‘A talent powerhouse’: Family, friends say Lakewood native destined for ‘American Idol’

“American Idol” contestant Grace Kinstler already had quite a fan base growing up in McHenry County.

With a clip of her audition recently appearing on “Good Morning America” in advance of the Feb. 14 premiere episode, that fan base is expanding.

To say friends and family of the 20-year-old Lakewood native are proud is an understatement.

“My mom ordered shirts with my face on them. She’s my mom,” Kinstler said with a laugh.

Kinstler’s mom, Sherry Kinstler, intends to wear her shirt while watching the premiere episode from her Lakewood home. Grace is in Boston in her junior year at the Berklee College of Music, a path her family encouraged her to take.

“I grew up with the idea of I don’t want to go to college. I just want to go off and do music. My parents were like, ‘We fully trust you’ll be successful, but you should go to music school and get a degree.’ I was like, ‘All right, I’ll apply to Berklee,’” Grace said.

It’s been a whirlwind for the family, especially since Grace’s ”Good Morning America” appearance Feb. 8. In the clip, “American Idol” judge Luke Bryan says her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman” made him cry.

“All of a sudden my phone just started ringing off the hook, ’Grace is on TV!’ I was like, ‘Get out!’” Sherry Kinstler said. “I called Grace and said, ‘Get up, you’re on ‘Good Morning America!’ It was just so cool and exciting. We’re excited for just everything. That was so unreal.”

As for Bryan crying?

“She makes us cry, so I’m not surprised,” Sherry Kinstler said. ”We always cry when she sings, but we’re her family and friends and we love her.”

Those who know the 2018 Crystal Lake Central High School graduate say she’s always been destined for a successful career in music.

[Read about other “American Idol” contestants from McHenry County.]

At age 15, she won a national singing competition in a musical theater category. She has had her own YouTube channel featuring both covers and originals since high school, has released two EPs and was an anthem singer for both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox.

“Right away when she sang for me, I knew she was going to be a talent powerhouse and that she was born with this amazing instrument, that has a potential to be one of the voices of her generation,” said vocal coach Michelle Hackman, who began working with Grace her freshman year of high school and still coaches her virtually.

Part of Encore Music Academy in Crystal Lake and through her own studio, Hackman provides private vocal lessons to 43 students, many from McHenry County high schools.

She recently invited her younger students to watch one of her virtual lessons with Grace.

“They were all blown away and inspired by her,” Hackman said.

“I’m excited for the world to see her. I just want them to know that not only is she super talented, she is also one of the hardest working and most dedicated performers I’ve ever met in my life. … She’s a lovely person too. I couldn’t ask for this to happen to a better person.”

Grace credits Hackman, whom she calls both a teacher and a friend, with much of her success. She remembers feeling challenged from the start.

“I went in there, and I thought I sounded great,” Grace said. ”She was like, ‘We need to fix this, this and this.’”

Having performed in numerous high school and community theater productions throughout the Chicago area growing up, Grace said her focus these days is on contemporary music, blending elements of R&B and soul with pop music.

Her dream is not fame or fortune, she said. She aims high, but she simply wants to live a comfortable life performing, writing and collaborating on music.

“For me, I want my music to always have substance,” she said. “I want people to be able to connect with it in a way that allows them to connect with me. Especially during these times, it’s so easy to feel alone. Music is so important right now, music of substance especially.”

From a young age, Grace has seen music as an outlet, a way to get through tough times.

She grew up listening to powerhouse female artists, such as Christine Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson (“American Idol’s” first winner) and Jennifer Hudson (the 7th-place finisher on Season 3). Yes, the Kinstlers have been fans of “American Idol” for a while.

Grace would watch the show and tell her mother, “I want to be on that.”

“Keep trying, Gracie girl,” her mother would respond. “Keep trying. You’ll get there,”

“I just love to listen to her sing,” Sherry Kinstler said. “When she’s home and on break, it’s just nice having the house full of music. She’s always doing something, writing something, playing something, listening to music.”

In a way, Grace has been preparing for this season of “American Idol” all along. She first auditioned for the show in 2017 but never made it in front of the judges. In 2016, she auditioned for “The Voice” but didn’t make it past callbacks.

This year, amid the pandemic, “I thought, ‘Let’s go for it. There’s really nothing else to do,’” she said. “As an artist, I’ve grown to understand myself more. Before, I don’t think I was ready yet.”

She said she feels more grateful having had to work and wait for it.

“American Idol” also has given the Kinstler family a bright spot in a tough year. Grace’s father, Mitch, died about a year ago, and she also recently lost a grandmother.

It was Grace’s father who inspired her “American Idol” audition choice. He videotaped her at around age 8 singing that song.

“In the video I could not sing at all,” Grace said. “To go in there and sing that song now was not only to pay tribute to my dad, but also a testament to how hard I’ve worked for this. …

“In a year that kind of seems like it was so dark, this is one thing we can all look forward to watching. It’s been very exciting.”