Emmy Russell is a mom!
The former American Idol finalist, 26, and her partner, fellow singer-songwriter Tyler Ward, 40, welcomed daughter on Friday (January 31). Ward shared a glimpse of himself rocking his newborn daughter on Instagram on Friday evening, when she was just 12 hours old. He simply shared in his caption, “healthy baby,” with hashtags “newborn” and “girl dad.” Russell shared the clip on her Instagram story on Saturday morning (February 1), and commented on Ward’s post: “All worth it🤍” Russell shared a rare, sweet glimpse of her relationship with Ward on Thursday evening (January 30), on “the last night it’s just us.” She wrote in her caption: “Tonight us, tomorrow parents. Can’t wait to see who you are as a dad and who I am as a mom, but know I’ll always cherish when it was just us 🤍”
Russell, whose grandmother is late legend Loretta Lynn, announced her pregnancy during a live podcast recording on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. Russell and her mother, Patsy Russell, Lynn’s daughter, joined host Jennifer Vickery Smith on the live episode of Got It From My Momma. The trio’s conversation arrived in December.
“Y’all, me and Tyler are expecting a baby girl,” Russell, debuting her growing baby bump, announced to the audience at the time. Ward briefly joined her on stage as the crowd celebrated on behalf of the first-time parents. Russell gushed as she caught up with Vickery Smith during the podcast episode: “I’m so excited. Right out of American Idol, I didn’t know. So, you know, that’s kind of been the journey. So I’m so excited. I’m so looking forward to it. …This is the first time I’m actually fully announcing that. I thought it was fitting for this.”
Russell has previously shared how her legendary grandmother inspired and empowered her as a singer-songwriter, including during her time on American Idol. Russell delivered a moving rendition of Lynn's unforgettable ballad, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Russell said on the show, “I’m proud to be a coal miner’s great granddaughter.”
Russell is one of several artists to welcome a child in 2025. Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney and his wife welcomed Baby No. 4, and rising singer-songwriter Sarahbeth Taite welcomed Baby No. 2. Recent pregnancy announcements include Jordan Davis, Lauren Alaina, Sam Hunt, Elle King, HARDY and more. See the pregnancy announcements here.