Prison officer Sam Baily belted out a cover of Beyonce’s “Listen” and the X Factor audition proved to be one of the most memorable as both judges and audience members were floored by the 36-year-old moms passionate performance.
Being a mom of two and a bit older than your typical young 20 something performer, she was naturally hesitant about going through with the audition. She told her husband that she thought she was a bit too old for this whole thing, but that she would at least give it a try. Sam’s singing usually takes place during work hours at the prison. She decided to roll the dice and give the audition a shot. And what a shot it turned out to be. She walked out, stating indeed that she was “a bit nervous” but her dream had always been to sing, so that’s what brought her here. She clearly was going for broke as her song selection attests to. It’s no simple number as you have to go high and then go low, as well as take on some challenging sections in between.
But as soon as she started, she was in her zone and it led to utter shock and disbelief for both audience and judges.
Needless to say, everyone was on their feet afterwards, including the judges. One of them even asked her where that voice came from as they definitely were not expecting such a powerhouse performance. No matter your labels in life, your age, your job, or your challenges, if you believe in yourself like Sam did, you can rise to the challenge and give it your all.
Sam explains the power of singing and what it means to her:
“Everything goes away when I sing. The stresses of work, the stresses of my kids. I can be someone else completely.”
Check out her remarkable performance and share with friends and family!
