After a series of breakout hits and a job co-hosting the 57th annual ACM Awards, Gabby Barrett is one country’s most in-demand rising stars. But she’s not letting work get in the way of family life.
Speaking with Gunner & Cheyenne on KMLE Country 1079 (Phoenix), the “Pick Me Up” singer says her whirlwind career is actually “a family thing,” and that’s the way she wants it. Her husband Cade Foehner is also her guitar player, and the two now travel together with their one-year-old daughter Baylah.
“She comes everywhere with me. I like to be very hands-on with her,” Barrett says of parenting on the road. “She’s only watched when I have to do stuff, like soundcheck and perform… Everybody kept saying, ‘I know which one’s Gabby’s bus!’ because all the baby stuff was outside the bus… It is really just a family thing.”
That actually sets her apart from most artists, who have to spend long periods of time apart from their families at home. But for Barrett and Foehner, every decision gets made together — like his recent decision to cut his famously long, curly hair.
Fans got a look at the new style at the 2022 CMT Music Awards on Monday (April 11), where Barrett also delivered a dazzling live performance. And although she admits to being skeptical about changing her husband’s most recognizable feature, she now loves the new look.
“He was just like ‘I’m ready to chop it all off,’ and I was very scared. But, it turned out really good,” she said. “It’s clean, and fresh.”
Coming up, Barrett and Foehner will keep doing their family thing with big time shows across the country. She’ll even appear at the return of Nashville’s massive CMA Fest for a stadium show on June 10. It’s all happening so fast for the former American Idol contestant that it can be hard to stay present, but that’s what family is for.
“The artist life moves really fast, like all the time, and it’s hard to process some things because you’re on one stage and the off to another,” she admits. “But I am thankful I’ve been able to let it sink in, and I just feel very grateful.”