The first keynote speaker for RootsTech 2023 has been announced, and the name is undoubtedly familiar to millennials, American Idol fans, and music-lovers alike: Season 6 American Idol winner, singer, songwriter, and actress Jordin Sparks.
Sparks won American Idol in 2007 when she was just 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in the show’s history. After her historic win, she went on to release hit pop songs like “No Air,” “Battlefield,” “Tattoo,” and “One Step at a Time” throughout the late 2000s. According to The Arizona Republic, as of February 2012, she has sold 1.3 million albums and 10.2 million singles in the United States alone, making her one of the most successful American Idol contestants of all time. Sparks has also tapped into her acting skills, starring in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway smash, In the Heights, and the SONY Pictures film, Sparkle, with Whitney Houston.
▶ You may also like: Platinum-ticket American Idol contestant Kenedi Anderson records song for Church’s youth album
The last few years, however, Sparks has taken a step back from the entertainment and music industry to focus on her family. According to the announcement article on FamilySearch.org, “Sparks was first introduced to her now husband, Dana Isaiah, by their mothers. They developed a deep friendship, which turned into a relationship, and then a marriage in 2017. The loving couple welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family in 2018. … Jordin has always been very family-oriented, and her husband and son are a major part of her life.” In the past, Sparks has said about her family, “[it’s a] never-ending, deep, deep love that you don’t even realize is emanating from you.”
Sparks’s keynote message on the RootsTech 2023 Main Stage will be centered around uniting within the context of her own life story and unique experiences.
You can learn more about how to register for RootsTech in the link below.
► You may also like: Registration now open for RootsTech 2023
