Like father, like daughter: Kansas singer pursues ‘American Idol’ dream

Sixteen years ago, Phil Stacey missed his daughter’s birth to audition for season six of American Idol. That daughter, McKayla Stacey, is now making her own American Idol debut.

McKayla, a 16-year-old student at Andover Central High School, said music has always been part of her life.

After her dad got sixth place on season six, he became a country music artist and went on tour, and McKayla went on the road with him.

“I got to watch him sing and just be around a bunch of artists,” she told the Eagle in a Thursday interview.

Music didn’t feel like McKayla’s own “thing” until middle school.

“I always loved the idea of becoming a singer myself, but it wasn’t necessarily my own unique thing because everyone around me sang,” she said. “But then I got into middle school and I started singing more and my dad sat me down and said, ‘Hey, would you want to be a singer?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’ve always loved singing, it’s kind of my passion,’ so then I took it seriously.”

While her dad definitely inspired her to audition for the singing competition, which will air Sunday, Feb. 26, the decision to try-out was last minute.

“My sister sent me the ad to audition on Zoom literally the night before auditions were due,” McKayla said.

But there was one factor that felt like a sign.

“[My dad] was on season six of American Idol, and since the show was switched to ABC, this is the new season six,” McKayla said. “So I was like, I need to do it.”

Her dad was able to accompany her to New Orleans for the audition in October.

“It was really cool to actually go to the set and see him interact with everyone because he ran into a lot of people he knew from when he was on the show and, you know, it was kind of fun to see him relive his time on the show,” McKayla said.

When she watched old American Idol episodes, McKayla noticed how everyone seemed comfortable and relaxed when singing in front of the judges. So it was a shock to her when the nerves hit, she said.

“When I finally got to sing in front of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan — who are all amazing artists — I didn’t realize how nerve-racking it would really be, I didn’t think through it,” she said. “But they were super kind, the show was really kind to me, it was just a really good experience overall.”

McKayla is having a watch party Sunday with family and friends.

“I’m really excited about the episode finally airing because I’ve had to keep it a secret, the outcome of the audition,” she said. “I am very nervous to see how my audition looks like because the entire experience I kind of blacked out. So to be able to watch it on TV will be super weird, but I’m just ready for it to finally air.”

She said she has experienced a huge outpouring of love and support from the area.

“Every single person I told was thrilled. I’ve had a lot of support from Wichita and Andover,” she said.

The outcome of McKayla’s audition remains a secret until Sunday, but whatever is next, she said she just wants to keep doing music.

“I think I have a deep passion for music and I think that no matter what happens with American Idol, I want to go on and somehow make a career out of it, whether that’s live performing, studio singing or even just teaching. Like I just love music, so the goal is to really just be able to do it for a living,” she said.

How to watch McKayla on American Idol

Tune in to ABC Sunday evening to see how McKayla fares in the audition.

The episode is airing at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time and will also be available to stream on Hulu the day after it airs.