Hannah Harper On How Emily Ann Roberts Led Her To ‘American Idol’ And Reveals Grand Ole Opry Aspirations

Hannah Harper, a Season 24 contestant on American Idol, has already become a fan favorite as a mother of three who boldly shares her struggles with Postpartum Depression through song and undeniable vocal talent. Week after week, she’s proving she belongs on the Idol stage, and she even has judge Carrie Underwood rooting for her.

But had it not been for good buddy Emily Ann Roberts, the runner-up on 2015’s season of The Voice, Harper may not be gracing television screens across America right now. “We’re buddies,” Harper told Music Mayhem of her friendship with Emily Ann Roberts. “She’s been a huge influence in all of this.”

In fact, Roberts was one of the very first people Harper turned to when the idea of auditioning became real.

“She was one of the very first people that I talked to about auditioning because I was so scared of the contracts and everything that comes in with the production side of it,” she divulged. “It’s still a TV show. So I called Emily, and I was just asking her advice, and she had good words.”

Harper explained that Roberts shared a piece of wisdom she had once heard from a friend — a saying that immediately stuck with her: “As long as God’s opening the doors, then you should run.”

For Harper, that advice couldn’t have come at a more fitting time.

Harper didn’t have to fight to get noticed this season. Instead, she says, “I was recruited … and so I was like, ‘okay, well this feels like a door of opportunity.’ And I just said, Lord, if you don’t want me to do it, slam the door in my face. Let me know immediately that it’s not for me. And obviously that hasn’t happened.”

She’s right. It definitely hasn’t.

Since appearing on Idol, Harper has been welcomed with open arms. Her Idol audition featured her self-penned song “String Cheese,” a deeply personal track that shines a light on postpartum depression. The performance struck a chord with mothers across the country, including fellow Idol alum Lauren Alaina, who publicly shared her emotional reaction.

“The doors are still opening, and I’m just running,” Harper says of the way she’s approaching this journey. “But yes, [Emily Ann Roberts] is a very close friend that I’ve found so much advice in her, lots of questions that I can text and she’ll give me the answer.”

“She’s a very busy woman,” she added of Roberts’ growing career. “But she’s been a huge influence in the business side of things, and she’s making huge strides as an artist as well. And so I’m excited to have a front row seat in that also.”

Harper is in good company beyond Roberts, too. She shared that she’s also friends with Noah Peters, a Season 22 American Idol contestant, better known to fans as the “singing barber.”

“I’m going to meet up with Noah Peters this coming week…. And we’re going to do some videos, and Emily might show up,” she said. “….It is cool to have connections with people who were on the show prior to and get to have real conversations with them in person.”

Those relationships, she says, make navigating the whirlwind of reality TV a little less overwhelming. There’s comfort in hearing from people who’ve been there before, who understand the pressure, the pace, and the possibilities that come after the cameras stop rolling.

While she waits to see how far her journey on American Idol will take her, and after making it into the Top 30, Harper already has her eyes set on one major goal: stepping into the circle at the Grand Ole Opry.

“That would be a dream come true. Honestly, after that, I’ll just hang it up and just quit,” she joked before turning serious. “But that is one of my biggest dreams, and it is in my five-year plan.”

She’s even done her homework.

“…I’ve actually asked Emily Ann, when you play the Opry, do you get to bring your band? And she said, ‘You get to bring two accompaniments.’ And I’m like, perfect. I have two brothers, and they are in my band, and I would love to experience that with them,” she shared. “But more than anything, that’s just a sacred stage that I would be so honored to be on. And I mean, there’s goals in people’s careers, and that’s probably top tier right there.”

Follow along with Hannah Harper’s American Idol journey every Monday night at 8/7c on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.