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American Idol's Gabby Samone took to the stage this week during the show's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame special with Whitney Houston's iconic Saving All My Love for You. Her rendition of the classic 1985 song was met with praise both online and offline, especially since she sang a song by the famed singer.
Fans online praised her rendition of Saving All My Love for You.
"Baltimore’s beautiful Gabby Samone is gonna win #AmericanIdol. She wows weekly. Just slayed a Whitney song, for goodness sake. Crown her," one person wrote on X.
"I don't know if anyone noticed, but to me on the lighting background behind Gabby when she first walked out looked like "the bob" hairdo that Whitney used to wear which was a compliment to Gabby's performance and awesome tribute to Whitney!" a fan commented.
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"Man, Whitney is not an easy voice to perform. Fantastic job Gabby!" a tweet read.
Fans of American Idol season 23 believed Whitney Houston would be proud of Gabby.
"Amazing performance by Gabby! Whitney Houston would surely be proud. Was great to see Gabby sing the National Anthem at our @Orioles home opener this year. She is so talented, can’t wait to see is she wins AI. Love that she’s from Baltimore!" a person wrote.
"Brought tears to my eyes. We got Whitney back, y’all! Performance of the night. Nothing, absolutely nothing beats that!" a fan commented.
"Tough shoes to walk in when you sing Whitney. I thought this was Gabby’s best performance of the competition. Extremely well done with expert level vocal control. We have to remember they are singing live....very very good!" a tweet read.
Fans of American Idol season 23 further said:
"The voice of this woman is PURE MAGIC! He holds the notes as if it were child's play. Learn to manage your facial expressions a little more to project more emotions and you will have a star. It's wonderful," a person wrote.
"She just skyrocketed into my top 5 with that performance. It was beautiful. When there are tributes to Whitney Houston, call her to do that rendition of Saving All My Love again," a fan commented.
"That was phenomenal"— Lionel Richie praises Gabby's rendition of Saving All My Love for You during American Idol season 23's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame special
During American Idol season 23 episode 13, much like the other contestants, Gabby Samone met with James Taylor to get notes on her upcoming performance. The singer shared her honest thoughts about the mentor and said that she loved his ability to tell a story, and that there were not a lot of people like him.
Gabby sang for James Taylor, and the latter was "knocked out" by her performance. He told her that her transitions were "as delicate" as a feather and further told the cameras that the American Idol season 23 would wonderfully deliver emotional lyrics.
"It's just really impressive," James told Gabby.
He added that in the future, he might be asking her for advice. After her session with the Hall of Famer, Gabby performed the Whitney Houston song for the judges and the studio audience while it aired live. After the song ended, the judges gave their feedback to the American Idol season 23 contestant.
"America, vote, that was phenomenal," Lionel Richie said.
Carrie Underwood noted that she felt spoiled because all the participants were "crushing it," while Luke Bryan said he believed Gabby was a star.
Fans online reacted to Gabby's rendition of the Whitney song and praised the singer.
Tune in on Monday, April 28, 2025, to watch the Top 12 perform once again on American Idol season 23 on ABC.
