Gabby Bernadette Barrett (born March 5, 2000)
is an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer and actress.
She finished third on the
sixteenth season of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
''. Her debut single "
I Hope" was the first top 10
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
debut by an unaccompanied woman singer since October 2017.
It became a top three hit on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and has been certified 7× platinum by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. Her debut album ''
Goldmine'' was released on June 19, 2020.
''Country Now'' called Barrett "country music's next female superstar".
Early life
Barrett is one of eight children born to Blaise and Pam Barrett. She attended
Serra Catholic High School in
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. A suburb of Pittsburgh, it is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census.
History Early history ...
southeast of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
but transferred to being an online student at
Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.
She began singing at nine and doing shows at eleven. In 2014, she won the Kean Quest Talent Search. At 14, her father encouraged her to sing in an all-black choir, which prompted her to join the Lamb of God Christian Ministries group in
Homestead, Pennsylvania
Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The borough is known for the Homestead strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relation ...
close to McKeesport.
Career
2017–2018: ''American Idol'', post-''Idol''
Barrett auditioned for the sixteenth season of ''American Idol'' in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. She advanced to the final before being voted off.
2019–2021: ''Goldmine''

In 2019, Barrett independently released "
I Hope", which was co-written by
Jon Nite
Jon Nite (born March 19, 1988) is an American singer/songwriter. He is Grammy-nominated, and has won CMA and ACM awards. He has written over 30 Billboard Airplay hits including 18 No.1's with billions of streams in multiple genres.
Nite's songs ...
and Zachary Kale and co-produced by Zachary Kale and
Ross Copperman
Ross Copperman (born October 1, 1982) is an American Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and record producer. After his experience as an artist in the UK, Copperman went to Nashville, Tennessee, where he pursued a career in country music. He ha ...
.
She performed the song in an appearance on the
seventeenth season of ''American Idol'' in May 2019. The song attracted the attention of music labels, and Barrett announced on stage after the performance she had signed with
Warner Music Nashville. "I Hope" was then officially released as a single by the label on June 27, 2019.
The single topped ''Billboard''s Country Streaming Songs chart as well as the Country Airplay chart in April 2020, followed by the
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
chart.
On April 7, 2020, a version featuring
Charlie Puth
Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his cover (music), song covers uploaded to YouTube. Puth signed with the record labe ...
was released. In 2019, Barrett opened for
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel (July 8, 1961 – February 5, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman.
Keith released his chart-topping debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy", in 1993. During the 1990s ...
in Ohio, as well as
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...
.
On November 21, 2020, the single hit number three on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, making her the first female country artist to do so since
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
. Puth has also been credited for the song on the Hot 100, which makes it his fourth top-ten single. As of January 2021, the single has been number one for 25 weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Her debut album ''
Goldmine'' was released on June 19, 2020. The album earned 15.98 million on-demand streams in its opening week, breaking the record for the largest streaming week ever for a debut country album by a woman.
In 2021, Barrett opened up for
Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins.
Rhett has released seven studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: ''It Goes ...
on his Center Point Road Tour,
and for the
Zac Brown Band at
Summerfest
Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's Third Ward business district. Summerfest is known ...
as part of their
The Comeback Tour.
Along with performing at a
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
' game, she sang the national anthem for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
and at the
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
.
The song on the show selected for her if she won was "Rivers Deep."
Carrie Underwood was quoted as saying that Barrett is further along than she was at her age.
In September 2021, Barrett was nominated for four
55th Annual Country Music Association Awards: Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year ("The Good Ones"), Song of the Year ("The Good Ones"), and New Artist of the Year.
A deluxe edition of ''Goldmine'' was released on November 19, 2021.
2023–present: ''Chapter & Verse'' and acting debut
On June 12, 2023, she released "
Glory Days", the lead single off her second studio album ''
Chapter & Verse'', which was released on February 2, 2024.
She will be making her acting debut in the 2025 film ''
Hurry Up Tomorrow''.
Personal life
Barrett married fellow ''Idol'' contestant Cade Foehner on October 5, 2019.
Barrett gave birth to their first child, a daughter, on January 18, 2021. Barrett gave birth to their second child, a son, on October 27, 2022. On August 30, 2023, Barrett announced that she was expecting their third child. Barrett gave birth to their third child, a daughter, on February 17, 2024.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Promotional singles
Music videos
Filmography
Film
Tours
;Supporting
*That's Country Bro! Tour (2019) with
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel (July 8, 1961 – February 5, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman.
Keith released his chart-topping debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy", in 1993. During the 1990s ...
*
Center Point Road Tour (2021) with
Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins.
Rhett has released seven studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: ''It Goes ...
*
The Comeback Tour (2021) with
Zac Brown Band (one show)
*Rock N' Roll Cowboy Tour (2022) with
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldine Williams (born February 28, 1977), known professionally as Jason Aldean, is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to BBR Music Group, Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released eleven alb ...
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Gabby
2000 births
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American country singer-songwriters
American Idol participants
American women country singers
Country musicians from Pennsylvania
Country pop musicians
Living people
People from Munhall, Pennsylvania
Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania
Warner Music Group artists