Taking stage in a federal reserve beige, paisley dress, a wry smile, Susan Boyle shocked the world with her incongruous performance on “Britain’s Got Talent.” Gaining the nickname “The Woman Who Silenced Simon Cowell,” also with her overnight fame — overwhelmed the then 47-year-old singer. She had a minor breakdown — shortly after rising to fame, however, has since turned it around, so what is she up to these days?
Susan Boyle’s Early Life
Susan Boyle was born on April 1st, 1961 in Blackburn, Scotland. Her parents, Irish migrants Patrick and Bridget Boyle, were a miner and shorthand typist respectively. She was born the youngest of 8 children and suffered birthing complications, being deprived of oxygen for a short time. This led to a misdiagnosis of brain damage. A more recent analysis from doctors has revealed Susan Boyle suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a developmental disorder…. on the autistic spectrum. The diagnosis would explain her musical focus and her lack of close personal relationships.
The town of Blackburn isn’t exactly known for music, and school was no real refuge for the young Susan Boyle. Kids can smell difference and she was mercilessly mocked by peers for her perceived simple-mindedness. She left school with few qualifications, but was undeterred and redoubled her efforts in mastering her voice. She would spend her free time practicing and seeing the occasional show to listen to professional singers. She saw Les Misérables for the first time shortly after leaving school and she fell in love with the song that would make her famous, I Dreamed a Dream.
In 1995 Susan auditioned for the Michael Barrymore talent show “My Kind of People.” Her performance never made it to television, but I was able to find candid footage of the event. She sang as well as you would imagine, but the event was marred by the audience’s jeers and Barrymore’s juvenile antics, at one point laying on the floor and attempting to see up her skirt, at this point Barrymore was still in the closet. It’s a sad thing to think she could have seen recognition for her talents much sooner.
As The World Always Turns Upside Down
She lost her father in 1997 and had to put her dreams of stardom on hold to look after her mother. Bridget, her mother, was her biggest fan though, it was her that encourage Susan Boyle to get back out there and take part in competitions and Karaoke again. She cut a demo tape in 1999 and sent it to record labels and radio shows. Unfortunately, she was hit with another tragedy in 2000 when her sister Kathleen died of an Asthma attack. She took the loss hard and threw her emotions into her music.
She started singing lessons in 2002, with voice coach Fred O’Neil. That year she appeared in numerous benefits and local shows. She was hit with a final tragedy in 2007, when her mother passed away. Unlike with her sister’s death, which made her refocus, her mother’s death drove Susan Boyle into a hermitage. She didn’t sing for nearly 2 years and spending her time seeing to elderly neighbors and her local church. Then In 2008 her singing coach convinced her to try out for “Britain’s Got Talent” and in 2009 she did.
Susan Boyle International Stardom
Susan Boyle’s studio quality voiced juxtaposed with her homely looks flabbergasted the cynical audience, she received a standing ovation before hitting her first crescendo. She made it to 2nd place in the competition overall, losing to the dance troupe Diversity in the final. There were accusations of online voting fraud at the time, and considering how easy it is to set up a voting script there may well be truth to the claims. Her début album was released in 2009, called I Dreamed A Dream, It sold extremely well, topping the charts in both the UK and the USA.
The following year she released a Christmas album. She held a small competition before the release of the Christmas record, The Gift, the winner of which got to perform a duet with her on the album. She released her third album in 2011, Someone to Watch Over Me, which again hit the number one spot in the UK. Another album followed in 2012, though it did not sell quite as well. She made her acting début in 2013 — as Eleanor Hopewell in “The Christmas Candle.”
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Max Locado. Which is Set in 9th century English village of Cotswolds, about the simple townsfolk in need of a miracle. Susan Boyle said at the time; “I can’t believe I’m making a film. I’m very excited to be a part of The Christmas Candle. Also everyone on set is a delight to work with and it’s a fantastic experience to be part of the team.” She sang an original song for the film, Miracle Hymn, which was featured in her fifth album Home For Christmas.
What is Susan Boyle Doing Now?
Susan Boyle has had a musical based on her life made, opening in 2012 it received positive reviews and went on to tour the UK and Ireland. Fox Searchlight has since purchased the film rights and it is in pre-production.
Her last album released in 2014, with nothing appearing from the singer at all in 2015. Seems she took a year out to actually enjoy her new-found fame, showing up at various venues and festivals to just have a good time. I’m glad to see it. Her holding companies have drawn in a combined $3.5 million dollars, showing the Susan Boyle brand is still a hot commodity. She has begun dating for the first time in her life, seeing a man close to her own age. It is confirmed – Susan Boyle is back in the studio recording new material, set for release at the beginning of 2017, though that is now in jeopardy.
Simon Cowell resigned the singer to his label for a multi-album deal, despite the lackluster performance of her November release. She failed to have a charting single for over 4 years now, and she cites her worsening Asperger’s Syndrome as the reason. . . behind her lack of touring. She has seen much success from her company holdings, with them also posting a 2.2 million pound profit this past week. At the very least she is set for life.
Singing farmer’s win nearly upstaged by Susan Boyle’s ‘Wild Horses’ (Although performance is from January 2019.) 🙂
Tomorrow Never Comes, As Tomorrow is Always Today.
Kevin skinner winner of 2008 audition of America’s Got Talent. His audition moved and helped me get over the depression of my father’s death from cancer two years earlier. It was how Kevin an honest hard working man. . .told that he worked in Kentucky as chicken catcher and was introduced as Jobless farmer. Farmers catch chickens around my area all the time and is an every day job.
What the hell do people think … chickens run to there dinner tables …. they don’t line up and say kill me, why do we laugh at a persons job. And bewildered me that everybody laughed at him. After he completed the performance he gets a standing ovation and was praised by the judges and the whole world loved him.It’s so sad people laugh at such a humble person before they find out what a genuine person they can be. He also seemed like a nice guy. He did a great job. He has two talents, his singing and how to shut up an unsuspecting crowd in 2secs.
I knew he was the real deal when he had a baseball cap on the wrong way round instead of a cowboy hat. The only nice judge there was Hoff, he was respectful. Also with Sharon laughing like a dying hyena at him and with Sharon married to Ozzie. I felt…do we laugh at her family. While Piers turned his nose up like he did with Susan Boyle.
Then make out they are best friends when they win!!
I always thought Garth was pretty authentic as a performer, but this comes off as so amazingly genuine. I never judge the book by the cover! Its that moment at 2:45 when Kevin nods his head while singing “…just what you’re thinking of..” is just so powerful. Gives me chills. Something fitting about the video… is when Kevin listen to the judges responses Love the song.… I’ll be by Edwin McCain…. Strikes Home. Thanks Kevin 🙂
When Kevin Skinner first stepped on the America’s Got Talent stage, they couldn’t help but laugh at this ‘hillbilly’ performer. With a guitar in hand, he left the judges speechless. It also takes courage to get up on stage in front of millions, but this Kentucky native gave everyone the shock of a lifetime. With his thick country accent, and stories of his chicken catching days, no one knew exactly what to expect. Even making a comment… about his lack of education when asked about how many chickens he has caught.
“I’m not math…real good at math”
This introduction didn’t leave the judges confident in his professionalism or talent. But he showed everyone! When he began to sing the Garth Brooks classic,
“If Tomorrow Never Comes”, they were speechless.
“If Tomorrow Never Comes” was released by Brooks in 1989 as the second single from his Garth Brooks album. The hit peaked #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and remains a popular song today. Being Brooks’ first love song, it has special meaning compared to others featured on the record. Kevin went on to win the fourth season of America’s Got Talent, showing everyone – you should never judge a book by its cover.
Watch as this chicken catcher wows millions!
He beat an opera singer from Houston, a recycled-instrument percussion group from New Hampshire, the Texas Tenors and the singing siblings Voices of Glory. And though his victory was almost upstaged by the American debut of another talent-show phenom, Susan Boyle, singing “chicken catcher” and farmer Kevin Skinner of Mayfield, Kentucky, triumphed taking the top prize on the fourth season of “America’s Got Talent.” However,
Unfortunately, Skinner seems to have completely disappeared from the limelight.
So where has Kevin Skinner been hiding himself these last few years?
What’s Kevin Skinner Doing Now – Recent Updates
Kevin Skinner has not had a good time of it since winning America’s Got Talent back in 2009. He won a decent sum of money, that coveted $1 million prize, and choose to put it in an annuity. A smart move, as many people find themselves broke after spending right their way through any amount of winnings, but shortly after the show, his wife left him.
It did a number on him, and he fell into a depression.
His shows in Vegas sold well, but that gig only lasted so long. In 2010, he released his debut record, and sadly it was not very well received. It sold, because all America’s Got Talent records sell, but figures fell off pretty well, but it did not make it into the Billboard Hot 200. This career downslide so soon after the high of America’s Got Talent exacerbated his already fragile mental state, and he withdrew from the public eye. In 2014 he withdrew from his families eye as well, with them reporting him missing.
He was found a few days later, uninjured. He sought help in coping with his illness, but it is unlikely that we will be seeing Kevin Skinner anytime soon. I wish him the best, as I am sure all his other fans do also.
Kevin Skinner – Career Highlights
Kevin Skinner born on February 25th, 1974 in the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky. He grew up in Dublin, in Graves County Kentucky, not Ireland, and was surrounded by music from a young age. He was given a guitar for his 12th birthday and has been writing and playing ever since. His father was also a fan of the legendary Country musician Hank Williams, the man had good taste, you can hear the Williams influence on Skinners’ work.
Before auditioning for America’s Got Talent he worked as a chicken catcher, claiming that he and his buddies set a record of 60,000 chickens in one night. A chicken catcher is someone who works for a farmer, they go in, grab the chickens and transport them for processing. The work is grueling, disgusting, and exactly what it sounds like. Working a round chicken’s. The smell alone would kill you and it hurts to be laughed at.
It took great courage to auditioned for the fourth season of America’s Got Talent, with his live performance airing on the August 4th, 2009 episode. He played a cover of Garth Brooks’ If Tomorrow Never Comes with his own unique sound and he was unanimously voted into the next round. Winning over the audience and fans for his quiet unassuming personality, and top-notch country skill. He went on to win the competition, with his final performance, a cover of Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, receiving a standing ovation.