Loretta Lynn’s Granddaughter And American Idol Alum, Emmy Russell, Welcomes Baby Girl
Emmy Russell, the granddaughter of country music icon Loretta Lynn, welcomed her first child with Tyler Ward on January 31st.
Emmy is a singer/songwriter based in Nashville who stunned audiences with her raw and emotional lyrics when she competed on season 22 of American Idol.
The couple announced the arrival of a healthy baby girl in an Instagram video just 12 hours after the birth. They named their sweet new addition Taylor Raydiant Ward – a name inspired by her father and an encounter Emmy had with God early on in her pregnancy.
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However, Emmy lost a lot of blood during the delivery and needed to extend her hospital stay as a result. True to her transparent nature, the new mom shared how difficult it was not to be able to fully care for her daughter in the days that she remained in the hospital. She expressed gratitude to Tyler for being “so hands-on” in caring for their daughter during her recovery.
Emmy was discharged on February 5th and was able to go home to be with her new family.
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Emmy Russell And Tyler Ward Secretly Tie The Knot
A few weeks after welcoming her daughter, Emmy Russell revealed to PEOPLE that she and partner Tyler Ward had secretly married. The private ceremony took place at their home sometime over the last few months. Tyler shared:
“We told everybody so last minute because we wanted to make sure it was for us and not everybody else. We wrote our own vows. And it was one of those things where you’re like, this to me is how it’s supposed to be because it was between us.”
Hear The Emotional Song Inspired By Their Daughter
To add to the excitement of the last few months, Emmy Russell and Tyler Ward have just released a heartfelt new song for their daughter, titled “London Bridges.”
The pair met while working together at Song House, a Nashville songwriters’ collective. When they discovered they were pregnant, their friends and colleagues at Song House were among the first people they told. In the same conversation with PEOPLE, Tyler recalled how the song came to be:
“We have a friend who was part of that writing crew, and when we found out that we were going to have a baby, he was one of the first people that we told.”
One week later, the musicians were all together at a songwriting camp and were prompted to write something that would make “a grown man cry.” That same friend surprised the expectant parents with the new song. Tyler shared:
“I teared up so much, to where it felt like our song.”
After the arrival of Taylor Raydiant, Emmy and Tyler were inspired to record the song and put it out as a duet. The experience was emotional for all involved.
“And so being able to write the song or just record the song and perform the song, for the week old darling Taylor Ray, I just think that that is the stamped moment you just…it’s a scrapbook moment you always go to. It’s one of those significant moments that just shape you.”
Listen to “London Bridges” by Emmy Russell and Tyler Ward below!
