‘American Idol’ finalist Naima Adedapo a product of Chicago stage family

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

If Naima Adedapo sings on tonight’s taped “American Idol” with her signature retro glamor, she has generations of family entertainers to thank.

The top 13 finalist was born in Maywood and spent many hours backstage at the ETA Theater at 7558 S. South Chicago as her mother, Adekola, put on children’s shows. Naima’s great-grandmother Gladys Williams ran a theater out of a church at 46th and Ellis during the 1940s and ’50s.

At age 10, Naima and her family moved to Milwaukee, where her mother is a noted jazz singer. Naima is now married with two daughters of her own (not a single mother, as previously reported).

“You’re like an exotic flower in a rose garden,” judge Jennifer Lopez gushed Thursday, the night Naima was rescued in the wild card competition.

“That’s what my name means!” said Naima excitedly.

She’ll be facing crowd and judge favorite Casey Abrams, a Wilmette native who attended an arts boarding school in Idyllwild, Calif. His former jazz teacher remembers Casey for his bass playing, piano skills and songwriting. For his senior recital, Abrams wrote for French horn, trumpet, violin, piano, bass and drums.

And yes, Casey sings, too.

Also in the top 10: Haley Reinhart of Wheeling, who’s been singing since she was a kid with her parents’ ’60s and ’70s cover band Midnight. After graduating from high school, she joined the jazz ensemble and jazz lab at Harper College in Palatine.