American Idol’s newest contestant has some famous DNA.
Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell, kicked off season 23 with his audition on March 9, performing an original song on his guitar for judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
After his emotional performance, the judges encouraged the 22-year-old to bring his dad out with him, and the duo sang the chorus of Baylee’s song together.
Fittingly, Baylee shared his motivation, giving his dad credit for being the one to get him excited about music—and for sharing some of his talent.
“I believe I get my voice from Dad, and hopefully I can do him justice today,” he shared. “I guess you can say music runs in our family. Dance moves-wise, that’s the one thing genetically that did not pass down.”
He added, “Following in my dad’s footsteps is scary, because his career, to me, is one of the most extraordinary in music history. No one can ever compare.”
