"American Idol" winner and Leesburg, Ga., native Phillip Phillips is a man of few words.
He's not a brooding, Clint Eastwood type. He's more of the aw-shucks, happy-go-lucky variety of star.
Phillips brings his humble charm and musical chops to the sold-out "Idols Live" tour stop Sunday at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth. And because he's still recuperating from recent intensive surgery for kidney stone removal, he is also a man of economy in terms of movement. You won't be seeing him running around or busting out any fancy dance steps on stage — or off.
"I'm just getting as much rest as I can, taking it slow," he said in a phone interview last week from a tour date in Glendale, Ariz.
During the interview, he discussed his "Idol" experience, the strange new feeling of being a rock star and one of his favorite topics — sleep:
Q: You have now done 15 cities out of 45. How's it been going?
A: It's been a lot of fun. And tiring, also. We're all getting as much sleep as we can. It's coming along very well."
Q: How comfortable is the tour bus?
A: It's very comfortable. We all sleep like babies.
Q: You were an early favorite to win the show and you did. Did any of that cross your mind while you were competing?
A: Man. I tried not to think of anything like that when I was on the show. I just went out there each week playing music. It's just a TV show. I honestly blocked out everything.
Q: How much time have you spent in Georgia since you won the show?
A: Zero percent. None. I'm excited to come to Duluth, eat some Southern food somewhere.
Q: How long did it take after your surgery before you could sing or play guitar?
A: It was at least two to three weeks. I couldn't even bend over or anything. It would hurt to sit up. I just sat and stared at the TV or the walls for hours. I got a little paranoid! It was horrible. I hope the rest paid off.
Q: Are there any foods you can't eat?
A: Mostly anything with calcium. I can't take too much caffeine. And I can't drink too much sweet tea, which sucks. I love sweet tea — especially my mom's sweet tea.
Q: You don't get on stage until 90 minutes into the show. What do you do until then?
A: It depends on the day. I might write. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie.
Q: How far along are you on the album?
A: We've recorded 15 songs I've written. I'm still writing, trying to get as many songs as possible.
Q: What type of music should we expect?
A: It's going to be rock with jazz and funk. Some songs will be acoustic. We're still messing around with the songs.
Q: Do you enjoy being on the road?
A: I do. I am getting to see so many different cities. I'm not trying to be a huge star. If it happens, it happens. I just want to play music for the rest of my life and make a living at it.
Q: What's it like being fawned over like a rock star?
A: It's strange to have people wanting my picture or autograph. I'm still feeling weird about it. But I love meeting new people. It's just fun to get to hear their stories. They inspire me to keep going and keep writing music and keep doing my thing.
Concert preview
"Idols Live"
7 p.m. Sunday. $40.95 to $79.20. Gwinnett Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
