Who is McKayla Stacey from American Idol 2023? Singer’s father Phil was season 6 contestant

American Idol 2023 contestant McKayla Stacey, daughter of American Idol season 6 contestant Phil Stacey, will be auditioning in front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan in the audition round in New Orleans on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The contestant will be accompanied by her father, who will play the piano for her audition round.

Season 21 of American Idol on the ABC network is hosted by producer Ryan Seacrest. The series is produced by Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Jennifer Mullin, and Megan Michaels Wolflick. The premiere episode had jaw-dropping moments as the judges witnessed a congregation of talent they had never imagined before.

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McKayla Stacey auditioned for American Idol season 21 over a Zoom call

17-year-old, McKayla Stacey from Andover, Kansas will be featuring in the upcoming episode of season 21, slated to air this Sunday. The singer recalls that it was her father Phil Stacey who led her to pursue music.

As per her recent podcast interview with 101.3 KFDI, McKayla said that she got to into singing ever since she was in middle school, as she comes from a family of singers. She stated that her father toured with a band as he was a country artist and from a young age, this helped her develop a keen interest in music.

For McKayla, her favorite judge remains Rock N' Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie, and her motivation for giving the audition was because it was ABC's sixth installment of the iconic reality television franchise, which somehow connected with McKayla's father Phil's journey in season 6 of the show, back when it aired on FOX.

American Idol initially aired from 2002 to 2016 on FOX, after which it was on a hiatus for two years, eventually returning in 2018. The 2023 season marks the sixth installment of the show following its 2-year hiatus.

For her audition, McKayla performed via Zoom, where she sang the 1987 Rock hit, Alone by Heart.

The case of Phil and McKayla is unique. Phil's wife Kendra gave birth to daughter McKayla in the summer of 2006, while he was in Memphis for an American Idol audition for season 6.

Phil sang My Girl and Let's Get it On live. After a brief argument, erstwhile judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson voted in favor of him, while Simon Cowell dissented. The American Idol cameras followed him as he first saw little McKayla at the end of the segment, which concluded the broadcast. Phil made it to the Top 6 in season 6 of the show.

McKayla is now trying out for season 21 after growing up and becoming a performer in her own right.

McKayla stated that her father is thrilled, but at the same time remains nervous for her daughter. She said that the amount of secrecy she has maintained among her peers and family members has been difficult and so she is now eagerly waiting for the show to air on Sunday, so everyone can talk about it.

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American Idol 2023 has seen some exceptional performances so far

So far, contestants William Tongi, Haven Madison, Lucy Love, Megan Danielle, Colin Stough, and Michael Williams have received the Golden tickets, with this season's first Platinum Ticket earned by 17-year-old Tyson Venegas.

Tyson will be skipping the first Hollywood round, while the rest are straightaway going into the former.

Tyson Venegas from Vancouver, British Columbia, enthralled judges with his performance of Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind.

Judge Lionel Richie told Tyson Venegas that his performance was amazing and requested him to bring his mother into the audition room. Lionel then joked by stating:

“He’s claiming to be 17 years old but he’s performing like a 45-year-old. Give me some validation here.”

Following the audition tryouts, which will be held in Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Nashville, judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie will decide who qualifies for Hollywood week and other challenges.

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The next episode of American Idol season 21 will air on Sunday, February 26, 2023, at 8 pm ET, only on ABC.