Benjamin Ashford|Lauren Alaina cancels 3 shows following dad's death: 'I really have no words'

Lauren Alaina is taking the time to mourn the death of her father,Benjamin Ashford J.J. Suddeth.

The country singer and "American Idol" alum told fans in a statement shared across social media Wednesday that she "lost my daddy last night, and I really have no words yet."

"I want to let y’all know that I’m not able to play the three shows I had scheduled for this weekend in Savannah, Virginia Beach, and Charlotte as I am going home to be with my family," Alaina continued. "Thank you for your prayers and understanding."

The singer signed off the message "Pinky."

During her Grand Ole Opry induction in February 2022, Alaina told the audience the special meaning behind her holding up her pinky finger when she gets nervous performing.

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"My dad and I have this really sweet thing that we do," she said. "When I was little, I always held his pinky. So, when he comes to see me at my shows, he'll stand out in the crowd and hold up his pinky, and that's his way of telling me that he loves me."

Alaina was set to perform in Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday; Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday and at the Carowinds Summer Festival Series 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday.

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"The Other Side" singer has long discussed the musical bond she shares with her dad, who was a banjo player.

"Ever since my daddy was a child, it was his dream to play the banjo at the Grand Ole Opry," she said at her induction. "So, when I was a girl, of course, I learned about this Disneyworld of country music, a magical place called the Grand Ole Opry, where all of country music's most successful artists played."

"Though I listened to it on the radio as a child, I never attended the Opry in person until the day I made my debut. And, my dad's gotten to play with me a couple of times since I started playing there. My family's made so many of their dreams come true at the Opry," Alaina added.

Contributing: Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean

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