Gospel singer read in newspaper that someone won $1 million in Powerball. It was him
A southern gospel performer who stopped at a convenience store for gas ended up a Powerball millionnaire this week in North Carolina’s Gaston County, reports the N.C. Education Lottery.
“It still feels like I’m dreaming,” the lucky winner said, according to a press release.
That man — Lloyd Dockery of Lowell, N.C. — bought the Quick Pick Powerball ticket Saturday at the Lowell Mini Mart, lottery officials said in a press release.
The town is about 17 miles west of Charlotte.
It was two days later, on Monday, that Dockery read in the newspaper that someone in the Lowell area had bought a winning Powerball ticket at the same mini mart. Dockery said he got his ticket, “put it next to the (news)paper and started checking the numbers,” said a release.
“When I saw that I got three of the numbers, I thought: ‘Well, I hope I get the other two,’” Dockery said in a press release. “When I saw that I matched all five, I shouted, ‘I’m a millionaire!’”
Dockery said he rechecked the numbers four times before allowing himself to believe it, said a release.
Lottery officials report he claimed his money Tuesday, netting $707,501 after paying state and federal tax withholding.
Dockery told lottery officials he intends to “pay off his house,” give some money to his church, and indulge himself with a new guitar.
“I need to make sure I have a good guitar if I’m going to keep singing,” Dockery said in a release.
Dockery had one of seven tickets in the country to win $1 million in last weekend’s Powerball drawing, officials said. He matched numbers for five white balls, beating “odds of one in 11.7 million,” said a release.
The gospel singer said he was glad he followed his gut and didn’t buy more tickets, according to the press release.
“When I saw how much the jackpot was, I almost bought two tickets,” said Dockery in the press release. “But then I figured, if I’m going to win, I only need one.”
The Powerball drawing Wednesday, March 27, has a $750 million jackpot, said lottery officials.
This story was originally published March 27, 2019 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Gospel singer read in newspaper that someone won $1 million in Powerball. It was him."