‘Means the world’: Bend local Bella Emry reflects on American Idol journey
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Under bright lights and national attention, 22-year-old Bella Emry is quickly becoming a name to watch. But behind her recent appearance on American Idol lies a story rooted in small-town Oregon, family influence, and a deep connection to the Central Oregon community.
From Yamhill to Bend
Bella Emry's journey began in the small town of Yamhill, Oregon.
“I am originally from Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon. So I am Oregon born and raised,” she said. “But I moved to Bend about seven or eight years ago, my freshman year of high school.”
The move, prompted by family, marked a major shift from a tight-knit town of roughly 1,000 people to a growing Central Oregon hub.
“You literally know everybody,” she said of her hometown. “You walk down the street and there's Bob and Janet. You know everybody.”
Despite the change, Bend quickly became home.
“Bend was our favorite vacation spot (growing up) and Yamhill is very small. My parents came to me and my brother and were like, ‘Wanna do something different?’ And we were like, ‘Sure.’ And so then we moved,” Bella said. "That’s how I ended up here.”
A Lifelong Connection to Music
Music wasn’t a sudden discovery for Bella. It always had a presence in her life.
“I’d say music was just… always there,” she said. “My dad was the lead pastor and worship leader of our church growing up in Yamhill. My sister, she's six years older than me, and she always did music. So I was just her little shadow and wanted to do everything she did."
She quickly found herself in piano lessons and also learned how to play the guitar.
"My repertoire is just singing piano and guitar at this moment. But, you know, I haven't really crazy obsession with the cello," she said with a laugh.
The ‘American Idol’ Break
Unlike the long audition lines many associate with the show, Bella’s path to American Idol started online.
"I sent in a video to American Idol... I saw an ad online. And then they emailed me," Bella said. "I thought it was a scam, but tried it anyway. I was like, 'I'm not going to get scammed.' It was real!"
After several virtual auditions, she was flown to Nashville to perform in front of celebrity judges including Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
"That was just scary," she admitted. "But honestly, the exact moments of going in there, I completely blacked them out."
Watching her audition later was almost like seeing it for the first time.
“There were things I didn’t even remember happening,” she said, laughing. “Like Luke Bryan saying ‘Hella Yella Bella’, I had no memory of that.”
Bella was relieved to find that some of the moments had been edited out.
"There's also things that happened that got cut. For example, when Lionel Richie said I had a ‘cool vibe’, I responded with, ‘Period, thank you very much.’ Regretted it so badly walking out of that room," Bella said. "And they did cut it out. So, thank you."
She even had a camera crew follow her home to Central Oregon.
"I ended up getting a full story, a full home story. So they came to Bend," she reflected. "They came to my house, they met my family. They came to my my work. It was super cool."
A Community Behind Her
Bella made it to the Top 30 before she was ultimately eliminated--but she said she’s forever grateful for the opportunity and support.
Local businesses, like General Duffy's in Redmond, hosted watch parties, and social media lit up with encouragement.
“It’s a different form of validation that I’ve never received for my music,” she said. “It’s been nothing but positivity.”
That support has shaped her future goals—not just as a performer, but as a local artist.
"I think right now I'm trying to build this kind of goal aspect of looking at what comes next, so I'm still learning that as well... A big part of it is going to be putting my own songs out there, putting my own music out there," Bella said. "I sing music that I love and that I resonate with lyrically now of other people's. But I want to be the one to create that."
Looking Ahead
While her journey on American Idol helped build confidence, Bella says it also clarified her direction.
“My mindset going into this whole process wasn't necessarily, I'm going to be the next American Idol. It was just... I haven't really done anything to actually pursue music. It's just been my hobby," she said. "But this, it was kind of that moment where I was like, I can prove to myself that I can, I could do something like this. Or that I can sing in front of people, specifically very famous people that have a lot of history and experience.”
And she couldn't have done it without Central Oregon's support.
"I just want to say a big thank you to Bend, to Central Oregon. I have received nothing but positivity and it really means the world to me," Bella said.
As she continues to grow as an artist, Bella remains grounded in the place that helped shape her.
"I want to be in Bend, I want to stay in Bend. I love Bend. And now I've got a big backing of people that I don't really even know, but that are here for me. And that just feels amazing," she said. "My goal is to play music here and locally. I'll go around Oregon because I love Oregon, but I want to live in Bend, Bend’s my home base. So, I think that's really special.”
If you want to see Bella perform live, she'll be opening for Jacquie Roar on May 22nd at General Duffy's in Redmond. You can also follow along on her journey and get performance announcements on Instagram, @bellaemryofficial.
