Country singer-songwriter Laci Kaye Booth first won over country fans on season 17 of American Idol, where she placed in the top 5. Though she wowed Idol judges (and viewers) with her own country spin on classics such as Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," her heart lies in telling her own stories through song.
Booth, a member of CMT's Next Women of Country Class of 2022, says it all goes back to riding in her mom's Chevy pickup during a transitional time in her life.
"A country song that really shaped me as an artist would be 'You Were Mine' by The Chicks. As a young girl, I remember my Momma blaring this song in her little Chevy pickup while she was going through a divorce with my Dad. That was the first moment I experienced what storytelling, heartache — what a country song can do," Booth tells Wide Open Country. "It wasn't until later in my teenage years that I listened to this song and understood all of the emotions my Momma was feeling, while I was going through my very own first heartbreak. I fell in love with this song all over again. My dream from that point on was to create music that can do the same for other people."
Since the release of her self-titled debut album last year, Booth has continued to earn a dedicated following, working with hit makers and songwriting mainstays such as Charles Kelley, Liz Rose and Laura Veltz and showcasing her velvet voice on song such as "Shuffle."
For more on Laci Kaye Booth, visit her official website or follow her on social media.
