a passionate and soulful cover of Rick James’ “Mary Jane.”

The now 27-year-old physical education teacher and father of three had Lionel dancing in his seat during his audition. Lionel was the first to speak after Jamal finished singing, telling him:
“Man, you got some stuff in there, and by the end you were letting it come out … you’ve got the voice and you know how to tell a story, [that’s] priceless.”

The judges all agreed to give Jamal a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. It was a huge victory for Jamal, who told Billboard he auditioned for the show twice before, but was rejected both times.

As the weeks passed, Jamal proved to be a top contender in the competition. The judges and viewers were enthralled by his energetic and powerful performances of songs such as Carrie’s “Undo It,” Jelly Roll’s “Liar,” and “Go the Distance” from Hercules.
His rendition of “Liar” was performed in front of Jelly Roll himself, who has served as Idol‘s artist-in-residence this year. Jelly Roll teared up while listening to Jamal sing.

Jamal’s consistently astonishing performances resulted in America voting him into the Top 5. During the May 12 episode (themed around Disney films), Jamal sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” from Remember the Titans and “Beauty and the Beast” from its namesake movie.

Jamal Roberts Joins Jelly Roll For Special Duet During Idol Finale

Jamal’s May 12 performances sealed the deal with Idol viewers, who voted him into the Top 3. He joined fellow finalists Breanna Nix and John Foster in the season finale on Sunday, May 18.

In his case, Jamal got the chance to bring things full circle by singing a duet with artist-in-residence Jelly Roll during the finale. Of course, they covered “Liar” together, which Jamal previously sang while they were in Hawaii. But they also performed a duet version of another of Jelly Roll’s songs, “Unpretty.”

They opened their duet with a moving snippet of “Unpretty” before moving into a passionate rendition of “Liar.” Idol fans who’ve followed Jamal from the show’s start were thrilled to see him sing “Liar” with Jelly Roll at last!

Tune in to the video below to watch Jamal Roberts and Jelly Roll sing together during the American Idol finale. It seems pretty clear that Jamal was destined to be a star!