Yahoo Lifestyle Loretta Lynn’s Granddaughter Emmy Russell Reveals ‘American Idol’ Moment That Made Her ‘So Mad’
Loretta Lynn's granddaughter Emmy Russell made a major impact during her run on Season 22 of American Idol, but looking back, she revealed one choice from the judges that made her angry.
Russell reflected on her experience on the show during a new appearance on The Thrivalist Podcast, speaking with host Jamie George about her thoughts on performing her grandmother's hit song, "Coal Miner's Daughter."
The new mother shared that it wasn't her choice to sing the song, saying, "The judges picked three songs, and the only one I knew was 'Coal Miner's Daughter'...I just remember seeing that and I was so mad."
She went on, trying to explain exactly what led to the anger, with the podcast host helping as said, "People are going, Oh, you're here because of nepotism." Russell agreed and felt like this "was just going to add to it."
However, she went on to perform the song, saying, "It was just how I wanted to play it, and I had this entire vision for it," with Shane Glover, who was hosting the podcast alongside George, telling her, "It was fabulous."
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Russell then shared a behind-the-scenes secret about how she decided on the stage design for the performance, noting that she randomly started thinking of The Hunger Games and the character Katniss Everdeen, only to realize that District 12 in the books is full of coal miners, creating a strange connection with the song and the popular story.
Fans shared their support for Russell and her performance in the comments on the podcast's social media, with responses like, "OMGOSH!!!! That performance made me cry how you sang that song," and "This version makes me cry everytime!"
While Russell didn't win American Idol—getting eliminated after making it into the top five contestants—she has released a number of singles, with her latest called "Redemption." In early 2025, she welcomed her first child with her partner, Tyler Ward.
Next: Emmy Russell on How American Idol Gave Her the Confidence to Sing "Coal Miner’s Daughter"
