Who Is Susan Boyle?
Overview:
Susan Boyle (born 1961), is a Scottish church volunteer who came to public attention on 11 April 2009, when she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Britain’s Got Talent.
Boyle leapt to almost immediate global fame with a stirring rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables in the competition’s first round. Before she sang, both the audience and the judges had expressed scepticism about her based on her somewhat plain and unprofessional appearance. In contrast, her vocal performance was so outstanding that she has been dubbed “The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell.” She received a standing ovation from the live audience, attracting the “biggest yes vote in three seasons” from Piers Morgan and yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden.
The juxtaposition of her powerful voice with the audience’s first impression of her triggered global interest, with articles about her appearing in newspapers all over the world, and millions watching a YouTube video of her performance in the first few days. Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his SyCo Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.
Personal Life:
Susan Boyle is the youngest of nine children and lives in Blackburn with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles. Boyle suffered oxygen deprivation during birth, resulting in learning disabilities. Her classmates teased her because of this and her appearance. She stopped her pursuit of singing to look after her sick mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 91. Her performance in the regional finals of Britain’s Got Talent was the first time Boyle had sung after her mother’s death. Boyle stated in The Washington Post that she entered the contest at the behest of her late mother, who urged her to “take the risk” of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. She is unmarried and presently unemployed. She aspires to become a musical theatre singer in the vein of Elaine Paige.
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