Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} The youngest American Idol will be the headline performer for the 8th Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and Festival. Jordin Sparks will be showing off her amazing voice on Sunday, April 10, at approximately 8 p.m. from the Guyzapp.com Main Stage in Lummus Park just off Ocean Drive between 11th and 12th Streets. The crescendo of her performance will be a spectacular fireworks display over the Atlantic Ocean.
Sparks was born in Phoenix, Arizona. She’s the daughter of Phillippi Sparks, former left cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and former defensive back for the New York Giants. In 2007, she rose to fame after winning the sixth season of American Idol at the age of 17. She’s known as the youngest Idol winner in history.
The Idol winner debuted her first single, "This Is My Now," soon after the show’s May finale. Sparks’ single "Tattoo" preceded her self-titled debut album, which arrived in time for the 2007 holiday season. It also spawned the 2008 hit, "No Air," which featured Chris Brown and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The “No Air” collaboration earned Sparks her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Her debut album is the third-highest-selling single by any American Idol contestant, selling over three million digital copies in the United States.
Sparks returned in summer 2009 with her second album title Battlefield, which debuted at number seven on the U.S. Billboard 200. Its lead single, also titled "Battlefield", where it reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Sparks the only American Idol contestant to have her first five singles reach top 20 on the chart. Her second album provided the spark she needed to headline her first tour in the United States. She spent the next five years concentrating on television work, film music, and appearing on compilations. Then in 2015 she ended the hiatus on her solo career with a new studio LP, Right Here, Right Now, which was issued via her new joint label deal with Louder Than Life/RAL.
Since its inception in 2009, Miami Beach Gay Pride has grown from a neighborhood event to an event on the global stage with A-list celebrities such as Elvis Duran as 2016 Grand Marshal, Mario Lopez as Grand Marshal in 2015, Gloria Estefan as Grand Marshal in 2014 and Adam Lambert performing in 2013. Attendance has grown as well. An estimated 15,000 spectators turned out for the first Pride parade in 2009; an estimated 130,000 attended the event in 2015, which attracted not only South Floridians, but also visitors from throughout the world.
In addition to Parade spectators, last April’s event included more than 65 parade contingencies, 35 floats and 2,700 participants. The Pride Festival which followed featured more than 100 LGBTQ-friendly vendors and businesses, plus refreshments, two stages of entertainment, a family-friendly play area and fireworks. Recently, Miami Beach Gay Pride was named one of the “Top 100 Events of the Year” for the second year in a row by BizBash Magazine and won the Pink Flamingo Award for “Favorite Event” for the third year.
The mission of Miami Beach Gay Pride is to bring together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, their friends, allies, and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBT community. For details on Miami Beach Gay Pride 2016 and related events, visit www.MiamiBeachGayPride.com.
