{"id":34559,"date":"2024-04-22T09:40:50","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T13:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=34559"},"modified":"2024-04-22T11:04:11","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T15:04:11","slug":"american-idol-helps-loretta-lynns-granddaughter-follow-in-singers-footsteps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/04\/american-idol-helps-loretta-lynns-granddaughter-follow-in-singers-footsteps.html","title":{"rendered":"‘American Idol’ Helps Loretta Lynn’s Granddaughter Follow in Singer’s Footsteps"},"content":{"rendered":"
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American Idol \/ YouTube.com | Inset: Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For “American Idol” contestant Emmy Russell, country music runs in her veins. Russell, who made the Top 20 of the singing competition show, is the granddaughter of country music legend Loretta Lynn, and as she’s proving, she’s inherited some of Lynn’s remarkable talent. The 25-year-old singer said in a video on an episode, “I\u2019m a songwriter. It\u2019s in my blood. When I was about 9, I wrote my first real song.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cWhenever you share a song, it\u2019s very vulnerable. Anything I feel, I write. It just starts coming out of me. I go to my iPhone and my piano \u2013 it is my best friend whenever it comes to music. I feel a melody; I go to my iPhone, record it. A lyric, go to it, record it.\u201d She held up her phone for the \u201cIdol\u201d cameras, scrolling through her recordings to show how many she had saved there. She paused on one song called \u201cWant You,\u201d a song she had written that she went on to perform for judges\u00a0Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, as well as a large live audience.<\/p>\n

Bryan seemed to tear up during\u00a0Russell\u2019s performance, and when host Ryan Seacrest joined her onstage for her critique, he admitted that the song had made him cry backstage. Perry offered her some criticism, saying, \u201cI know you are just a little nervous; I just want more breath, more long notes. Girl, go swimming and learn how to hold your breath more. We need longer notes from Emmy, and I know you have them. We need power, come on, let\u2019s go, the time is now.\u201d Despite the critique, her performance was enough to move her forward in the competition. The contestants will continue performing live shows until the season finale airs on May 12 on ABC.<\/p>\n