PENSACOLA, Fla. — Thousands are ready to celebrate American Idol finalist Keyla Richardson on Wednesday in her hometown of Pensacola.
But before we celebrate, we got to learn a bit more about her from her mother.
Tuesday morning, Katja Richardson sat down with WEAR News to talk about Keyla’s love for music, which started at a young age.
“We started from church and it took off from there,” Katja said. “She’s been singing ever since. She was always around the house singing — everything and anything. She loves music, so she’s singing from the heart.”
Katja says her daughter brings a gospel foundation and soul to each performance. But it’s not just her faith that keeps her grounded — it’s family.
“Just reminding her of who she is, where she came from, and that she can accomplish anything,” Katja said.
Before the Idol stage, WEAR News first covered Keyla in 2019 as she competed on the BET Network show “Sunday Best.” We met her young son, who still remains her biggest cheerleader seven years later.
Ironically enough, WEAR News asked Keyla at the time about her advice for six Gulf Coast area singers who were set to be featured in that season of American Idol.
“I would definitely say it’s all about consistency and hard work,” she said at the time. “Just stay focused and surround yourself with the best people.”
Well it has come full circle, as Keyla continues to ride the wave as one of American Idol’s newest breakout stars.
On Monday, Ryan Seacreast coined the name “PensaKeyla,” which can been seen on a current mural on Pensacola’s Graffiti Bridge.
Those here in Pensacola have been showing up for Keyla. Her fanbase is called “The Keyhive.”
Mayor D.C. Reeves spoke Tuesday about Keyla’s success and this opportunity by the show.
“We get to do two amazing things at once,” Reeves said. “We get to have a celebration as a community together, rallying around something that we can all get behind, which is lifting up Keyla and her family in this world spotlight for her. And the second thing we get to do is show off how amazing this city is to six, seven or eight million people all over the world next Monday.”
Check out these two stories for everything you need to know about Wednesday’s festivities that WEAR News will be covering all day:
Watch the full interview with Katja Richarson here:
Kaja Richardson full interview
