Country music star Gabby Barrett reflected on the significant financial and emotional hardships she and her family faced before her career took off, including instances of sleeping in their car.
Barrett, known for her hit song "I Hope" and recent single "In On It," detailed her upbringing in Pittsburgh, where she was one of seven children. She emphasized the strong work ethic instilled by her parents, who both worked, with her father often holding multiple entrepreneurial jobs. She recalled times when her family struggled financially, facing power outages and relying on packed lunches for meals.
"When I was getting ready to go onto 'American Idol' I remember we all slept in the car. There were like a couple dogs in the car too," Barrett told Fox News Digital. "So I understand, you know, what being at the bottom and what kind of being at the top looks like."
Barrett began singing around age nine and performed at local venues before auditioning for Season 16 of "American Idol" in 2018 at the age of 18. She described the experience as immense pressure, calling it her "first crack at something global where millions of people are watching you at a time."
Despite finishing in third place on the competition, Barrett described the experience as a "wonderful" turning point. She met her husband, Cade Foehner, during their time on "American Idol." The couple married a year later and now have three children.
Barrett, now a mother of three, spoke about the challenges of balancing family life and a music career, stating that she prioritizes her family and being intentional with her music. She often brings her children on tour, acknowledging the unique opportunity to bring her kids to work.
Faith plays a central role in Barrett's life and music. She cited her faith as the inspiration for her latest single, "In On It," which she described as a message about trusting that God has a plan for life regardless of circumstances. Barrett identifies as a Christian and aims to weave positive and encouraging messages into her music, believing such messages are needed in the current world.
"The inspiration behind that song really was that God has a plan for your life, regardless of your circumstances," she said. "And it's really just like, you know, the author has not given us the script for everything. We don't have the blueprint of life right in front of us. And so we just have to trust God even in those uncomfortable circumstances."