Emily Ann Roberts

Country singer Emily Ann Roberts was still in high school when she became an overnight star, thanks to her appearance on the popular television talent competition The Voice. Roberts was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on October 23, 1998, and she grew up in a family of music fans; her earliest memories include listening to artists such as Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless while riding in the car with her father. Roberts' dad played guitar, and when she was in sixth grade, she began singing to her father's accompaniment; Roberts also sang gospel songs with her grandmother, and she became determined to keep their sound alive when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Roberts began taking guitar lessons at the age of 13, and within a few months she was teaching herself country and bluegrass riffs. Roberts became a fixture at Knoxville venues such as El Charro and Clancy's Tavern, and local radio station WDVX tapped her to appear on their daily live broadcast Blue Plate Special.