Baylee Littrell Is All Grown Up As He Joins American Idol
Baylee, son of Backstreet Boys lead vocalist Brian Littrell joins the 23rd season of American Idol
If you’re a fan of the Backstreet Boys, you probably know Brian Littrell, the group’s lead vocalist. Now, his son Baylee is stepping into the spotlight, following in his father’s footsteps as he joins the 23rd season of American Idol.”
Although he got the gold ticket and is heading to Los Angeles, Baylee already had an early start as a performer. Here are a few things to know about the 22-year-old singer.
Baylee was diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki Disease at 6
Baylee looks healthy now but there was a time his parents were worried about his health. In 2008, Brian confirmed that his son was diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki Disease at the age of 6.
Kawasaki Disease according to Mayo Clinic is a “disease that causes swelling, called inflammation, in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body.”
In a 2009 interview, Brian admitted that he and his wife Leighanne were worried about the condition because they weren’t sure about the problems at the time.
“We didn’t know what we were dealing with until we found his coronary artery three times the size it should be.”
Leighanne told ABC News in 2008 that he never saw Baylee sick until symptoms started coming out.
“It kind of blew us away and from then on things escalated.”
Thanks to an echocardiogram, the couple were able to discover with the help of doctors regarding Baylee’s condition back then and received the proper treatment.
While it’s unclear how Baylee got the condition, Brian himself had a heart murmur in the past and underwent treatment when he was 23.
Baylee opened for his dad and the group several times during tours
Brian has always been proud of Baylee every time he performs. He has opened several times for the Backstreet Boys on tour. He even got emotional as he filmed Baylee, then 16 while opening their DNA tour in Washington DC.
In a 2018 interview, Brian spoke about being present in his son’s life despite the exhausting world tours he and the group do.
“I hope that I can always be my son’s hero. It doesn’t really matter that I’m a pop star. You can call me what you want, but I just want to be my son’s hero.”
He already released two albums
Baylee has been performing since he was young. He even went to Broadway to do a musical. A native of Georgia, Baylee’s influence at the start of his career was country music, explaining the sound he has in singles such as “Don’t Knock It” and “Boxes.”
To date, Baylee has released two albums – 770 County in 2019 and EP Vol One in 2022. His musical influences include country singers like Tim McGraw and Johnny Cash.
At the American Idol interview, Brian acknowledged Baylee’s advantages of growing up in the industry but admits it’s not easy.
“ I’ve always told everybody, he’s ten times more talented than I ever was,” he said of Baylee.
He sang his own song at the American Idol auditions
After years of performing and making music, Baylee decided to step a notch by auditioning for American Idol.
Carrie Underwood at the start pointed out that he looked familiar until he disclosed that he was the son of Brian and Leighanne Littrell.
During the audition episode, Baylee performed his own composition “Waiting On Myself To Die”.
“This song is about me personally wanting to give up and not giving up yet,” he said of the story behind the song.
As a special treat, Brian dropped by to support Baylee and even jammed with him as Carrie, Lionel Ritchie, and Luke Bryan watched.
We’re cheering for you Baylee!
We have yet to see how Baylee progresses in the show, but expectations are high. Days after his audition aired, Baylee took to Instagram to thank his fans.
“And the journey begins! Feeling incredibly grateful for all the love and support y’all have shown me over the last 24 hours. I couldn’t do this without you! Keep tuning in to @AmericanIdol on ABC this season— I can’t wait to share this experience with you.”
Brian also shared his excitement for his son’s journey. “Congrats @bayleelittrell_music on an incredible premiere with @americanidol. I am so proud of you Bubba – can’t wait to see you in #Hollywood!!
Baylee’s journey in music has led him to where he is now. While children of showbiz stars try to avoid the shadow of their parents, Baylee embraces it and is a proud son of the Backstreet Boys.
We can’t wait to see what he’ll be performing and for sure, Brian and the other Backstreet Boys members will be behind him in this journey.
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