Gabi Wilson = The Next Alicia Keys

The writers strike is still going strong but talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O’ Brien made their way back on the air last night. They both sported caveman beards to show allegiance with their pavement pounding comrades. First night back was the only reason I stayed with NBC to check Carson Daly as well. He’s been on the air for a couple of weeks. Last night he was on as background noise and I hear him talking about a young singer he heard on YouTube and some other random spots.. “Gabi Wilson, everybody!”

I turn to the TV and there is this little girl at a piano playing the opening notes of Alicia Keys “No One.” Not a hint of nerves or hesitation. She’s on it. Then she started singing, verse, chorus, wow. I had to hit myself for not having the computer recording this magic.

Gabi Wilson was belting out the song like she owned it. From Alicia Key’s high notes, the low, the stand up everybody clap thing, and the confidence of a musician who knows exactly where they want to take a song - and does so. I’m not talking about cute kid stuff. She’s got little quirks that hint that she’s doing something more than mimicking.

I exaggerate in the slightest. She is 10-years-old. There is something special about this girl.

With no Carson clip of my own I did some searching and it turns out that Gabi was all over the place the past month or so: she was on Maury in late November and The Today Show in December.

There is a sort of DVD extra clip here.

Around 3:53 she plays “No One.” Not as good as the Carson Daly appearance, she had that talk show energy to work with, but you get a glimpse of her talent(s) - plural because she plays 3 instruments.

In this Today Show clip we Meet the Parents, who seem like they’ve done nothing more than given her the space to do what she apparently was born to do. Short story shorter: one day Gabi started singing, weekend musician dad said let’s bring her on stage with us. She must be better than him. haha.

Ann Curry asked Gabi a silly question, what do you want to be when you grow up?
“A singer, a songwriter, and a musician, and I want to also be a dentist because I think taking care of teeth is important.”

She’ll lose the dentist thing somewhere around the first platinum plaque.

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