Sam Bailey

Sam Bailey, crowned winner of the 2013 U.K. edition of The X Factor, nurtured a lifelong love of singing while growing up in Sidcup, South East London. In her early twenties she performed on cruise ships and later served as a session vocalist before relocating to Leicester to raise a family and take a job as a prison officer. Her audition-room delivery of Beyoncé’s “Listen” earned four unanimous yes votes from the judges, and after advancing through the remaining audition rounds she came under the guidance of mentor Sharon Osbourne. From the outset she topped the public vote in nearly every live show. In the final she performed Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love” and Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper,” securing the series title. A studio version of “Skyscraper” appeared via digital download the following day and became the U.K.’s 2013 Christmas number-one single. Among her prizes were the opportunity to support Beyoncé on the U.K. leg of the 2014 Mrs. Carter World Tour and a million-pound recording contract with Syco Music. Her debut album, The Power of Love, arrived in March 2014, blending covers and original material that included “Skyscraper,” the title-track Jennifer Rush song, and duets with Nicole Scherzinger and Bailey’s idol Michael Bolton. The next year she parted company with Simon Cowell’s Syco label. In 2016 she portrayed Mamma Morton in a U.K. tour of the musical Chicago while completing her second album, Sing My Heart Out. Working with veteran U.S. songwriter Steve Dorff, she earned co-writing credits across the project.