Tyler community rallying for Fritz Hager III as he competes for spot in final 3 on ‘American Idol’

Published 5:45 am Sunday, May 15, 2022

The streets of Tyler could be filled with residents cheering on local “American Idol” contestant Fritz Hager III on Tuesday.

Hager is competing on tonight’s episode for a spot in the final 3, and if he receives enough votes to advance to the finale, he’ll return home to Tyler for a parade and live concert.

The 22-year-old Tylerite has received support from fans across the nation, as his self-titled EP earned a No. 1 spot on the iTunes Pop Chart and his new single follows in the album’s footsteps, quickly climbing the charts since its release on Friday.

The community back home in Tyler has been vocal about its support of Hager, as well.

Facebook posts and tweets, social media fan pages, coffee shop and civic theater watch parties, messages on local business signs and encouragement from city officials are a few of the ways Tyler has shown its support for Hager.

“We are so proud of not only the voice and talents of Fritz Hager III, but also how well he continues to represent Tyler,” Mayor Don Warren said. “He is definitely the one to watch this season.”

Tuesday’s parade would begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on the downtown Tyler square and end at a Bergfeld Park for a live concert, which would be filmed and aired as part of the finale of “American Idol.”

Hager’s parents, Fritz Hager Jr. and Sarina Hager, will be in the audience tonight in Los Angeles as their son performs two songs then awaits his verdict from America.

While their son is on stage and host Ryan Seacrest calls out each safe contestant name by name, mom and dad are experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions.

“At our first live show, I’m wearing an Apple watch and it’s tracking my pulse, which is normally 60 to 70 beats per minute,” Hager Jr. said in an interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph after his son advanced to the top 7. “When the show started, it was at 90 and through most of the show it stayed at 120. But when there was one spot left in the top 10 and it was down to two people and Fritz was one of them, they said, ‘We’re going to commercial break.’ During that break, my pulse peaked at 145.”

Hager Jr. said he had gained a little confidence during recent eliminations due to his son’s popularity with voters, but he knows eliminating two from the top 5 is going to be a tough round.

For Sarina Hager, she’s nervous every time.

“The whole time, I felt like I had to guard my heart in case he didn’t make it,” she said of previous elimination rounds. “Maybe this is just the mother in me, but I’ve always felt that I have to be the safety net for my kids – I have to be there to catch them when they fall. I’ve never gone into those elimination rounds as confident as his siblings or even his dad. I tell myself I have to hold it together because if he doesn’t make it, he’s going to want his mom.”

But when the results are announced and she knows her son is safe, Sarina said she lets out a scream of relief.

“I just scream because it is such a relief and a joy that he’s made it another round and that I haven’t had to comfort a broken heart,” she said in a previous interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

Like Hagers parents, supporters in East Texas hope Hager’s journey won’t come to an end on tonight’s episode, which will air at 7 p.m. on ABC. Hager will need to secure enough votes to advance to the finale where he’ll have a shot to become the winner of “American Idol” Season 20.

There are three ways to vote:

1. Online at americanidol.com/vote

2. American Idol app

3. Texting the contestant number to 21523 (Hager’s number is 10)

Voting closes during the last commercial break.