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With a golden ticket in hand from “American Idol,” Caledonia’s own Abby Blake is headed to Hollywood. Blake made her debut on Season 7 of “American Idol” in her adopted home of Nashville, Tenn. The episode aired on Sunday, February 25.
Local fans gathered at Elsie’s Bar and Grill in downtown Caledonia to support Abby as she sang the hit song “What About Us” by P!nk. Despite waking up with a hoarse voice due to her regular performances, Abby’s rendition of the song earned her two yeses, from judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, securing her a ticket to Hollywood.
Abby explained that “American Idol” found her on Instagram. She explained that an estimated 85% or so of the contestants are reached out to on social media. The opportunity fell into her lap over a year ago and has been a long journey since then.
Twenty-five-year-old Abby Blake, locally known as Abby Hoskins, is the daughter of Willy and Sonja Hoskins of Caledonia. She has one brother, Will, who is three years younger than Abby and lives in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Having spent her whole life in Caledonia, Abby expressed the closeness she shares with her family.
After graduating from Caledonia High School in 2016, Abby initially pursued a degree in exercise sports science in La Crosse, Wis., before switching to music performance. She later transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., where she graduated in May 2021, and then headed to Nashville, Tenn., to begin her musical career.
Musical talent runs in Abby’s family, particularly on her father’s side, with her dad playing multiple instruments. You would never know it because he does not play for people unless a family member “sweet-talks” him into playing at a family celebration. Abby shared that her Grandpa Hoskins and his siblings played some kind of instrument or sang, stressing that she grew up around music. In second or third grade, Abby started taking piano lessons and she and her dad played all the time.
In addition to performing and playing the piano, Abby is also a songwriter.
From a young age, Abby felt a natural inclination toward performing. She vividly recalls a defining moment in her dorm room in La Crosse, where certain performances deeply resonated with her. One particular artist who left a lasting impact was Carrie Underwood. She remembers watching a video and knew she just had to get up the courage to try, or she would die! She researched the top musical schools and within six months she had applied to Berklee.
Abby reflected on the advice she received from her dad. He told her that you need to wake up every Monday morning and be excited to go to work. He also told her that you need to go to your grave with zero what-ifs. Even if you try and it does not work out, at least you know that you have tried. Regret, she said, was one of her greatest fears.
Choosing a stage name was no easy feat because Abby wanted her stage name to have a personal connection. Abby “mulled it over for two years” and in January 2020 when she released her first original, “Ruby (We Are More),” her aunt shared a newspaper article with her. The article was about her great-grandmother on her dad’s side. Abby explained that her great-grandmother played the piano her entire life and was an excellent piano player. When she was young her great-grandmother played in piano bars, and there was even a mention in the newspaper article about the “Ed Sullivan Show.” Her stage name was Ruby Blake. Two years later Abby decided that Abby Blake felt right especially since Ruby Blake is the foundation of the Hoskins’ musical family, and Abby Blake has “a nice ring to it.”
Samuel (Sam) Kelly-Cohen, Abby’s accompanist, affectionately introduced himself as her “favorite hired gun.” The lead singer of the band, KayKo, based in Nashville, Sam was unexpectedly invited by the judges to perform because they did not want to leave any stone unturned. Sam enthusiastically performed an original song “Have the Time of Your Life.” His heartfelt performance impressed the judges, earning him three yeses, and securing his ticket to Hollywood.
Their friendship has a backstory dating back five years to their first day at Berklee, where they met in the bookstore. Reflecting on their journey, Abby chuckled, admitting that if someone had told them five years ago that they would both be on “American Idol,” she would have laughed in their face.
Fans can follow Abby’s journey on “American Idol.” Airing on ABC on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. CST, with the season concluding on May 21.
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