Lauren Alaina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lauren Alaina
Alaina in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth
Born	(1994-11-08) November 8, 1994 (age 30) Rossville, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Country country pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2011–present
Labels	19 Interscope Mercury Nashville Big Loud

Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth (born November 8, 1994) is an American singer and songwriter. She grew up in Rossville, Georgia. Lauren became famous as the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol.

Her first album, Wildflower, came out in 2011. Her second album, Road Less Traveled, was released in 2017. The song "Road Less Traveled" became her first number one hit on the country music charts. Later that year, she had another number one song, "What Ifs," with her friend Kane Brown.

Lauren has also sung with other artists like Hardy, Devin Dawson, and Dustin Lynch. Her third album, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, was released in 2021.

Besides music, Lauren competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2019, finishing in fourth place. She has won two CMT Music Awards and one Academy of Country Music Award. A big moment for her was becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2022. She was welcomed by her hero, Trisha Yearwood. Lauren is currently the youngest member of the Opry.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Lauren Alaina was born on November 8, 1994. Her parents are Kristy and J. J. Suddeth. Her father works in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Lauren started singing when she was just three years old. She sang in a kids' choir and at karaoke nights during family vacations. She also sang in church and at family gatherings. She would sing anywhere within 30 miles of her home!

When she was eight, Lauren won a talent competition called the Southern Stars Pageant. The next year, she performed at Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival. She sang there every year until she was 12. That year, she won a competition that let her perform on the festival's main stage.

At age ten, Lauren traveled to Orlando, Florida, for the American Model and Talent Competition. She won, beating 1,500 other kids. She also sang with a children's group called the Georgia Country Gospel Music Association. When she was 12, Lauren started visiting Nashville. She performed in local bars on Broadway, like Tootsie's. In 2009, she won the WinniSTAR youth talent contest at Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park. Lauren also wrote her own songs, including "Leaving" and "Set Me Free."

Lauren went to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. She was a cheerleader there.

Becoming a Star on American Idol

Auditioning and Early Success

Lauren Alaina auditioned for the tenth season of American Idol in Nashville, Tennessee. From the very beginning, the judges loved her. After her audition, judge Steven Tyler said, "We found the one." Her hometown of Rossville, Georgia, even declared May 14, 2011, "Lauren Alaina Day."

During the show's finale, Lauren sang "Before He Cheats" with her idol, Carrie Underwood. On May 25, 2011, Lauren was announced as the runner-up of the season.

Performances and Results on American Idol

Music Career Highlights

After American Idol, Lauren signed with several record labels. Her first single, "Like My Mother Does," was released and quickly became popular. It sold many copies in its first week.

Lauren appeared on many TV shows after Idol, like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She also performed at the CMT Music Awards and made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry. She toured with the American Idols Live! Tour 2011 across the U.S. and even to the Philippines.

First Album: Wildflower (2011)

On October 11, 2011, Lauren released her first album, Wildflower. It was a big success, reaching number five on the Billboard 200 chart. It was also the best-selling digital album by a new female country artist. The first song from the album, "Georgia Peaches," did well on the country charts.

To promote Wildflower, Lauren performed on shows like Good Morning America and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She also sang for Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the White House. She performed the National Anthem at a Thanksgiving Day football game.

In 2012, Lauren opened for Jason Aldean's tour and Sugarland's tour. Her song "Eighteen Inches" became her third single from Wildflower. She went on an 18-city tour to support the song. Part of the money from each show went to local charities. At the 2012 American Country Awards, Lauren was named New Artist of the Year.

Second Album: Road Less Traveled (2017)

In 2013, Lauren started working on her second album. She released the single "Barefoot and Buckwild" that year. In 2015, she released "Next Boyfriend" and an EP (a shorter album) called Lauren Alaina. A song from her EP, "History," was used for ESPN College Football.

In 2016, Lauren released the song "Road Less Traveled." She wrote this song with Meghan Trainor. Lauren performed the song on TV shows like The Today Show. In April 2017, "Road Less Traveled" became a number one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

Her second album, also called Road Less Traveled, came out on January 27, 2017. Lauren said this album was "very different" from her first. It focused on self-acceptance and love. She performed "Doin' Fine" from the album on Good Morning America.

Lauren toured with Martina McBride and Luke Bryan in 2017. Her song "Doin' Fine" became her third single from the album. In 2017, Lauren was the only female artist to have a number one song on both major country charts. This was for "Road Less Traveled" and "What Ifs."

At the 2018 ACM Awards, Lauren won New Female Vocalist of the Year. She and Kane Brown also won "Best Collaborative Video" for "What Ifs" at the CMT Music Awards.

Recent Music: EPs and Sitting Pretty on Top of the World

In 2018, Lauren released the song "Ladies in the '90s." She was nominated for New Artist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards in both 2017 and 2018.

Lauren toured with many artists like Alan Jackson and Blake Shelton in 2018 and 2019. She also performed at big music festivals.

In 2019, she released the song "Getting Good." She also released "The Other Side" as a special song. In March 2020, she released the Getting Good EP. Later, in September 2020, she released another EP called Getting Over Him. Her song "Getting Over Him" with Jon Pardi came out in 2021. Lauren's third full album, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, was released on September 3, 2021.

In December 2021, Lauren was officially asked to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry. In 2022, she signed with Big Loud Records.

Other Exciting Ventures

In 2016, Lauren filmed her first movie, The Road Less Traveled. It was released in 2017 and later shown on CMT.

In August 2019, Lauren joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars. She made it all the way to the finals and finished in fourth place!

In 2021, Lauren starred in another movie called Roadhouse Romance. It premiered on September 11, 2021.

She also appeared on Beyond the Edge, a survival competition show, in 2022.

Personal Life

Lauren's parents divorced in 2013. Both of her parents later remarried. Sadly, her stepfather passed away in 2018, and her father passed away in 2024.

Lauren is a Christian. She often talks about her faith.

In 2012, Lauren started dating Alexander Hopkins. They got engaged in 2018 but announced their split in 2019. She later dated comedian John Crist. In November 2022, she announced her engagement to Cam Arnold. They got married on February 4, 2024. In January 2025, they shared that they are expecting a baby.

Discography

Studio albums

• Wildflower (2011)
• Road Less Traveled (2017)
• Sitting Pretty on Top of the World (2021)

Awards and Nominations

Tours

Headlining Tours

• 18-City Inch-by-Inch Tour (2012)
• That Girl Was Me Tour (2020)
• Sitting Pretty On Top of the World Tour (2022)

Co-Headlining Tours

• American Idols LIVE! Tour (2011)

Supporting Tours

• My Kinda Party Tour (2012) with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan
• In The Hands Of Fans Tour (2012) with Sugarland
• C2C: Country to Country (2016) with Carrie Underwood
• Keepin' It Country Tour (2016) with Alan Jackson
• Love Unleashed Tour (2017) with Martina McBride
• Huntin', Fishin', and Lovin' Everyday Tour (2017) with Luke Bryan
• Side Effects Tour (2017) with Dallas Smith
• Reason to Drink Tour (2018) with Cole Swindell
• High Noon Neon Tour (2018) with Jason Aldean and Luke Combs
• Reason to Drink...Another Tour (2018) with Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch
• Crash My Playa (2019) with Luke Bryan
• Friends and Heroes Tour (2019-2020) with Blake Shelton
• Songs About You Tour (2022) with Brett Eldredge
• Pentatonix (The World Tour) (2023) with Pentatonix

See also

In Spanish: Lauren Alaina para niños