Phillip Phillips to perform at Fourth of July concert in Washington

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - "American Idol" winner Phillip Phillips will make a comeback performance following kidney surgery at this year's July Fourth celebration on the National Mall.

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"I'm getting better each day, so that's a good thing. I'm just walking around, getting my strength back together," he told the Associated Press by phone from Los Angeles. "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 has revealed he was in crippling pain from a kidney blockage that made it hard to stand at times during parts of the "Idol" season and was undergoing a series of surgeries during breaks in the competition. His right kidney wasn't functioning properly, he said, but it didn't require a transplant.

The singer, who beat Jessica Sanchez to win the "Idol" title last month, went under the knifeearlier this month.

In Washington, Phillips will perform his hit single "Home" for an expected audience of more than 300,000 from the lawn of the U.S. Capitol before the annual fireworks. The show is broadcast live on PBS and NPR.

Phillips will join Matthew Broderick, country singer Josh Turner, "Smash" star Megan Hilty, composer John Williams, U.S. Olympic athletes and others at the concert, along with the National Symphony Orchestra.

"It's probably the biggest thing I've ever done besides 'American Idol,"' he said. "I'm just excited to get out there and do my first real live performance since everything that's been going on."

While in the nation's capital, he won't have much time to look around, but he can always come back to play tourist. Soon he'll be starting the "American Idol" tour (it kicks off on July 6) and heading into the recording studio to turn out an album as quickly as possible.

"It's going to be a busy, busy summer," he said.