Westchester residents have another talented young resident to root for, this time on ABC’s American Idol. Her name is Kaylin Hedges, a 15-year old student at Fox Lane High School. She lives in Pound Ridge with her family, but her American Idol story goes deeper than the fact that she sings like “Barbara Streisand”, as Lionel Richie said on the show.
Hedges was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Her parents supported her desire to try and make it, and so they decided to move to Westchester. But her father, Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Hedges, had to deploy with the U.S. Army in order for the family to afford living here, and has missed Kaylin’s birthday for the past nine years.
In her latest performance on American Idol, Katy Perry asked her, “Who is your biggest inspiration?”
“My dad. He’s in the military, so he’s stationed overseas.“I miss him.”
Kaylin then dedicated her performance of the song, I’m Already There” by Lonestar to her dad. She then listened to a video message from her dad, “It’s your dad. I miss and love you very much… I have nothing but pride and admiration for you… but I just want you to know that no matter where I am, I’m already there.”
But then Sgt. Hedges, who is deployed in Hawaii, surprised Kaylin and mom Hailey, at American Idol. All three Idol judges then voted to give Kaylin a Platinum Ticket, which allow contestants to skip the first round of Hollywood auditions and pick who they will duet with.
Even though she is 15-Kaylin has been singing for most of her life. “I loved music ever since I was tiny. I used to sing at all the county fairs and stuff and from that I started like discovering… I was like ‘oh, I really like this. My parents took notice of that and they started to notice how many opportunities were in places like New York and they were like ‘how do we get there?’”
“And then my dad came home one day and was like ‘I got a way that we can get there,’ but that means I have to deploy. It was really scary because he had to deploy to like dangerous places in order for me to be able to pursue music in New York, where I got to do all these school musicals and plays and stuff, but he did and we got here.”
Her big break when she was 10, when she won the lead role in the Hollywood Bowl’s production of “Annie.” Since then, she has appeared on Broadway and on TV.
Join me in rooting for Kaylin, and in thanking her dad, not only for his service to our country, but in showing what giving up yourself for your children is all about.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.
