Catching the love bug: Looking for love billboard in Sweetwater catches the attention of an Albany woman

BIG COUNTRY, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) — If you live in Nolan County, you may have seen a unique billboard that is catching many drivers’ attention. An East Coast man named Albert Gilberti is advertising his romantic request to all who pass by. He chose Sweetwater because he has spent some time in Texas and wants to find his way back.

“I put it up because I like the area. There’s mountains in the background and that’s where I’d like to retire,” said Gilberti.

So, if you’re ‘Marriage minded’ and don’t mind a little karaoke, get in line because he’s already gotten hundreds of responses.

“I would say maybe 200 or more Texas (texts), and it’s gone viral; someone said it was on Instagram,” explained Gilberti.

But he’s not just a one-hit wonder. He put up his first billboard in 2005, and he hopes the one in Nolan County will be his last.

“That one got so many calls that I transferred the number over to my friend, and he said he and his girlfriend had phone calls 24/7. This is the fourth and last one in Sweetwater,” added Gilberti.

The odds are in his favor, as the billboard reached a love seeker all the way up in Albany. Her name is Barbara Jo, but she said she has not received any texts back.

“So I texted him and said a few things about myself. I just feel like it’s a fun time in my life, and I just want to enjoy the last years that I have to just have fun, laugh a lot, and enjoy,” added Barbara Jo. “I play the bass guitar, I play in bands, I sing karaoke, and that’s what he had on his billboard to sing karaoke.”

Barbara Jo said she’s ready to take a chance, too, after losing her fiancée in 2020. Gilberti’s message connects with her now that she knows it’s never too late to find love.

“My sweetheart that I was engaged to in 2020 that I lost to covid, he was the perfect match for me. But it’s been hard, but I saw the billboard, and now the time,” said Barbara Jo.

She hopes to inspire other lonely hearts to do the same, but even if this chance romance doesn’t pay off, she’s not throwing in the towel any time soon.

“I think everyone would like to have a companion or friend, someone you can call. Let’s go have a burger… and let the lord guide you. That what I have to do is let the lord guide me, and he’ll show me the one,” added Barbara Jo.

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