Gabby Samone is certainly one to watch on American Idol. The Baltimore native has wowed fans all season long with her powerhouse vocals and shining stage presence.
By performing impressive covers of songs by Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Hudson, Samone has made it clear that she has what it takes to make it as the next American Idol.
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Keep reading for three quick facts about Samone.
Gabby Samone Is Naturally Shy
Despite her powerhouse vocals, Samone told Billboard that she’s naturally a shy person. Samone’s introverted nature goes back to when she was a kid, when she was told she was too shy to have the lead in a play at camp.
“I went to another camp and came out of my shell a little bit more,” Samone recalled to the outlet. “That’s when I knew I had power in my voice. You had to sing out in theater and it was the first time I projected the way I do on stage now.”
Samone showed off her skills during her Idol audition. It was during that time that judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood offered Samone some unforgettable advice.
“They told me to be confident and that’s what I’ve been rethinking because I’m naturally an introverted person,” she said. “Being on stage is weird to me and awkward. I can see my growth throughout the show because of what they said to me.”
Now, Samone has learned an important thing: “I can be a superstar and when I get on that stage, I can let it out. I can be vulnerable and relate to people and be confident.”
Jennifer Hudson Encouraged Her to Give Idol a Shot
Amid the pandemic, Samone began posting videos of herself singing on Instagram. One of those clips went viral, even catching the attention of Idol alum Jennifer Hudson. The famed singer invited Samone onto her show, an experience the hopeful called “surreal.”
Samone kept in touch with Hudson after her appearance on the show. So, when someone reached out to Samone to audition for Idol, she decided to seek out advice from Hudson.
“I reached out to Jennifer Hudson because she put me on her show in 2022 after she found me on social media,” Samone told Billboard. “She told me, ‘Just go for it,’ so I did, and here I am.”
She Was Once Homeless
In an Instagram post, Samone revealed that, one year before she made waves on Idol, she was “homeless living in my sister’s basement.” At that time, Simone wrote, she “was just mentally checked out.” A lot can change in a year, as it did for Samone.
“Now I am on American Idol living my dream,” she marveled.
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