The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts has announced the second concert of the 2026 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 as the season winner, Murphy will bring his talents to the Turner Center Art Park, showcasing his soulful singing abilities.
The proud West Virginia-based car washer turned crooner’s debut album “That’s Life” on Columbia Records and recorded at the legendary Capitol Records studios in Los Angeles spent several weeks atop the Billboard Jazz charts and in the Top 40 overall. He has since released four additional well-received albums (two with Grammy-winning producers), penned an Amazon #1 best-selling memoir titled “ From Washing Cars to Hollywood Star,” appeared on multiple network TV shows, had a featured role in a film, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, named “Reality TV Star of the Year,” and was named one of the Top 10 Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Jaycees.
Landau has toured extensively around the world, headlining concerts in New York City, Shanghai, Las Vegas, Dubai, Atlantic City, Hollywood, Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry stage, for American troops stationed in Europe and more. His latest release, “I’m Not Messing Around,” is Landau’s first-ever album of all original material. All songs have been written or co-written by Landau and the album’s producer, Rob Hegel, known for his work with Air Supply, Labelle’s Sarah Dash, and his solo career, which included appearances on American Bandstand and scoring the themes for many network television shows including ‘Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert’.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and his forced time off the road, Landau turned his attention to his education, went back to school online, and received his high school equivalency diploma three decades after dropping out, proving it’s never too late to graduate. He is now a spokesperson and advocate for adult learning nationwide.
Each Christmas season since winning America’s Got Talent, Landau travels from coast to coast with his annual Home for the Holidays Tour. He always commits several of his performances to his home state of West Virginia, where he has helped raise millions of dollars for Mountain State charities. Each tour stop in West Virginia also serves as a drop-off location for Landau’s Kids Joy Toy Drive. Landau and wife Peyton have personally distributed thousands of toys across West Virginia to children in need of a little extra Christmas cheer.
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.’s iconic Big Band style will be on full display at the Turner Center Art Park at 605 North Patterson Street in Valdosta on Friday, March 20, 2026, 7pm. This free, live performance is open to the public as part of the 2026 Levitt AMP Valdosta Music Series, sponsored by the Levitt Family Foundation and The Price-Campbell Foundation.
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About the series: The Levitt AMP Valdosta Music Series is supported in part by the Levitt Family Foundation, which partners with changemakers and nonprofits to strengthen the social fabric of communities in America through free, live music in outdoor public spaces. Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt concerts are welcoming, inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together. In 2026, the Levitt Family Foundation is supporting over 900 free concerts in 90+ towns and cities across the country, bringing joy to over a million people. In addition to supporting free concerts, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing vibrant music ecosystems through partnerships, field-building initiatives, and research. levitt.org.
