Beaufort Water Festival performer, ‘Idol’ winner Candice Glover still can’t stop singing

Candice Glover’s online persona reveals a commitment to have fun with a life that remains dominated by music since her reality television fame.

In a recent video broadcast live on Facebook, the “American Idol” winner grabbed a microphone and slid to the center of the floor at a Savannah nightclub to croon an Alicia Keys song. In other posts, she posed with the singer Brandy at an event in Puerto Rico and obliged song requests from fans on the fly.

The St. Helena Island native and R&B artist returns to her hometown this week to perform at the Beaufort Water Festival during its Lowcountry Supper on Thursday. She remains tied to her roots here but works in Savannah, Houston and Los Angeles, where she continues to perform, produce new singles and search for the right fit in a new record label to release a sophomore album.

“I’m basically living on a plane,” Glover said. “I’m having fun in my life right now doing some new music and falling in love with music again.”

Her performance at the Beaufort Water Festival is billed as a cameo during the set for headliners the Broke Locals. Glover will perform with her band and interact with the crowd.

The appearance was part of an effort by Broke Locals to stack the evening with local musicians, including an opening act by Beaufort’s Eric Daubert.

The 27-year-old Glover said Thursday will be her first Water Festival visit as an adult after growing up attending festivals downtown and wanting to perform.

Glover released a new single, “My Mistake,” in March. She followed in May by unveiling “Good Enough,” a song that had been left off of her debut album in 2014.

She planned to release another new single, “15 Minutes,” but said she is having trouble getting the track cleared and might choose another. While a Los Angeles Times report in March said Glover targeted this summer to release another album, she said she’s not putting herself on the clock.

“I’m in talks with a few labels about the smartest way to release my stuff and come back out as that different artist I want to be,” Glover said. “I’m definitely changing my look and changing my sound and just experimenting with a lot of different stuff.”

She performed this month in Houston, where she has collaborated with fellow artist Chadd Black and said her music has been well-received. Glover said she could eventually see herself moving to Texas, though she remains connected to Beaufort.

During a recent visit, she enjoyed her grandmother’s home cooking and took in changes at her uncle’s St. Helena church, Church of the Harvest, which has a new youth center.

“My family still looks at me as that girl who could not stop singing,” Glover said.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Beaufort Water Festival performer, ‘Idol’ winner Candice Glover still can’t stop singing."