The nerves were getting to Gabby Samone.

That will happen when faced with singing in front of music stars Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, judges for the new season of “American Idol,” which premiered Sunday night on ABC.

“I barely remember what happened. My nerves were just all over the place. I was super nervous and you could tell,” the 23-year-old West Baltimore native said on Monday morning.

It didn’t take long for Samone to find her footing, belting out a spirited rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” By the end, the judges gave Samone a standing ovation — and a ticket to Hollywood for the next round of auditions.

“Oh my God, a star right there. Wow,” Richie said afterward.

In a phone interview, Samone, a child care specialist at the Children’s Home in Catonsville, talked about where she found her love of singing, representing Baltimore on a national stage and more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are your earliest memories of falling in love with music and singing?

My earliest memories are probably being in the church. [Samone attended New Bethel Abundant Life Ministries.] My dad is a pastor. My uncle is a pastor as well. I just grew up in a church, and all of my siblings are musical. It’s eight of us. So, just being in a church and having a big family and always congregating and singing really inspired me to want to sing.

You went to Edmondson-Westside High School. How was your experience there and what role did it play in becoming a singer?

It was a regular high school experience. I grew up with so many siblings and we struggled a lot, and I struggled a lot in school because of the struggles that we went through. But all in all, I graduated. I had great teachers. One of my counselors actually showed up to my watch party [Sunday night], and she was just so excited and she was telling me how proud she was of me. They used to get me to sing all the time at events, like the farewell, the graduation, things like that.

What made you choose “Natural Woman” for your audition?

I did “Natural Woman” on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” I’m a huge fan of Aretha. I’ve always studied her — she’s one of the greats and I felt like that song was just the perfect song to choose. Jennifer Hudson, I reached out to her about being on the show and she gave me advice. She said, “Just go for it.”

What does representing Baltimore on such a prominent platform mean to you?

I’m born and raised on Edmondson Avenue, Edmondson Village, and it’s really not spoken about — just people like me making it and following their dreams. It means a lot to me because I want to be the one to inspire people. I’ve always had this urge to inspire people. I didn’t know how, I didn’t know where, I didn’t know when I was going to be able to do it or have the resources to do it.

But I feel like this is super special and it’s a beacon of hope for my city and for the young people, and even for the older people, that want to follow their dreams. No matter where you come from, no matter what you do, no matter the struggle that you come from, you still can make it if you work hard and you believe in yourself.

So you had a viewing party last night?

Yes, I had a watch party at Angie’s Seafood and it was really crazy. I have a lot of support behind me and I know a lot of people who couldn’t make it sent their support and love. I just have the greatest team ever, like I have the greatest support system ever. It was so much fun. We celebrated. They went crazy when I came on the screen.

Obviously, you can’t give away spoilers, but what can fans expect from you in the coming episodes?

They can expect it to only get better. They can expect way more than the audition. There is way more in store.