Tanner Adell Gives Etta James Her Flowers, Recalls Riding a Horse at 1 Month Old | Women in Music 2025

Drew Afualo gives flowers to Tanner Adell and shares why Etta James inspires her, when she first rode a horse and more at Billboard Women in Music 2025.

Drew Afualo:

I am here with the iconic Tanner Adell here at Billboard Women in Music. I do have some pretty fun questions for you. Are you excited? 

Tanner Adell:

Ask away!

OK so first, I’m gonna pick a flower for you. Hold on. Oh, there’s flowers glued in there. OK, so I’m gonna ask you: Who do you give flowers to for getting you where you are? 

Oh, man, I think I would have to give flowers to my mother. She has always been supportive of my dreams. And as time has gone by, I’ve gone by, I feel like she’s always been someone, I mean, she comes on tour with me. So I love having my mom around. She inspires me all day.

Gorge. Love that. And who do you give flowers to for inspiring your music?

Oh wow, inspiring my music. You know, I think Etta James is someone who I respect a lot. I love jazz music, and I just feel like she was so stunning and really set a precedence for nice, little salty little vocals. And I’m gonna have to give those flowers to Etta James,

Beautiful. And the last kind of fun one, I’m gonna give you another flower you can hold in the other hand. This flower is gonna go to you for a very fun fact that I have about you, which is that you rode a horse for the first time when you were 6 months old. 

I think I was even younger than that!

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