Lloyd Dockery of Lowell said he’s got a million reasons to sing after winning a $1 million Powerball prize.

The Southern gospel singer bought his Quick Pick ticket for Saturday’s drawing when he stopped to get gas at the Lowell Mini Mart on McAdenville Road in Lowell.

“When I saw how much the jackpot was I almost bought two tickets,” said Dockery. “But then I figured, if I’m going to win, I only need one.”

He didn’t find out he had a winning ticket until he read the paper Monday morning and saw that someone won $1 million. He pulled out his ticket, put it next to the paper, and started checking the numbers.

“When I saw that I got three of the numbers I thought, ‘Well, I hope I get the other two,’” Dockery said. “When I saw that I matched all five I shouted, ‘I’m a millionaire!’”

He checked the numbers four different times before he believed what he saw.

“I had to make sure it was real,” Dockery said. “It still feels like I’m dreaming.”

Dockery claimed his prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $707,501. Dockery plans to give some of the money to his church, pay off his house, and get a new guitar.

“I need to make sure I have a good guitar if I’m going to keep singing,” Dockery said. “I go to retirement homes and perform Johnny Cash. Everybody loves Johnny Cash.”

The ticket matched the numbers on the five white balls to win $1 million. The ticket beat odds of one in 11.7 million. He was one of only seven in the country to win $1 million in the drawing. The jackpot for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is $750 million or $465.5 million cash.

Ticket sales from draw games like Powerball make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for the state. For details on how $13.8 million in lottery funds made a difference in Gaston County last year, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.