Accomplished Tenor Leading Idlewild's Fourth of July Bash

Steve Amerson enjoys singing the "The Star-Spangled Banner" but the tenor has to go with “God Bless America” as his favorite patriotic tune.

“People don’t always realize it’s actually a prayer,” he said of the Irving Berlin song.

Amerson will sing this, and many other tunes, Thursday (July 4) at Idlewild Baptist Church. The house of worship is holding a free Family Night to celebrate Independence Day. It kicks off at 5 p.m. on Idlewild’s recreation field and includes fireworks and more than 50 food trucks. It is open to the entire community. 

Amerson, of California, is known as “America’s tenor” and has a diverse singing resume. You can hear his voice in car and truck commercials, in a multitude of television shows and movies including “Indiana Jones” and in various churches across the country. Other accomplishments include having recorded demo tapes for Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.

Hopping back and forth between the secular and sacred music worlds is not as strange as it sounds, Amerson said.

“In one respect it’s not different worlds,” he said. “It’s all music and it belongs to God. Church or movie studio, it belongs to him.”

Plus, the son of a United Methodist pastor is careful about what he lends his voice to in secular music.

“I don’t want to sing stuff contrary to who I am as a believer,” he said.

Amerson, who has performed with the Florida Symphony, looks at it as a privilege to be able to belt out tunes at an Independence Day event. It’s a thought-provoking holiday.

“It’s certainly a day we celebrate our history, and I think sometimes folks fail to understand the founding of the United States,” he said.  “Our founding fathers acknowledge this experiment called democracy wasn’t going to work unless people were grounded in faith. …. Democracy falls apart when people don’t have personal boundaries and a sense of right or wrong.”

Idlewild Information:

·       Family Night webpage

·       18333 Exciting Idlewild Blvd. (813) 264-1515

Steve Amerson Information and Music Samples:

• www.steveamerson.com