'American Idol' winner Phillip Phillips to sing at Washington D.C. 4th of July

After undergoing a six-hour kidney surgery in early June, "American Idol" winner Phillip Phillips is set to make his return to the stage at Washington, D.C.'s annual 4th of July celebration on the National Mall. The singer will perform his single "Home" on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol on July 4 before starting the "Idol" summer tour two days later.

"I'm getting better each day, so that's a good thing. I'm just walking around, getting my strength back together," Phillips tells the Associated Press. "It was tough, you know, those first few days, but I'm getting to where I can pick the guitar back up and write a little bit."

Phillips had surgery to fix a kidney blockage on June 11. He'd suffered intense pain throughout the "Idol" season before ultimately being crowned the Season 11 champion, undergoing multiple surgeries on his off days so he could make it to the end.

He insisted to Zap2it after his win that despite his health issues, he'd make all the "Idol" tour dates. "I'm going to get some surgery done and I will be done before and ready for the tour," he said backstage after he won the competition.