Lincoln singer goes from serving tables to national television
Lincoln singer Haylee Bice says serving and performing at Screamer's helped give her the confidence to chase a music career.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Singing has always been a major part of Haylee Bice’s life.
“Performing is just who I am and that’s what I feel the most myself when I do,” Bice said.
She started singing in show choir at Lincoln Southwest. After she graduated high school in 2013, she worked as a server. In 2018, she auditioned to work at Screamer’s Dining and Cabaret, a restaurant where servers give musical performances.
“She was one of the first to audition for us, and I just remember being struck by the voice,” Screamer’s owner Kevin Witcher said.
Singing at Screamer’s for the past three years has helped Bice build her confidence.
“I kind of just stopped caring about what people really thought about me and just performed like I want to perform on stage,” Bice said.
During the pandemic, she started to put more of her music online for the world to see. Then one day, a producer for “Game of Talents” found her on Instagram and reached out to her to see if she would appear on the show.
“I was really scared at the beginning, just especially during a pandemic, just traveling by myself, but once I got there, I just fit right in,” Bice said.
She says the opportunity was a dream come true, and validation for getting out of her comfort zone.
“So many emotions, so much excitement, just that exposure that I’ve been wanting for the past five years, it finally paid off,” she said.
Bice wants to use her story to inspire others to follow their dreams.
“It’s all about loving yourself as you are not changing yourself for anybody. You’re perfect just the way you are,” she said.
Bice says that concept of loving yourself is a major theme of her new EP, “No Holding Back.”
The project just released today and is available on all streaming platforms. You can see her perform and premiere her latest music video at Screamer’s on Saturday, Aug. 28 from 10 to midnight.
