"American Idol" contestant Emmy Russell isn't the only grandchild of country music legend Loretta Lynn. Lynn was survived by 25 of her 26 grandchildren, including Russell and fellow recording artist Tayla Lynn Finger.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Of Loretta's grandchildren, only Jeffrey Allen Lynn preceded her in death. Jeffrey died in 2016 at the age of 47 following an accident on his family's ranch at Hurricane Mills, Tenn. His dad was Loretta's oldest son and second child, Jack Benny Lynn. Jack Benny died in 1984. He and older sister Betty Sue, who died in 2013, were the only two of Loretta's six children who've passed away.
As for Loretta's surviving grandchildren, here's who all are listed on the country icon's website: Loretta Lynn Massey, Audrey Dryer, Jenny Whitworth, Jeremy Jack Lynn, Lori Lynn Smith, Ethan Lyell, Elizabeth Braun, Alexandria McCorry, Levi Lynn, Jason Lynn, Ernest Ray Lynn Jr., Tayla Lynn Finger, Alex Lynn, David Greer, Wesley Lynn, Jasyntha Connelly, Lucca Marchetti, Natalie Rapp, Anthony Brutto, Megan Horkins, Katherine Condya, David Russell, Emmy Rose Russell, Jennafer Russell and Melody Russell.
That's just the roster of grandchildren. People reported in 2015 that, at the time, Loretta had 24 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Not a lot is known about most of Loretta's grandchildren. We do know that Loretta, who was 90 when she died in 2022, had been a grandmother since age 34. Her first-born grandchild bore her name: Loretta Lynn Massey.
Here's what we do know about the grandkids keeping the family singing dynasty going as well as Loretta's feelings about being such a large family's matriarch.
They're the Third Generation of a Singing Family
Tayla Lynn Finger and Patsy Lynn Russell. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for CMT)
Loretta wasn't the only country singer from her generation. Famously, her sister Crystal Gayle became a pop-country superstar, known for both her hit songs and her floor-length black hair. Lesser-known sister Peggy Sue had her own recording career, as did their brother Jay Lee Webb, whose 1967 novelty song "I Come Home A-Drinkin'" was a parody of Loretta's "Don't Come A Drinkin'."
As for Loretta's children, most have been involved in country music. Oldest child Betty Sue Lynn wrote multiple songs for her mom, such as "Wine, Women and Song," "Before I'm Over You" and "The Home You're Tearin' Down."
Lynn's daughter Cissie and her son Ernest Ray followed their mom's lead as well, becoming seasoned country singers.
The best-known of Loretta's musical children — her twins Peggy and Patsy — had a major-label run in the '90s as country duo The Lynns.
Loretta Loved Spending Time With Her Family
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
To this day, quite a few family members — the families of Ernest Ray and Tayla Lynn Finger, at the very least — live on Loretta's ranch at Hurricane Mills, Tenn. Plus, quite a few of her musically inclined children and grandchildren discovered their love of music while on stage or inside the tour bus with their mama or memaw.
Indeed, there was never a shortage of relatives around for Loretta to spend time with so as to not miss any meaningful moments in their lives.
"You never catch up the lost time. That time's gone," she told People in 2016.
With that many kids, grandkids and great grandkids, Loretta never lacked company around the holidays — a time she'd valued ever since the peak of her career limited her time at home.
"I would try to make it home for the holidays, but sometimes I was late," she told People in December 2016. "Just close your eyes and think about your own family — just think about being away from them on the holidays. It was hard for me. Sometimes I'd cry."
Tayla Lynn Finger Furthers the Family's Musical Legacy
Austin Lord/Getty Images
One of the children of Ernest Ray Lynn, Tayla Lynn Finger, became the first of her generation to build her own audience as a country singer.
Like many of her kinfolk, Finger grew up close to her grandmother.
"I would crawl in the back of the bus with her and spend day after day with her, snuggling and sharing a bed, so I've always felt very connected and close to Memaw," she told The Ties That Bind Us in 2020.
After singing with her grandmother and gaining experience alongside Jennifer Wayne in the group Stealing Angels (and becoming sober in 2013), Finger struck out on her own as a country singer. She also tours with Tre Twitty, a grandson of Conway Twitty, in a tribute act to their famous kinfolks' hit duets from the '70s.
Emmy Russell Puts Her Generation in the Spotlight on 'American Idol'
Disney/Eric McCandless
The Lynn dynasty got more exposure in February 2024 when Lynn's granddaughter Emmy Russell auditioned on "American Idol."
Emmy's mom is one of the twins, Patsy Lynn Russell.
Yet another member of the family who revered Loretta and spent time with the legend on the road, Emmy took the time to develop her own musical style before really pushing for a career.
Though she'd landed gigs already in Nashville as a singer-songwriter, Emmy's first major exposure came in October 2022 when she joined Lukas Nelson, a son of Willie Nelson, in singing "Lay Me Down" at Loretta's memorial service, which was held at the Grand Ole Opry House and broadcast on CMT. It earned the pair a CMT Music Awards nomination in 2023 for Performance of the Year.
Emmy has since made her Grand Ole Opry debut, on April 13, 2023, which fell one day before her memaw's birthday. That night, Emmy performed the autobiographical song "Memaw's Guitar."
"It's pretty cool to start your career by thanking the person, my grandma and honoring her by this being my first time alone with a guitar since her passing," Emmy wrote on Instagram upon sharing the announcement of her Opry debut. "I use to run from my family heritage and [want to] make my own path. I feel a deep conviction to thank, accept and celebrate her, cause she believed in me from the start before anyone did. Not ashamed anymore. She was never ashamed of me. ... I'm a granddaughter, and I'm Emmy ... it's all apart of me! This is the start of a beautiful journey. Couldn't be more excited."
In February, Emmy went for the gold — a golden ticket, to be specific — with her "American Idol" audition. To spread her wings beyond her family's nest, the 24-year-old sang one of her more recent compositions, "Skinny,"
"I think that when you come from a musical family, the shadow is so big," Patsy said on camera ahead of Emmy's "Idol" audition. "How do I fill those shoes? The deal is you don't. You make your own shadow."
Emmy got "yeses" from all three judges, securing a trip from Nashville to Hollywood.
