Aretha Franklin’s Granddaughter and More Celeb Kids Auditioning for ‘American Idol’ Over the Years

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Aretha Franklin's Granddaughter and More Celeb Kids Auditioning for 'American Idol' Over the Years

Jim Carrey’s daughter, Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter and more celebrity kids have tried out for American Idol.

The comedian’s then-26-year-old, Jane, auditioned for the ABC show in 2012. While the waitress made it to Hollywood Week at the time, she was cut after performing “Looking Out My Back Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“I freaked out when I was there, so I was really, really shaky,” Jane said in a confessional following her exit. “I know I can do way better than that so I'm really disappointed."

A decade later, Franklin’s granddaughter Grace auditioned for American Idol at just 15 years old, singing both the Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly” and her late grandma’s “Ain’t No Way." Grace, however, did not progress to the live shows.

“You’re 15. You’ve got the family lineage. What we need to put now is time and some work in to get it up to par,” judge Lionel Richie said. “The age and the voice has to all come together on the same path. … If you go and come back and put the shyness behind you and the voice in front of you, you’re going to be something amazing, and I don’t want to be the one to make you tip over and fall at this stage.”

Keep scrolling to see more stars whose kids have auditioned for American Idol:

Credit: Shutterstock; YouTube

Aretha Franklin's Granddaughter and More Celeb Kids Auditioning for 'American Idol' Over the Years

Jim Carrey’s daughter, Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter and more celebrity kids have tried out for American Idol.

The comedian’s then-26-year-old, Jane, auditioned for the ABC show in 2012. While the waitress made it to Hollywood Week at the time, she was cut after performing “Looking Out My Back Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“I freaked out when I was there, so I was really, really shaky,” Jane said in a confessional following her exit. “I know I can do way better than that so I'm really disappointed."

A decade later, Franklin’s granddaughter Grace auditioned for American Idol at just 15 years old, singing both the Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly” and her late grandma’s “Ain’t No Way." Grace, however, did not progress to the live shows.

“You’re 15. You’ve got the family lineage. What we need to put now is time and some work in to get it up to par,” judge Lionel Richie said. “The age and the voice has to all come together on the same path. … If you go and come back and put the shyness behind you and the voice in front of you, you’re going to be something amazing, and I don’t want to be the one to make you tip over and fall at this stage.”

Keep scrolling to see more stars whose kids have auditioned for American Idol:

Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images; YouTube

Loretta Lynn

Lynn’s granddaughter Emmy Russell tried out for Idol season 22, which aired in February 2024, with an original song titled “Skinny.”

“Growing up, I sang music my entire life,” she said in her audition. “I sang on the road; my grandma’s a country singer.”

Judges Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan were shocked when Russell identified her grandmother as Lynn, who died in October 2022.

“I think there is a reason that I am a little timid [and it’s] that I want to own my voice,” she said. “That’s what I want to challenge myself and come out here and really step in, like, ‘Come on, Emmy.’”

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Dave Stewart

The Eurythmics crooner accompanied daughter Kaya on guitar during her American Idol audition, which aired in March 2023. Kaya ultimately dropped out of the competition during Hollywood Week after battling an undisclosed illness.

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Aretha Franklin

“I was really close to my grandma,” Grace said in a confessional. “I got to see her all the time. I used to travel with her a lot. I don’t think I could fully grasp the fact that she was known worldwide. Because to me, she was always just grandma.”

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Jim Carrey

Jane sang “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt during her audition.

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Tom Johnston

The musician’s daughter, Lara, competed on season 10 of the show, getting eliminated during the group round.

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KellyAnne Conway

“When your mom's working for the President of the United States, [Donald Trump], who you very much disagree with, it's really hard,” Claudia said during her 2021 audition before singing “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna and “When We Were Young” by Adele. “But when life is all going downhill, I have my music. Now I kind of want to get out of the drama, get out of the political whatever and let people know that I'm a singer, and that this is what I want to do."

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Ozzie Smith

The St. Louis Cardinals player’s son Nikko placed ninth overall in the 2005 Eason of the show.

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Joe Magrane

Shannon, whose father also played for the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of the top 13 contestants on season 11.

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Scott Brown

The former Senator of Massachusetts’ daughter Ayla was a contestant on season 5 in 2006. She placed in the top 16.

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Phillippi Sparks

The NFL player’s daughter, Jordin, won season 6 of American Idol at age 17.