Fans of The Voice television series had the opportunity to see an excellent example of area talent when Ada-based artist Emily Rhyne auditioned on the program’s season 23 premier. Although she’s relatively new on the local music scene, she has already built up a large and rapidly growing fan base. Her appearance on the nationally broadcast show will no doubt give her music career a major boost.

Emily comes from a long line of talent. Her grandfather, Ernie Dunlap, was a local legend on guitar and pedal steel, working with many of the top musicians in the area. Those that saw the show got to hear a short sample from a recording session he did with Blake Shelton for Shelton’s 13th birthday.

Emily’s mother (Ernie’s daughter), Carol, is also an accomplished musician/ singer and frequently plays bass in Emily’s band.

Emily’s dad, Kelly Rhyne, was an outstanding guitar player, as well as a drummer and singer. As a teen he played guitar for Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame steel guitar player Smiley Weaver. In the early eighties he became part of high school classmate Reba McEntire’s band, along with another classmate and close friend, Roger Wills, who is now a long-time member of Alan Jackson’s band.

Emily grew up listening to her grandpa play around the house, and the family would travel with him to his shows, where Emily would watch and soak it all in. “Somewhere between the ages of 9 and 11 I realized he’s got the right idea,” Emily recalls. “I’ve got to figure out how to get up on stage with him.”

Ernie taught Emily how to play guitar and her mother helped her develop her stage presence, gave pointers on working a crowd, networking, music business and all of the other aspects of being a professional musician. This is a job Carol continues to this day, jokingly describing herself as Emily’s “momager.”

“It was really kind of nerve wracking when I first ‘came out’ as a musician,” Emily says. “For the longest time I was introduced as ‘Emily, she’s so-and-so’s daughter or granddaughter,’ so, I had those kinds of reputations looming over me.”

She clarifies she is extremely proud of her family, and wouldn’t change that background for anything, but she was almost overwhelmed by the expectations others had when she was just getting started at an early age.

After spending time developing her act and performing around Ada at any and every opportunity she had, in May of 2021 Emily began playing at Shelton’s “Ole Red” venue in Tishomingo at least one to four times a week, in addition to other random engagements and attending college.

She was finally able to give up her day job and focus on performing full time. She more recently began playing regularly at McEntire’s new venue, “Reba’s Place,” in Atoka as well.

Emily grew up watching The Voice, and had often dreamed about auditioning, but either didn’t feel she was ready or else the timing wasn’t right. After she started playing at Ole Red her dream was promoted to bucket list.

“How cool would it be,” Emily would tell her audience, “just to go on the show and say ‘Hey Blake, my name’s Emily and I’m from Ada, Oklahoma.’ That was something I always wanted to do.”

Although she is understandably disappointed, she didn’t get to advance on The Voice, she won the judge’s (and audience’s) hearts with her gracious concession, presenting Blake with a specially made tee-shirt covered in signatures of Ada musicians and fans before playing the early recording Blake made with her grandpa for all the world to hear.

Emily can now scratch appearing on The Voice and telling Blake she’s from Ada off her bucket list. Been there, done that just in time to appear on Shelton’s last season with the show. She’s now ready to move on to the next, BIGGER dream.

And, just like she overcame being introduced as so-and-so’s daughter, she is now inspired to push herself even harder.

“I know that God has plans for me and my future,” she believes. “It’s in His timing not mine. I’m going to keep working and when the time is right, God will make it happen.”

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