Janelle Arthur was a massive fan favorite in Season 12 of American Idol.
It took Janelle three tries to get onto the show, as she also auditioned in the 10th and 11th seasons, only to get cut early. However, in the 12th season, she was a huge success.
She made it all the way to the Top 10 and then finished in fifth place, singing everything from Keith Urban and Hank Williams to Madonna and Billy Joel before her elimination.
That was the season that Candice Glover won.
Now, Janelle has let her fans know that she has delivered a healthy baby girl.
Janelle Arthur introduces baby to the world
Janelle Arthur announced that she had her first baby, daughter Lovelyn, delivered on January 16, 2022.
The news was announced on Instagram the following weekend.
“She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace,” Janelle wrote.
This was a Bible quotation, from Proverbs 3:15-17.
This was also a special moment for Janelle, who had shared with PEOPLE that she had previously miscarried.
“It’s hard to put into words what you go through because you have so many different emotions,” Arthur said. “It was as if my brain wasn’t prepared for the loss and the sadness of it all. I let myself cry and grieve. And then I just had to trust Him. I just had to trust God’s timing.”
She was also excited because her baby’s due date was January 19 – the same day that her idol Dolly Parton was born.
The last song that Janelle sang before her elimination on American Idol was Parton’s Dumb Blonde.
Who is Janelle Arthur from American Idol?
Janelle Arthur, 32, was born in Tennessee and raised in a religious family.
When she was eight, she played Dolly Parton in a theatrical production at the Dollywood theme park. She then was hired as a child performer for a local theater company.
She eventually moved to Nashville to pursue a music career in 2010 and appeared on American Idol in 2012.
Since American Idol ended, she toured with the show and has been lucky enough to be invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, appearing several times.
Janelle released her first EP, titled Janelle, in 2015.
She also appeared in the movie Runnin’ from my Roots in 2018, playing country music star Faith Winters.
American Idol Season 20 premieres on Sunday, February 27, 2022, at 8/7c on ABC.