Aretha Franklin's granddaughter auditions for American Idol but judges surprisingly vote against her

It turns out being the granddaughter of Aretha Franklin won't necessarily win you a golden ticket to Hollywood on American Idol.

The legendary singer's granddaughter Grace Franklin auditioned for the long-running talent show with sweet renditions of Roberta Flack's 'Killing Me Softly with His Song' and Franklin's song 'Ain't No Way.'

But while the 15-year-old won praise from Katy Perry, she failed to wow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan who didn't feel she was ready.

"Grace Franklin, I love you and I think the best thing for you in life is to take a shot at going backwards," Richie told her following the audition. "Go back and get a running start and come at this again.

"Trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me. If you go and come back and put the shyness behind you and the voice in front of you, you are going to be something amazing. And I don't want to be the one to make you tip over and fall at this infant stage."

Aretha Franklin passed away following a battle with cancer in 2018. She was 76.