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Singer Jordin Sparks gets RootsTech 2023 underway with music and meaningful memories

FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood welcomes online and in-person audiences to 3-day RootsTech event

RootsTech 2023 got off to a high-powered start Thursday with the music and meaningful memories of multi-platinum recording artist and actress Jordin Sparks.

The former American Idol winner, the first keynote speaker of the 3-day global family history gathering, told experiences about her life and family while performing four songs that moved the audience of thousands inside the Salt Palace Convention Center. Sparks’ keynote was also broadcast to a large online audience.

Her message focused on the value of family.

Jordin Sparks, winner of the sixth season of “American Idol,” performs on the opening day of the 2023 RootsTech conference.
Jordin Sparks, winner of the sixth season of “American Idol,” performs on the opening day of the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

“My family, they definitely have helped me keep my feet on the ground,” Sparks said. “They are the most amazing people, and they have always believed in me. That has helped propel me. ... In the industry, it’s lots of peaks and valleys. You never know when the next gig is going to come, so you are kind of in limbo. You can feel out of control at times. But I feel like with my family, they are the thing that brings me back to center.”

Sparks’ keynote was one of the main highlights on the first day of the event, which also included a message from FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood, an abundance of classes online and in-person, an expo hall and other family history activities.

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Jordin Sparks’ RootsTech keynote

Sparks received a warm welcome from the Salt Palace crowd as she joined RootsTech emcee Kirby Heyborne on the main stage.

Sparks talked about growing up in Glendale, Arizona, and New Jersey, while her father, Phillippi Sparks, played for the NFL’s New York Giants. She developed her passion for music and theater during her early years and learned to appreciate the music of a wide variety of artists and singers, including her all-time favorite, Nat King Cole.

Sparks was 17 years old in 2007 when she became the youngest winner of American Idol. Observing her father in the NFL helped her transition into the spotlight. It also may have helped to be young and naive.

“Now that I look back on it, I feel my age really helped me because I wasn’t thinking about the other things we think of as we get older,” she said.

Sparks told about meeting her husband, becoming a mother, performing as an actress and the meaning behind some of her songs.

While on stage, Sparks performed four musical numbers:

  • Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
  • Her song, “One Step at a Time.”
  • “She’s Imperfect but She Tries,” from the Broadway Musical “Waitress.”
  • Her song, “The World I Knew.”

Sparks said “She’s Imperfect but She Tries” is a song that resonated with her at that time in her life as a young wife and mother.

“We all come to the point where we are thinking about the future, and we are thinking about what could have been. We are thinking about what we want in our dreams,” she said. “So yeah, that song really connects with me.”

Sparks hopes people will remember her as someone who wasn’t afraid to try new things. She hopes her legacy will be one of kindness and beautiful music.

“I think kindness is what I want to leave as my legacy, and also my music because I want people to still be able to listen to my songs years from now and go, ‘Wow, that was a great song,’” she said.

‘Uniting’

Before Sparks came on stage, Rockwood welcomed those watching online and those in-person and talked about this year’s theme, “Uniting” — uniting people, traditions, stories, memories, technology, innovation, communities and families.

FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood speaks at the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood speaks at the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

“For years, we’ve been inviting you to connect and belong. In fact, last year, the RootsTech theme was choose connection during what could have been a divisive time,” he said. “This year, let’s take that idea of connection to a whole new level. Let’s go for connecting which was a good first step to ‘Uniting’ — uniting traditions, uniting communities, uniting societies, and specifically with family history, we are uniting our knowledge, uniting our discoveries, uniting our resources, uniting our technologies, and even uniting access to our records and trees so that we’re ultimately uniting families past, present and future.”

In recent months, Rockwood started creating videos of himself doing pushups and sending them to young family members to motivate them to get physical exercise. He impressed the crowd by dropping to pound out 10 pushups on stage. He told the audience he’s getting older and needs to amp up his cardio and resistance-training for his heart. Then he shared a lesson about “hearts and strength.”

“Do you think this is really about pushups?” he said. “What we really need is to turn our hearts to each other by connecting frequently and doing good, fun constructive things together. ... We really need the conversations before, during and after their pushups and jumping jacks, where we can learn together who we are, where we come from, and perhaps most importantly, from whom we come.”

Rockwood concluded by inviting everyone to turn on their phone flashlights.

“Everyone matters and everyone can contribute,” he said. “Each contribution comes together to create one light and we can light the whole world and unite families past, present and future.”

People hold up the flashlights on their phones as FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood speaks
People hold up the flashlights on their phones as FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood speaks on the first day of the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

RootsTech 2023 media dinner

Rockwood also welcomed media members to RootsTech with an abbreviated “state of RootsTech” address at a dinner Wednesday evening.

Despite the pandemic, the last two years have been a “wonderful blessing,” Rockwood said, because it has pushed RootsTech to new virtual heights and solidified it as a global online event.

“To have three million people come and participate at RootsTech, specifically RootsTech.org, from 242 countries, you don’t turn away from them,” he said. “It’s just been an absolute incredible manifestation of what can happen when this little industry comparatively, can actually have that sort of scope and breadth. So RootsTech is now an online global event.”

FamilySearch elected to enhance the global conference by once again having an in-person event in Utah.

“Welcome to the enhancement of the global event where can, because of your demand, get us back together,” Rockwood said. “RootsTech is now literally for everyone.”

People attend the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
People attend the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

What else is happening at RootsTech 2023?

Along with the keynote speakers and other main stage events, RootsTech 2023 will feature the following:

  • 304 online classes (pre-recorded, webinars, live stream events from Salt Lake City) for patrons of all ages and interest levels.
  • 205 in-person classes in 16 classrooms, with three rooms streamed online, as well as 50 sponsored classes.
Sarah Dorff, of Provo, works with Stephen Lynn in the FamilySearch booth.
Sarah Dorff, of Provo, works with Stephen Lynn in the FamilySearch booth at the 2023 RootsTech conference at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 2, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

This year’s expo hall will host nearly 130 exhibitors and more than 20 sponsors.

Patrons attending the in-person event in Salt Lake City are also welcome to visit the FamilySearch Library, where they will find the following services:

  • Speciality classes.
  • Shuttle carts to and from the Salt Palace and library.
  • Extended hours.
  • Personalized consultations.
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How many are using Relatives at RootsTech?

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 300,000 from 195 countries have logged into “Relatives at RootsTech” on the FamilySearch Family Tree app to see how they are related.

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How to connect with new cousins worldwide using free ‘Relatives at RootsTech’ feature
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