On 11th April 2009 something extraordinary happened in the field of popular entertainment. A 'wee woman' from a council estate in Blackburn, West Lothian, auditioned for Britain's Got Talent, singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' from the musical Les Misérables. She appeared rather eccentric in the way she looked and behaved, leaving the audience expecting little by way of talent. However, Susan's outward appearance belied a wonderful voice, so rounded and resonant, that when she sang the audience fell at her feet. This juxtaposition caught the attention of the world. Susan did not sing simply wearing a mask of sincerity; she lived it, and we recognized that when we heard her sing. Here was someone to whom we could all relate in one way or another....
Susan Boyle touched so many people on a deeply emotional or spiritual level that it was almost impossible to convey by written word. Instead, her audition was posted on Youtube and became viral almost overnight; such was the effect her voice had on people. The video received over 90 million hits in an incredibly short time. Susan Boyle, ready or not for the fame that accompanies such an event, became the stuff from which legends are made.
Despite appalling pressure from the world press, Susan showed grit and determination, staying in the contest and eventually being placed second in the final round. Despite being emotionally and physically drained, Susan showed her usual courage and went on tour with other acts from the show, bringing the house down at each performance. Susan Boyle may not have won BGT by votes cast, but she surely won the hearts of the people, and her achievements since then have been truly remarkable:
2009:
- In September Susan travelled to LA to debut her new single 'Wild Horses' on America's Got Talent, to worldwide acclaim.
- Susan Boyle recorded her first album, which debuted at number 1. At 48 years old, she was the oldest singer in history to achieve such spectacular success. Her album, 'I Dreamed a Dream' became the best-selling album of 2009, in less than 2 months. In fact, it was the best-selling debut album by a female solo artist ever.
- Susan Boyle's acclaim spread around the world. She performed in Europe, Asia and the United States. She won the 'Gold Disc Award' for top international artist in Japan, and the '14th Golden Chinese Music Award' in China. In both 2009 and 2010 she sold more albums around the world than any other UK artist.
- Susan's Autobiography 'The Woman I Was Born To Be' was published, giving insight into Susan's earlier life; the difficulties she experienced and some aspects with which she continues to do battle.
- Susan performed for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in Scotland, in front of a live audience of 70,000 with television coverage that reached a billion viewers, thus fulfilling another of her lifelong ambitions.
- Susan's second album, 'The Gift', also opened at number 1. She was the first woman to have her first 2 albums debut at number 1 in both the US and the UK within 12 months. She also became the first solo female artist in US chart history to debut at number 1 on Billboard 200 with a Christmas album.
- ScotsCare, the charity for vulnerable Scots in London, announced the winner of 'Scot of the Year' 2010 as Susan Boyle. She received support from around the world to secure a phenomenal 95% of the vote - the largest share ever recorded in the history of the award.
- Susan Boyle's third album, 'Someone to Watch Over Me', once again debuted at number 1. Susan became the first woman in UK chart history to have her first three albums debut at number 1 in under 2 years.
- In the brief time since her BGT audition, Susan Boyle has earned well over 100 platinum and gold records. Her sales around the world are currently estimated at around 20 million.
- Susan Boyle was presented with an 'Outstanding Achievement' award at the 2011 Scottish Variety Awards.
- Susan Boyle visited Australia and took the continent by storm.
- Susan Boyle achieved another lifelong ambition; to sing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee.
- A musical of Susan Boyle's life story starring Elaine C. Smith as lead role has been touring the UK. Susan Boyle made several guest appearances at these performances, singing live to standing ovations. Susan Boyle the Musical 'I Dreamed a Dream' is scheduled to play at Edinburgh and Glasgow in September and October respectively. Tickets may be booked at this link: Susan Boyle the Musical
- Susan Boyle has already started work on her 4th album.
Does Susan Boyle Deserve an Honorary Doctorate?
Susan left school with two 'O' levels; not a great academic achievement. But Susan Boyle's honorary doctorate has been awarded to her 'for services to the creative industries', and her astounding record of achievement in this field speaks for itself. It would be easy to think of Susan as someone who has found fame because of a 5 minute video on Youtube, quite forgetting the time she served to achieve her ultimate goal; that of becoming a professional singer.
Susan Boyle has had her share of adversity. She was born, deprived of oxygen, with a very poor prognosis. Susan's childhood was not entirely happy as she became a target for bullies at school; a situation that persisted way into adulthood. She is an artist who, like many great artists, has not found her hurdles easy to overcome. Susan Boyle is neither a stranger to courage, nor tenacity.
By Susan's own admission, she feels the only way in which she can express herself effectively is through singing. She wanted to become 'a professional singer', and it took her the best part of 30 years to achieve that. She persisted, attending auditions and voice training, as and when she could, along the way. She never gave up. Susan Boyle had a vision; a dream, and she never let her eyes falter from her goal.
I believe in happy endings. When Susan Boyle accepted her degree from Queen Margaret University, she represented an idea of hope; of triumph and determination over adversity. For that I applaud her, and those who recognized her worth when she was nominated. Does Susan Boyle really qualify for her doctorate? In this writer's view she certainly does - in spades!
Lest we forget, let's take a quick look back at the amazing effect Susan Boyle had on the world:
