Hannah Harper may be the winner of American Idol‘s 24th season, but fans know that the runner-ups have reached stardom in the past. Take Adam Lambert, as one example, who finished as the runner-up on season 8. Now that fans have gotten to know Keyla Richardson, we have the chance to follow her music career as it blossoms long after her Idol journey.
Upon finishing season 24 in third place, Keyla took to Instagram to share a positive message: “The journey has been amazing, we are just getting started.”
Below, Hollywood Life has compiled facts about Keyla that you need to know as we follow her music career after Idol!
Keyla Richardson Is a Singer & Music Teacher From Florida
Clearly, Keyla is a powerful singer. Based on her performances throughout season 24, viewers got to experience her strong vocal range and stage presence as a performer. She officially started singing when she was just 5 years old and pursued a serious music career when she was 16.
In addition to being an Idol graduate, Keyla is also a music teacher at the Life Shifting Learning Academy back home in Pensacola, Florida.
Keyla Richardson Has Appeared on TV Before American Idol
About six years before auditioning for Idol, Keyla appeared on season 9 of the BET competition series Sunday Best. Though she didn’t win, Keyla was a finalist in 2019 and later opened up about the “completely different experience” she had on BET versus the one she had on Idol.
“American Idol is a fast-paced kind of TV show,” Keyla explained to WEAR News, according to TV Insider. “It definitely prepared me for the platform, definitely groomed me to be an artist.”
Keyla Richardson Is a Mom to a Son
Keyla may be a strong vocalist and performer, but her favorite role is being a mom to her 9-year-old son, Drew. And based on his presence on the show, it looks like Keyla is raising a talented young man. Drew even sang for the Idol judges himself in season 24.
Not only that, but Carrie Underwood let Drew take her chair during Hollywood Week so that his mom could sing directly to him.
