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Kree Harrison will need votes from Southeast Texans in addition to across America if she is going to remain a contestant on the popular FOX network series, American Idol.

Harrison, 22, who is a Southeast Texas native, but currently resides in Nashville has people listening for her one-of-a kind voice. In the 8th grade she briefly attended school in Bridge City and lived in other local cities before leaving to pursue her dreams.

Harrision got her start on singing before a crowd at the age of three when she sang in church.

Becoming a music star was always on her mind. Harrision went on The Rosie O’Donnell Show at eight years old and returned three more times. Lyric Street Records caught wind of this young talent and signed her at the age of 12. But it was short lived and due to creative differences she ended her relationship with the label.

“Singing is in her blood,” said her Aunt Penny Harrison. “She has had talent all her life.”

Harrison had a rough start to her life with the loss of her father in an airplane crash when she was 12 years old. She was forced to face another tragedy when her mother died four years later. The singer took to song writing to express her emotions.

Since her audition for American Idol she has had the judges clamoring for more.

Keith Urban, an American Idol judge, said Harrison is one of his favorite voices in the “American Idol” competition this year.

Urban said after a performance by Harrison, “You don’t over-try, you don’t have any desperation when you sing. There’s an effortless believability. It’s authentic”

Another American Idol judge, Nicki Minaj, added, “I would be very afraid if I was any of these other girls here tonight.”

Other judges, Randy Jackson and Mariah Carey also stated, “It was effortless. I felt like I was at your show and you’ve been doing this for 25 years.”

But, she also has received comments from other country music stars who admire her voice.

Harrison recently received some big compliments from country band Little Big Town. They recently heaped praise on Harrison to CMT. “She is an artist, and I am so happy that she is getting a chance to use her gift on a broader platform and for people to hear her,” said Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. “If those American Idol judges are smart, they will keep her on the whole way. We have to vote for Kree, we just have to. She deserves this chance to shine, it is her moment.”

Harrison just made it into the top 10 of “American Idol’s” twelfth season and the singer is a part of a strong female field. No matter where her career takes her, it seems like she has definitely made her mark on the fans. The singer is arguably one of the most popular contestants left on the “Idol” stage.

Country singers tend to do very well in singing competitions – think Carrie Underwood, Scotty McCreery and The X Factors, Tate Stevens. It is the hopes of her family and friends in Southeast Texas, she will go far and win American Idol.

Family members have put out a flyer thanking everyone for their support and asking everyone to keep voting for Kree Harrison so she can make it to the end and become the next American Idol. The shows airs 7 p.m. Wednesdays on Fox with the results of the voting being 7 p.m. Thursdays.

Penny Harrison hosts a weekly party with friends and family to see Kree perform. At the party she brings out Kree’s guitar. But, she has decorated in honor of her niece with a wig and sunglasses.

Penny Harrison sent a picture to Kree in the form of a text to which she replied that she thought it was “funny.”

Penny drives about 1,600 miles a month from Bridge City to locations in Louisiana for her job. As a reminder for all who see her, the windows of her Chevrolet Cobalt are painted with white shoe polish encouraging everyone to vote for Kree.

Kree Harrison, a former Southeast Texan, has made it to into the top 10 finalists of American Idol. Photo Courtesy American Idol