Emmy Russell, the granddaughter of country music icon Loretta Lynn, has been open about her ambition to forge her own path in the music industry, separate from her famous family name. Yet, she doesn’t shy away from celebrating her grandmother’s legacy when the opportunity presents itself.
In a recent social media video, Emmy Russell demonstrates her commitment to carrying on her grandmother’s legacy by performing the iconic song “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in Loretta Lynn’s former home.
According to Emmy, the video was filmed some time ago, but she felt too overwhelmed to share it at that time, especially considering it served as a tribute shortly after Loretta’s passing in 2022.
“I did this as a tribute [and] was to[o] emotional to post or show anyone last year,” she said. “But this is me covering my grandmas song coal miners daughter as a tribute to her passing.. @tylerwardmusic helped me bring it to life.“
The video captures Emmy strolling through what seems to be Loretta’s home, where framed pictures of the country music icon and some of her legendary performance gowns decorate the walls. As Emmy’s vocals fill the space, they are complemented by an audio track of Loretta singing “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Recently, Emmy delivered another rendition of the iconic song during her Top 7 performance on American Idol.
Playing the piano as she sang, she gave one of the most emotional performances of the night. Judge Katy Perry, who was moved to tears during Emmy’s performance, selected the song for her, stating, “I chose this song not because you’re Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter, but because you are Emmy Russell and you can do anything now as Emmy Russell.”
With her touching performance dedicated to her grandmother, Emmy made her way into American Idol’s Top 7.