The granddaughter of the late Loretta Lynn is following in her grandmother's footsteps. Emmy Russell, daughter of Patsy Lynn and Philip Russell, stood before Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan as she auditioned for American Idol on February 25, 2024.
During her emotional audition, she spoke of her late grandmother before performing an original song. "She's one of the biggest country music singers of all time, but to me she's just my grandma," the 24-year-old said in a clip that showed her at her grandmother's estate in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
Emmy was called "quiet" upon entering the room. She then spoke about being a "little timid" because she wants to "own" her voice. "Well Emmy, grandma was a great singer, but she had her own style," Katy Perry chimed in. "If you got your own style, then you got your own lane."
Emmy then performed her song titled "Skinny," which she said is about an eating disorder. "She just wanted to do this honestly," Emmy's mom said during the audition clip, adding that her daughter believed, "'This is who I am and this is what I do and this is my heart.' I think that when you come from a musical family, the shadow is so big. How do I fill those shoes? Well the deal is, you don't. You make your own shadow."
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After her audition, she was told by Katy that, "you've got the gift," and eventually got her three yeses to go to Hollywood. "I don't think you need to compare yourself to what grandma was — you're totally different," Katy said. "You shouldn't give yourself all that pressure."
