From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Born 1961 (age 47–48)
Origin Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland[1]
Occupation(s) Unemployed; amateur singer
Instrument(s)
Vocals
Years active 1999, 2009–present
Associated acts Britain's Got Talent
Susan Boyle (born 1961)[2] is a Scottish[3] amateur singer and church volunteer who
came to public attention on 11 April 2009,[4] when she appeared as a contestant on
the third series of Britain's Got Talent.[5] Boyle found fame when she sang "I
Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the competition's first round.[6]
Before she sang, both the audience and the judges appeared to express scepticism
based on her unpolished appearance, and apparent awkwardness. In contrast, her
vocal performance was so well received that she has been dubbed "The Woman
Who Shut Up Simon Cowell".[7] She received a standing ovation from the live
audience, garnering yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden, and the "biggest
yes I have ever given anybody" from Piers Morgan.[8] The audition was recorded in
January 2009 at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland.[9]
The juxtaposition of the reception to her voice with the audience's first impression of
her triggered global interest. Articles about her appeared in newspapers all over the
world, while the numbers who watched videos of her audition set an online record.
[10] By 20 April 2009, viral videos of her audition, subsequent interviews of her, and
her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" had been viewed over 100 million times on the
Internet.[11] Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his Syco
Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.[12]
Biography
Personal life
Boyle was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland[1] to Patrick Boyle, a storeman
at the British Leyland factory in Bathgate, and Bridget Boyle, a shorthand typist;[2] her
parents were Irish immigrants.[13] The youngest in a family of four brothers and six
sisters, of whom only six survive,[14] Boyle was born when her mother was 47.[15]
[16] The Sunday Times writes that it was a difficult birth, during which Boyle was
briefly deprived of oxygen. She was diagnosed as having learning difficulties, which
led to bullying.[1][17] She was labelled "Susie Simple" at school but learned to
overcome those who derided her.[18]
After leaving school with few qualifications,[15] she was employed for the only time in
her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months,[18]
and took part in government training schemes.[2] She would visit the theatre from
time to time to listen to professional singers,[2] and performed at a number of local
venues.[3] She took singing lessons from a voice coach, Fred O'Neil.[15] In 1995,
she auditioned for Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People,[3] which was looking for
contestants at the Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow, but she said she was too
nervous to make a good impression.[2] The Guardian reports that she attended
Edinburgh Acting School, and has taken part in the Edinburgh Fringe.[3] In 1999 she
recorded "Cry Me a River" for a charity CD funded by the local council to
commemorate the Millennium.[19][1] 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 told The
Scotsman: "I remember a phone call late last year when she said she was too old
and that it was a young person's game". O'Neil persuaded her to go to the audition.
[20]
Boyle's father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home, leaving Boyle to look
after her ageing mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 91.[16] Boyle still lives in the
family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles.[15]
Boyle's devotion to caring for her mother was such that she did not have any time for
herself.[16] One neighbour reported that Boyle struggled to cope with the loss of her
mother, stating that she "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door
or phone".[16] Her mother had always encouraged her to enter local singing
competitions, which she won several times, and tried to persuade her daughter to
enter Britain's Got Talent, urging her to take the risk of singing in front of an audience
larger than her parish church.[6] Boyle has said she did not feel ready to do it until
after her mother's death, saying that it was that event which propelled her to go on
Britain's Got Talent and seek a musical career as her way of paying a tribute to her
mother.[15] Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung since
then.[21][1][22]
At the time of her Britain's Got Talent audition, Boyle was unemployed, yet active as a
volunteer with Our Lady of Lourdes, a Roman Catholic church in Blackburn.[23][17]
She has never married; and during an interview just before she sang on the talent
show, she said she had also "never been kissed" but later added "Oh, I was just
joking around. It was just banter and it has been blown way out of proportion".[24][1]
Early recordings
Boyle recorded a version of "Cry Me a River" for a compilation charity CD entitled
"Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian", which was produced
in 1999 at a school in Whitburn, West Lothian.[25][26] A reviewer for the West Lothian
Herald & Post wrote at the time, "... the true show-stopper for me is Susan Boyle's
heartbreaking rendition of "Cry Me a River", which has been on repeat in my CD
player ever since I got this CD..."[27] This recording was released onto the web in the
week after April 11, 2009, and gained immediate acclaim, with the New York Post
writing that this showed that Boyle was not a "one trick pony" and that the rarity of the
CD imprint, with only 1,000 produced, would make them valuable collector's items.
[28] Other media reaction was similarly positive, with Hello! magazine stating that the
recording was a further illustration of the level of Boyle's talent, which "cements her
status" as a singing star.[29]
In 1999, Boyle used "all her savings" to pay for a professionally cut demo tape, which
she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV
and which has now been released on the Internet. It consisted of "Cry Me a River"
and her version of "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Boyle gave away a few copies to
her close friends.[30]
Britain's Got Talent and aftermath
Television performance
In August 2008, when Boyle became aware that Britain's Got Talent would be holding
auditions, she applied and was accepted for the audition, which took place in
Glasgow in January 2009. 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 aired
on April 11 and was watched by an average of 10.3 million viewers.[31] This
performance was widely reported, and millions of people viewed a video of her
singing on YouTube.[31] The strength of this reaction reportedly shocked and
amazed Boyle, who later says she was "gobsmacked".[32]
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:
“ 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[15]
News media
Many British newspapers carried articles on Boyle's performance and subsequent
Internet coverage. The Sun writer Colin Robertson gave her the nickname "Paula
Potts" in reference to the contest's Series one winner, the opera singer Paul Potts.
[33] International news outlets also carried stories on her, including among others,
India's The Times of India[34], Germany's Der Spiegel,[35] China's Xinhua News
Agency,[36] Brazil's Zero Hora,[37] Israel's Ynet,[38] and the Arab World's Al-Arabiya.
[39]
In the U.S., ABC News coverage suggested that Boyle may be "Britain's newest pop
sensation", and the network's Entertainment section ran the headline The Woman
Who Shut Up Simon Cowell.[40] Several commentators have drawn parallels
between Boyle's performance and that of Paul Potts, another unexpected singing
talent who also rose to fame on Britain's Got Talent, with Forbes magazine predicting
that Boyle could follow in Potts' footsteps and enjoy a long, successful and profitable
career.[41]
TV shows
Following her performance on Britain's Got Talent, Boyle was a guest on STV's The
Five Thirty Show.[42] She was interviewed via satellite on CBS's Early Show,[19]
ABC's Good Morning America,[43] and NBC's Today, and via a telephone interview
on FOX's America's Newsroom.[44] In an interview, Simon Cowell said Boyle had
received an invitation to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show and predicted that if she
did appear "there's every chance Susan Boyle will have the number one album in
America".[43]
She also appeared via satellite on CNN's Larry King Live opposite Piers Morgan,
who apologized to Boyle for not giving her "anything like the respect" she deserved
when she walked out on the stage before singing.[45] Boyle went on to perform an a
cappella verse of "My Heart Will Go On" on King's show about which Morgan
remarked, "That was just absolutely stunning. To sing that with no musical backing
is unbelievable." He previously invited Boyle to have dinner with him in London, and
she accepted.[46]
Boyle was parodied in the South Park episode, Fatbeard, when Ike Broflovski writes
that he's sick of hearing everyone talking about her anymore in his farewell letter to
his parents.[47]
Social media
Writing in The Guardian, Leigh Holmwood said that web technology such as
YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been
critical in facilitating Boyle's rapid rise to fame.[3] The most popular YouTube video
submission of her audition garnered nearly 2.5 million views in the first 72 hours.[48]
On the day following the performance, the YouTube video was the most popular
article on Digg.[49] The same video was also popular on Reddit, with enough clout to
top the site's front page.[50] Within a week, the audition performance had been
viewed more than 66 million times, setting an online record, while on Wikipedia her
biographical article attracted nearly half a million page views.[10] A 100 million video
views on 20 different websites was reached within nine days.[11] The Los Angeles
Times wrote that her popularity on YouTube may in part be due to the broad range of
emotion packed into a short timeframe, noting that this makes it "perfect for the
Internet, where short clips rule."[51]
Susan Boyle's fame also spread by links posted on the Twitter website, including
praise from celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.[52][53][54] When Boyle
first appeared on Britain's Got Talent, she said that she aspires to become a
musical theatre singer "as successful as" Elaine Paige.[55] Since the appearance,
Paige has expressed an interest in singing a duet with Boyle,[55] and has called her
"a role model for everyone who has a dream".[56] Actor Hugh Jackman has also
wanted to do a duet with Susan Boyle writing on his Twitter, "Where is Susan Boyle?
I am ready for a duet."[57]
Social and critical analysis
Boyle's sudden fame has drawn much commentary on why this story was so widely
reported and what it implies, while others drew moral lessons from people's
reactions to her performance.[58] For instance, writing in The Herald, Collette
Douglas-Home described Boyle's story as a modern parable and a rebuke to
people's tendency to judge others based on their physical appearance.[59] Similarly,
Lisa Schwarzbaum, in an article in Entertainment Weekly, said that Boyle's
performance was particularly moving as it was a victory for talent and artistry in a
culture obsessed with physical attractiveness and presentation.[60] Commenting on
the audience's reactions before she started singing, Boyle said:
“ Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. [...] There is
not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe
this could teach them a lesson, or set an example. ”
—Susan Boyle, The Washington Post[6]
After Boyle's performance, Holden said:
“ I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think
that we were all being very cynical, and I think that's the biggest wake-up call ever.
And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that. ”
—Amanda Holden, Britain's Got Talent[61]
Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the Les Misérables musical, also praised the
performance, stating:
“ Just like the judges and audience, I was gob-smacked by the emotional
powerhouse performance of Susan Boyle's show-stopping rendition of "I Dreamed a
Dream". Vocally, it is one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard—touching,
thrilling and uplifting. I do hope she gets to sing it for the Queen. ”
—Cameron Mackintosh[31]
Echoing Amanda Holden's comments, Jeanne McManus wrote in The Washington
Post that, in talent shows such as Britain's Got Talent, one of the main sources of
drama is the collision between performers' sometimes exaggerated sense of self-
worth and the opinions and reactions of their audience.[62] In Boyle's case,
McManus believed that her initial demeanour and homely appearance caused the
judges and audience to be "waiting for her to squawk like a duck".[62] Indeed, New
York's Daily News said that it was this stark contrast between the audience's low
expectations and the quality of her singing that made Boyle's performance such an
engaging piece of television.[63] This article also noted that the idea of an underdog
being ridiculed or humiliated but then enjoying an unexpected triumph is a common
trope in literature and that this is why, when this theme made its unscripted
appearance in reality television, it created an enduring and powerful effect.[63]
On the other hand, although this audience reaction was unscripted, it may have been
anticipated. Writing in The Huffington Post, Mark Blankenship noted that the
producers of the show would have been aware of the potential of this story arc,
stating that the programme seemed to deliberately present Boyle in a manner that
would enhance this initial reaction.[64] He does note, however, that "as fabricated as
it is, her on-camera arc is undeniably moving".[64] The fact that Boyle is in her forties
has also been cited as contributing to this strong emotional impact. In another
Huffington Post article, Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote that people may have been
"weeping for the years of wasted talent", since most of Boyle's life has been spent in
obscurity and those wasted years can never be recovered.[65] All the same,
Pogrebin still classed Boyle's performance as a triumph for what she called "women
of a certain age", as she saw it as representing a victory over a youth culture that
often dismisses middle-aged women.[65]
Tanya Gold wrote in The Guardian that the difference between Boyle's hostile
reception and the more neutral response to Paul Potts in his first audition reflected
society's expectation that women be both good-looking and talented, with no such
expectation existing for men.[66] In a similar vein, Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote on
Salon.com that Boyle's performance reminded people that "not all fortysomething
women are sleek, Botoxed beauties," going on to say that Boyle's sudden fame
came from her ability to remind her audience that, like them, she is a normal, flawed
and vulnerable person, familiar with disappointment and mockery, but who
nevertheless has the determination to fight for her dream.[67]
Several media sources have commented that Boyle's success seemed to have
particular resonance in the United States of America. Writing in The Scotsman, Craig
Brown quoted a U.S. entertainment correspondent who compared Boyle's story to
the American Dream, in that it represented talent overcoming adversity and poverty.
[68] The Associated Press described this as Boyle's "hardscrabble story", dwelling
on her modest lifestyle and what they saw as urban deprivation in her home town.
[22] Similarly, The Independent New York correspondent David Usborne wrote that
America is a country that will always respond to "the fairy tale where the apparently
unprepossessing suddenly becomes pretty, from Shrek to My Fair Lady".[69] Piers
Morgan, one of the show's judges, also commented on the unusual power this story
seemed to have in the US, noting that "Americans can be very moved by this sort of
thing", and likening Boyle's rise to fame from poverty and obscurity to that of the
fictional boxer Rocky Balboa.[51]
Background information
Born 1961 (age 47–48)
Origin Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland[1]
Occupation(s) Unemployed; amateur singer
Instrument(s)
Vocals
Years active 1999, 2009–present
Associated acts Britain's Got Talent
Susan Boyle (born 1961)[2] is a Scottish[3] amateur singer and church volunteer who
came to public attention on 11 April 2009,[4] when she appeared as a contestant on
the third series of Britain's Got Talent.[5] Boyle found fame when she sang "I
Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the competition's first round.[6]
Before she sang, both the audience and the judges appeared to express scepticism
based on her unpolished appearance, and apparent awkwardness. In contrast, her
vocal performance was so well received that she has been dubbed "The Woman
Who Shut Up Simon Cowell".[7] She received a standing ovation from the live
audience, garnering yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden, and the "biggest
yes I have ever given anybody" from Piers Morgan.[8] The audition was recorded in
January 2009 at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland.[9]
The juxtaposition of the reception to her voice with the audience's first impression of
her triggered global interest. Articles about her appeared in newspapers all over the
world, while the numbers who watched videos of her audition set an online record.
[10] By 20 April 2009, viral videos of her audition, subsequent interviews of her, and
her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" had been viewed over 100 million times on the
Internet.[11] Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his Syco
Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.[12]
Biography
Personal life
Boyle was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland[1] to Patrick Boyle, a storeman
at the British Leyland factory in Bathgate, and Bridget Boyle, a shorthand typist;[2] her
parents were Irish immigrants.[13] The youngest in a family of four brothers and six
sisters, of whom only six survive,[14] Boyle was born when her mother was 47.[15]
[16] The Sunday Times writes that it was a difficult birth, during which Boyle was
briefly deprived of oxygen. She was diagnosed as having learning difficulties, which
led to bullying.[1][17] She was labelled "Susie Simple" at school but learned to
overcome those who derided her.[18]
After leaving school with few qualifications,[15] she was employed for the only time in
her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months,[18]
and took part in government training schemes.[2] She would visit the theatre from
time to time to listen to professional singers,[2] and performed at a number of local
venues.[3] She took singing lessons from a voice coach, Fred O'Neil.[15] In 1995,
she auditioned for Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People,[3] which was looking for
contestants at the Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow, but she said she was too
nervous to make a good impression.[2] The Guardian reports that she attended
Edinburgh Acting School, and has taken part in the Edinburgh Fringe.[3] In 1999 she
recorded "Cry Me a River" for a charity CD funded by the local council to
commemorate the Millennium.[19][1] 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 told The
Scotsman: "I remember a phone call late last year when she said she was too old
and that it was a young person's game". O'Neil persuaded her to go to the audition.
[20]
Boyle's father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home, leaving Boyle to look
after her ageing mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 91.[16] Boyle still lives in the
family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles.[15]
Boyle's devotion to caring for her mother was such that she did not have any time for
herself.[16] One neighbour reported that Boyle struggled to cope with the loss of her
mother, stating that she "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door
or phone".[16] Her mother had always encouraged her to enter local singing
competitions, which she won several times, and tried to persuade her daughter to
enter Britain's Got Talent, urging her to take the risk of singing in front of an audience
larger than her parish church.[6] Boyle has said she did not feel ready to do it until
after her mother's death, saying that it was that event which propelled her to go on
Britain's Got Talent and seek a musical career as her way of paying a tribute to her
mother.[15] Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung since
then.[21][1][22]
At the time of her Britain's Got Talent audition, Boyle was unemployed, yet active as a
volunteer with Our Lady of Lourdes, a Roman Catholic church in Blackburn.[23][17]
She has never married; and during an interview just before she sang on the talent
show, she said she had also "never been kissed" but later added "Oh, I was just
joking around. It was just banter and it has been blown way out of proportion".[24][1]
Early recordings
Boyle recorded a version of "Cry Me a River" for a compilation charity CD entitled
"Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian", which was produced
in 1999 at a school in Whitburn, West Lothian.[25][26] A reviewer for the West Lothian
Herald & Post wrote at the time, "... the true show-stopper for me is Susan Boyle's
heartbreaking rendition of "Cry Me a River", which has been on repeat in my CD
player ever since I got this CD..."[27] This recording was released onto the web in the
week after April 11, 2009, and gained immediate acclaim, with the New York Post
writing that this showed that Boyle was not a "one trick pony" and that the rarity of the
CD imprint, with only 1,000 produced, would make them valuable collector's items.
[28] Other media reaction was similarly positive, with Hello! magazine stating that the
recording was a further illustration of the level of Boyle's talent, which "cements her
status" as a singing star.[29]
In 1999, Boyle used "all her savings" to pay for a professionally cut demo tape, which
she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV
and which has now been released on the Internet. It consisted of "Cry Me a River"
and her version of "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Boyle gave away a few copies to
her close friends.[30]
Britain's Got Talent and aftermath
Television performance
In August 2008, when Boyle became aware that Britain's Got Talent would be holding
auditions, she applied and was accepted for the audition, which took place in
Glasgow in January 2009. 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 aired
on April 11 and was watched by an average of 10.3 million viewers.[31] This
performance was widely reported, and millions of people viewed a video of her
singing on YouTube.[31] The strength of this reaction reportedly shocked and
amazed Boyle, who later says she was "gobsmacked".[32]
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:
“ 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[15]
News media
Many British newspapers carried articles on Boyle's performance and subsequent
Internet coverage. The Sun writer Colin Robertson gave her the nickname "Paula
Potts" in reference to the contest's Series one winner, the opera singer Paul Potts.
[33] International news outlets also carried stories on her, including among others,
India's The Times of India[34], Germany's Der Spiegel,[35] China's Xinhua News
Agency,[36] Brazil's Zero Hora,[37] Israel's Ynet,[38] and the Arab World's Al-Arabiya.
[39]
In the U.S., ABC News coverage suggested that Boyle may be "Britain's newest pop
sensation", and the network's Entertainment section ran the headline The Woman
Who Shut Up Simon Cowell.[40] Several commentators have drawn parallels
between Boyle's performance and that of Paul Potts, another unexpected singing
talent who also rose to fame on Britain's Got Talent, with Forbes magazine predicting
that Boyle could follow in Potts' footsteps and enjoy a long, successful and profitable
career.[41]
TV shows
Following her performance on Britain's Got Talent, Boyle was a guest on STV's The
Five Thirty Show.[42] She was interviewed via satellite on CBS's Early Show,[19]
ABC's Good Morning America,[43] and NBC's Today, and via a telephone interview
on FOX's America's Newsroom.[44] In an interview, Simon Cowell said Boyle had
received an invitation to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show and predicted that if she
did appear "there's every chance Susan Boyle will have the number one album in
America".[43]
She also appeared via satellite on CNN's Larry King Live opposite Piers Morgan,
who apologized to Boyle for not giving her "anything like the respect" she deserved
when she walked out on the stage before singing.[45] Boyle went on to perform an a
cappella verse of "My Heart Will Go On" on King's show about which Morgan
remarked, "That was just absolutely stunning. To sing that with no musical backing
is unbelievable." He previously invited Boyle to have dinner with him in London, and
she accepted.[46]
Boyle was parodied in the South Park episode, Fatbeard, when Ike Broflovski writes
that he's sick of hearing everyone talking about her anymore in his farewell letter to
his parents.[47]
Social media
Writing in The Guardian, Leigh Holmwood said that web technology such as
YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been
critical in facilitating Boyle's rapid rise to fame.[3] The most popular YouTube video
submission of her audition garnered nearly 2.5 million views in the first 72 hours.[48]
On the day following the performance, the YouTube video was the most popular
article on Digg.[49] The same video was also popular on Reddit, with enough clout to
top the site's front page.[50] Within a week, the audition performance had been
viewed more than 66 million times, setting an online record, while on Wikipedia her
biographical article attracted nearly half a million page views.[10] A 100 million video
views on 20 different websites was reached within nine days.[11] The Los Angeles
Times wrote that her popularity on YouTube may in part be due to the broad range of
emotion packed into a short timeframe, noting that this makes it "perfect for the
Internet, where short clips rule."[51]
Susan Boyle's fame also spread by links posted on the Twitter website, including
praise from celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.[52][53][54] When Boyle
first appeared on Britain's Got Talent, she said that she aspires to become a
musical theatre singer "as successful as" Elaine Paige.[55] Since the appearance,
Paige has expressed an interest in singing a duet with Boyle,[55] and has called her
"a role model for everyone who has a dream".[56] Actor Hugh Jackman has also
wanted to do a duet with Susan Boyle writing on his Twitter, "Where is Susan Boyle?
I am ready for a duet."[57]
Social and critical analysis
Boyle's sudden fame has drawn much commentary on why this story was so widely
reported and what it implies, while others drew moral lessons from people's
reactions to her performance.[58] For instance, writing in The Herald, Collette
Douglas-Home described Boyle's story as a modern parable and a rebuke to
people's tendency to judge others based on their physical appearance.[59] Similarly,
Lisa Schwarzbaum, in an article in Entertainment Weekly, said that Boyle's
performance was particularly moving as it was a victory for talent and artistry in a
culture obsessed with physical attractiveness and presentation.[60] Commenting on
the audience's reactions before she started singing, Boyle said:
“ Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. [...] There is
not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe
this could teach them a lesson, or set an example. ”
—Susan Boyle, The Washington Post[6]
After Boyle's performance, Holden said:
“ I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think
that we were all being very cynical, and I think that's the biggest wake-up call ever.
And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that. ”
—Amanda Holden, Britain's Got Talent[61]
Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the Les Misérables musical, also praised the
performance, stating:
“ Just like the judges and audience, I was gob-smacked by the emotional
powerhouse performance of Susan Boyle's show-stopping rendition of "I Dreamed a
Dream". Vocally, it is one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard—touching,
thrilling and uplifting. I do hope she gets to sing it for the Queen. ”
—Cameron Mackintosh[31]
Echoing Amanda Holden's comments, Jeanne McManus wrote in The Washington
Post that, in talent shows such as Britain's Got Talent, one of the main sources of
drama is the collision between performers' sometimes exaggerated sense of self-
worth and the opinions and reactions of their audience.[62] In Boyle's case,
McManus believed that her initial demeanour and homely appearance caused the
judges and audience to be "waiting for her to squawk like a duck".[62] Indeed, New
York's Daily News said that it was this stark contrast between the audience's low
expectations and the quality of her singing that made Boyle's performance such an
engaging piece of television.[63] This article also noted that the idea of an underdog
being ridiculed or humiliated but then enjoying an unexpected triumph is a common
trope in literature and that this is why, when this theme made its unscripted
appearance in reality television, it created an enduring and powerful effect.[63]
On the other hand, although this audience reaction was unscripted, it may have been
anticipated. Writing in The Huffington Post, Mark Blankenship noted that the
producers of the show would have been aware of the potential of this story arc,
stating that the programme seemed to deliberately present Boyle in a manner that
would enhance this initial reaction.[64] He does note, however, that "as fabricated as
it is, her on-camera arc is undeniably moving".[64] The fact that Boyle is in her forties
has also been cited as contributing to this strong emotional impact. In another
Huffington Post article, Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote that people may have been
"weeping for the years of wasted talent", since most of Boyle's life has been spent in
obscurity and those wasted years can never be recovered.[65] All the same,
Pogrebin still classed Boyle's performance as a triumph for what she called "women
of a certain age", as she saw it as representing a victory over a youth culture that
often dismisses middle-aged women.[65]
Tanya Gold wrote in The Guardian that the difference between Boyle's hostile
reception and the more neutral response to Paul Potts in his first audition reflected
society's expectation that women be both good-looking and talented, with no such
expectation existing for men.[66] In a similar vein, Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote on
Salon.com that Boyle's performance reminded people that "not all fortysomething
women are sleek, Botoxed beauties," going on to say that Boyle's sudden fame
came from her ability to remind her audience that, like them, she is a normal, flawed
and vulnerable person, familiar with disappointment and mockery, but who
nevertheless has the determination to fight for her dream.[67]
Several media sources have commented that Boyle's success seemed to have
particular resonance in the United States of America. Writing in The Scotsman, Craig
Brown quoted a U.S. entertainment correspondent who compared Boyle's story to
the American Dream, in that it represented talent overcoming adversity and poverty.
[68] The Associated Press described this as Boyle's "hardscrabble story", dwelling
on her modest lifestyle and what they saw as urban deprivation in her home town.
[22] Similarly, The Independent New York correspondent David Usborne wrote that
America is a country that will always respond to "the fairy tale where the apparently
unprepossessing suddenly becomes pretty, from Shrek to My Fair Lady".[69] Piers
Morgan, one of the show's judges, also commented on the unusual power this story
seemed to have in the US, noting that "Americans can be very moved by this sort of
thing", and likening Boyle's rise to fame from poverty and obscurity to that of the
fictional boxer Rocky Balboa.[51]
| Posted on Susan’s Fan Page Susan Boyle Gets a New Look Posted by SusanBoyleFan on April 21, 2009 Susan left home yesterday sporting a new look, she was wearing a funky leather jacket and a print-pattern dress after a trip to the hairdressers. Susan said: "I will need to sort out my dress sense and my weight. It wasn't until I saw myself on TV that I realised how frumpy I was." "It's not a big thing - it doesn't worry me too much - but I will be doing a bit more exercise to help me sort it out." "When there is this much attention on you, you have to plan what you wear every day and look your best." "I just want to look nice, and smart." |
| Susan's new look. Let us know what you think of it. Should she keep going or is this enough? |
Ok, by now you've heard the story of Susan Boyle, the British
churchlady/spinster who wowed the crowd at Britian's Got Talent. If you
haven't - then take a minute and look at the clip to understand the pure
power of what an unexpected talent can do.
But the Susan Boyle story has a lot more going on than just the music
phenomenon, thought that's interesting to be sure.
Take, for example, the story of Paul Wood.
Paul Wood is a construction worker in London, who's got the bug for
building video networks on the web in his spare time.
So on Saturday night in London last week Wood decided on a lark that
this Susan Boyle woman he read about might 'take off' when Britain's
Got Talent would be broadcast. He'd seen her in the auditions and
decided to take a risk. He bought the URL Susan-Boyle.com and
Sunday night - moments after the broadcast - he had a fan site for her
up online.
What Wood didn't know and couldn't know was that some how Susan
Boyle connected with a wide variety of people in a deep and powerful
way. Why is that? First, you need to see the clip to understand. We can
spend a sec and try and psycho-analyze the public: For some, the music
is what it's all about. For others, it's the ugly duckling who spreads her
wings. And then, it may just be given the economy, with people feeling
so beaten up, that watching an underdog totally triumph was just too
hard to resist.
It hardly matters. She totally owned the gig - and now she's a rocket. And
the best part? This isn't some contrived media event from the
pop-culture factory. This is real.
Susan-Boyle.com has created a pop-up destination where people can
connect, share stories, record videos, and watch Susan Boyle's video
experience. It is a feel good site with most comments gushing with
enthusiasm and support. There is something that feels good about
watching a community grow organically around such a positive media
moment and personality. We just don't have enough of this stuff these
days.
Four days later he has a website that is getting close to a million page
views a day and has over 12,000 registered members.
The Wall Street Journal reports here that the site's fast growing traffic is
the #1 site for Susan-Boyle fans worldwide, providing a unique mix of
network clips, user-submitted video testimonials, and a live twitter
stream of Susan Boyle fans that updates round the clock from a fast
growing worldwide fan base.
It is also worth pointing out, that only in the technologically adept world
we live in could such an event be possible. Millions of people flocking to
a virtual destination and forming a "flash mob" style community - never
meeting each other, but finding a real outlet to come together and share
in the moment. Who says technology is making us numb to personal
interaction?
churchlady/spinster who wowed the crowd at Britian's Got Talent. If you
haven't - then take a minute and look at the clip to understand the pure
power of what an unexpected talent can do.
But the Susan Boyle story has a lot more going on than just the music
phenomenon, thought that's interesting to be sure.
Take, for example, the story of Paul Wood.
Paul Wood is a construction worker in London, who's got the bug for
building video networks on the web in his spare time.
So on Saturday night in London last week Wood decided on a lark that
this Susan Boyle woman he read about might 'take off' when Britain's
Got Talent would be broadcast. He'd seen her in the auditions and
decided to take a risk. He bought the URL Susan-Boyle.com and
Sunday night - moments after the broadcast - he had a fan site for her
up online.
What Wood didn't know and couldn't know was that some how Susan
Boyle connected with a wide variety of people in a deep and powerful
way. Why is that? First, you need to see the clip to understand. We can
spend a sec and try and psycho-analyze the public: For some, the music
is what it's all about. For others, it's the ugly duckling who spreads her
wings. And then, it may just be given the economy, with people feeling
so beaten up, that watching an underdog totally triumph was just too
hard to resist.
It hardly matters. She totally owned the gig - and now she's a rocket. And
the best part? This isn't some contrived media event from the
pop-culture factory. This is real.
Susan-Boyle.com has created a pop-up destination where people can
connect, share stories, record videos, and watch Susan Boyle's video
experience. It is a feel good site with most comments gushing with
enthusiasm and support. There is something that feels good about
watching a community grow organically around such a positive media
moment and personality. We just don't have enough of this stuff these
days.
Four days later he has a website that is getting close to a million page
views a day and has over 12,000 registered members.
The Wall Street Journal reports here that the site's fast growing traffic is
the #1 site for Susan-Boyle fans worldwide, providing a unique mix of
network clips, user-submitted video testimonials, and a live twitter
stream of Susan Boyle fans that updates round the clock from a fast
growing worldwide fan base.
It is also worth pointing out, that only in the technologically adept world
we live in could such an event be possible. Millions of people flocking to
a virtual destination and forming a "flash mob" style community - never
meeting each other, but finding a real outlet to come together and share
in the moment. Who says technology is making us numb to personal
interaction?
Susan Boyle
| Two Success Stories for the Price of One. Read how the London Construction worker who 'dabbled' in creating video networks in his spare time created a fan site for Susan Boyle before she became an overnight sensation and now owns her fan site with 12,000 registered visitors. |
Susan Boyle Headed to Britain's Got
Talent Finale
Susan Boyle, Britains Got Talent
YouTube singing sensation Susan Boyle was noticeably
nervous during her semifinal performance on Britain's Got
Talent, but that won't keep her from the U.K. talent show's
final round.
Boyle, who looked slightly more made up than during her
first outing, shook off the jitters to deliver a powerful
rendition of "Memory" from the musical CATS. (Watch the
full performance below.) Fans at home voted Boyle the
best in her semifinal group of eight acts, and the judges
put her through to next week's finale. She will sing for the
title Saturday.
"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic," Boyle said, as she
danced in celebration. "What pressure? I've really enjoyed
myself tonight."
The Scotish singer wowed Britain's Got Talent judges and
became an Internet viral video sensation after her first
performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les
Miserables. She has since made appearances on Larry
King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and has even been
referenced on The Simpsons.
Oddsmaker William Hill has Boyle as the overwhelming to
win the show, according to The Associated Press.
Boyle said she wants to win "more than anything ever in
my life," and feels that a win will "prove that I am a
worthwhile person."
Talent Finale
Susan Boyle, Britains Got Talent
YouTube singing sensation Susan Boyle was noticeably
nervous during her semifinal performance on Britain's Got
Talent, but that won't keep her from the U.K. talent show's
final round.
Boyle, who looked slightly more made up than during her
first outing, shook off the jitters to deliver a powerful
rendition of "Memory" from the musical CATS. (Watch the
full performance below.) Fans at home voted Boyle the
best in her semifinal group of eight acts, and the judges
put her through to next week's finale. She will sing for the
title Saturday.
"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic," Boyle said, as she
danced in celebration. "What pressure? I've really enjoyed
myself tonight."
The Scotish singer wowed Britain's Got Talent judges and
became an Internet viral video sensation after her first
performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les
Miserables. She has since made appearances on Larry
King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and has even been
referenced on The Simpsons.
Oddsmaker William Hill has Boyle as the overwhelming to
win the show, according to The Associated Press.
Boyle said she wants to win "more than anything ever in
my life," and feels that a win will "prove that I am a
worthwhile person."
The opinions and information provided within the Applaud Women publication or on the Applaud Women website are not necessarily those of Applaud Women, it's officers,
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by it's writers, advertisers or any information provided by other sources included on the website.
staff or contributing writers. Nor does inclusion on ApplaudWomen.com constitute endorsement of the views, products, services or informational content contained within the
publication, advertising on found anywhere on the website. Applaud Women values accuracy; however, Applaud Women does not warranty the accuracy of material provided
by it's writers, advertisers or any information provided by other sources included on the website.
With the "Britain's Got Talent" finals behind her, Susan
Boyle checks into the hospital
-The Betty Editors
Susan Boyle, the Hairy Angel, who came in second in
Britain's Got Talent on Saturday night is now in The Priory
Clinic in London. Britain newspaper reporters say she began
to behave erratically after her Saturday night loss to the
dance group "Diversity." She was taken to the private clinic
under police escort.
One of the show's judges, Piers Morgan, said Monday that
Boyle, 48, was emotionally drained and exhausted. "Nobody
has had to put up with the kind of attention Susan has had.
Nobody could have predicted it," he told GMTV. "It has been
crazy, she has gone from anonymity to being the most
downloaded woman in history," he said. "She was very tired
and hasn't been sleeping. She has just gone away to have
some time to herself and to sleep and eat, doing all the
things she hasn't been able to do in the last week."
The Britain's Got Talent final on Saturday became Britain's
most-watched television program for five years, the Press
Association news agency reported, with a peak of 19.2 million
viewers. Diversity, the winners, took 24.9 percent of the
public vote in the final, above Boyle's 20.2 percent share.
Just under four million people voted, according to ITV, the
channel that aired the final show. But then, the British public
can do unexpected things. They voted Churchill out as Prime
Minister after he had led the nation through the Second
World War.
Like many others, we've been surprised by Susan's ability,
cheered her on, got a bit tired of her and the super-hype
surrounding her. But, like most Americans who have not seen
all the acts in the show, we expected - and wanted - her to
win. Now we just want her to take what she wants from her
sudden enormous fame and not let her dream turn into a
nightmare. Get well, Susan, and make that CD one we all
want to buy.
Boyle checks into the hospital
-The Betty Editors
Susan Boyle, the Hairy Angel, who came in second in
Britain's Got Talent on Saturday night is now in The Priory
Clinic in London. Britain newspaper reporters say she began
to behave erratically after her Saturday night loss to the
dance group "Diversity." She was taken to the private clinic
under police escort.
One of the show's judges, Piers Morgan, said Monday that
Boyle, 48, was emotionally drained and exhausted. "Nobody
has had to put up with the kind of attention Susan has had.
Nobody could have predicted it," he told GMTV. "It has been
crazy, she has gone from anonymity to being the most
downloaded woman in history," he said. "She was very tired
and hasn't been sleeping. She has just gone away to have
some time to herself and to sleep and eat, doing all the
things she hasn't been able to do in the last week."
The Britain's Got Talent final on Saturday became Britain's
most-watched television program for five years, the Press
Association news agency reported, with a peak of 19.2 million
viewers. Diversity, the winners, took 24.9 percent of the
public vote in the final, above Boyle's 20.2 percent share.
Just under four million people voted, according to ITV, the
channel that aired the final show. But then, the British public
can do unexpected things. They voted Churchill out as Prime
Minister after he had led the nation through the Second
World War.
Like many others, we've been surprised by Susan's ability,
cheered her on, got a bit tired of her and the super-hype
surrounding her. But, like most Americans who have not seen
all the acts in the show, we expected - and wanted - her to
win. Now we just want her to take what she wants from her
sudden enormous fame and not let her dream turn into a
nightmare. Get well, Susan, and make that CD one we all
want to buy.
| Per BettyConfidential.com Susan Boyle Hospitalized |
By Murray Wardrop
Published: 9:00AM BST 02 Jun 2009
Boyle, 48, who was the favourite to win the contest, was
beaten by the dance troupe Diversity in the final and has
since been admitted to The Priory clinic in London.
The Scottish spinster became an overnight star since
appearing on the ITV programme and suffered an emotional
breakdown following her defeat.
Holden, one of the judges for the show which attracted 19.2
million viewers for Saturday night's final, said she believed
that Boyle had succumbed to the pressures of fame.
Holden, 38, said: "She has gone from a woman that nobody
knew to worldwide fame.
"For anybody in the business to handle that kind of stress is
an enormous amount of pressure. I think she probably just
crumbled under it.
"She will just need some time to recuperate. It's probably a
blessing she didn't win as it takes off some of the pressure.
Perhaps now she can relax."
Boyle was reportedly taken to the clinic from her hotel in
Westminster by ambulance on Sunday night and is now said
to be recovering well.
It is thought that she missed her cat, Pebbles, and was
suffering from exhaustion.
Fellow judge Simon Cowell, 49, has said that there is no
pressure on the singer to do any more performing until she
feels better.
It is hoped that she will join other performers for the show's
spin-off tour and has received several music industry offers.
A Britain's Got Talent source told the Daily Express: "Simon
knows fans want to see her on the Britain's Got Talent tour
but if she isn't ready for that, then she won't appear.
"She won't be made to do anything unless everyone feels
happy she's fit.
"Simon is very concerned about what has happened to
Susan and he wants to make sure that she rests and
recuperates before she does anything else.
"He has enormous faith in her as a recording artist of the
future and he's been flooded with all kinds of offers for her
from all over the world.
"But he's put his foot down and told everyone, 'Susan isn't
signing anything or doing anything until she is better'.
"She will only do what she personally feels happy about
doing and that's the bottom line."
Boyle became a global superstar after the audition tape of
her singing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables was
viewed by millions around the world.
The show's makers are facing the possibility of an inquiry by
the media watchdog Ofcom for their handling of the singer,
who suffers from learning disabilities.
Producers only provided a counsellor for Boyle at the
beginning of last week, despite the strains of the media
spotlight mounting far earlier in the show.
Published: 9:00AM BST 02 Jun 2009
Boyle, 48, who was the favourite to win the contest, was
beaten by the dance troupe Diversity in the final and has
since been admitted to The Priory clinic in London.
The Scottish spinster became an overnight star since
appearing on the ITV programme and suffered an emotional
breakdown following her defeat.
Holden, one of the judges for the show which attracted 19.2
million viewers for Saturday night's final, said she believed
that Boyle had succumbed to the pressures of fame.
Holden, 38, said: "She has gone from a woman that nobody
knew to worldwide fame.
"For anybody in the business to handle that kind of stress is
an enormous amount of pressure. I think she probably just
crumbled under it.
"She will just need some time to recuperate. It's probably a
blessing she didn't win as it takes off some of the pressure.
Perhaps now she can relax."
Boyle was reportedly taken to the clinic from her hotel in
Westminster by ambulance on Sunday night and is now said
to be recovering well.
It is thought that she missed her cat, Pebbles, and was
suffering from exhaustion.
Fellow judge Simon Cowell, 49, has said that there is no
pressure on the singer to do any more performing until she
feels better.
It is hoped that she will join other performers for the show's
spin-off tour and has received several music industry offers.
A Britain's Got Talent source told the Daily Express: "Simon
knows fans want to see her on the Britain's Got Talent tour
but if she isn't ready for that, then she won't appear.
"She won't be made to do anything unless everyone feels
happy she's fit.
"Simon is very concerned about what has happened to
Susan and he wants to make sure that she rests and
recuperates before she does anything else.
"He has enormous faith in her as a recording artist of the
future and he's been flooded with all kinds of offers for her
from all over the world.
"But he's put his foot down and told everyone, 'Susan isn't
signing anything or doing anything until she is better'.
"She will only do what she personally feels happy about
doing and that's the bottom line."
Boyle became a global superstar after the audition tape of
her singing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables was
viewed by millions around the world.
The show's makers are facing the possibility of an inquiry by
the media watchdog Ofcom for their handling of the singer,
who suffers from learning disabilities.
Producers only provided a counsellor for Boyle at the
beginning of last week, despite the strains of the media
spotlight mounting far earlier in the show.
| For the Latest on the UTube Talent Winner Controversy and the Latest on Susan's Health and Future Read Below |
Per The Telegraph.CO.UK
Susan Boyle: 'It's a blessing she didn't win Britain's Got
Talent' says Amanda Holden.
It is a "blessing" that Susan Boyle did not win Britain's
Got Talent, the show's judge Amanda Holden has said.
Susan Boyle: 'It's a blessing she didn't win Britain's Got
Talent' says Amanda Holden.
It is a "blessing" that Susan Boyle did not win Britain's
Got Talent, the show's judge Amanda Holden has said.