'American Idol' Candice Glover talks about song-writing, church and her return home for free concert Thursday
With the "American Idol" summer tour now over, Candice Glover is back in town and will give a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at Tanger Outlet Center 1 in Bluffton.
It is the St. Helena Island native's first concert in Beaufort County since winning "American Idol" in May. For the past several months, she has been busy with the "Idol" tour and recording her debut album, "Music Speaks," featuring her "Idol" coronation song and first single "I Am Beautiful." The album is scheduled to be released Oct. 8.
Glover has been working with the Jackie Boyz, a multiplatinum song-writing duo originally from Savannah, who have written for singers like Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and Flo Rida.
The track list for her debut album is set, but the Jackie Boyz are helping her with the words. Glover dabbled in song-writing even before her "Idol" fame, but was always insecure and shy about what she wrote.
"They taught me everybody can be a song-writer," Glover said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Glover tried writing while on the "Idol" tour this summer, but her hectic days made it difficult. Being home, she's had the chance to exhale and focus on writing.
"I don't want to rush a song," she said. "Home definitely helps me relax more."
Last Sunday, Glover attended her church on St. Helena Island, Church of the Harvest, where her uncle, Jerome Middleton, is the pastor. It was the first time she'd been to her church since leaving for "Idol" in January, and the first time she'd been able to go to church at all since going with fellow "Idol" contestant Curtis Finch in February.
"Everyone was so welcoming and supportive," she said of the congregation. "They told me how much they had voted. Kids ran up wanting hugs and autographs."
Since her rise to fame, Glover said her church has also grown.
"I kept hearing stories of how packed it is because people hear that I went there," Glover said. "I'm glad to know that I could do that."
The Sept. 12 concert, "Candice for a Cure," is dedicated to breast cancer awareness, with all proceeds going to Beaufort Memorial's Keyserling Cancer Center.
LaDonna Shamlou, Tanger Outlets general manager, said the 800 VIP pre-show party tickets are sold out.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TRAFFIC AND PARKING ...
The Beaufort County Sheriff's department will help with crowd control and traffic direction for the Candice Glover concert on Sept. 12 at Tanger Outlet Center 1 in Bluffton.
"There will be a number of extra deputies staffing the event in addition to the private security force Tanger already employs," spokeswoman Sgt. Robin McIntosh said. "We will be supplementing their efforts as far as overseeing the event."
Motorists should be aware there could be some slow-moving traffic on Bluffton Parkway and U.S. 278 before and after the event, which begins with a pre-party for ticketholders at 5 p.m. The event is expected to be over between 8:30 and 9 p.m.
"It should be a pretty well-attended event," McIntosh said.
Follow reporter Laura Oberle at twitter.com/IPBG_Laura.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2013 at 2:36 PM with the headline "'American Idol' Candice Glover talks about song-writing, church and her return home for free concert Thursday."