Watch Lauren Alaina Perform 'Road Less Traveled' on 'A Capitol Fourth'

Lauren Alaina achieved a big career milestone, when she performed her hit single, "Road Less Traveled," for the televised A Capitol Fourth, which aired on PBS on July 4th. The show, which aired live from Washington, D.C., also included performances by Luke Combs, Renée Fleming,
Gloria Estefan, CeCe Winans and gospel singer Jade.

Alaina just released the lyric video for "Three," from her sophomore Road Less Traveled album. The song, which says, "Mama said, 'You'll be a star' / And Daddy said, 'You're gonna go far, all you gotta do is sing your heart out' / A lot of miles, a lot of tears / You've given me some of my best years /There's so much I had to miss out on / Six years of missing home for three minutes on the radio," is one of the most personal songs Alaina has ever recorded.

"We all sacrifice something or lots of somethings for our dreams," Alaina shares. "I'm almost always away from my friends and family, but they support me and want me to be on that stage. When I'm traveling on the road and gone for long periods of time, the fans are always there singing my lyrics back to me and making my dreams come true.

"I wanted to make sure all of the people who have made this dream possible were showcased in the video," she adds. "All I've ever wanted from the age of three was to write songs and sing them to people, and the people in this video helped make that happen for me. 'Six years of missing home, but I'd spend fifty more gone for three minutes on the radio.'"

In the midst of so many professional achievements, the reigning ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year just opened up about a personal struggle she is dealing with: her step-father's battle with Stage 4 melanoma cancer.

""He is fighting harder than I thought was possible. He is the strongest person I know," Alaina says. "Cancer doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care if you're two or 80 years old. It doesn't care if you're a perfectly healthy 47 year old step-father, husband, and grandfather who eats healthily and runs 6 miles a day. It can happen to anyone."

Alaina is spending the summer on the road, serving as the opening act on Jason Aldean's High Noon Neon Tour. Find dates at LaurenAlaina.com.

Watch the entire broadcast at Playbill.com.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Paul Morigi