Hi everyone
The following Biography of Susan is an extract from the famed Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Boyle
I have chosen Wikipedia to be our first source of information about Susan, as I believe they are reliable and trustworthy. I didn't remove their reference numbers that are distributed across their article.
The following Biography of Susan is an extract from the famed Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Boyle
I have chosen Wikipedia to be our first source of information about Susan, as I believe they are reliable and trustworthy. I didn't remove their reference numbers that are distributed across their article.
Biography
Early life
Susan Boyle was born 1 April 1961 in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland,[10] to Patrick Boyle, a miner, World War II veteran and singer at the Bishop's Blaize, and Bridget, a shorthand typist,[11] who were both immigrants from County Donegal, Ireland.[12] She was the youngest of four brothers and six sisters.[10]
Born when her mother was 47,[10][13][14] Boyle was briefly deprived of oxygen during the difficult birth; she was diagnosed as having learning difficulties.[2] She says she was bullied as a child,[10][15] and was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school.[16]
After leaving school with few qualifications,[10] she was employed for the only time in her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months,[16] and took part in government training schemes.[11] She visited the theatre from time to time to listen to professional singers,[11] and performed at a number of local venues.[2]
Early singing
Boyle took singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil.[10] She attended Edinburgh Acting School, and took part in the Edinburgh Fringe.[2] Prior to Britain's Got Talent, her main experience had come from singing in church and karaoke in the local pubs in her village. She had also tried out several times for My Kind of People.[17] She also has long participated in her parish church's pilgrimages to the Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland, where she has sung at the Marian basilica.[18]
Her repertoire through the years has included songs such as "The Way We Were" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him". British tabloids claimed "exclusives" of video clips of some early performances.[19][20] In 1995, her audition for Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People[2] at the Olympia Shopping Centre in Glasgow was filmed. The amateur video shows Barrymore was apparently more interested in mocking her.[21]
In 1999 she recorded a track for a charity CD to commemorate the Millennium[10][22] produced at a West Lothian school. Only 1,000 copies of the CD, entitled Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian, were pressed.[23] An early review in the West Lothian Herald & Post said that Boyle's rendition of "Cry Me a River" was "heartbreaking", and "had been on repeat in my CD player ever since I got this CD..."[24][25] The recording found its way onto the internet following her first televised appearance, and the New York Post said it showed that Boyle was "not a one trick pony".[26] Hello! stated that the recording "cement[ed] her status" as a singing star.[27]
In 1999, Boyle paid for a professional demo tape to be made. She sent copies to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV, and gave copies to close friends. The demo consisted of versions of "Cry Me a River" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" which were uploaded onto the Internet after her audition.[28]
Boyle won several local singing competitions, and her mother urged her to enter Britain's Got Talent, and to take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church.[4] Former coach O'Neil has said Boyle abandoned an audition for The X Factor because she believed people were being chosen for their looks, and that she almost abandoned her plan to enter Britain's Got Talent. O'Neil persuaded her to audition despite her believing "...she was too old and that it was a young person's game".[29] Boyle said that her mother's death motivated her to go on Britain's Got Talent and seek a musical career to pay tribute to her mother.[10] Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung in public since then.[30][31]
Personal life
Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles.[10]
Her father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home. As she never married, Boyle was devoted to looking after her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91,[13] which meant that she never had any time for herself.[13] A neighbour reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone."[13]
Boyle remains active as a volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes church in Blackburn, Scotland, and visits elderly members of the congregation in their homes.[15]
Britain's Got Talent
Main article: Britain's Got Talent (series 3)
In August 2008, Boyle applied for an audition for the third series of Britain's Got Talent, and was accepted after a preliminary audition. Boyle auditioned in Glasgow, Scotland. When Boyle first appeared on Britain's Got Talent, she said that she aspired to become a musical theatre singer "as successful as" Elaine Paige.[32] Boyle performed a rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the first round of the third series of Britain's Got Talent, which was watched by over 10 million viewers when it aired on 11 April 2009.[33] Amanda Holden remarked upon the audience's initially cynical attitude, and the subsequent "biggest wake-up call ever" upon hearing her performance.[34]
“ I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It's not a beauty contest. ”
– Susan Boyle, The Sunday Times[10]
This performance was widely reported, and tens of millions of people viewed the video on YouTube.[33] Boyle was "absolutely gobsmacked" by the strength of this reaction.[35] Boyle is well aware that the audience on Britain's Got Talent was initially hostile to her because of her appearance, but she has refused to change her image.[10] Since the appearance, Paige has expressed interest in singing a duet with Boyle,[32] and has called her "a role model for everyone who has a dream".[36] Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the Les Misérables musical, also praised the performance, as "heart-touching, thrilling and uplifting".[33]
She was one of 40 acts that were put through to the semi-finals.[37] She appeared last on the first semi-final on 24 May 2009, performing "Memory" from the musical Cats.[38] In the public vote she was the act to receive the highest number of votes and go through to the final.[39][40] She was the clear favourite to win the final,[41] but ended up in second place to Diversity; the UK TV audience was a record of 17.3 million viewers.
Early life
Susan Boyle was born 1 April 1961 in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland,[10] to Patrick Boyle, a miner, World War II veteran and singer at the Bishop's Blaize, and Bridget, a shorthand typist,[11] who were both immigrants from County Donegal, Ireland.[12] She was the youngest of four brothers and six sisters.[10]
Born when her mother was 47,[10][13][14] Boyle was briefly deprived of oxygen during the difficult birth; she was diagnosed as having learning difficulties.[2] She says she was bullied as a child,[10][15] and was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school.[16]
After leaving school with few qualifications,[10] she was employed for the only time in her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months,[16] and took part in government training schemes.[11] She visited the theatre from time to time to listen to professional singers,[11] and performed at a number of local venues.[2]
Early singing
Boyle took singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil.[10] She attended Edinburgh Acting School, and took part in the Edinburgh Fringe.[2] Prior to Britain's Got Talent, her main experience had come from singing in church and karaoke in the local pubs in her village. She had also tried out several times for My Kind of People.[17] She also has long participated in her parish church's pilgrimages to the Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland, where she has sung at the Marian basilica.[18]
Her repertoire through the years has included songs such as "The Way We Were" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him". British tabloids claimed "exclusives" of video clips of some early performances.[19][20] In 1995, her audition for Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People[2] at the Olympia Shopping Centre in Glasgow was filmed. The amateur video shows Barrymore was apparently more interested in mocking her.[21]
In 1999 she recorded a track for a charity CD to commemorate the Millennium[10][22] produced at a West Lothian school. Only 1,000 copies of the CD, entitled Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian, were pressed.[23] An early review in the West Lothian Herald & Post said that Boyle's rendition of "Cry Me a River" was "heartbreaking", and "had been on repeat in my CD player ever since I got this CD..."[24][25] The recording found its way onto the internet following her first televised appearance, and the New York Post said it showed that Boyle was "not a one trick pony".[26] Hello! stated that the recording "cement[ed] her status" as a singing star.[27]
In 1999, Boyle paid for a professional demo tape to be made. She sent copies to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV, and gave copies to close friends. The demo consisted of versions of "Cry Me a River" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" which were uploaded onto the Internet after her audition.[28]
Boyle won several local singing competitions, and her mother urged her to enter Britain's Got Talent, and to take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church.[4] Former coach O'Neil has said Boyle abandoned an audition for The X Factor because she believed people were being chosen for their looks, and that she almost abandoned her plan to enter Britain's Got Talent. O'Neil persuaded her to audition despite her believing "...she was too old and that it was a young person's game".[29] Boyle said that her mother's death motivated her to go on Britain's Got Talent and seek a musical career to pay tribute to her mother.[10] Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung in public since then.[30][31]
Personal life
Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles.[10]
Her father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home. As she never married, Boyle was devoted to looking after her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91,[13] which meant that she never had any time for herself.[13] A neighbour reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone."[13]
Boyle remains active as a volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes church in Blackburn, Scotland, and visits elderly members of the congregation in their homes.[15]
Britain's Got Talent
Main article: Britain's Got Talent (series 3)
In August 2008, Boyle applied for an audition for the third series of Britain's Got Talent, and was accepted after a preliminary audition. Boyle auditioned in Glasgow, Scotland. When Boyle first appeared on Britain's Got Talent, she said that she aspired to become a musical theatre singer "as successful as" Elaine Paige.[32] Boyle performed a rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the first round of the third series of Britain's Got Talent, which was watched by over 10 million viewers when it aired on 11 April 2009.[33] Amanda Holden remarked upon the audience's initially cynical attitude, and the subsequent "biggest wake-up call ever" upon hearing her performance.[34]
“ I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It's not a beauty contest. ”
– Susan Boyle, The Sunday Times[10]
This performance was widely reported, and tens of millions of people viewed the video on YouTube.[33] Boyle was "absolutely gobsmacked" by the strength of this reaction.[35] Boyle is well aware that the audience on Britain's Got Talent was initially hostile to her because of her appearance, but she has refused to change her image.[10] Since the appearance, Paige has expressed interest in singing a duet with Boyle,[32] and has called her "a role model for everyone who has a dream".[36] Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the Les Misérables musical, also praised the performance, as "heart-touching, thrilling and uplifting".[33]
She was one of 40 acts that were put through to the semi-finals.[37] She appeared last on the first semi-final on 24 May 2009, performing "Memory" from the musical Cats.[38] In the public vote she was the act to receive the highest number of votes and go through to the final.[39][40] She was the clear favourite to win the final,[41] but ended up in second place to Diversity; the UK TV audience was a record of 17.3 million viewers.
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