EMILY HOUGH

Age: 16

Hometown: Petersburg, Illinois

Resident: Petersburg, Illinois

Growing up with an Army dad, Emily's family moved a lot, but her dad always made time for music. After playing with her dad's guitar, Emily found her interest in music at just five years old. At age seven, Emily won third place at a local fair by singing Taylor Swift's "Our Song," which inspired her to start taking guitar lessons. Emily soon began performing locally wherever she could and quickly became known as a singer around town. At 15, Emily opened up for Brothers Osborne at the county fair and that's when she knew she was ready for the main stage. Emily hopes to prove to her small town that big dreams can come true.