PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A singer with Southeast Texas ties made his big debut on a popular television series on Sunday night and got a golden ticket.
Fritz Hager III, 22, is set to make his debut on American Idol. The singer got a golden ticket and is going to compete in Hollywood next week.
Hager was born in Dallas but has generational Southeast Texas roots.
The singer’s maternal grandfather, Joe Drago, lives in Port Arthur with his uncles, aunts and cousins. The family will be in Port Arthur Sunday night to attend a watch party to see Hager sing.
Hager’s family said they have listened, “to him charm family and friends with original songs played on an acoustic guitar.” That guitar was given to him by his maternal grandmother 10 years ago.
Hager’s mom, Sarina Hager, said her son has done very well so far on American Idol.
While the singer is not native to the area, the Southeast Texas community is special to him and his family. The family hopes that the Southeast Texas community will support Fritz Hager on his journey.
Fritz Hager wrote a song about the Gulf Coast, being that he spent many years on Galveston beaches.
The singer recently released his first extended play called, All My Friends. The EP has a song called "The Ocean," which is a " nostalgic glance back at his summers growing up on the beaches of the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston."
Fritz Hager's grandmother asked him to write her a song about the family beach house several years before she died in 2017.
Hager will perform at a live concert at the Foundry Coffee House in Tyler as he waited to watch his performance on American Idol Sunday night.
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