Susan Boyle: Feel Good Story of the Year! Promise.

[stjr]

In just a few days this story from "Britain's Got Talent" TV show has over 7 million hits worldwide on just one of several vidoes posted on You Tube.  I am sure it will be a movie at some point.  Just watch the video and see if you can keep your composure.  It will make your day and give you all the hope you could ever ask for.  An inspiration for all.  Simon Cowell was actually stunned for once and in total awe of the talent before him.  A standing ovation from the audience in only 15 seconds into the performance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

If you get a video "not available" message for some reason as I did on replay, hit the radio button that scrolls across the bottom of the video.

From the Washington Post, below, is just a sample of the hundreds of thousands of articles and comments in tribute to her:

In Digital Age, Angelic Voice Shines Through

By Mary Jordan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 4:27 PM

LONDON, April 15 -- Before YouTube, Twitter and Simon Cowell, Susan Boyle's angelic voice might never have been heard outside parties and church services in her tiny Scottish village.

But now, thanks to a digital flash flood in the media age, the 47-year-old unemployed woman who claims to have never been kissed is suddenly a global sensation.

Last weekend, the frizzy-haired, squarely built Boyle walked onto the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" to barely suppressed snickers from the audience and skeptical eye-rolls from Cowell, the unfailingly caustic judge on both "American Idol" and the British show.

The audience laughed mercilessly as Boyle did a saucy hip wiggle and said she'd like a chance to prove she could be as good as Elaine Paige, the legendary singer often called the First Lady of British musical theater.

Those present were clearly prepared to howl.

Then Boyle opened her mouth. And within the first few bars of "I Dreamed a Dream," from the hit musical "Les Miserables," the audience was standing and applauding. The judges pronounced themselves shocked and impressed with Boyle's soaring vocals, and millions watching knew they had just seen a rare gem of a moment on live television.

"Without a doubt this is the biggest surprise in three years of this show," said one of the show's other judges, Piers Morgan. "Everyone was laughing at you -- no one is laughing now. Susan Boyle is not just a good singer, she's a fantastic singer. Someone whose stunning range, tone and delivery is worthy of comparison to anyone."

Somewhere out there in the couch-potato universe, American actress Demi Moore and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, were watching. And they, naturally, Twitter. Within minutes Kutcher flagged the performance in a tweet, saying, "This just made my night." Moore told the couple's huge digital following that Boyle's voice "made me teary."

Between the massive television audience and the endorsement of the Hollywood Twitterati, Boyle went viral on YouTube. More than 5.6 million people have watched her on the site.

Bookmakers say she is now favored to win the popular TV talent contest and perform at a Royal Command Performance attended by members of the British royal family.

As Boyle left the stage after knocking the world's socks off, Cowell told her she could return to her village "with your head held high."

She has indeed gone back to Blackburn, her home about 20 miles from Edinburgh in West Lothian, Scotland, where children are now clapping as she walks into stores, and television crews from around the world have begun rolling into town.

As details of her life emerge, Boyle's story only becomes more unlikely. The youngest of nine children, she lives alone with her cat, Pebbles. She spent years taking care of her mother, who recently died, and she lives in a government-subsidized home. She always wanted to sing in front of a large audience, but mostly she just sings in church.

On Easter Sunday, the day after her television debut, Boyle -- dubbed "the woman who shut up Simon Cowell" in one headline -- received a standing ovation when she went to Mass.

"We let out a wee bit of a cheer for her. We are quite proud of her," Boyle's parish priest, Ryszard Holuka, said in a telephone interview.

He added that Boyle is a "quiet soul" who doesn't "flaunt herself." He described her as "understated" and never "pushy."

"At gatherings and anniversary parties, she'd stand up and give a song," he said. "She never flaunted her voice; this is the first time it's been publicly recognized."

But Holuka said media interest in Boyle "seems to have gone out of all proportion" and that calls were coming in from the Netherlands and Australia.

Charles Earley, a neighbor who has known Boyle for 20 years, said it's a stunning turnaround for a "shy, solitary person who is suddenly somebody."

In a press release Tuesday titled, "Susan Boyle goes global," Tom Kerr, a civic leader in West Lothian, said her performance had left "the live audience and the television viewers completely stunned."

Kerr said that "tributes from across the globe are flooding in" to Blackburn, a village of 5,000 that is now "firmly on the map."

All the adulation has come with a tinge of guilt. On Internet sites where Boyle's story has been endlessly churned over, much of the discussion centers on how people had initially expected nothing from Boyle because of her decidedly unglamorous looks.

Many have said it was a poor reflection on both the live audience and others watching that they were surprised when a "frumpy woman" turned out to have the "voice of an angel."

Boyle herself has noted the issue but seems to be unfazed. In a British newspaper interview, she said she entered the contest at the behest of her late mother, who had urged her to "take the risk." She said it was "a bit of a shock" to see herself on television, and she thought she looked too fat -- "like a garage."

"Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances," she said. "There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example."

Special correspondent Karla Adam in London contributed to this report.

[Springfielder]

It's a prime example of how we really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, as they say....this woman belted that song out and did it so well, that it could bring tears to your eyes

[hooplady]

Perfect choice of material as well - both the lyrics and the range really conveyed her talent and desire.  Beautiful!  Not the first time this has happened though...remember the first winner Paul Potts.  Very plain fellow who surprised the judges by singing opera like a pro.  I think he caused a lot of controversy because he was so un-pop-star-like.

Do you think this could ever happen on our side of the pond?  Or will we continue to demand that everyone conform to the same standards of physical appearance, regardless of talent?

[ProjectMaximus]

Or will we continue to demand that everyone conform to the same standards of physical appearance, regardless of talent?

Well, the "got talent" series is different from "idol." American Idol (and I think all the other ones across the globe) to some degree explicitly judge appearance as at least a minor factor. The national idol, after all, has to have a certain look. I don't really watch any of these shows, but I dont think "America's got talent" discriminates based on sex appeal, considering they have weird looking performers/circus acts as well as very young kids.

[grimss]

Saw this yesterday, and made my children watch the video this morning as an object lesson in not judging a book by its cover. Watching it is just a great way to lift your day.

[Charles Hunter]

amazing

[stjr]

Six hours since my post on this and the primary You Tube shows over 10 million hits!  That's 3 million in just 6 hours!  Wow.

[stjr]

If you enjoyed Susan Boyle, you may also enjoy this unbelievable dance act from the same show that also left the judges giving a standing ovation and Simon saying it was one of the best things he's ever seen and which was apparently a front runner until Ms. Boyle appeared:

Flawless:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GrOMLylvhQ

[stjr]

See link to CBS Early Show video from today at: http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/04/susan-boyle-cbs.html?iid=top25-Susan+Boyle+on+CBS+'Early+Show'%3A+Watch+talent+triumph+over+show-biz+again+this+morning

Susan Boyle on CBS 'Early Show': Watch talent triumph over show-biz again this morning

Billing it as "Susan Sings For America," CBS' Early Show interviewed Scottish instant-singing-sensation Susan Boyle this morning. The 47 year-old sang an a capella version of "I Dreamed a Dream" via satellite from her hometown of Blackburn, Scotland. It was, of course, lovely.

Dressed in a simple white dress, Boyle was as charming as she seemed on Britain's Got Talent. "The ones who were mean to me, are now nice to me," she said referring to skeptics who didn't think a person not as glamorously packaged as your average pop star could wow audiences with pure ability and emotion.

In an interesting touch, the Early Show had Patti LuPone, who originated the performance of "Dream" in Les Miserables, on the phone to offer both emotional and technical praise to Boyle. LuPone talking about how "difficult" the song is to sing, "especially at the end," referring to its rafter-shaking climax. LuPone congratulated Boyle on her "pluck." Asked by co-host Harry Smith what LuPone's compliments meant to her, Boyle said simply, "That'll do."

It is exactly that simplicity and directness that has helped to melt away any cynicism and irony that usually attaches to an instant pop phenomenon. Smith and co-host Maggie Rodriguez had to ask inevitable questions such as "Do you understand" that instant fame, and "Where did the courage come from?"

Boyle said her determination to enter the British TV competition, and her performance, was "a tribute to my mother," with whom Boyle lived until she died recently.

Once again, there was talk -- among the hosts, and by LuPone -- of crying at witnessing Boyle's unadorned, powerful talent. And once again, everyone seemed to be speaking from the heart. Most of all Susan Boyle herself.

[stjr]

Billboard Magazine: 20 million hits and rising!

'Britain's Got Talent' Singer A Global Hit
April 16, 2009 - Global | Digital and Mobile

By Andre Paine, London

A 47-year-old charity worker from Scotland has become a global star via the Web, scoring around 20 million hits on YouTube for assorted clips of her performance on U.K. TV show "Britain's Got Talent."

Susan Boyle performed "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Miserables during the April 11 launch episode of the third series of the ITV1 show. The rapturous reception from the judges, including Simon Cowell, and the audience was followed by the footage becoming an Internet phenomenon.

The show is produced by Syco TV, a division of Simon Cowell's Syco label venture with Sony Music Entertainment. Syco did not comment on reports it is in talks with Boyle, with a spokesperson stressing it was only the first episode of the series.

Paul Potts, who sang "Nessun Dorma" and won the first series, also became an Internet success in 2007. That helped sales of his debut "One Chance" reach more than 3.5 million globally, according to Syco. A second album, "Passione," is out on June 1 in the U.K.

Boyle is the bookmakers' favorite to win "Britain's Got Talent." An original cast recording of "I Dreamed A Dream" is threatening to enter the U.K. singles chart on Sunday (April 19); it is currently No. 40 on the iTunes top sellers in the U.K.

[BridgeTroll]

I have the distinct displeasure to have partially watched american idol once... I found the entire concept revolting.  While I guess I am happy for ms boyle... I am hoping to be able to avoid the clip both on tv and the net...

[stjr]

Bridge, that's where I think this incident stands out.  This is a real live variation of "Slumdog Millionaire" and that's why its become a global sensation.  It turns the whole concept upside down.  The contestant actually made a mockery of the process, the judges, and the show.  If you feel the way you do, this is the one you want to watch.  It's everyone's secret "revenge".

Of course, the producers don't care.  They get paid for eyeballs, however they arrrive.

[Shwaz]

I have the distinct displeasure to have partially watched american idol once... I found the entire concept revolting.  While I guess I am happy for ms boyle... I am hoping to be able to avoid the clip both on tv and the net...

My GF is hooked on AI and I have to leave the house on those nights.

It represents everything I loathe about the music industry and pop culture today. What happened to original bands, music acts and original music?

Howard Stern exposed Simon for what he is and what he is, is just an act. Howard set up a famous singer in a remote sound booth at the studio, told Cowell he was an aspiring singer and that he wanted to perform for Simon. He sang the national anthem and did a phenomenal job.

Simon cut him off before finishing the song, told him he was a hack and not to quit his day job.

When he was threw berating the singer with his typical shtick, Howard informed him of who the singer really was and that he had won 2 Grammy’s the week before.

A pretty face with a team of song writers, producers that lip synch to overly choreographed performances don't make anyone my idol.

[ProjectMaximus]

Howard Stern exposed Simon for what he is and what he is, is just an act. Howard set up a famous singer in a remote sound booth at the studio, told Cowell he was an aspiring singer and that he wanted to perform for Simon. He sang the national anthem and did a phenomenal job.

Simon cut him off before finishing the song, told him he was a hack and not to quit his day job.

When he was threw berating the singer with his typical shtick, Howard informed him of who the singer really was and that he had won 2 Grammy’s the week before.

Cmon, that was stupid. I'm on your side, but I don't think this example proved anything at all. The guy was the lead singer of Saliva, and the BAND won grammy's...not like he won anything with his voice. He can't sing...I have no issue with him being a rock star, that's great and all. But Simon was right, he never would have made it through the first round at AI.

I do not watch Idol except occasionally when they show the auditions with all the terrible singers, and this past season to see the Jax auditions. But I am fine with it having its place...it is a large part of the music industry these days...singers with a strong voice and an appealing look with songwriters writing for them. Not my cup of tea but whatever.

[ProjectMaximus]

Bridge, that's where I think this incident stands out.  This is a real live variation of "Slumdog Millionaire" and that's why its become a global sensation.  It turns the whole concept upside down.  The contestant actually made a mockery of the process, the judges, and the show.  If you feel the way you do, this is the one you want to watch.  It's everyone's secret "revenge".

Of course, the producers don't care.  They get paid for eyeballs, however they arrrive.

I'm sorry, I just don't get it. I do understand how it's a nice thing, but I don't have any clue how this is "revenge." No one was keeping her from auditioning and it seems like everyone is very happy for her (and should be). She has a terrific voice and doesn't look the part: that's all I see in this story, and it's not the first or even hundredth time that this has happened. How it's revolutionary in any way I just do not see.