Susan Boyle from Britain’s Got Talent has been gracing the stages with her beautiful voice way before partaking in the popular show, and a recently unearthed video from 1984 proves this. She was only 23 when she joined a local singing competition and sang one of Barbra Streisand’s hit songs, “The Way We Were.”
Susan made a good choice with the 1973 single, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts in America and Canada at the time. She came to the limelight in 2009 after participating in the third series of BGT with Les Miserables “I Dreamed A Dream.” She released her debut album of the same name shortly after, selling over 10 million records globally.
Susan Boyle was destined for fame even before ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
Susan set a record as the first female artist in the UK to achieve three successive albums debut at No.1 in less than two years, and even more chart-topping music. She soon attained celebrity status, performing at star-studded events like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has released eight albums so far, featuring covers of classics such as “Hallelujah,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “When You Wish Upon A Star.”
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One of the BGT and AGT judges, Simon Cowell, recalled her first appearance on the show, admitting that their “expectations were quite low,” but she “changed the rulebook.” She quickly became a fan favorite with a base lasting long after the program.
Susan doubted going for BGT due to her age and appearance, but her mother encouraged her to go for larger audiences. She initially tried going on X Factor but became discouraged by her looks. Having lost her mom, she decided to pay tribute by singing publicly on the Got Talent series for the first time since grieving. That was the start of Susan’s talent, which made it to the world stage.
Her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” moved musical producer Cameron Mackintosh, who described it as “heart-touching, thrilling and uplifting.” The Scottish singer made the most of her fame, releasing a memoir titled The Woman I Was Born To Be: My Story and appearing in the movies The Christmas Candle and River City. She has had her share of challenges including Asperger’s syndrome and a stroke in 2022, however, she has not stopped captivating audiences with her voice.