Talk to Lady K on the phone, and she sounds exactly the way you’d expect.
Warm. Humble. Extremely grounded. Ready to change her life and make her mark in the world.
Alabama native Kezia Istonia -- known to “American Idol” fans as Lady K --could be on the verge of something big, thanks to the exposure she’s receiving on television.
The singer, 25, is one of the Top 24 contestants on Season 20 of the ABC reality series, gaining new fans with every performance and earning kudos from judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
“I’m just an artist, trying to be vulnerable,” Lady K says in a phone interview with AL.com. “I’m the person who uses my platform to tell the truth.”
Lady K, originally from Montgomery, is a Tuskegee resident now, and that gives her a special link to one of the “Idol” judges. Richie was born and raised in Tuskegee, and the veteran star has an enduring affection for his hometown.
Tuskegee, after all, is where Richie started his music career as a member of the Commodores. As a solo artist, Richie named a duets album after the city in Macon County, to commemorate the place where he wrote many of his signature songs.
“I am a kid from Tuskegee,” Richie said in a 2012 interview with AL.com. “People know me there.”
If all goes well for Lady K -- via her talent, a bit of luck and Richie’s support -- Tuskegee will have another music luminary to tout.
“From one homeboy to my homegirl, I’m real proud of you,” Richie said, informing Lady K that she’d made the Top 24 on “Idol” this season. “At this point right now, you made us proud.”
(Watch that moment in the video below, along with Lady K’s Showstopper performance on the April 4 episode. Her segment starts at the 3:16 mark.)
As Lady K tell will be the first to tell you, the exposure on “American Idol” comes at an opportune time. She really needs this boost in the entertainment world, to kickstart her career and help her family in Alabama.
“I’m glad that I’m a strong enough person to be able to tell my ugly truth,” she says. “I’m able to turn my negatives into positives. That’s how I look at it.”
As Lady K revealed during her audition for the reality series, she has struggled with poverty, homelessness and the death of a beloved brother. Things have been tough for her family, and she’s not too proud to admit it.
When she moved to Tuskegee with her mother and four siblings in April 2021, for example, it was not because they chose to live there, but because government housing assistance pointed them in that direction.
“Thats where they sent us,” Lady K says. “I feel like it was fate.”
Ask Lady K what her family thinks about her “Idol” success, and here’s what she says: “They probably feel like, ‘About damn time.’ My mama tells me I could sing before I could talk. I started working on my music as a featured artist at 8 years old. I did talent shows, and educators and teachers played a real big role.”
Forging a music career in Alabama hasn’t been easy for her, but Lady K’s been working on it.
She’s performed as part of the Montgomery music scene -- you can see her as a featured artist in producer Noah Baker’s video for “My City,” for example -- and Lady K released two albums, “Letters From Lady K” and “Unfinished Love Story,” in 2015 and 2018, respectively. She also has a 2018 Christmas EP, “Khristmas With K.”
Another record, “K,” came out in 2020. In April 2022, Lady K released a four-song EP, “Time of Your Life.” Along with the title track, the collection includes “Ghetto,” “Wasting Time” and “I Need You.”
Lady K says her goal is to find a national audience -- “Idol” certainly can help with that -- and become known as a singer who can handle any genre of music, including pop and country.
“A lot of people limit me to the hip-hop and R&B scene,” Lady K says. “I just want to show my authenticity and originality in everything I do.”
She’s quick to point to her role model in the entertainment world -- Beyonce -- and express admiration for the star’s ambition, versatility and ability to make every project her own. Lady K says she hopes to win multiple Grammy Awards in the future, as Beyonce has done.
And if success comes her way, Lady K says she’ll make sure to shine a spotlight on other talented folks in Alabama.
“I love being from Alabama,” Lady K says. “You get hugs, you get prayers and you get food.”
During Hollywood Week on “American Idol,” Lady K says she forged a strong connection with another contestant from Alabama: Tyler N. Allen, who was eliminated from the show after making the Top 59. He’s a singer, preacher and worship leader from Mobile.
“We talked about life a lot, and we prayed,” Lady K says. “The other contestants called us the Church.”
Lady K has displayed a strong emotional link to the material she’s covered on “Idol,” such as “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry and “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James.
“You sang with such elegance, beauty, grace and filigree,” Perry said, in response to Lady K’s initial audition. “It’s like you reinvented the song. It’s like your heart is shining through your vocal cords.”
Apparently, that’s a natural gift -- Lady K says she’s had no professional coaching as a vocalist -- and the singer is quick to give credit on high.
“I think the spiritual connection to my music is something I’ve been given for a purpose,” Lady K says. “I just want to be open and receive the developments from the universe.”
“Idol” watchers will be able to see Lady K take her next step on Monday, April 11, when she performs as a member of the Top 24. During a two-hour episode that’s been filmed in advance, Lady K will be coached by pop star Bebe Rexha and sing for viewer votes at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii.
Is Lady K in it to win it? Absolutely, she says. But Lady K emphasizes that she’s simply grateful for the chance to expand her public profile, no matter where she ends up during Season 20.
“It sounds amazing to win the show,” Lady K says. “But the fact that I have this platform where I can connect with people is amazing, too.”
If you watch: “American Idol” airs on Sundays and Mondays at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. Early episodes of the series are filmed in advance. Two other contestants from Alabama -- Tristen Gressett of Pell City and Cadence Baker of the Shoals -- made the Top 24 this season. Gressett will be featured in an episode that airs on Sunday, April 10. Baker is set to follow on the April 11 program.
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