A sizzling songstress has already gone from church pews to viral fame, from American Idol to the Apollo Theater, and from TikTok challenges to recreating and performing classics for Disney, and she’s only 23 years old.
Gabby Samone has already built a career that many aspiring artists chase for years, and she’s quickly emerging as one of the most captivating young vocalists of her generation.
Raised in a musically gifted family and the youngest of eight siblings, she grew up assuming everyone had her God-given talent.
“I thought everybody could sing,” she said with a laugh to BOSSIP. “My brothers and sisters can sing. My father can sing. My mother sang in the choir. But the older I got, and the more I got around other people who were a little tone-deaf, I realized it was something special.”
That realization, nurtured in the gospel harmonies of her father’s church and the grit of her Baltimore upbringing, has propelled her toward stardom, including opening for R&B veterans like Kelly Price and Keke Wyatt, and appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Millions discovered her through her soaring rendition of Mariah Carey’s “My All” on TikTok, which turned her into a viral sensation during the #MyAllChallenge.
Even Ms. Carey herself took notice.
“It was crazy,” Samone told BOSSIP. “I went from 3,000 followers to 50,000 in two weeks. It really changed the trajectory of my life. I was going to do hair. God was like, ‘No, we’ve got more for you.’”
Her story is rooted in the foundation of the Black church, where music and service intertwined. Her father, a pastor, and her mother, who ran a food pantry and outreach programs, instilled in her both discipline and generosity.
“I grew up watching my mom feed people under bridges, even taking food from our house to give to others,” she said. “That’s why giving back is so important to me. My parents sacrificed so much.”
That grounding carried her through American Idol, where she finished as a finalist on Season 23. The experience, she said, was transformative.
“It was like a masterclass of legends,” she said. “We had to be on go every week, training nonstop. But beyond the competition, the friendships were the best part. We still FaceTime each other to this day.”
Ms. Samone has since become known for her ability to reimagine R&B classics while carving her own lane with original music. She credits her vocal coach with helping her refine her sound.
“I used to sing any kind of way and was using my voice wrong,” she admitted. “Training taught me how to control it. I still have so much to learn, but honing your gift is everything.”
As she prepares to release new music later this year, she is ready to introduce listeners to her story beyond the covers that first earned her attention.
“This project is about a 23-year-old figuring things out — the rawness, the ups and downs,” she said. “People know my voice, but now they’ll get to know me.”
For now, Samone is intent on staying grounded while reaching for more.
“I’m still learning who I am,” she told BOSSIP. “Ask me again in 10 or 15 years, and maybe I’ll have a better answer. But what I know now is I’m hardworking, I want to do right, and I want to touch people with my voice.”
Watch our exclusive with Gabby Samone!
