'American Idol' winner Chayce Beckham to perform in Apple Valley

"American Idol" winner and hometown favorite Chayce Beckham will grab his guitar and return to Apple Valley to perform.

Beckham, who garnered the "American Idol" crown last May, will perform on June 4 at the Lenny Brewster Sports Center, according to the Town of Apple Valley.

"American Idol" Top 10 finalist Hunter Metts is also scheduled to perform. After exiting the show last year, the singer-songwriter sold out shows in his hometown, Franklin, Tennessee. He also went out on tour with season 20 performer Francisco Martin.

Beckham will come to Apple Valley in June after a nearly 20-city tour on the East Coast, the South and the Midwest.

Tickets for the concert are $25 per person for the general audience section and $50 for the premium audience area. Tickets are on sale online and may be picked up May 9 at the Town Hall Parks and Recreation Counter.

‘Doin’ It Right’

A “2022 Artist to Watch,” Beckham is scheduled to return to ABC’s "American Idol" this Sunday after recently releasing his debut EP, Doin’ It Right, which follows his duet with label-mate Lindsay Ell, “Can’t Do Without Me,” that is currently climbing the country radio charts.

“With masterful storytelling weaved together by small town charm and back-porch philosophies, Doin’ It Right is Beckham’s first project to release since winning the competition show. The six-pack of songs overflows with strong, energetic choruses and Chayce’s rough, powerhouse vocals, divulging the secrets behind “doin’ life right,” according to Beckham’s promoter.

“Since my season on American Idol, I’ve been busy in Nashville writing songs and touring,” said Beckham. “I tested these songs in front of live audiences last year, and now I’m so excited to have them recorded and ready for you to listen to. I’m really proud of these songs, and I believe they not only tell my story, but they tell stories relatable to everyone going through everyday life.”

The project features the previously released southern comfort track “Tell Me Twice” that E! News praised as “a catchy, easy-listening track that will make you feel like ’90s Country is back” and Billboard lauded as “a catchy, radio-ready track.”

Beckham said the “Tell Me Twice” song came from a conversation after a few different phone calls from his mother.

"She told me I needed to write a song called tell me twice so I did, and without thinking I started writing about all the things I’ve learned to love and value as I grew up," he said. "Simple lessons learned that I still keep with me today. So I figured an old photo of me and my mama would fit best for the cover art. The song was her idea after all!"

Over the last year, Beckham has spent time touring, writing, recording, fishing and being with family in California and Oklahoma.

'American Idol'

While standing on the "American Idol" stage last year, pyrotechnics and confetti shot across large illuminated letters that spelled out “Chayce” as Beckham was announced as the winner.

Voters nationwide pushed the 25-year-old raspy-voiced Beckham across the “Idol” finish line with a first-place win during the three-hour Season 19 grand finale on ABC.

After the show, Beckham’s mother, Windie Petersen of Apple Valley, spoke to the Daily Press.

“We are so excited for Chayce’s future, and we can’t wait to get him home," Petersen said. "I know he can’t wait to say thank you in person to everyone in the High Desert for all their support.”

The Victorville-born Beckham was crowned after nearly three months of competition that started in February 2021 when judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan began searching for the next “Idol” champion.

Days before winning the "Idol" crown, Beckham returned to Apple Valley where he performed at his former elementary school, Vanguard Preparatory School. He also planted a tree at Civic Center Park and performed a private concert at Horsemen’s Center Park.

The High Desert is 'home'

Born at Victor Valley Global Medical Center, Beckham told the Daily Press that he spent most of his childhood in Victorville, as well as neighboring Hesperia and Apple Valley.

He attended Carmel Elementary School in Hesperia, as well as Vanguard Preparatory School and Sitting Bull Academy, both located in Apple Valley. At age 12, he moved down the hill, where he bounced around cities in the Inland Empire and Los Angeles County.

Beckham attended Glendora High School and graduated in 2014 from Whitcomb High School, a continuation school in Glendora — roughly 34 miles east of “Idol's” home at Television City in Los Angeles.

Beckham described the High Desert as the place where solitude is a friend, desert skies bring comfort and his family provides love and support.

“I’ve never seen too many other places that have sunsets in the sky like that, with all the color and the clouds,” Beckham said. “I’m also never too far away from the beach, the river or Interstate 40 if I want to drive across the country. I can do all of that from Apple Valley.”

Beckham said he also loves the High Desert's wide-open spaces, where he can ride his dirt bike, take trips up to Barstow and get to hard-to-reach places.

“It’s a different lifestyle, and there’s different stuff that we do for fun and to keep ourselves entertained,” Beckham said. “No matter where you go, those types of deals are the things you return to because it’s home.”

For tickets, show times and more information, call 760-240-7880 or visit applevalley.org/home or facebook.com/applevalleyca.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: American Idol winner Chayce Beckham to perform in Apple Valley