Pensacola native Keyla Richardson is advancing to the top 3 of “American Idol.” She’ll be performing in the grand finale of the show next week and is one step closer to winning the season.
Keyla kicked off the show performing “River Deep — Mountain High” by Ike and Tina Turner. In the second half, she sang Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” alongside former “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks.
Richardson is joined in the top 3 with Hannah Harper and Jordan McCullough.
Locals have been cheering on Richardson over the course of the last few weeks since her “Idol” audition. Fans — otherwise known as the Keyhive — set up watch parties at local businesses.
The Pensacola native is a music teacher at Life Shifting Learning Academy (LSLA), a private Christian academy. Richardson grew up singing in church. She’s released a few singles and was a contestant on BET’s gospel competition show, “Sunday Best” in 2019.
In anticipation of her advancement, the City of Pensacola has been coordinating her Hometown Hero celebration, which is called “KeylaFest.” The day’s events include a parade starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, followed by a free concert at the Hunter Amphitheater behind Wahoos Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Standing room tickets for the amphitheater are sold out, but as of Monday evening, overflow tickets remain.
For more details on KeylaFest, visit keylafest.com.