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Breaking News:Watch Country music legend’s granddaughter leaves ‘American Idol’ judges weeping with stunning cover
Emily Russell, the granddaughter of late country star Loretta Lynn, has advanced to the Top 6 of “American Idol” and she channeled her “Memaw” in a performance to do so.
Russell, 24, performed a rendition of Lynn’s staple “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Monday night on the piano that left judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in tears. Russell’s parents were present in the crowd and were also visibly emotional.
“I chose this song because you are Emmy Russell and you can do anything now as Emmy Russell,” Perry said though tears, following Russell’s performance.
“I love singing from the heart and I think this is a perfect song for that,” Russell said prior to her performance. “When I saw the song choice, there was a sadness… she just passed away very recently. I mean it’s my grandma’s song. You can’t get much closer to the heart than blood. I’m literally just a granddaughter singing a song to her grandma.”
On Sunday, Russell sung a rendition of Blink 182′s 1999 hit “All the Small Things” as part of the episode’s theme of singing a song from the year each contestant was born.
Russell has come a long way from the audition phase when Bryan originally referred to her as “quiet” when she performed an original ballad titled “Skinny.”
At the time Perry called Russell “an A+ songwriter,” saying that she got “the gift” from grandmother, but told her that she doesn’t need to compare herself what Lynn did.