12 April 2009

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent 2009


Addendum: embedding disabled, but viewable at YouTube.

A 47-year-old woman sings "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables. Quite reminiscent of the legendary performance of Paul Potts singing "Nessun Dorma."

Miss Boyle told presenters Ant and Dec that she lived alone with just her cat Pebbles for company. She said: ‘I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’ve never even been kissed.’

She then stomped across the stage and began clumsily gyrating her hips towards the judges, prompting laughter from the audience.

(via Videosift and Neatorama)

addendum: More backstory, and the Reddit thread.

Additional information on the singer, from Chris Tyrell's blog:

I found out some stuff about her: she suffered some brain damage at birth which made learning difficult for her. She was bullied and picked on by other kids as school and escaped into singing. Because her parents worried that she might be taken advantage of , she has always lived at home - still using the same bedroom she had as a child. Her mother died 2 years ago and she entered the Talent show to “make her proud.” She used to work in a canteen, but is now unemployed and does charity work for her church - she’s a devout catholic.

For an additional performance (audio only) see this 1999 recording of "Cry Me A River." (Tip of the hat to Jay McDonough at Swimming Freestyle.

7 comments:

  1. Brilliant. I've used the Paul Potts video 4 or 5 times and this is just as good.

    What's striking is the difference between the British and American version of this show. I wonder if Susan Boyle and Paul Potts would one, be on the American version and two, do as well.

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  2. Seriously, I am so confused by everyone's mad love for this woman. I listened to her singing and cringed.

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  3. Anonymous - it's probably just a matter of taste ("de gustibus non est disputandum"). Some people like Metallica, some like The Sound of Music.

    You may also be experiencing some visual inhibitory feedback. Try listening again with your eyes closed.

    Lastly, you may be unfamiliar with the tune. For those who have seen Les Miserables the emotional factor plays a part.

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  4. Well, I am a singer myself (opera and jazz) so I suppose I should admit that I'm a bit unfairly biased against lesser-trained voices. I did close my eyes for a second listening to see if that made any difference...it didn't for me (although I appreciated the suggestion - so true sometimes). She's a fine singer, but many, many areas are weak and need improvement. Perhaps the problem also is that I am all too familiar with the tune and the high level of talent that goes along with normally hearing that piece (I'm thinking professional-quality, Ruthie Henshall-esque, I guess).

    I don't mean to be the grumbler in this woman's uplifting story for others, but I just really really don't understand, and was hoping I wasn't the only one. Guess not though.

    Oh well, I wish her the best at any rate.

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  5. and I would like to clarify that I'm talking about Ruthie as she performed it in the 10th Anniversary edition, not her other famous soft-and-reflective version, because my goodness does that change things.

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  6. I remember a story about a man who was a carpenter and liked to sing. Everyone in his town told him he had a great voice and he should sing professionally. He loved singing and one day decided that maybe, just maybe he should try doing it for real. So he went to New York, rented a concert hall, printed the handbills and the advertisements and scheduled the show. That night he sang his heart out, putting not just effort, but heart and soul into his music. He felt that he performed the best he had ever done.

    The next day he read the reviews, slowly, painfully, as they said things like "mediocre talent" and "not up to New York Standard." He eventually left New York, returned home, and went back to carpentry. Never to sing again.

    Susan Boyle may not be the most fantastically trained singer on the planet, but she has some raw talent that speaks (or sings) for itself. Britain's Got Talent Show does not expect Carnegie Hall levels of expertise, and rewards this kind of courage and love mixed with that talent. I love Les' Mis. It's one of my favorite musicals along with Phantom. She did just fine...

    And she will keep singing.

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  7. I think what's so amazing about her is that you don't expect that type of voice to come out of her. She really defines the phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover". I teared up when I first saw the video and I can't stand music like that! She's amazing! I wish her all the best!

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