Sam Bailey felt that she “didn’t look the part” but she was going to try her best anyway.
“I think I’m a bit too old for it all now, but I can at least try,” she said before her audition on The X Factor UK.
She decided she would give it a go because singing was her dream and meant everything to her.
“Everything goes away when I sing, the stress of work, the stress of the kids, I can be someone else completely,” she explained. “This could change my life.”
When Bailey explained to the judges that she was a 35-year-old mother of two who is also a prison officer, they were shocked. She wasn’t their typical contestant.
“Get out of here,” Sharon Osbourne said. “I’m loving this.”
She started out a little bit nervous but once she started getting into her performance of Beyonce’s “Listen,” her nervousness went away, like everything else when she sings.
She went on to completely wow the judges. Nicole Scherzinger’s jaw dropped mid-performance.
“Where did that voice come from?” Scherzinger asked. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. That’s exactly how that song is supposed to be sung, with a passion for your life.”
Bailey gave her all as she sang her heart out and her husband proudly watched her from the sidelines, smiling and tearing up a bit.
“It means a lot to me to be here today,” Bailey told the judges when she was finished singing.
Bailey received a “yes” from all four judges. She was brought to tears when they made their decision and ran to call her children.
“Mommy’s made it through,” she said as you hear her children cheering on the other end.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I really can’t believe it.”
Bailey ended up going on to with the tenth series of the X Factor, but her audition performance really hit it off with viewers as it has more than 31 million views on YouTube. You can watch it below.
“Listen,” by Beyonce
Sam Bailey’s next performances were just as good as the first one.
“Who’s Loving You,” by the Jacksons
Her vocal runs in this performance are nothing short of amazing. The level of control she has with her voice shows her pure talent. She’s able to hit notes both high and low, and it almost sounds as like a recording. And the judges agreed, too. A few of them even started to tear up.
“My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion
This Celine Dion classic is one of the most challenging vocal pieces to perform but Bailey handles it without any problems at all. This Titanic track has been sung by so many people, but she sings the song almost as well as Celine.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
