The Truth Behind Susan Boyle's Quick Rise To Fame
Susan Boyle's unexpected rise to stardom was one of the showbiz highlights of 2009. In the years following the "Britain's Got Talent" alumni's debut, Boyle went on to tour the world and release a string of best-selling albums, including "I Dreamed a Dream," "The Gift," and more (via Billboard). But, what is the truth about Boyle's sudden rise to fame?
According to Metro, Boyle is the youngest of nine children and grew up in Scotland in a very music-oriented family. She later studied at the Edinburgh Acting School and even made an appearance at the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Although it was always a dream of Boyle's to one day become a professional singer, the "BGT" star gave up her musical aspirations to care for her elderly mother. Instead, she took up a job as a charity worker and volunteered at her local church.
However, when her mother passed away at the age of 91, Boyle, who was unemployed at the time, decided to audition for the popular UK talent show "Britain's Got Talent" — something her late mother had encouraged her to do before her death.
Susan Boyle became an overnight sensation
As The Mirror reported, Susan Boyle went on to audition for the third season of "Britain's Got Talent" in 2009 and became an overnight sensation following her amazing rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" in front of the show's judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan. The audition quickly went viral around the world, and at the time of this writing has attracted nearly 254 million views on YouTube.
Boyle became a hit with viewers during her time on "Britain's Got Talent" and went on to reach the final of the competition. However, she lost out on being crowned the show's winner, coming in second place behind the UK dance group Diversity. The loss did nothing to deter Boyle, however, whose debut album "I Dreamed a Dream" went on to become one of the UK's best-selling albums of all time.
Boyle's second album, "The Gift," also went on to top the charts, and the singer has gone on to sell more than 20 million records worldwide (via Edinburgh Evening News). Per Celebrity Net Worth, Boyle, who broke the record for being the oldest artist to hit number one with her debut album, is estimated to be worth a staggering $40 million as of 2021.