American Idol Top 24 Competitor Tackles A Challenging Song
“There are only 12 notes, right?” American Idol judge Lionel Richie rhetorically asked. “I don’t know what that note was at the end… You just sang a Celine Dion song and Gabbyrized it.”

Lionel’s praise was in response to Gabby Samone’s performance of Celine Dion’s 1996 hit “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.”

Competing in front of an audience as one of the Top 24 on Sunday, April 13, Gabby and others were first mentored by Ashanti and Season 23 advisor Jelly Roll.
During their on-camera session, Jelly Roll asked Gabby about what compelled her to pursue singing.

Noting she’s the youngest of eight siblings, Gabby described herself as the “glue” keeping her family together.

“Singing is really something I do for [my family] because we’ve struggled a lot. There were times when we struggled to keep the lights on. There were times we struggled to even stay in a home.”

She went on to share that it’s her hope that she can have a career in music that would allow for her to provide for her parents who have worked so hard for her and her brothers and sisters. Further, she hopes to demonstrate to her siblings that they “can go for their dreams.”
After Gabby sang for Ashanti and Jelly Roll, Jelly Roll pointed to his eyes in disbelief, fighting back the tears.

“It’s a pain I understand,” Jelly Roll said. “You keep singing with that ‘why.’ You keep sharing that ‘why.’ I know how uncomfortable it is to be that vulnerable in front of all these people on TV.”

Of Gabby’s performance and story, he added, “It’s special.”

From there, Gabby took the stage as the sun set over the waters at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, in Hawaii.

Watch her performance here: