‘American Idol’ Contestant Athena Jett Has Strong Poker Roots, But a Future in Music
Athena Jett, who gave an exclusive interview to PokerNews, will appear in the audition round of American Idol, a music competition TV show in its 22nd season, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
If that last name sounds familiar to poker fans, it’s because the 20-year-old from Las Vegas is the daughter of longtime poker players Karina Jett and Chip Jett, both former Full Tilt Poker pros with over $3 million in combined live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob.
Poker or Musical Career?
The poker couple’s eldest offspring, who spoke with PokerNews at Roma Restaurant & Deli, owned by Poker Hall of Famer Todd Brunson, isn’t a poker player. She isn’t even yet of legal gambling age in Nevada.
But the modern jazz singer has played cards with her mother on a poker cruise, and she recently released a song, “The Gamble,” available on streaming apps such as Pandora and Spotify, that has poker undertones. No doubt the poker roots are strong, but don’t expect her to spend her adult life in card rooms.
Athena Jett has bigger aspirations, and the possibility of a successful musical career is seeming more likely by the day. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas computer science major has already gone viral for a clip from her audition that was released by various Hollywood media outlets.
The video doesn't disclose the outcome of the audition, and viewers will have to tune in March 17 to find out if she received a golden ticket to Hollywood. But American Idol judge and pop star Katy Perry was certainly moved that Jett's 12-year-old sister, Angelica, interrupted the audition to assist her big sister.
"I would love (music) to be my career path for as long as I can," Athena Jett said. "If I have a professional singing career in 10 years, I'll be super happy because it's everything that I've been working towards."
Although Jett is pursuing a college degree, she admits a career in computer science isn't her dream and that her "passion is and always has been singing."
Jett's musical inspiration is Ella Fitzgerald, an innovative jazz singer who passed away in 1996.
"I'm so inspired by my idols and the people that I look up to in music," Jett said. "I want to make other people feel exactly like how they make me feel with their music."
Jett, who said she began singing when she was about 10 years old, discovered Fitzgerald's music when she was 14, "and she's been my inspiration ever since."
"She is my number one idol in the world. I don't think there's an Ella Fitzgerald song I don't like," Jett continued.
PokerNews will release the full interview with the American Idol contest following her initial appearance March 17.
*Images courtesy of Disney/Eric McCandless provided to PokerNews for exclusive use.
