Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Susan Boyle

Scottish singer Susan Boyle. Photo by Deborah Wilbanks-Wikimedia

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle is a Scottish singer whose appearance on the British television talent show Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) in 2009 transformed her into an international sensation. She was born as the youngest of nine children and had learning disabilities which caused her to be bullied as a child. She was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in her adulthood. She had always loved singing and often participated in musical productions at school. She started as a cook before going into acting classes. She sharpened her ability to sing at her church choir, at local karaoke bars, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Her albums include, I Dreamed a Dream (2009), The Gift (2010), Someone to Watch over Me (2011), Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage (2012), Hope (2014), and A Wonderful World (2016) and Ten (2019), a compilation album, which included four new songs. Today, she has sold more than 25 million copies of her albums worldwide, and she has earned two Grammy nominations. She is currently estimated to be worth estimated roughly $40 Million.

1. Lack of self-confidence almost made her not participate in BGT

The set of Britain’s Got Talent auditions at the London Palladium theatre. Image by Chris McKenna-Wikimedia

We have all lacked a bit of self-confidence in some parts of our lives. A lack of self-confidence would have cost us this great singer. She thought that BGT was for young people and the then 48-year-old; she thought she was too old. Another issue was physical looks. Society dictates how people should look, and how they should dress and Boyle was not confident in herself. It took a little nudging from her mother to enter (BGT) and take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. Her voice coach also urged her to be confident and give it her all. We thank God she pulled herself together as the world would have missed out on this iconic voice.

2. Boyle did not sing for two years after her mother’s death

Boyle was very close to her mother. Her siblings had flown out of the nest and she took it upon herself to look after her old and frail mother. After she died, Boyle did not come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone. She was devastated and entirely stopped singing for nearly two years. However, she gathered courage and applied to audition for BGT to honor the memory of her mother. Her mother had been a fan of the show and even a bigger fan of Boyle. When she got in, her rendition of the song I Dreamed a Dream, made all jaws drop! She immediately received a standing ovation. Her videos on online platforms got over 100 million views. She ended up getting second place.

3. She met the queen

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

Not many people can say that they met the deceased Queen. For this superstar, it was dream come true. She took part in a concert and performed before the queen. She even met Dame Helen Mirren, who played the Queen on the big screen. She also got to perform for Pope Benedict XVI on his tour of Britain in 2010. The same year she was voted by Time magazine as the seventh most influential person in the world.

4. She sang at the Tokyo Olympics

Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Ariake, signs. Image by Synced-Wikimedia

This singer has surpassed all expectations over and over. In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the Scottish treasure sang, Wings to Fly, as they released a flight of paper doves in the air. It was unexpected but iconic; she delivered the song with a powerful mezzo-soprano vocal. Amidst fireworks and the flag bearing, her sweet voice soared through the stadium. It was not only a lifetime opportunity but an honor she will always remember.

5. She was misdiagnosed as having brain damage at birth

Misdiagnoses are common. Some tend to wreak havoc in one’s life. Boyle was born of an older woman since her mother was already 45. She was the youngest of four brothers and five sisters. After her birth, the physicians thought that she had been briefly deprived of oxygen during the difficult birth resulting in a learning disability. More than 40 years later, it was discovered that it had been a misdiagnosis and that she was on the Autism spectrum with an IQ “above average”. She had carried the stigma that comes with brain damage for so long. She had been ridiculed and bullied as a child. She had been nicknamed ‘Simple Susan’.

6. Boyle shed 50 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

The 61-year –old seems not to know any inhibitions. When she puts up her mind, the world stands for a while. She had always been overweight even as a child. It had added to the many reasons for being bullied. She was always concerned about her physical looks and when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she took it as a sign to finally take her health seriously. She made a massive lifestyle change; cut off all processed sugar, added supplements to her diet, and took up exercising in the form of walking. With strict consistency, the then 47-year-old lost 50 pounds!

7. She got to collaborate with her mentor, Elaine Paige

When asked who was her mentor in Britain Got Talent she said that she always looked up to Elaine Paige. She wanted to achieve as much as Page had. Armed with this big dream she went ahead to achieve so much and more as her mentor. Her first album, I Dreamed a Dream (2009) took over the UK by storm. It outsold the rest of the top 5 albums combined in its first week. In the US, it became the best opening week for a debut artist in over a decade and went to top the Billboard chart for six straight weeks. In the same year, she appeared in her television special I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story,  as a duet with Elaine Paige! She got to live her dream. The show got ratings of 10 million viewers in the United Kingdom and America and was the TV Guide Network’s highest-rated television special in its history.

8. Her team thought she had been kidnapped when she went on a secret date

Photo by Wiktor Karkocha on Unsplash

Boyle led a lonely childhood. She was often the target of ridicule by other kids. She did not get a chance to get asked out or get a boyfriend. When she got a chance to go on a date while in the US, she took the opportunity. She did not tell anyone and sneaked out. Might remind you of your teenage years! The guy, a doctor, was nice but she said he was not for her. She had a show later that night and when her team could not locate her, they panicked. She always followed protocol and when she showed up just before her show, they signed with relief.  She has not found Mr. Right yet, but we are rooting for her!

9. Her biggest regret is not having children

Image by Cheryl Holt from Pixabay

Boyle has always been open to marriage and still hopes that she will get one. She entertains the thought of having children. Her biological clock may have run out but she is open to fostering. She says that she would love to share a lovely home which is also her childhood home, the first thing she bought after getting money. She loves kids and is one of her biggest regret in life, not having them.

10. Boyle is the very definition of do not judge a book by its cover

When she first appeared on the BGT, cameras captured audience members snickering at her. They did not expect much from this oddball. She was 47, lived alone with her cat, and was not physically attractive. However, when she opened her mouth, the entire room changed. Her angelic voice soured all over the room. By the end of her performance, everyone got on their feet and was totall blown! The judges heaped her with praises calling her stunning and the biggest surprise they had had in the show. She became an overnight sensation all over the world. It goes to show how judging by looks is not the way.