By RUSS BROWN
Kennedy Reid's American Idol journey has now encompassed more than one year, but it still seems surreal to her as she continues her quest to advance after starting in a pool of thousands who applied to get an initial audition. Those are long odds but it didn't faze the 23-year-old Sellersburg, Ind. native who now lives in Louisville.
"It was just a shot in the dark," Kennedy said during a recent VOICE-TRIBUNE interview in a funeral home, where she is employed as a mortician. Yes, a mortician. But more about that later.After a friend submitted a video of one of her singing performances, Kennedy had several other auditions via Zoom, beginning in January, 2023. She made the first major cut and was invited to audition for the three-judge celebrity panel of Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie in Los Angeles on the 22nd season for the iconic series.
That episode aired on February 18 and she won a "Golden Ticket" to Hollywood Week after singing the Tina Turner hit "River Deep, Mountain High," accompanied by her friend Jean Ann on the piano.
"I was extremely nervous," Kennedy said. "It's so nerve wracking to audition for anything, but to be auditioning in front of three living legends is extremely so. It's hard to wrap your brain around, especially in the moment."
Before the vote, Bryan provided an unexpected treat by joining her for an impromptu duet of John Conlee's country hit, "Rose Colored Glasses." Ironically, however, he was the only member of the panel to vote "no." Perry told her she has "a great voice," adding, "Let's give her a break from death and show her what life is all about."
Jean Ann, 65, of Corydon, Ind., has been playing in bands since she was 18, including with the former Mike Lunsford Whiskey River and Billy Joe Royal. She and Kennedy have been friends since meeting in 2022 at a Conlee concert at Grand Ole Country Music Show in West Point, Ky., where Kennedy was singing and acting as emcee, and Jean Ann was playing keyboards and singing backup in Conlee's band. They have been doing shows together ever since.
"Her voice is amazing," said Jean Ann, whose cackling laugh entertained the panel too. "Her vocals just blew me away. I'd never heard anybody who could sing pop, blues, country, Texas swing."
From Hollywood Week on March 31, Kennedy advanced to Showstoppers on April 1, where she sang "How Great Thou Art," and also survived that stage of the competition to earn a coveted spot in the Top 24, with 12 taking the stage to compete for America's vote from Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina Hawai’i on April 7.
"It's been absolutely amazing," she said. "I feel like I'm still dreaming. It's not something I ever really envisioned myself doing because I didn't have the confidence. But I knew I had to try it or the dream was never going to happen. I watched so many amazing singers on 'American Idol' and I always thought that could never be me, but here I am and it's very exciting."
Kennedy, whose talent is matched by her gregarious personality and beauty accented by her flowing blonde hair, has never taken formal vocal lessons, and there are no musical “genes” in her family. But she has wanted to become a singer/performer since she was four and joined a dance team. She trained in part by singing at nursing homes in the area with the youth pastor at her church.
"I love performing," she said. "I love being on stage. I developed a love for theater and singing very young, and I haven't stopped."
She is enjoying her new life as a celebrity. After her initial appearance on Idol, her Facebook account exploded from 52 followers to 19,000. Plus, she has 40,000 followers on Instagram and 37,000 on Tik Tok and videos of her performances on the internet that have attracted over two million views.
"It's like it happened overnight," Kennedy said. "I haven't been used to being in the spotlight, so it's definitely been different. I never thought I would reach that many people. Also, when I go out in public, people sometimes want me to take a photo with them and I absolutely love it. It makes me feel good. It's a very cool thing."
Whether she wins the Idol competition or not, afterwards she hopes to have a lengthy and successful career in country music with a goal of eventually appearing on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
And that brings us to Kennedy's ongoing metamorphosis from the funeral business to show business. While she was studying in cosmetology school, she realized she would like to do makeup and hair on the deceased. She applied at Spring Valley Funeral Home on East Chestnut Street, was hired, enrolled in Mortician School, served an apprenticeship and is now a licensed funeral director in Kentucky. Her grave concern now, though, is music rather than her body of work in the funeral business.
"The goal is to ultimately transition to being a full-time performer," she said. "I hope everything pans out and I'm able to do that. But I will always keep my funeral director license because it's never a bad idea to have a backup plan."
One downside to her Idol fame has been dealing with a certain amount of negativity on social media. She says that two days after her premiere she encountered hate as people started trolling over her appearance, criticizing her hair and makeup. Others questioned her age (Idol contestants must be between 15 and 29), among other insults to both she and Jean Ann.
"They weren't kidding when they said the music industry can be tough," Kennedy wrote on a post. She has since become a spokesperson to educate people about internet bullying.
"I want to encourage women, especially younger women, don't listen to the negative things people say," she said. "There's always going to be negativity. I had never been a victim of it until this and I don't wish it on anybody. People who leave those kinds of comments are pretty miserable anyway, so the best thing I can do is not interact with them and say a prayer for them. I've had to take a step back from looking at the comments and just remind myself that I'm good enough, because if I wasn't, I wouldn't have gotten a Golden Ticket."
And that could lead Kennedy to a ticket for her dream of a golden singing career.
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