Most people can likely recall a dedicated teacher who championed them and believed in them at some point during their school years. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper Ella Langley is no exception.
During her one of her Aug. 28-29 headlining shows on her The Dandelion Tour at Auburn University, the Alabama native took time to reunite with a history teacher who encouraged her passion for music early on. According to local news station WSFA-TV, Maury Popwell, known as “Coach Pop,” has spent more than 50 years teaching, including over two decades teaching at Hooper Academy in Hope Hull, Ala., where Langley was one of his former students.
Popwell had the opportunity to meet up with his former student at the show, where Langley gifted him with a guitar that she signed, “Love you, Coach Pop!!”
According to WSFA-TV, Langley and Popwell shared a love for music and horses, and on Friday mornings, Langley would bring her guitar to school and they would play music. He brought his 12-string guitar and told the outlet that Langley loved the instrument’s sound.
“When I found out she was going to Nashville, I called her right before school started and I told her come by the school today and she did,” Popwell told the outlet. “I gave her that guitar. So she took it with her.”
Back in 2019, Langley wrote on Facebook about Popwell’s encouragement. “He has influenced me and so many other students in countless ways. But one of the biggest things he did for me was to encourage my music,” she wrote at the time. “Coach Pop was so encouraging that I didn’t really care if I sounded awful or if I couldn’t always make my fingers do right. He just kept supporting me. And he’s never stopped.”
To date, Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has notched 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and she’s collected numerous awards, including seven trophies at 2026’s ACM Awards, setting the record for the most wins in a single year by a single artist. Among her victories that evening were both song and single of the year, for “Choosin’ Texas,” as well as female artist of the year.
“It affects me like she is my grandchild,” Popwell told WSFA. “I’ve caught myself with a tear in my eye watching her go up and receive these awards. It’s like she’s part of my family. And she is.”
