Rockwall Mayor presents American Idol Finalist with Key to City

Dalton Rapattoni’s fans gather for Downtown concert on Saturday

(ROCKWALL, TX – March 28, 2016) Starstruck fans gathered in Rockwall this past weekend to catch a glimpse of a singing sensation with Rockwall ties. Dalton Rapattoni, top 4 finalist in the American Idol singing competition, is also a teacher at the School of Rock in Rockwall. He was in town Saturday as part of the Fox Network show’s Hometown Visit. Rockwall Mayor, Jim Pruitt, presented the singer with a key to the City in appreciation for being a great ambassador for the community to the rest of the world.

Crowds started gathering in Downtown Rockwall’s Historic San Jacinto Plaza about 10 a.m. The house band from the School of Rock in Dallas treated crowds to a concert as they waited for Dalton to arrive. His sister is a member of the band and sang several songs with their parents looking on. Then, the excitement level picked up when the American Idol production crews pulled up in a stretch limousine, and Dalton exited with cameras rolling.

As Mayor Pruitt gifted him with the key, Dalton reacted with surprise, humility and gratitude. “I’ve never gotten a key to anything before,” he said. Many in the crowd of hundreds were family, friends and students from the School of Rock, anxious to see their teacher since his successful stint in Hollywood. The 20-year-old Rapattoni was all smiles as he interacted with fans, took selfies with them, and even treated the crowds to a brief, impromptu performance.

Dalton finished his Rockwall visit with a tour of the School of Rock, reminiscing with family and friends. After the Rockwall event, the American Idol caravan headed across the lake to Sunnyvale, Dalton’s hometown, for a scheduled parade and concert later in the day. The entire homecoming segment is set to air on American Idol this Thursday evening. This is the 15^th and final season for the singing competition, which airs locally every Thursday on Fox 4 in Dallas.