Country singer Lauren Alaina canceled some shows to mourn the death of her father, J.J. Suddeth.
The "American Idol" alum made the announcement Wednesday on social media, saying, she "lost my daddy last night, and I really have no words yet."
"I want to let y'all know that I'm not able to play the three shows I had scheduled for this weekend in Savannah, Virginia Beach, and Charlotte as I am going home to be with my family," Alaina said. "Thank you for your prayers and understanding."
The singer signed off the message "Pinky," a word that carried sentimental meaning to her, which she opened up about during her Grand Ole Opry induction in February 2022. Speaking with the audience, Alaina revealed the meaning behind her holding up her pinky finger when she gets nervous performing.
"My dad and I have this really sweet thing that we do. When I was little, I always held his pinky. So, when he comes to see me at my shows, he'll stand out in the crowd and hold up his pinky, and that's his way of telling me that he loves me," she said, according to USA Today.
Alaina had several shows lined up including performances in Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday; Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday; and at the Carowinds Summer Festival Series 2024 in Charlotte on Saturday.
Alaina has been open about the bond she shares with her father, who was a banjo player.
"Ever since my daddy was a child, it was his dream to play the banjo at the Grand Ole Opry," she said at her induction. "So, when I was a girl, of course, I learned about this Disney World of country music, a magical place called the Grand Ole Opry, where all of country music's most successful artists played."
Alaina admitted that while she listened to the Opry on the radio as a child, she never attended it in person until she made her debut album.
"And, my dad's gotten to play with me a couple of times since I started playing there. My family's made so many of their dreams come true at the Opry," Alaina said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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