Many women in modern-day country music owe their careers to the legendary Loretta Lynn. The “Coal Miner’s Daughter” tackled taboo material, like birth control and marital infidelity, head-on in songs like “The Pill” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough.” When Lynn died in October 2022 at age 90, she gifted a beloved guitar to her granddaughter, Emmy Russell. Determined to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Russell auditioned for American Idol, ending an impressive run just shy of the Top 3. Now, the “Skinny” singer has revealed that she will become a first-time mother.
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Emmy Russell Announces Pregnancy
Last month, Emmy Russell guest starred on a live episode of the Got It From My Momma podcast with her own mother, Patsy Russell. The episode, which aired Dec. 10, saw Emmy share some shocking news right out of the gate.
“Y’all, me and Tyler [Ward] are expecting a baby girl,” the American Idol top 5 finalist told the live audience.
At that point, Russell’s partner, singer-songwriter Tyler Ward, dashed onstage from the audience to rub her belly. Laughing, Russell said, “So I’m so excited. Um, right out of American Idol. I didn’t know, so, you know, that’s kind of been the journey.”
The announcement came more than a week ago. However, fans have kept the congratulatory messages flowing on Emmy Russell’s social media pages. “Baby girl will be very blessed with you two as her parents,” one Instagram user wrote.
More About Tyler Ward
Tyler Ward rose to fame posting a mix of covers and original songs to YouTube. Since then, he has completed five headlining tours and performed with the likes of Switchfoot, the Jonas Brothers, and more. Ward’s latest venture is Nashville’s Song House, a pop music incubator that uses TikTok and other social media platforms to test market new songs and artists.
Emmy Russell and Ward first hinted at a romantic relationship back in June, shortly after Russell concluded her Top 5 journey on season 22 of American Idol. The “Redemption” songstress shared a pair of mirror selfies of the couple to Instagram, captioning them, “Classified. For now…”
At the time, fans interpreted the post as Russell and Ward hard launching their relationship. But now I can’t help but wonder if this was our first pregnancy hint. Emmy Russell did say she learned of her pregnancy “right out of American Idol.”
Featured image by Dara-Michelle Farr/Shutterstock
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