by Lissa Blake
An American Idol contestant with ties to Waukon and Waterville has made it into the television show’s top seven finalists line-up as of Sunday evening, April 29.
Twenty-year-old Iowa native Maddie Poppe is the granddaughter of Waukon native Daryl Larson and his wife, Ellen, who now live in Waverly. Other local relatives include Anna Marie Ewing of Waterville, Darlene “Dar” Klein of Waukon and Harry Larson of McGregor. Her mother, Tanya Larson Poppe, went to elementary school in Waterville as a young child.
Poppe is a singer/songwriter from Clarksville who plays guitar, ukulele and keyboard. She has been playing locally for about three years and in June 2016 she released an album of original songs, entitled “Songs from the Basement,” which she wrote, recorded and produced.