You win some and you lose some. American Idol hopeful Emmy Russell's journey came to an end in a heartbreaking fashion as she failed to make the final three on the show. She sang a moving cover of Miley Cyrus's "The Climb," but she wasn't able to scale this peak into the final round of the competition.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Still, her family has nothing but admiration and support for her. This is evident by her Aunt Crystal's post. Crystal is married to Loretta Lynn's son Ernest. Taking to social media, Crystal shared words of support to her niece and told her that her journey is just beginning in a lot of ways.
She wrote, "We're SO PROUD of you Emmy Russell!! Your future is bright. I've told you this numerous times, but you're gonna change the world for the better. I BELIEVE in YOU. WE BELIEVE IN YOU.... And now, YOU believe in YOU. ???? You ARE an Idol to millions now, and what a great one you'll be."
She continued, "Children will have someone with class and character to look up to now. We love you.....and again, we're so, SO PROUD OF YOU. Now, it's time to throw a celebration when you get home baby girl!! Your journney is just beginning." Crystal has been one of Emmy's biggest supporters through the competition.
Emmy Russell On 'American Idol'
The competition gave Russell the chance to be her own person and to stand outside of the shadow of her grandmother. It also gave her the chance to embrace her heritage with a moving take on "Coalminer's Daughter."
"I don't think I'm ever past nerves or confidence," Russell told Parade previously. "I think it's a continuing journey for me. But I do think the more that's going on, I'm getting more confident."
"I would always run away from my family and not want to be part of it," Emmy continued. "I think this was the first time that I said, 'I'm proud to be in this family.' With the family comes a blessing, but with it comes a curse."
Now, she feels like she's proud of where she came from and also wanted to share that with viewers. "I want people to feel proud of their story, where they've come from," she said. "I hope that that song made them feel like, 'Oh, I can be proud of where I come from.'"