Did Emmy Russell advance on 'American Idol?' See her honor grandma Loretta Lynn with moving performance

Nashville’s Emmy Russell made it to the final seven on Monday night’s “American Idol” thanks in part to her grandmother Loretta Lynn’s classic “Coal Miner’s Daughter” which she sang as part of the Judges’ Song Contest.

Judge Katy Perry picked that song for Russell to sing, which she did as the very last performance of the night. Her other song choices (selected by each judge) were “Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton and “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall.

Russell picked her grandmother’s song.

Watch Emmy Russell honor grandmother Loretta Lynn with 'Coal Miner's Daughter' performance

Clad in a silver dress and seated at a black grand piano, Russell delivered a simple, sweet rendition of the song she said she knows by heart.

“I love singing from the heart and I think this is a perfect song for that,” Russell said on the show before her performance. “When I saw the song choice, there was a sadness… she just passed away very recently. I mean it’s my grandma’s song. You can’t get much closer to the heart than blood. I’m literally just a granddaughter singing a song to her grandma.”

The end of the performance cut to Russell’s mom in the audience with tears in her eyes.

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Emmy Russell and Jack Blocker sing Lionel Richie's 'Hello'

Before her solo performance, Russell took the stage with fellow contestant Jack Blocker to sing a duet of judge Lionel Richie’s hit “Hello,” which ended with Richie coming from behind the judges’ desk to deliver hugs to both contestants.

Richie told the duo, “Normally, the most terrifying thing anyone can ever do is sing your song because what happens if you don’t do it justice?” he said. “You all took it and made it your own. The two of you made such a brilliant combination.”

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Mandisa honored by Melinda Doolittle, Danny Gokey and Colton Dixon

The show took a pause from the competition to honor a former contestant and another Nashville area resident Mandisa Hundley who was found dead in her Williamson County home on Thursday, April 18.

Host Ryan Seacrest told the audience, “We are going to step away from the competition right now to honor a member of the Idol family, who sadly we lost last week. Mandisa’s joyful spirit carried over into her Grammy-winning gospel music and her dedication to her faith. Tonight, three of her close friends and collaborators are here to honor her.”

Fellow “Idol” contestants and Nashvillians Melinda Doolittle, Colton Dixon and Danny Gokey sang “Shackles” in honor of Mandisa, who performed that song when she was a contestant on the show in 2006.

Clad in all white, the trio sang in front of photos of Mandisa throughout her life on the screens behind them.

After the performance, Doolittle said, “I’ve known her for over 20 years. She got on ‘Idol’ and I cheered for her and I came the next season and she cheered for me. That is my girl.”

Gokey added, “She was a fan of people. She was a cheerleader for other people’s music.”

Dixon added that the song “Shackles” summed up her life. “She came in praising and she left praising. We’re gonna miss her, but our loss is heaven’s gain.”

“American Idol” resumes Sunday, May 5 on ABC.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: See Nashville's Emmy Russell honor Loretta Lynn on 'American Idol'