Susan Boyle – Scottish singer
Susan Boyle is a Scottish singer, who became famous thanks to the participation in the show Britain’s Got Talent on April 11, 2009.
Susan Magdalane Boyle was born on April 1, 1961 in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Her parents were Irish immigrants. In the family, she was the youngest of ten children (four brothers and six sisters). Only six children survived. Her mother gave birth to the girl when she was 47 years old. Boyle had difficulties in learning and her classmates called her “Susie Simple”. The girl quickly learned not to pay attention to those who laughed at her. After graduation from school, she got the only job in her life – a chef trainee at West Lothian College, where she worked for six months. From time to time she visited theater and spent all the money to listen to professional singers.
At the age of 22 Susan took part in a local competition in Motherwell, where her sister now lives, with the song The Way We Were.
Susan’s father died in 1990, her siblings left for their homes, leaving her alone to take care of an aging mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 91.
Boyle still lives in the family house with her 10-year-old cat. She never married. Moreover, during an interview just before the performance in Britain’s Got Talent she said she has never been kissed.
Album The Gift in 2010 topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, first in England and then in the US and was nominated for Grammy Award.
On July 7, 2012 it was announced that the Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh) awarded Susan Boyle an honorary doctorate for her contribution to the development of the creative industry.
On April 11, 2009 the audience was amazed by Susan’s strong voice and magnificent performance of the song I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables. Her performance became famous quite quickly. On May 30 Susan took the second place. The next day the singer was hospitalized after a nervous breakdown.
Recording of her performance on YouTube was watched 200 million times (10.21.2016).