Woman leaves 'American Idol' judges stunned after revealing she's the granddaughter of country music icon

Following its debut in 2002, per Fandom, American Idol, the American singing competition television series, catapulted many raw talents into the flight of stardom. On the stage of this show, tons of unrecognized artists stood, holding the honorary golden microphone trophy. During the season 22 auditions, the show received a contestant named Emmy Russell, who impressed the judges with her powerful, emotion-packed original song “Skinny,” which is related to eating disorders. But when she revealed her true identity, the judges were left open-mouthed. 

It turned out she was no stranger to fame and stardom. In this episode, a clip of which was shared by Entertainment Tonight (@EntertainmentTonight), Russell revealed that she’s the granddaughter of the legendary country singer Loretta Lynn. Rolled out in February 2024 and livestreamed on ABC.com, American Idol’s season 22 included Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in the roster of judges. Like most seasons, this season also featured many special moments, including the finale, when Katy Perry flung pizza slices into the crowd and announced her departure from the show in an Instagram post. 

Her towering glittery gown, as she shared on Instagram, embellished with the faces of 160 former contestants went viral as the episode premiered on the television sets. But Perry’s most heart-wrenching moment was probably when she listened to Russell singing “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Lynn’s original track. As Russell performed the song, Perry was moved to tears, as seen in the clip shared by TALENTKINGHD on YouTube.

“I didn’t choose this song because Loretta Lynn is your grandma. I chose this song because you are Emmy Russell and you can do anything now as Emmy Russell,” Perry told Russell, teary-eyed. But it wasn’t until the auditions that Perry, or other judges, knew about Russell’s true lineage. Russell arrived at the auditions as a 24-year-old unknown singer. She stood in front of the judges, wearing a green jacket and a pair of denims, while the judges threw introductory questions at her.

“Growing up, I sang music my entire life. I just love writing. I’m 24 years old. Songwriter, I love music. I don’t really sing out as much anymore, but growing up, I sang on the road with… my grandma’s a country singer,” Russell said. At this point, Bryan asked, “Who’s your grandma?” The judges were shocked when Russell uttered the name “Loretta Lynn.” After the revelation, Russell gave the crew a tour of Lynn’s ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. “My family grew up here, my mom grew up here. This is my meemaw’s house. She’s one of the biggest country music singers of all time, but to me, she’s just my grandma and growing up on the bus and all that was very normal to me,” she said.

Ultimately, all three judges gave Russell a “yes” vote, meaning she got the ticket to take her talents to Hollywood to sing in the next round of the competition, according to Entertainment Weekly. Since leaving Idol, Russell returned to Nashville and welcomed her first baby with partner Tyler Ward, per PEOPLE. Between juggling her musical career, motherhood and marriage, the "Redemption" singer is now on her way to perform on stage in April 2025, along with Megan Moroney, in Knoxville, Tennessee, she shared in an Instagram post.