Fans who tuned in to the “American Idol” season premiere Sunday were teased at the end of the show with the promise that next week would bring a relative of a country music legend.
That relative is Emmy Russell, who is the 25-year-old granddaughter of the late country music legend, Loretta Lynn.
The episode with Russell is set to air on Feb. 25.
The young singer was featured in her local paper, The Kingston Springs Gazette, ahead of the big show.
“I just wanted to be around other young creatives like me,” Russell told the newspaper. “I think I just like the hard work of it, and it was outside the traditional way that my grandma had — which is a publishing deal, get the record deal.
“I wanted something out there and fun and just forced me to do it because I’m so shy and scared of going for it,” she added.
Russell is apparently already well on her way to following in her grandmother’s footsteps. According to a post on her Instagram, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut last April in honor of her grandmother’s birthday.
“I use to run from my family heritage and wanna make my own path,” she wrote on Instagram with that announcement. “I feel a deep connection to thank, accept and celebrate her, cause she believed in me from the start before anyone did. Not ashamed anymore. She was never ashamed of me. I’m a granddaughter, and I’m Emmy …. It’s all a part of me! This is the start of a beautiful journey. Couldn’t be more excited.”
Emmy Russell also performed “Lay Me Down” alongside Lukas Nelson at Loretta Lynn’s “Celebration of Life” back in Oct. 2022 and the video of that, below, shows she’s a pretty, darned good singer.
CAN’T SEE THE VIDEO? CLICK HERE.
It will be interesting to see how her Idol audition goes next week.
