Rhode Island's Own Gabby Raye Is Ready to Take the World by Storm

​Gabrielle Brzoza, known professionally as Gabby Raye, has been singing for as long as she can remember. "I started singing before I could speak," the 24-year-old Coventry native recalls with a laugh. "I was in the backseat of the car, didn't know how to read yet, and my mom said, 'Listen—that girl's hitting some notes back there.'"
It wasn't long before Gabby's family recognized her gift. Her grandmother bought her a karaoke machine, and though Gabby couldn't yet read the lyrics on the screen, she was determined to learn every word by heart. "The first song I ever learned was Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri," she says. "That song is very special to me."
From Coventry's Got Talent to the Big Apple
Gabby's early performances hinted at the performer she would become. At just 14 years old, she won Coventry's Got Talent—a milestone she still looks back on fondly, even with a memorable hiccup along the way. "I was singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and messed up a quarter of the way through. I just asked if we could start over." They did, and she nailed it.
In the years since, Gabby has built her experience performing with Jerry Bennett and the Sultans, a collective of musicians she describes as her second family. "The amount of talent in this group is insane," she says. "Many of the people I work with have been on America's Got Talent and The Voice. A few of them are signed." Through the group, Gabby has performed up and down the East Coast, recently taking the stage in New York City—and she's heading to Greece next week to sing at a private wedding.
She landed the opportunity through a chance connection. A friend of her brother's father heard her sing at a Halloween party and offered to introduce her to the group. At 19, she auditioned in Boston, performing Call Me Maybe, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, and, in a move that may have sealed the deal, Chris Stapleton's Tennessee Whiskey. "I asked if I could sing it even though it was on the guys' list," she says, grinning. "I think that helped."
Songwriting Born From Life Experience
Though Gabby has been singing her whole life, songwriting came later—and with it, a new depth to her artistry. "My mom always told me I needed to know what the song was about when I sang it," she explains. "I used to copy Adele's voice to hit the notes, but that didn't help with the passion behind why I was singing them."
It wasn't until her early twenties, after navigating a few heartbreaks and the emotional complexities of growing up, that she felt ready to put pen to paper. "I needed an outlet," she says simply. When she began sharing her songs with friends, the response was unanimous: these need to be heard.
Now, four years after writing her first song, Gabby has released her debut single, Figure It Out, available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube—complete with an official music video. She already has 8 to 10 more songs written and is working toward a full album.
A Family of Mechanics With a Singing Daughter
Despite her undeniable talent, Gabby admits her gift is something of a mystery, even to her. "I grew up in a family of mechanics—incredibly talented people—but I don't have a mechanical bone in my body," she says. "I have no idea where the singing talent came from."
Wherever it came from, it's here to stay. With a debut single making its way onto playlists, a music video freshly released, an album in the works, and a potential performance at the PVD Festival on the horizon, Gabby Raye is just getting started.
You can follow Gabby's journey on Instagram at @gabby.rayee and stream Figure It Out now on Spotify and Apple Music.