Who is 15-year-old Mattie Pruitt from American Idol season 23? Family, career, and details explored

In season 23 of American Idol, an impressive number of young stars have been able to impress the judges. One such contestant is 15-year-old Mattie Pruitt who hails from Eagleville in Rutherford County, Tennessee. According to WGNS Radio, Mattie draws inspiration from artists like Chris Stapleton, Teddy Swims, and Jessie Murph.

Mattie started her music journey in Rutherford County, where she attended Barfield Elementary, Rockvale Elementary, and Christiana Middle School. Her parents, Eleanora and Justin Pruitt, supported her music endeavors throughout her early years. In episode 7 of American Idol, Mattie shared that she has 12 siblings as part of a blended family.

"Watching her grow into the young woman she is today—so devoted to her craft, so passionate about her music—has been one of the greatest blessings God has given me," said Mattie's father Justin (via WGNS).

The young American Idol hopeful has over 29,000 followers on Instagram where her fans can follow her on @mattiepruittofficial. She also boasts 139,000 followers on TikTok and 17,000 followers on Facebook. Her intro section on Facebook states: "Country Soul Artist | 15 Years Old. Chasing my dreams, one song at a time. Music is my heart and soul."

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American Idol star Mattie Pruitt opens up about representing her small town

Mattie Pruitt, who is the youngest contestant on American Idol season 23, advanced to the Top 24 after impressing the judges in the April 6 episode. She spoke with WKRN-TV on March 18 and discussed her small-town roots and upcoming audition.

Mattie is from Eagleville, a town with "one stoplight", and she was excited to represent her community on national television. Mattie described her hometown as full of love and expressed her pride in representing it.

"It's really great to, you know, represent my town, because it's a very small town," Mattie said.

Mattie's music journey began when she started singing the national anthem at local events. People praised her performances, which gave her the confidence to continue singing. Mattie further shared that she had been shy as a child and would hide under tables to avoid singing in front of others.

However, as she gained confidence in her singing abilities, she realized that music was her passion. She decided to audition for American Idol to pursue her dreams and showcase her voice. Mattie Pruitt's mother had previously auditioned for American Idol while pregnant with her, making her own audition a "full-circle moment."

Mattie felt nervous during her audition, but knowing that Carrie Underwood had gone through a similar experience made her feel a bit better. She also received advice from Lauren Alaina, which helped calm her nerves. Lauren told Mattie that the judges are ordinary people who go through the same things as everyone else.

Mattie also talked about the varied artists who inspired her to pursue music, including Chris Stapleton, Teddy Swims, Paramore, Etta James, and Whitney Houston. She mentioned that she enjoys both classic and modern music and believes her style doesn't fit into a specific category.

"I love the old classics. I love the new people like Jessie Murph and yeah, just take away from lots of different styles of music. And I feel like, I guess my style hasn't really have, like, had a name yet," stated Mattie.

Mattie Pruitt mentioned that she hoped to gain confidence and improve her communication skills through her reality show experience. She wanted to become more comfortable with interviews and being in the spotlight. Mattie also aimed to stay true to herself and develop her own identity.

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The next episode of American Idol will air at 8 pm ET on April 7, 2025, on ABC.