Q: Phillip Phillips can be heard on the TV and radio and in commercials. He’s wonderful. How well is his career going?
—Joyce Cleveland, Tucker
A: Phillips, 23, a native Georgian who won Season 11 of "American Idol" in 2012, toured with John Mayer last year and performed live during the Super Bowl XLVIII pregame show on Feb. 2. "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone," Phillips' first two singles, both went No. 1 on various charts, and "The World From This Side of the Moon," his debut album, went platinum last fall. Phillips' success was boosted when "Home" was chosen by NBC as the theme for the U.S. women's gymnastics team during the 2012 London Olympics. "It's been pretty crazy and unreal that that many people bought the album and listened to it," he told Elle magazine in November. "Not many artists or bands go platinum every year from what people have told me, so it's an honor to have so many fans." Phillips is working on his second album, which he has said will better reflect his personality, and is scheduled to begin a Canadian tour on March 8. He is from Leesburg.
Q: Is there an age or education requirement to become an NFL official?
—Don Brown, Atlanta
A: There are no age or education requirements to be an NFL referee, but the league requires potential officials to have at least five years experience officiating college football games, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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