America's Got Talent winner to kick off Turner Center's 2024 Levitt AMP Valdosta Music Series

Mar. 11—VALDOSTA — The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts has announced the opening of the 2024 Levitt AMP Valdosta Music Series with a performance by Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Perhaps best known for his triumphant run on Season 6 of America's Got Talent, Murphy will bring his talents to the Turner Center Art Park, showcasing his soulful singing abilities alongside his dynamic backing musicians, the Landau Big Band.

Murphy's iconic Sinatra-And-Soul style will be on full display at the Turner Center Art Park at 605 N. Patterson St. on Friday, March 15. The show will begin at 7 p.m. and run until 9 p.m. This free live performance is open to the public as part of the 2024 Levitt AMP Valdosta Music Series, sponsored by the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation and The Price-Campbell Foundation.

As a musician, Murphy's career includes a number of high-profile performances at such prestigious venues as Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Apollo Theater and Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Expo 2020 in Dubai. He has released five studio albums, has worked with music industry legends like The Temptations and Rob Hegel, and is a frequent performer of the United States National Anthem at sporting events of all sizes. He prides himself on his approachable public persona, always making himself available to meet with fans after his performances for photo opportunities and discussions.

"It's my favorite part of the night," he proudly proclaims on his website. "Sometimes I'm the last one at the venue, talking to fans and friends."

Having overcome a turbulent upbringing rife with struggle, Murphy is not only a world-class musical talent, but he also boasts a lengthy record of charitable endeavors, according to a press release from the Turner Center. His musical career began well before his tenure on America's Got Talent, when he began performing for local charities and nursing homes in his home state of West Virginia. He continues to support communities in West Virginia with annual charitable music events and a position on the Board of Directors for the Children's Home Society of West Virginia. He is also a fervent proponent of the importance of education. After boldly earning his high school diploma during the COVID-19 pandemic (over 20 years after first leaving school), he has gone on to advocate for the West Virginia Department of Education's "It's Never Too Late to Graduate" campaign, as well as establishing a namesake scholarship fund for students of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College in his hometown of Logan, West Virginia.

The Levitt AMP Valdosta Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, which partners with changemakers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused outdoor spaces through the power of free, live music — bringing people together, fostering belonging, and invigorating community life, the Turner Center said. Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt concerts are welcoming and inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together.

In 2024, the national Levitt network of music venues and concert sites is presenting 650+ free concerts in 45 towns and cities, with audiences over 750,000. In addition to supporting free concerts, the Levitt Foundation is dedicated to advancing equitable music ecosystems through research and partnerships. Learn more at www.levitt.org.