Susan Boyle

Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle was dragged into the X Factor Auto-Tune row today when it was revealed that the Scottish singer’s first appearance was digitally tweaked.

The X Factor this week admitted using technology to smooth out faults in contestants’ singing during the audition stages. Today the Standard learned that the same techniques are used on Simon Cowell’s other reality show, Britain’s Got Talent.

A show insider said: “The exact same techniques are used on Britain’s Got Talent as on The X Factor — it’s the same production team. The sounds are cleaned up — it’s an open secret and an industry standard.

“This goes for everyone — even Susan Boyle’s audition was smoothed out in post-production to give it the best possible sound.”

Boyle’s audition was seen by more than 120 million people on YouTube and helped make her a global star. A spokeswoman for Talkback Thames, producer of both shows, said: “In line with standard television practice, sound filtering technology has been used on Britain’s Got Talent on our pre-recorded shows, but this does not unfairly reflect any singer’s performance.

“The performance shown on screen is a fair reflection of performance given in the live theatre. Judges make their decision based on that live performance.”

British paper The Daily Mail recently reported Paige referring to Boyle as “a virus really that spread across the world in a nanosecond.”  In a statement to the Daily Mail, Paige clarified: “I wasn’t referring to Susan herself; I was referring to the speed of her fame spreading as fast as a worldwide viral marketing campaign.”

Boyle’s meteoric rise to stardom is well-documented, from her appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent,” which was viewed over 100 million times on YouTube, to the release of her first album, “I Dreamed a Dream.” The album, which came out in December, had the largest ever sales debut for a female artist.

The Scottish singer has long referred to Paige as a musical idol, even telling “Britain’s Got Talent” judges she wanted to be “as big as Elaine Paige.”  On Dec. 13, a longtime dream of Boyle’s was realized when Paige performed with her in a television special.  The two sang a duet from Chess.

On the Jan. 31 episode of her BBC Radio 2 program, Paige said she was “dismayed to read the remarks attributed to me in the Daily Mail,” and called the paper’s representation of her remarks “incomplete and misinterpreted completely.”

What’s amazing is the staying power of the search for Susan Boyle videos. Generally a good video search wave lasts up to 12 days in my experience; Susan Boyle’s lasted almost two months. Part of the reason for this was the searches fueled by the weekly airing of Britains’ Got Talent, because even when Boyle wasn’t singing, the other groups were compared to her on YouTube for the World to judge. The other reason was Susan Boyle’s story – of a common, kind, lonely woman who lost her parents and seemed to have been in a state of depression, making it big – resonated with the industrialized World.

She is scheduled to sing her trademark “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. The NHK program, now in its 60th year, showcases the most popular singers of the year. Most of its guests are Japanese.

Boyle was runner-up in the British talent show, but her performance became a hit on YouTube and made her one of the biggest international celebrities of the year, with more than 120 million views.

Is Susan Boyle about to cross over from reality star to singing star? The 48-year-old Scottish woman, who surprised Simon Cowell earlier this year with her powerful singing voice on Britain’s Got Talent (and then lost the competition), is one of many reality-show contestants to release an album. But I Dreamed a Dream, her debut CD, is performing at a level that goes beyond the usual TV tie-in. According to Billboard, the recording sold 701,000 copies in its first week in the U.S. alone, “the best opening week for a female artist’s debut album” since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking album sales in 1991. She’s just as popular in Canada, though she doesn’t exactly love us back, having twice cancelled plans to visit here. No matter where she goes or doesn’t go, she’s the most popular recording star produced by Cowell’s Talent and Idol TV franchises. And not just because of her famously dumpy appearance, or the publicity she got for a recent bout of exhaustion. She’s the first reality contestant whose CDs have unlimited appeal to reality TV viewers.

Not that Susan is the first reality star with a hit album; Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, among others, came before her. She isn’t even the first successful loser: Adam Lambert is famous for finishing second, while Jennifer Hudson recently got the ultimate mark of star status, her own Christmas special. But none of them have achieved the success of I Dreamed a Dream. Lambert’s debut album hit Billboard’s chart with 198,000 copies—a good figure but not in Boyle’s league; the man who beat him, Kris Allen, couldn’t crack the top 10. Critic Ryan White pointed out in the Oregonian that Cowell’s shows are a launching pad for older songwriters “looking to get their music back out to a broader audience,” and no one cares about most of the people who sing those songs. But the wide audience that watched Boyle’s Talent debut on YouTube is actually buying her CD; they wouldn’t buy Lambert’s or Allen’s.

This might be because Boyle has staked out an area of pop music that is popular on Idol and Talent, but not in the recording industry: proudly middlebrow music. Other reality stars feel a need to go on to something personal. Lambert’s debut album features mostly up-to-date pop songs, while Kris Allen co-wrote most of his own songs, none of which has really caught on. Boyle does not pretend to be a songwriter; she chose 12 standards, ranging from a Madonna hit to public-domain favourites like Silent Night. Not only does this reassure customers by giving them songs that they know in advance are good, it means that there will be at least one song that appeals to any buyer in any age group. That gives Boyle’s album the same demographic profile as American Idol, which the New York Times’s Bill Carter described as “a phenomenon built on new artists singing mainly middle-of-the-road pop songs of the ’60s and ’70s.”

It helps that Boyle’s tracks are calculated to appeal to Cowell’s audience—which is to say a mass audience. Her singing style is based on Broadway and West End divas like Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige (Evita), a breathy, heady voice that starts quietly and builds to a big climax. It’s a style that can be applied to any kind of song. Choosing the Rolling Stones’ Wild Horses for the first track on the album brought Boyle some notoriety for branching out into a new kind of music. But while the original song is a downbeat country-rock ballad, Boyle’s version—with its arrangements dominated by strings and piano—makes it sound exactly like the title track. In a fragmented market, this kind of arrangement may work because it’s not really anything in particular: like the uptempo, all-purpose arrangements on the hit show Glee, Boyle’s recordings can’t offend fans of country, rock, or show tunes.

No wonder Donny Osmond has recently become friendly with Boyle; with her all-ages appeal and her choice of songs from every era, Boyle is a throwback to the mass-market, all-purpose variety style of Donny and Marie—just like Britain’s Got Talent is. The question now is whether she can keep this up. She told the Korea Herald that including the song You’ll See was “a kind of way of saying to the ones who made fun of me at school—well, I can really do better than some people.”

It is safe to say that Susan Boyle has captured the attention of the world. After her April 11th 2009 success on the UK television show, “Britain’s Got Talent”, Susan and her unforgettable voice have moved many who heard her sing to tears. The world, the judges and the audience were thoroughly surprised upon hearing her sing, as they had not expected to hear “the voice of an angel” come from someone who appeared to be so gauche and plain. Susan has shown the world that no one should prejudge another person based on their appearance, a lesson many of us seem to have forgotten.

Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Miserables has been viewed 100 million times as of April 20th on YouTube, said to be an online record for this web site. Her listening public includes Hollywood Stars Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, who brought her to the attention of the Twitter world. Susan has become a popular figure with bookmakers as well. In fact, she has become one of the biggest certainties in the betting history of all reality television. Live betting odds abound, with online bookmakers giving odds of 2/5 showing her as a favourite to win the talent contest.

Global sensation Susan Boyle is a single woman from West Lothian, Scotland. Sources say that Susan’s birth was a difficult one, which caused her to be deprived of oxygen for a brief period. This perilous start in life is said to be the reason why she had learning difficulties in school. Cruel children teased her, calling her “Susie Simple”, but Boyle comforted herself by singing. Encouraged by her mother, Susan took singing lessons from a voice coach.

Unemployed except for a six-month stint as a trainee cook, Susan dedicated her life to caring for her elderly mother. She would sing at various local venues, including her church, where she is also a volunteer. Susan attended acting school, and in 1999 recorded “Cry Me a River” for a charity CD. Ms. Boyle also used all of her savings in 1999 to have a demo tape of her singing professionally cut. She sent the finished product to various record companies, local and national television stations, but got lost in the proverbial shuffle and never heard back from any of them.

Susan Boyle’s mother passed away at the age of 91 in 2007. Susan has said that her mother always wanted her to try out for “Britain’s Got Talent”, yet she did not feel compelled to do so until after her mother’s death. Seeking a musical career is Susan’s way of paying tribute to her mother. It has been reported that Susan is amazed at the world’s reaction to her talent.

In a world where so many people are focused on a person’s looks, almost at the exclusion of anything else be it talent or otherwise, Susan is a breath of fresh air. Her singing talent speaks for itself, and Susan’s rise from obscurity will continue to garner the world’s attention.

Watch the video related to Susan Boyle

April 15: A middle-aged Scottish woman who says shes never been kissed has become an international star after shocking judges with her singing on Britains Got Talent. NBCs Dawna Friesen reports.

Help answer the question about Susan Boyle

How long are the lines to get the Susan Boyle album?
I just want to know if I should take a tent and supplies if there is going to be a line at the music store for Susan Boyle's debut album?
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It is safe to say that Susan Boyle has captured the attention of the world. After her April 11th 2009 success on the UK television show, “Britain’s Got Talent”, Susan and her unforgettable voice have moved many who heard her sing to tears. The world, the judges and the audience were thoroughly surprised upon hearing her sing, as they had not expected to hear “the voice of an angel” come from someone who appeared to be so gauche and plain. Susan has shown the world that no one should prejudge another person based on their appearance, a lesson many of us seem to have forgotten.

Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Miserables has been viewed 100 million times as of April 20th on YouTube, said to be an online record for this web site. Her listening public includes Hollywood Stars Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, who brought her to the attention of the Twitter world. Susan has become a popular figure with bookmakers as well. In fact, she has become one of the biggest certainties in the betting history of all reality television. Live betting odds abound, with online bookmakers giving odds of 2/5 showing her as a favourite to win the talent contest.

Global sensation Susan Boyle is a single woman from West Lothian, Scotland. Sources say that Susan’s birth was a difficult one, which caused her to be deprived of oxygen for a brief period. This perilous start in life is said to be the reason why she had learning difficulties in school. Cruel children teased her, calling her “Susie Simple”, but Boyle comforted herself by singing. Encouraged by her mother, Susan took singing lessons from a voice coach.

Unemployed except for a six-month stint as a trainee cook, Susan dedicated her life to caring for her elderly mother. She would sing at various local venues, including her church, where she is also a volunteer. Susan attended acting school, and in 1999 recorded “Cry Me a River” for a charity CD. Ms. Boyle also used all of her savings in 1999 to have a demo tape of her singing professionally cut. She sent the finished product to various record companies, local and national television stations, but got lost in the proverbial shuffle and never heard back from any of them.

Susan Boyle’s mother passed away at the age of 91 in 2007. Susan has said that her mother always wanted her to try out for “Britain’s Got Talent”, yet she did not feel compelled to do so until after her mother’s death. Seeking a musical career is Susan’s way of paying tribute to her mother. It has been reported that Susan is amazed at the world’s reaction to her talent.

In a world where so many people are focused on a person’s looks, almost at the exclusion of anything else be it talent or otherwise, Susan is a breath of fresh air. Her singing talent speaks for itself, and Susan’s rise from obscurity will continue to garner the world’s attention.

Watch the video related to susan boyle

The lady from a small village in Scotland makes world headline news! Shes even in the Simpsons. watchbritainsgottalent.blogspot.comvisit my blog for all the latest news and video stories about Britains Got Talent and watch the show again in full HD. or why not visit jamiepughblog.blogspot.com for all the latest Jamie Pugh news stories. Amazing Susan through to Saturdays Live Final show.

Help answer the question about susan boyle

How long are the lines to get the Susan Boyle album?
I just want to know if I should take a tent and supplies if there is going to be a line at the music store for Susan Boyle's debut album?
No promises Kisses.

About Author

Cindy Leggett is an inveterate reader, writer and information addict who enjoys creating web articles on a variety of subjects. One of her favorite places in the world is Las Vegas, Nevada, where she continues to hone her knowledge of gambling. The casino games she enjoys playing the most is online slots in both Vegas and Palm Springs, California. Now one of the prominent writer for an online casinos guide, Casino-Affairs.com

Boyle’s rendition of the Les Miserables classic I Dreamed a Dream has already been viewed more than 93.5 million times on the video website.

But the number of times people have actually watched the clip, across all outlets, could be nearer to 200 million.

The three-minute clip has been posted on YouTube by over 1,000 members. Combined, the clips have been viewed more than any others in the UK.

One clip alone has been seen nearly 39 million times, putting it straight into the YouTube list of top ten “most viewed” videos in the UK.

Whilst other top-ten clips have clocked up views over long periods of time, Boyle’s audition has achieved the staggering number of hits in just 11 days.

Boyle “only learned what YouTube was in the last week” and does not own a computer. But her video is now more popular than clips from pop diva Leona Lewis and American President Barack Obama.

Sarah Wood, operations manager at Unruly Media, a video marketing specialist, said that in many ways the success had not been a surprise.

“It’s an uplifting piece of content that has made a strong emotional connection with millions of viewers. Where this clip differs is the speed at which it has spread across the internet.

“Susan Boyle was ‘discovered’ back in 1999, but this was before social media existed. If we’d had YouTube, Twitter and Facebook in 1999, she would have been singing with Elaine Paige long before now.”

Last week, people using Google in the US searched for “Susan Boyle” more than A-list celebrities Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek combined.

Niall McKinney, CEO of the leading trade marketing website, UTalkmarketing.com, said: “This whole phenomenon shows how much access people have to fame.

” To get the level of global promotion Susan Boyle has had would have previously cost record labels tens of millions of pounds and they wouldn’t have spent that on a little-known star like her.”

Dozens of websites have been set up by adoring fans, and domain names have been snapped up by people who hope to cash in on the “Susan Boyle effect”.

A-list celebrities around the world have shown their support, with Hollywood couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher posting links to her YouTube clip on social networking site Twitter.

But PR guru Max Clifford warned that with such rapid success, Boyle will have to be protected.

He did not rule out the option of working with Boyle in the future.

He said: “If she’s half as lovely as she seems, I’d love to guide her through the minefield that is stardom.”

Copies of the 1999 compilation Sounds of West Lothian which features Miss Boyle’s version of Cry Me A River are attracting bids of more than £1000.

Meanwhile, the 47-year-old from Blackburn has become a bigger internet star than Barack Obama with her Britain’s Got Talent performance attracting 85 million online hits, compared to just 18.5 million for the US president’s election victory speech.

Only 1000 copies of the charity CD were produced and now those lucky enough to have one are about to start cashing in on the spinster’s whirlwind international success.

One being auctioned claims to be a personal gift from Miss Boyle, and comes complete with a Christmas card signed by the singing sensation. The CD was produced by Whitburn Community Council and supported by the West Lothian Herald and Post.

Its editor at the time, Eddie Anderson, who helped pull it all together, has donated his copy to Livingston FC to raise funds for the cash-strapped club.

Club chairman Angelo Massone said:”Like Livingston FC, Susan is an ambassador for West Lothian throughout the world and I would like to wish her every success.”

The singer from Blackburn has become an overnight global phenomenon after her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent. It has received 33 million views on YouTube, while Miss Boyle has also attracted more than 1.2 million fans on Facebook.

Miss Boyle has revealed that she has been for a meeting with music label Sony BMG.

It has also emerged that she paid £120 for a session in a recording studio in Edinburgh ten years ago. Livingston FC – which will put the money from the sale of the CD directly into club funds – said they would happily stage a live concert at Almondvale Stadium.

Experts say that Miss Boyle could make £3 million over the next year as a result of her sudden rise to international fame.

Celebrity publicist Max Clifford has already told the Edinburgh Evening News that he predicted she would follow in the footsteps of pervious Britain’s Got Talent winner Paul Potts and have hit albums across the world.

But despite her prosperous future and world-wide fame, Miss Boyle did not have an easy time growing up.

She revealed that she was called names as a youngster because of her frizzy hair and difficulties with keeping up in class.

She reportedly said: “Words often hurt more than cuts and bruises and the scars are still there. The ones who were mean to me then are now nice to me.

“I still see the kids I went to school with because we all live in the same area.

“They accept me now. And look at me – I’ve had the last laugh.”

Yesterday, the council gave her priority in a fence replacement programme, and installed a new gate at her home because of the hundreds of well-wishers and media beating a path to her door.

Source: Reuters

Alastair Campbell believes politicians can learn from Susan Boyle’s ‘authenticity’

Published Date: 20 April 2009
By Stephen McGinty
ALASTAIR Campbell has announced that politicians can learn a valuable lesson from Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish spinster whose unruly appearance but sensational singing on Britain’s Got Talent has attracted global media attention.
While Tony Blair’s former spokesman did not go so far as to suggest politicians serenade the electorate with a rendition of I Dreamed A Dream, from Les Miserables, as Ms Boyle has done to the delight of millions of viewers on television and via YouTube, he did advise them to recognise her “authenticity”.

In a post on his blog, Mr Campbell said: “If politicians tend to read the Sunday papers with a mix of horror and trepidation, one person who must read them week after week with a sense of his own skills in shaping the popular culture agenda is Simon Cowell.

“The overnight sensation that is Susan Boyle and her 25 million YouTube hits is the latest chapter in Cowell’s story.

“If there is a lesson from her success for politicians, it is authenticity. It is the only communication that works.”

As of last night her performance had been viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube.

And yesterday Ms Boyle’s singing teacher revealed that she was a serial talent show failure who had previously auditioned without success in the late 1990s for My Kind of People and abandoned the auditions for The X Factor when she realised people were being chosen for their looks. Fred O’Neil said that Ms Boyle’s audition for Britain’s Got Talent was her final throw of the dice.

He said: “I remember a phone call late last year when she said she was too old and that it was a young person’s game.”

Mr O’Neil urged her to reconsider and attend the auditions in Glasgow.

This weekend Elaine Paige sent a message of support to Britain’s latest and possibly most unlikely singing sensation.

Ms Boyle, 47, told the talent show she had dreamt of becoming as successful as Paige, who starred as the original Evita in London in 1978.

The veteran singer said there had been a huge reaction to Ms Boyle’s performance from listeners to her Radio 2 show.

In a message posted on her website, she wrote: “Ever since Susan’s appearance on Britain’s Got Talent my Radio 2 inbox has been flooded with e-mails. It seems her performance has really captured the hearts of everyone who saw it, me included … it looks like I have competition. Perhaps we should record a duet?”

Paige is not the only celebrity backing the unemployed church volunteer from Blackburn in West Lothian. Hollywood actress Demi Moore last week said she was reduced to tears by the performance.

Ms Boyle, complete with her distinctive curly locks, won over a sceptical audience to become a global phenomenon following her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. Her performance was also watched by millions online.

She has been catapulted into the limelight in America, where her story has been featured on US morning television shows and news programmes.

She was interviewed by satellite from Scotland for the talk show Larry King Live. The show which will be broadcast on CNN International today.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, has also sent a letter of support to the singer, who hails from the same area of West Lothian as the SNP leader.

The First Minister’s letter offered his “warmest congratulations” for what he describes as a “stunning performance”.