A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word ''duo'' is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as ''piano duet'' or ''piano four hands''. A piece for two pianists performing together on separate pianos is referred to as a ''piano duo''.

"Duet" is also used as a verb for the act of performing a musical duet, or colloquially as a noun to refer to the performers of a duet. The word is also occasionally used in reference to non-musical activities performed together by two people.

In Renaissance music, a duet specifically intended as a teaching tool, to be performed by teacher and student, was called a bicinium (''see Étude'').

External links

ca:Duet cs:Duet de:Duett et:Duo eo:Dueto fa:دونوازی ko:이중주 id:Duet (musik) is:Dúett it:Duetto (musica) he:דואט kk:Дуэт nl:Duet no:Duett nn:Duett pl:Duet pt:Dueto ru:Дуэт fi:Duetto sv:Duett te:యుగళగీతం tr:Düet

Name	Rachael Yamagata
Background	solo_singer
Born	September 23, 1977 Arlington, Virginia
Instrument	PianoGuitarVocals
Genre	Adult alternativeIndieBlues rock
Vocal type	Contralto
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Label	RCA Victor (2003-2007); Warner Bros. Records (2008-2010); Frankenfish Records (2011 -)
Associated acts	Bumpus
Website	rachaelyamagata.com
Past members	}}

Rachael Yamagata (born September 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her career as a singer for the band Bumpus and has since released three EP's and two studio albums. Her songs have appeared on various television shows and she has collaborated with Jason Mraz, Rhett Miller, Ryan Adams, Toots and the Maytals and Ray Lamontagne.

Early life and education

A child of divorced parents, Yamagata divided her time growing up between her Japanese American father, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney and Harvard graduate; and her Italian-German mother, an artist/painter in New York City. Yamagata graduated from the Holton-Arms School for Girls in Bethesda, Maryland, and attended Northwestern and Vassar.

Music career

Bumpus

Yamagata became the vocalist for the Chicago funk-fusion band Bumpus, spending six years touring, writing and recording with the band. In 2001, after writing several songs that did not fit the funk style of Bumpus, Yamagata took her songs and used them to launch a solo career. In September 2002, she obtained a two-record deal with Arista's Private Music and her self-titled EP produced by Malcolm Burn, ''Rachael Yamagata EP'' was released in October.

Solo career

Her first full-length album, ''Happenstance'', followed in June 2004 and received favorable reviews. The album produced by John Alagia at Compass Point Studios and the song "I Want You" featured several members of The Klezmatics. Videos were produced for the singles "Worn Me Down" and "1963".

Her songs have appeared on several TV shows, including ''The L Word'', ''Charmed'', ''How I Met Your Mother'', ''ER '', ''Nip/Tuck'', ''Men in Trees'', ''Alias'', ''One Tree Hill'', ''Brothers & Sisters'', ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''The O.C.,'' on which she made a guest performance.

Yamagata has toured with Mandy Moore and contributed a song to her 2007 album, ''Wild Hope''.

May 2008 Yamagata released the three song EP, ''Loose Ends''.

She released the full length album ''Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart''in October 2008 and Billboard magazine called the album called much darker and sadder in tone than its predecessor. That same month, a two-song live acoustic video performance appeared on LiveDaily Sessions, featuring the songs "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon".

In April 2009, she performed her song "Elephants" on the television drama, One Life to Live.

The songs "Jonah" and "He Loves You Deep Inside" were also recorded for Elephants...Teeth Sinking into Heart but were not included on the original release. "Jonah" was included later as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album while "He Loves You Deep Inside" was made available online.

Yamagata sang on Jason Mraz's second album, ''Mr. A–Z'' for the song "Did You Get My Message?". She also sang on "Fireflies" and "The Believer" for Rhett Miller's CD ''The Believer''; on Toots & the Maytals ''True Love''; "Barfly" on Ray Lamontagne's ''Till the Sun Turns Black''; and "Let it Ride", "Sweet Illusions", "Cold Roses", and "Friends", on Ryan Adams' ''Cold Roses''. She sings backup on six tracks on the Bright Eyes' album ''Cassadaga''. She co-wrote "Kaleidoscope" with Jill Cunniff, formerly of Luscious Jackson, for Cunniff's solo album ''City Beach'' and also plays keyboards and second vocals. Yamagata also performs with an ensemble cast on the ''30 Rock'' episode "Kidney Now!" The soundtrack for the film Dear John features the song "You Take My Troubles Away," Yamagata's duet with Dan Wilson. She is also covering a song called "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday" for the upcoming Muppets movie.

Yamagata is releasing a new album in the fall of 2011 through Pledgemusic. In addition to her new album, fans can purchase a multitude of rare memorabilia, spanning from autographed CDs to customized guitars. Rachael is set to release her third studio album "Chesapeake" independently through Frankenfish Records on October 11th.

Personal life

Yamagata has a twin brother, Benji and her half brother Josh Ruben is an actor and director.

Discography

Studio albums

''Happenstance'' (2004)

''Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart'' (2008)

Chesapeake (2011)

EPs

''EP'' (2003)

''Live at the Loft & More'' (2005)

''Loose Ends'' (2008)

Singles

Worn Me Down

Letter Read

1963

Be Be Your Love

Elephants

Faster

Sunday Afternoon

Starlight

Deal Breaker

Even If I Don't

Bumpus

''Bumpus'' (1999)

''Steroscope'' (2001)

Live/Compilations

''Live at the Bonnaroo Music Festival'' (2004), released exclusively on Bonnaroo

''Sony Connect Sets'' (2005), released exclusively on Sony Connect

''KCRW Sessions: Rachel Yamagata'' (2005), released exclusively on iTunes

''Napster session: Rachael Yamagata'' (2005), released exclusively on Napster

Other contributions

''WFUV: City Folk Live VII'' - "Worn Me Down" (2004)

Toots & the Maytals - ''True Love'' (2004)

Ryan Adams - ''Cold Roses'' (2005)

Jason Mraz - ''Mr. A-Z'' (2005)

Chris Holmes - ''Blister of the Spotlight'' (2006)

Rhett Miller - ''The Believer'' (2006)

Ray LaMontagne - ''Till the Sun Turns Black'' (2006)

Bright Eyes - ''Four Winds'' (2007)

Bright Eyes - ''Cassadaga'' (2007)

Ben Arthur - ''Mouhfeel'' (2007)

Mandy Moore - ''Wild Hope'' (2007)

Jill Cunniff - ''City Beach'' (2007)

John Francis - "The Better Angels" (2010)

Katharine McPhee - ''Unbroken'' (2010)

Terra Naomi - ''To Know I'm Ok'' (2011)

''Muppets: The Green Album'' (2011), performing "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday"

Songs in other media

Yamagata's songs have appeared in a number of films and television shows. These include:

''One Tree Hill (TV series) ''Elizabethtown (film) ''Bella (film) ''Definitely, Maybe'' ''Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series) ''30 Rock'' ''Gravity (TV series)

Year !! Title !! Type !! Song
2003	''Miss Match''	TV series episode: "Who's Sari Now?"
2004	One Tree Hill'' ||	TV series episode: "The Trick is to Keep Breathing"	"Be Be Your Love"
rowspan="9"	2005	Elizabethtown'' ||	Film	"Jesus Was A Cross Maker"
''ER (TV series)	ER''	TV series episode: "Back in the World"
''In Her Shoes (2005 film)	In Her Shoes''	Film
rowspan="2"	''The O.C.''	TV series episode: "The Second Chance"
TV series episode: "The New Kids on the Block"	"Worn Me Down"
''One Life to Live''	TV series episode
''Prime (film)	Prime''	Film
''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film)	Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''	Film
''Smallville''	TV series episode: "Smallville Beginnings"
rowspan="6"	2006	Bella'' ||	Film	"Meet Me By the Water"
''How I Met Your Mother''	TV series episode: "Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M."
''The Last Kiss''	Film
rowspan="2"	''Men in Trees''	TV series episode: "The Caribou in the Room"
TV series episode: "Talk for Tat"	"I Want You"
''One Fine Day (TV series)	One Find Day''	TV series episode
rowspan="4"	2007	|	Film	"Meet Me By the Water"
''Holiday in Handcuffs''	Film
''The L Word''	TV series promo: Fifth season preview
''Los Serrano''	TV series episode: "Las Fases del Amor"
rowspan="3"	2008	Brothers & Sisters'' ||	TV series episode: "Just A Sliver"	"Duet"
''Cashmere Mafia''	TV series episode: "The Deciders"
''The L Word''	TV series episode: "Lifecycle"
rowspan="10"	2009	|	TV series episode: "Kidney Now!"	"He Needs a Kidney" (as part of supergroup)
''The City (MTV series)	The City''	TV series episode
'':es:Fuga de cerebros (película)	Fuga de cerebros(Brain Drain)''	Film
rowspan="2"	''Grey's Anatomy''	TV series episode: "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me"
TV series episode: "I Will Follow You into the Dark"	"Duet"
''Hotel for Dogs (film)	Hotel for Dogs''	Film
''One Life to Live''	TV series episode: "Elephants"
''Private Practice (TV series)	Private Practice''	TV series episode: "Homeward Bound"
''So You Think You Can Dance (season 6)	So You Think You Can Dance''	TV series episode: "The Top 16 Perform"
''Taking the Stage''	TV series episode: "Dance Off"
rowspan="2"	2010	Gravity'' ||	TV series episode: "Damn Skippy"	"Elephants"
''Life Unexpected''	TV series episode: "Love Unexpected"

References

External links

Official website

Rachael Yamagata: Confessions on ''Happenstance''

Elephants Review

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:People from Arlington County, Virginia Category:Alumni of women's universities and colleges Category:American female singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American people of German descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American musicians of Japanese descent Category:Northwestern University alumni Category:RCA Records artists Category:Musicians from Virginia

bg:Рейчъл Ямагата de:Rachael Yamagata es:Rachael Yamagata fr:Rachael Yamagata it:Rachael Yamagata ja:レイチェル・ヤマガタ pl:Rachael Yamagata pt:Rachael Yamagata ru:Ямагата, Рэйчел simple:Rachael Yamagata fi:Rachael Yamagata tr:Rachael Yamagata zh:山形瑞秋

Name	Ray LaMontagne
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne
Born	June 18, 1973Nashua, New Hampshire
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
Genre	Folk, folk rock, folk blues
Label	RCA
Notable instruments	Martin D-35, Bourgeois Guitar Country Boy w/Sitka Top, D-150, Custom DS-260, Victoria Parlor models.}}

Raymond "Ray" Charles Jack LaMontagne () (born June 18, 1973) is a Grammy-award winning American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, ''Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', ''Gossip in the Grain'' and ''God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise''. In the UK, ''Trouble'' was a top 5 hit, and the title track of the album was a top 25 hit. ''Till the Sun Turns Black'' was a top 40 hit in the U.S. A soft-spoken person who is known for his raspy voice, LaMontagne has won a number of awards for his music and has performed at several charity events.

Early and personal life

Ray LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1973 to a constantly traveling mother and a violent musician father who abandoned the family during Ray's childhood. Because of his father's background in music, LaMontagne refrained from most musical activity, instead spending much of his time reading fantasy novels in the forest. After graduation, LaMontagne moved away from his family, ending up in Lewiston, Maine, where he found a job working in a shoe factory.

One morning at 4 a.m., LaMontagne heard Stephen Stills' song "Treetop Flyer" on the radio as it awoke him for his job. After purchasing the ''Stills Alone'' album, he decided that he wanted to quit his job and start a career as a singer-songwriter. LaMontagne began touring in 1999, although he maintained a side job as a tutor. In the summer of 1999, LaMontagne amassed 10 songs for a demo that he sent to various local music venues. Mike Miclon, the owner of Buckfield, Maine's Oddfellow Theater, heard the demo and invited him to open for folk acts such as John Gorka and Jonathan Edwards. A friend and business executive heard LaMontagne's recordings and introduced him to Jamie Ceretta of Chrysalis Music Publishing. CMP recorded his first album, and sold it to RCA Records in the US and Echo Records in the UK.

In 2008, LaMontagne moved into a farmhouse in rural western Maine with his wife, Sarah, and two children, Tobias and Sebastian.

Musical career

''Trouble''

In a period of two weeks, LaMontagne re-recorded ''Trouble'' at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California with producer Ethan Johns. RCA Records released the album on September 14, 2004. The album featured performances by Nickel Creek violinist Sara Watkins on two tracks, along with Alex Davids and Stephen Stills's daughter, Jennifer Stills, on another. In the US, the album reached a low peak of #189 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but sold over 250,000 copies. ''Trouble'' has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. During a tour to promote the album, LaMontagne played six songs for an episode of ''Austin City Limits'', in Season 31, 2005–2006.

On the third week of finals in the fifth season of ''American Idol'', eventual winner Taylor Hicks performed "Trouble". Chris Sligh, an ''American Idol'' Season 6 Top-12 finalist, also performed the tune to rave reviews from the judges. During the ninth season of the show, contestant Adam Lambert also performed LaMontagne's "Trouble". An EP of LaMontagne's performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival was released on December 6, 2005. "Trouble" and "Burn" have been used as background music for the TV. "All the Wild Horses" was used in the TV series ''Rescue Me'' and the 2009 film ''The Boys Are Back''."Trouble" was used in the TV series Alias, in season 4, 14º episode called 'Nightingale'. The song "Jolene" was used in the 2010 film "The Town."

''Till the Sun Turns Black''

LaMontagne's second album, ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', was released August 29, 2006, in the US. Also produced by Ethan Johns, the album featured more instrumentation than ''Trouble'', including the use of a horn section and string section on several of the songs. Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata provided background vocals on the song "Barfly". The album peaked at #28 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, selling 28,000 copies in its first week of release. The album also sold enough copies to be a top three heatseeker album in New Zealand.

According to his website, the first single from the album was "Three More Days". LaMontagne performed on ''The Tonight Show'' on October 6, 2006, to promote the album. His song "Till the Sun Turns Black" was featured on the television show "ER", and his songs "Lesson Learned" and "Within You" have been used on the CW drama "One Tree Hill". "Be Here Now" was also used in the official trailer for ''Away From Her'', and was featured in ''27 Dresses'' and an episode of ''Bones'' as well as in the first season's finale of ''Covert Affairs''. "Empty" was used in the last episode of ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'''s 6th season, "Renewal." Ray LaMontagne recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios for ''Live from Abbey Road'' in October 2006. He shared his episode with Shawn Colvin, Nerina Pallot and The Zutons.

''Gossip in the Grain''

LaMontagne released his third studio album, ''Gossip in the Grain'', on October 14, 2008 on RCA Records, and it achieved his highest-ever debut on the Billboard Charts at #3, with over 60,000 units sold. Working again with producer Ethan Johns, the album also featured LaMontagne's touring band: Jennifer Condos on bass, Eric Heywood on guitar, and Ethan Johns on drums. The opening act on much of his 2008 US Tour, fellow singer/songwriter Leona Naess, guests on three songs: "I Still Care for You", "A Falling Through", and "Gossip in the Grain". LaMontagne also announced a series of New England dates to start off his US tour in support of the album. The song "You Are the Best Thing" was featured in the movie ''I Love You, Man.'' He also performed the song live as musical guest on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' on March 7, 2009. San Diego Padres outfielder Will Venable uses this song during his walk-up. On October 12, 2009 the song "Sarah" appeared towards the end of an episode of House called "Instant Karma" (Season 6 Episode 4). "Let it be Me" was featured on the Parenthood TV series and included on the Parenthood soundtrack in 2010.

''God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise''

LaMontagne's fourth studio album, ''God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise'', was released on August 17, 2010. The record is credited to “Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs”. This is the first time that LaMontagne has released music in collaboration with other artists, within the context of a band, and is also his first venture into the role of producer. With this album, LaMontagne received his first three Grammy nominations on December 1, 2010, including Song of the Year for "Beg Steal or Borrow", Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. He won the award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Composition and performance

LaMontagne is particularly known for his raspy voice, which he says he learned by singing through his gut and not his nose. LaMontagne stated that he is highly influenced by Stephen Stills, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko. Critics have compared LaMontagne's music to that of The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley. LaMontagne refers to himself as a "very private person", and rarely gives interviews. He also usually does not interact much with the audience between songs during his live shows and has been known to perform in the dark to avoid distracting bright lights and to separate himself from the audience because of his shy nature. Much of this has changed as his music career has progressed and he has become more accustomed to doing interviews.

Charitable events

In 2005, he performed at "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy", a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The concert was held at the Radio City Music Hall on September 20, 2005, and also featured Dave Matthews, John Mayer, and Simon & Garfunkel among others. LaMontagne also played at the "Warren Haynes Christmas Jam" that year on December 17, 2005. The concert raised funds for Habitat for Humanity in Asheville, North Carolina. LaMontagne performed at KYSR's Lounge for Life charity concert on October 5, 2006 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. He also auctioned off one of his guitars on eBay for its charity auction. Funds raised from the concert and auction went to breast cancer research. Recently in August 2010, he performed with David Gray and Samuel Ofosu in Nashville, TN, and giving a portion of the proceeds to the victims affected by the devastating flood that hit Nashville, TN in May. The money went to Habitat for Humanity in the aid of rebuilding homes destroyed by the flood.

Awards

Discography

Studio albums

''Trouble'' (September 14, 2004)

''Till the Sun Turns Black'' (August 29, 2006)

''Gossip in the Grain'' (October 14, 2008)

''God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise'' (August 17, 2010)

References

External links

http://acreofland.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi Ray Lamontagne Forum

Official U.S. website, requires Adobe Flash plugin

Official UK website, requires Adobe Flash plugin

Ray LaMontagne Storytellers on VH1

Ray LaMontagne Gig Review 2009

Idiomag">Ray LaMontagne on Idiomag

Photos of Ray LaMontagne at the Boston Opera House on October 9th Exploit Boston!

Ray LaMontagne on PBS NewsHour's Art Beat, 8/17/10

Category:1973 births Category:American male singers Category:American folk singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:People from Nashua, New Hampshire Category:Musicians from Maine Category:People from Franklin County, Maine Category:Songwriters from New Hampshire Category:American pianists Category:American guitarists Category:RCA Records artists Category:American harmonica players Category:Living people

da:Ray LaMontagne de:Ray LaMontagne fr:Ray LaMontagne it:Ray LaMontagne he:ריי למונטיין nl:Ray LaMontagne no:Ray LaMontagne pl:Ray Lamontagne pt:Ray LaMontagne

name	Susan Boyle
birth name	Susan Magdalane Boyle
background	solo_singer
born	April 01, 1961
origin	Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop
occupation	Singer
years active	2009–present
label	Syco, Columbia
website	}}

Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on reality TV programme ''Britain's Got Talent'' on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ''''. Her first album was released in November 2009 and debuted as the number one best-selling CD on charts around the globe.

Global interest in Boyle was triggered by the contrast between her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and her plain appearance on stage. The juxtaposition of the audience's first impression of her, with the standing ovation she received during and after her performance, led to an international media and internet response. Within nine days of the audition, videos of Boyle—from the show, various interviews and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" – had been watched over 100 million times. Her audition video has been viewed on the internet several hundred million times. Despite the sustained media interest she later finished in second place in the final of the show behind dance troupe Diversity.

Boyle's first album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'', was released on 23 November 2009 and became Amazon's best-selling album in pre-sales. According to ''Billboard'', "The arrival of ''I Dreamed a Dream'' ... marks the best opening week for a female artist's debut album since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991." In only six weeks of sales, it became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 9 million copies. In September 2010, Boyle was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as having had the fastest selling debut album by a female artist in the UK, the most successful first week sales of a debut album in the UK, and was also awarded the record for being the oldest person to reach number one with a debut album in the UK.

Biography

Boyle was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, to Patrick Boyle, a miner, World War II veteran and singer at the Bishop's Blaize, and Bridget, a shorthand typist, who were both immigrants from County Donegal, Ireland. She was the youngest of four brothers and six sisters. Born when her mother was 47, Boyle was briefly deprived of oxygen during the difficult birth and was later diagnosed as having learning difficulties. Boyle says she was bullied as a child and was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school.

After leaving school with few qualifications, she was employed for the only time in her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months, took part in government training programmes, and performed at a number of local venues.

Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her 10-year-old cat, Pebbles. Her father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home. Boyle never married, and she dedicated herself to care for her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91. Boyle has a reputation for modesty and propriety, admitting during her first appearance on ''Britain's Got Talent'' that she had "never been married, never been kissed". A neighbour reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone."

Boyle is a practising Roman Catholic and sang in her church choir at her church in Blackburn. Boyle remains active as a volunteer at her church, visiting elderly members of the congregation in their homes. On a 2010 episode of the ''Oprah Winfrey Show'', Boyle summarised that her daily life was "mundane" and "routine" prior to stardom.

Early singing

Boyle took singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil. She attended Edinburgh Acting School and took part in the Edinburgh Fringe. Prior to ''Britain's Got Talent'', her main experience had come from singing in her local Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes; in local choirs; and in karaoke performances at pubs in and around her village. She had also auditioned several times for ''My Kind of People''. She also has long participated in her parish church's pilgrimages to the Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland, and has sung there at the Marian basilica.

Her repertoire through the years has included songs such as "The Way We Were" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him." British tabloids claimed "exclusives" of video clips of some early performances. In 1995, her audition for Michael Barrymore's ''My Kind of People'' at the Olympia Shopping Centre in East Kilbride was filmedthe amateur video shows Barrymore was more interested in mocking her than in her ability to sing.

In 1999, she recorded a track for a charity CD to commemorate the Millennium produced at a West Lothian school. Only 1,000 copies of the CD, ''Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian'', were pressed. An early review in the ''West Lothian Herald & Post'' said Boyle's rendition of "Cry Me a River" was "heartbreaking" and "had been on repeat in my CD player ever since I got this CD..." The recording found its way onto the internet following her first televised appearance and the ''New York Post'' said it showed that Boyle was "not a one trick pony." ''Hello!'' said the recording "cement[ed] her status" as a singing star.

In 1999, Boyle used all her savings to pay for a professionally cut demo, copies of which she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV. The demo consisted of her versions of "Cry Me a River" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song"; the songs were uploaded to the Internet after her ''BGT'' audition.

After Boyle won several local singing competitions, her mother urged her to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' and take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. Former coach O'Neil said Boyle abandoned an audition for ''The X Factor'' because she believed people were being chosen for their looks. She almost abandoned her plan to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' believing she was too old, but O'Neil persuaded her to audition nevertheless. Boyle said that she was motivated to seek a musical career to pay tribute to her mother. Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung in public since her mother died.

Music career

''Britain's Got Talent'' (2009)

In August 2008, Boyle applied for an audition for the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' (as contestant number 43212) and was accepted after a preliminary audition in Glasgow. When Boyle first appeared on ''Britain's Got Talent'' at the city's Clyde Auditorium, she said that she aspired to become a professional singer "as successful as Elaine Paige". Boyle sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from ''Les Misérables'' in the first round of the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'', which was watched by over 10 million viewers when it aired on 11 April 2009. Programme judge Amanda Holden remarked upon the audience's initially cynical attitude, and the subsequent "biggest wake-up call ever" upon hearing her performance.

This performance was widely reported and tens of millions of people viewed the video on YouTube. Boyle was "absolutely gobsmacked" by the strength of this reaction. Boyle is aware that the audience on ''Britain's Got Talent'' was initially hostile to her because of her appearance, but she has refused to change her image. Since the appearance, Paige has expressed interest in singing a duet with Boyle, and has called her "a role model for everyone who has a dream". Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" has been credited with causing a surge in ticket sales in the Vancouver production of ''Les Misérables''. Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the ''Les Misérables'' musical, also praised the performance, as thrilling and uplifting".

She was one of 40 acts that were put through to the semi-finals. She appeared last on the first semi-final on 24 May 2009, performing "Memory" from the musical ''Cats''. In the public vote she was the act to receive the highest number of votes and go through to the final. She was the clear favourite to win the final, but ended up in second place to Diversity; the UK TV audience was a record of 17.3 million viewers.

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) became concerned by press reports about Boyle's erratic behaviour and speculation about her mental condition and wrote to remind editors about clause 3 (privacy) of their code of press conduct. The day after the final, Boyle was admitted to The Priory, a private psychiatric clinic in London, TalkbackThames explained "Following Saturday night's show, Susan is exhausted and emotionally drained." Her stay in hospital attracted widespread attention, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown wishing her well. Cowell offered to waive Boyle's contractual obligation to take part in the BGT tour. Her family said "she's been battered non-stop for the last seven weeks and it has taken its toll [...but...] her dream is very much alive," as she had been invited to the Independence Day celebrations at the White House.

Boyle left the clinic five days after her admission and said she would participate in the BGT tour. Despite health worries, she appeared in 20 of the 24 dates of the tour, and was well received in cities such as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dublin, Sheffield, Coventry, Birmingham and London. The ''Belfast Telegraph'' said "Despite reports of crumbling under the pressure..., she exuded a confidence resembling that of a veteran who has been performing for years".

''I Dreamed a Dream'' and tour (2009–2010)

Boyle's first album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'', was released on 23 November 2009. The album includes covers of "Wild Horses" and "You'll See" as well as "I Dreamed a Dream", and "Cry Me a River". ''I Dreamed a Dream'' became Amazon.com's best-selling album in pre-sales on 4 September 2009, three months before the scheduled release. In Britain, Boyle's debut album was recognised as the fastest selling UK debut album of all time selling 411,820 copies, beating the previous fastest selling debut of all time, ''Spirit'' by Leona Lewis. ''I Dreamed a Dream'' also outsold the rest of the top 5 albums combined in its first week.

In the U.S., the album sold 701,000 copies in its first week, the best opening week for a debut artist in over a decade. It topped the ''Billboard'' chart for six straight weeks and although it narrowly failed to become the best-selling album of 2009, with sales of 3,104,000 compared to 3,217,000 for Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'', it was one of only two albums to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S., and was also the top selling "physical" album of 2009, with only 86,000 of its sales coming from digital downloads. This has in turn garnered more media attention, as mentioned by ''People'' magazine.

In Italy, it was the first album of the month in the Italian #1 Account by a non-Italian artist ever. In only a week, it sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, becoming the fastest selling global female debut album.

Boyle gave a U.S. concert tour in November as a lead-up to the album release. On 13 December 2009 she appeared in her own television special "I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story", featuring a duet with Elaine Paige. It got ratings of 10 million viewers in the United Kingdom and in America was the TV Guide Network's highest rated television special in its history.

In November 2009 it was reported that Boyle's rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream' would be the theme song of the anime movie ''Eagle Talon The Movie 3'', that was released in Japan on 16 January 2010. Boyle performed for Pope Benedict XVI on his tour of Britain in 2010. In May 2010, Susan Boyle was voted by ''Time'' magazine as the seventh most influential person in the world.

''The Gift'' (2010–2011)

On 9 July 2010, Boyle announced that her second album would be a Christmas album entitled ''The Gift''. As part of the lead up to the album, she will be holding a competition 'Susan's Search', the winner of which would get to sing a duet with her on her new CD. The album was released on 8 November 2010.

Produced by Steve Mac, who says "Now Susan's used to the studio and the recording process, this time round we might go even further down a traditional route of recording by getting a band together and rehearsing songs before we go into the studio to see what works, how she reacts with certain parts, and so we can change the arrangements that way. I think that’s going to work much better....With Susan it’s very important she connects with the public and the public connect with her. She doesn’t want to sing anything that hasn’t happened to her or she can’t relate to." Boyle has suggested the album will include some jazz numbers now she's "a bit more content" within herself. "My next album has to have an element of surprise in it again. I'm hoping to make it better and a bit extra special."

In August 2010, British tabloid, ''News of the World'', reported that Boyle was experiencing financial woes as Boyle was unable to access her fortune, which was being controlled by her management team – consisting of Andy Stephens, Ossie Killkenny, and Susan's lawyer niece Kirsty Foy. Boyle's brother Gerry said his sister was fearful of losing her contract and of returning to her previous financial situation, and that she has been unable to move into her £300,000 five-bedroom house in Blackburn because she does not have the cash to furnish it. He said "[Susan's] millions are ring-fenced but Susan has no concept of money," and was "extremely distressed" at having to live off £300 a week, after being banned from withdrawing money from the bank or owning a credit card. This story was contradicted the following day though by the news that she had bought two houses. It was also reported that she had recently been on a spending spree, where she had bought a grand piano, iPhone, and five dresses made by Stewart Parvin, the Queen's dressmaker. The press had previously stated that Susan Boyle was suing her brother Gerry for other stories he'd sold to the newspapers.

In November 2010, Boyle became only one of three to ever top both the UK and US album charts twice in the same year. On 30 November 2010, Susan performed both on ABC"s ''The View'' and sang "O Holy Night", and later on NBC's ''Christmas at Rockefeller Center'', where she performed "Perfect Day" and "Away in a Manger". During her appearance on ''The View'' she was unable to finish her song, stating she had a "frog in her throat"; she wanted to start the song over but wasn't allowed to. The audience applauded her anyway, and she later performed an unaired version of the song, which was uploaded to The View's YouTube account.

''Someone to Watch Over Me'' (2011–present)

Emeli Sande is reported to be helping Susan write songs for her third studio album, which is due this autumn. The album is also reported to be an R&B; styled album. Susan performed on the second semi-final results show of the sixth season of ''America's Got Talent'', which aired on August 31, 2011.

Legacy

Media impact

Web sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have been crucial in facilitating Boyle's rapid rise to fame: The most popular YouTube video submission of her audition garnered nearly 2.5 million views in the first 72 hours. On the day following the performance, the YouTube video was the most popular article on Digg and made the front page of Reddit. Within a week, the audition performance had been viewed more than 66 million times, setting an online record, while on Wikipedia her biographical article attracted nearly half a million page views. A total of 103 million video views on 20 different Web sites was reached within nine days. The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that her popularity on YouTube may in part be due to the broad range of emotion packed into a short clip which was "perfect for the Internet". In December 2009 her audition was named the most watched YouTube video of the year with over 120 million viewings, more than three times higher than the second most popular video.

Additionally, Boyle’s first on camera interview with Scots journalist Richard Mooney for her local newspaper the West Lothian Courier, was named as YouTube’s Most Memorable Video of 2009. The video went viral after being uploaded to YouTube on 14 April 2009.

Many newspapers around the world (including China, Brazil and the Middle East) carried articles on Boyle's performance. British tabloid ''The Sun'' gave her the nickname "Paula Potts" in reference to the first series' winner Paul Potts. Later, the British press took to referring to her by a short-form of her name, 'SuBo'. In the U.S., several commentators also drew parallels between Boyle's performance and that of Potts. ''ABC News'' hailed "Britain's newest pop sensation", and its Entertainment section headlined Boyle as "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell".

Within the week following her performance on ''Britain's Got Talent'', Boyle was a guest on STV's ''The Five Thirty Show''. She was interviewed via satellite on CBS's ''Early Show'', ''Good Morning America'', NBC's Today, FOX's ''America's Newsroom''. and ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''. Via satellite on ''Larry King Live'', Boyle performed an a cappella verse of "My Heart Will Go On". She was also portrayed in drag by Jay Leno, who joked that they were related through his mother's Scottish heritage.

At the invitation of NHK, a major Japanese broadcaster, Boyle appeared as a guest singer for the 2009 edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen, annual songfest on 31 December in Tokyo. She was introduced as the by the MCs and appeared on the stage escorted by Takuya Kimura, and sang "I Dreamed a Dream".

Although Boyle was not eligible for the 2010 Grammy Awards, its host Stephen Colbert paid tribute to Boyle at the ceremony, telling its audience "you may be the coolest people in the world, but this year your industry was saved by a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes." There was also earlier controversy, when Boyle was not nominated in any of the categories for the 2010 Brit Awards.

Musical biography

It was originally planned that Boyle would appear as herself in a musical about her life. She was quoted as saying "having to sit watching people up there" who are actors. However it was later announced actress Elaine C Smith would be portraying her. The musical will "tell the singer's entire life story, including her years living with her moggy back in Blackburn before her world-famous telly audition." The show may play in the West End before touring the United Kingdom.

Social analyses

Judging by appearance

''The Huffington Post'' noted that the producers of the show would have anticipated the potential of this story arc, by deliberately presenting Boyle in a manner that would enhance this initial reaction. ''The Herald'' described Boyle's story as a modern parable and a rebuke to people's tendency to judge others based on their physical appearance. Similarly, ''Entertainment Weekly'' said that Boyle's performance was a victory for talent and artistry in a culture obsessed with physical attractiveness and presentation. ''The Washington Post'' believed that her initial demeanour and homely appearance caused the judges and audience to be "waiting for her to squawk like a duck". New York's ''Daily News'' said that an underdog being ridiculed or humiliated but then enjoying an unexpected triumph is a common trope in literature, and the stark contrast between the audience's low expectations and the quality of her singing made Boyle's performance such an engaging piece of television.

Feminist view

R.M. Campbell, music critic for ''The Gathering Note'' compared her to Ella Fitzgerald, in that "[... it is] really, really hard to make a career if a woman isn't attractive." In another ''Huffington Post'' article, Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote that although people may "weep for the years of wasted talent", Boyle's performance was a triumph for "women of a certain age" over a youth culture that often dismisses middle-aged women. Tanya Gold wrote in ''The Guardian'' that the difference between Boyle's hostile reception and the more neutral response to Paul Potts in his first audition reflected society's expectation that women be both good-looking and talented, with no such expectation existing for men. Los Angeles vocal coach Eric Vetro stated, "She's an Everywoman as opposed to an untouchable fantasy goddess, so maybe that's why people react to her."

'American Dream'

Several media sources have commented that Boyle's success seemed to have particular resonance in the United States. An American entertainment correspondent was quoted in ''The Scotsman'' comparing Boyle's story to the American Dream, as representing talent overcoming adversity and poverty. The Associated Press described this as Boyle's "hardscrabble story", dwelling on her modest lifestyle and what they characterised as urban deprivation in her home town. Similarly, ''The Independent'''s New York correspondent David Usborne wrote that the United States will always respond to "the fairy tale where the apparently unprepossessing suddenly becomes pretty, from ''Shrek'' to ''My Fair Lady''".

Cultural references

The American cartoon show ''South Park'' made a reference to the Susan Boyle craze in the episode "Fatbeard", which aired on 22 April 2009; the ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' show aired a comedy sketch showing the "feel good" effect that Susan Boyle's performance has had on people; ''The Simpsons'' aired a new commercial for its 20th-anniversary show "Springfield's Got Talent", in which Homer Simpson talks about his dreams "to be a great singer like Boyle". A European trailer for the video game ''The Sims 3'' includes a character mocked up as Boyle. In June 2009, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a short story called "I Dreamed a Dream" that was based on a combination of Boyle's appearances on ''Britain's Got Talent'' and the political difficulties of Gordon Brown. The 5 November 2009 episode of the show ''30 Rock'' showed recurring character Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot) – who has a dowdy appearance – singing in the style of Susan Boyle as Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy teared up. In a Season 35 sketch on ''Saturday Night Live'', an accountant (Andy Samberg) doing Boyle's taxes, notes that her income for 2008 was $1, $900,000,000 for 2009, and projected to be $1 for 2010. Bobby Moynihan played Boyle in the sketch.

In the ''Futurama'' episode "Attack of the Killer App", Leela has a boil named Susan ("Susan Boil") that can sing show tunes.

Discography

Studio albums

1 1

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Album Titles

Album details

Peak chart positions

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Sales

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* Release date: 23 November 2009

* Label: Syco, Columbia Records

Music download>digital download

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1

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1

1

3

1

1

1

1

British Phonographic Industry>UK: 7× Platinum

Australian Recording Industry Association>AUS: 9× Platinum

Canadian Recording Industry Association>CAN: 5× Platinum

Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique>FRA: Platinum

Oricon>JPN: Platinum

Recording Industry Association of New Zealand>NZ: 11× Platinum

Recording Industry Association of America>US: 4× Platinum

wikt:worldwide>WW: 9,000,000

scope="row">''The Gift (Susan Boyle album)

The Gift''

* Release date: 8 November 2010

* Label: Syco, Columbia Records

* Format: CD, digital download

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2

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7

5

18

1

1

19

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* AUS: 3× Platinum<

* CAN: 2× Platinum

Irish Recorded Music Association>IRL: 2× Platinum

* NZ: 4× Platinum

* US: 3× Platinum

* UK: 600,000

Nielsen SoundScan>US: 1,850,000

scope="row">''Someone to Watch Over Me (Susan Boyle album)

Someone to Watch Over Me''

* Release date: 7 November 2011

* Label: Syco, Columbia Records

* Format: CD, digital download

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Singles

— 27 65 —

scope="col" rowspan="2"	Year	Single	Peak chart positions									Album
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rowspan="2"	2009	! scope="row"	9	93	|	95	11	31	99	—	98	rowspan="2"	''I Dreamed a Dream''
scope="row">"I Dreamed a Dream#Susan Boyle version	I Dreamed a Dream"	37	66	|	65	20	37	—	43	62
2010	scope="row"	"Perfect Day"	124	—	|	—	—	—	—	—	—	''The Gift''
2011	scope="row"	"I Know Him So Well" (with Peter Kay for Comic Relief)	11	—	|	—	—	—	—	—	—	Non-album single

Featured singles

scope="col" rowspan="2"	Year	Single	Peak chart positions			Album
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2010	"Everybody Hurts" (with Helping Haiti)	1	28	1	Non-album single

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Association	! Category	! Result
2011	53rd Grammy Awards

References

External links

Category:1961 births Category:Britain's Got Talent contestants Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Internet memes Category:Living people Category:People from Blackburn, West Lothian Category:Scottish female singers Category:Scottish mezzo-sopranos Category:Scottish people of Irish descent Category:Scottish pop singers Category:Scottish Roman Catholics Category:Torch singers

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name	Elaine Paige
img size	180px
background	solo_singer
birth name	Elaine Mary Bickerstaff
birth date	March 05, 1948
origin	Barnet, London, England
occupation	Singer, actress
years active	1968–present
website	ElainePaige.com
laurenceolivierawards	Best actress in a musical 1978 ''Evita'' }}

Elaine Paige OBE (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16. Her appearance in the 1968 production of ''Hair'' marked her West End debut.

Following a number of roles over the next decade, Paige was selected to play Eva Perón in the first production of ''Evita'' in 1978, which brought her to the attention of the broader public. For this role, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Performance of the Year in a Musical. She went on to originate the role of Grizabella in ''Cats'' and had a Top 10 hit with "Memory", a song from the show. In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson from the musical ''Chess'', which remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo. She then appeared in the original stage production of ''Chess'', followed by a starring role in ''Anything Goes'' which she also co-produced. Paige made her Broadway debut in ''Sunset Boulevard'' in 1996, playing the lead role of Norma Desmond, to critical acclaim. She appeared in ''The King and I'' from 2000 to 2001, and six years later she returned to the West End stage in ''The Drowsy Chaperone''. She has also worked sporadically in television.

In addition to being nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, Paige has won many other awards for her theatre roles and has been called the First Lady of British Musical Theatre. She has released 22 solo albums, of which eight were consecutively certified gold and another four multi-platinum. Paige is also featured on seven cast albums and has sung in concerts across the world. Since 2004 she has hosted her own show on BBC Radio 2 called ''Elaine Paige on Sunday''.

Life and career

Background

Elaine Mary Bickerstaff was raised in Barnet, North London, where her father worked as an estate agent and her mother was a milliner. Her mother had been a singer in her youth, and her father was an amateur drummer. Paige stands at just under 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, which she says has caused her to lose out on leading roles. Her original ambition was to become a professional tennis player, at which point her headmistress pointed out to her "they'd never see you over the net", but Paige continued to play tennis and has referred to the sport as one of her passions.

At 14, Paige listened to the film soundtrack of ''West Side Story'', which evoked the desire for a career in musical theatre. Paige's musical ability was encouraged by her school music teacher, Ann Hill, who was also the head of the music department. Paige was a member of Hill's choir, and her first role on stage was playing Susanna in a school production of Mozart's ''The Marriage of Figaro'', which was followed by parts in ''The Boy Mozart'' and solos in Handel's ''Messiah''— "a difficult work for little children". Paige also recalls singing the mezzo role of Bastienne in Mozart's ''Bastien and Bastienne''. After singing the aria, she chose to break down in character and to release a sob much to the audience's shock who, having been convinced by her acting, thought she was in real pain.

Her father later suggested that she should go to drama school, so she attended the Aida Foster stage school. Lacking confidence, she initially disliked stage school; her father encouraged her to endure and she grew to enjoy her time there. After graduating, her first job was modeling children's clothing at the Ideal Home Exhibition. Prior to stage school she attended Southaw Girls' School - a secondary modern in Oakleigh Park in Hertfordshire where she had achieved just two CSE qualifications.

Early career – 1968-1980: West End debut and ''Evita''

Paige's first professional appearance on stage was during the UK tour of the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse musical ''The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd'' in 1964, playing the role of a Chinese urchin. To audition for the role she sang "I'm Just a Girl who Cain't Say No" but was rejected the first time. She was successful the second time around after being convinced to re-audition under a new name. Browsing through a phone book for inspiration, she became aware of the "page" she was observing and decided upon that name with the addition of an "i". At the age of 20, she made her West End debut in ''Hair'' on 27 September 1968, remaining in the cast until March 1970. While also being an understudy for the character of Sheila, she played a member of the tribe in the chorus, for which role she was required to be naked on stage in one scene. She also appeared as an urchin in the West End's ''Oliver!''. Over the next decade, she played roles in various musicals, including ''Jesus Christ Superstar''; ''Nuts''; ''Grease'', in which she played the lead role of Sandy from 1973 to 1974; ''Billy'', from 1974 to 1975 playing Rita; and ''The Boyfriend'', as Maisie (1975–1976).

After months of acting and singing auditions, Hal Prince offered the still relatively unknown Paige the title role of Eva Perón in the first stage production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, ''Evita''. Her performance won her critical acclaim and brought her into public prominence at the age of 30. Paige was actually the second choice for the part after Julie Covington, but Covington had turned the opportunity down. For her performance in ''Evita'', she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Performance of the Year in a Musical, which at that time was called the Society of West End Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and the Variety Club Award for Showbusiness Personality of the Year. She played the role for 20 months in total, from 1978 to 1980. She also released her first studio album in 1978, entitled ''Sitting Pretty''. Just prior to her success in ''Evita'', Paige had strongly considered becoming a nursery nurse, but after she sang for Dustin Hoffman, he made her promise that she would continue in theatre work. She admitted that she was "fed up with the whole thing" and that she could not even afford new clothing or to eat out; "Evita saved me" she stated.

1981–1993: ''Cats'' and ''Chess'' era

Paige went on to portray some of Lloyd Webber's most notable female characters, creating the role of Grizabella in the original production of ''Cats'' from 11 May 1981 to 13 February 1982. She took on the role late in the rehearsal process when the actress Judi Dench had to withdraw due to a torn Achilles tendon. Paige's performance of the song "Memory" from ''Cats'', with which she had a Top 10 hit, is her signature piece. The single reached number 5 in the UK charts and has since been recorded by a further 160 artists. She reprised the role of Grizabella for the video release of ''Cats'' in 1998, one of only two performers in the film from the original London cast. Paige's website claims that the video soon became the bestselling music video in the UK and America.

The 1983 production of ''Abbacadabra'', written by former ABBA members, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, saw Paige star in the role of Carabosse. She then originated the role of Florence for the 1984 concept album of ''Chess'', with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Ulvaeus and Andersson. Her albums, ''Stages'' (1983), and ''Cinema'' (1984), rejoined the cast recording of ''Chess'' in the UK top 40 chart, giving her three consecutive successful albums. In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well", a duet from ''Chess'', singing with Barbara Dickson. The single held the number 1 position in the British singles charts for four weeks, and still remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo, according to the ''Guinness Book of Records''. From 1986 to 1987, Paige appeared as Florence in the stage production of ''Chess'', a role that earned her another Laurence Olivier Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical. She next sang at the White House in 1988.

Paige then took on the part of Reno Sweeney in the musical production of ''Anything Goes'', which she co-produced and starred in from 1989 to 1990. Patti Lupone was appearing as Sweeney on Broadway around that time, so Paige sought to become the co-producer of the West End production as a way to secure the role there before Lupone could take it. Playing Reno Sweeney was Paige's first experience using an American accent on stage, and the part obtained her third nomination for an Olivier Award. Beyond her theatre roles, she appeared in the television programme ''Unexplained Laughter'' in 1989 alongside Diana Rigg.

In 1993, Paige signed up for a year as French chanteuse Édith Piaf in Pam Gems' musical play, ''Piaf'', to critical acclaim. ''The Guardian'' wrote that Paige was "a magnificent, perfect Piaf". The demanding production required Paige to sing 15 songs, some in French, and to be on stage for 2 hours 40 minutes in total, and forced her to leave early due to exhaustion. Her portrayal of Piaf earned her nomination for a fourth Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical; she subsequently released an album, entitled ''Piaf'', containing Édith Piaf songs.

1994–2001: ''Sunset Boulevard'' and Broadway debut

In 1995, Paige was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth for her contributions to musical theatre.

Paige stepped briefly into the role of Norma Desmond in Lloyd Webber's West End production of ''Sunset Boulevard'' in 1994, when Betty Buckley was taken ill due to her undergoing an emergency appendectomy. The nature of the situation meant that Paige only had two-and-a-half weeks in the rehearsal process before her first performance. She admitted feeling daunted by the task which would follow having seen Glenn Close in the role just prior to entering her own rehearsals. London critics were largely won over by Paige in a performance that "not only wrings out every ounce of dramatic action but delivers some unexpected humor as well" and she took over the part full time the following year. She then won the Variety Club Award for Best Actress of the Year, and was nominated for a best actress Olivier Award in 1996 for her performance in the musical.

During the run of ''Sunset Boulevard'' at the West End's Adelphi Theatre in 1995, Paige discovered a lump in her breast, prompting her to consult her doctor, who at first reassured her there was nothing to be concerned about. She returned twice, and her doctor subsequently sent her for tests that confirmed the lump was cancerous, nine months after she discovered it. Continuing her role in the production Paige did not miss a show, and stated, "When I did the show I became very emotional. Some of the lyrics suddenly took on an entirely different meaning. Words like, 'as if we never said goodbye' became more real". Paige went in for day surgery on a Sunday due to her theatre commitments, had five years of medical treatment and completed a radiation programme. She spoke for the first time of her encounter with breast cancer in a 2004 interview, and has since described the period as "the most awful thing that’s happened to me in my life".

Paige transferred to the American production of ''Sunset Boulevard'' to make her Broadway debut at the Minskoff Theatre on 12 September 1996, staying with the show until it closed on 22 March 1997. On the ''Sunset Boulevard'' set in Broadway, the staircase steps had to be raised six inches (15 cm) in order to accommodate Paige's short stature, or it would have been hard to see her behind the banister. Paige was welcomed to the Broadway stage with a long standing ovation from the audience, and received largely positive reviews for her New York performance as Norma Desmond: "The lush sound and the sheer power of her voice are, to put it simply, incredible", wrote one critic, whilst another said "Her voice has great range, remarkable clarity and emotional force". Paige was the first Norma Desmond in ''Sunset Boulevard'' to sing one of the show's key songs, "With One Look", which she did first at Lloyd Webber's wedding to Madeleine Gurdon, although at the time the song was called "Just One Glance". Lloyd Webber noted, regarding Paige's performance of one of the show's other prominent songs, "As If We Never Said Goodbye", that it was "as good, if not the best, of anything I've ever heard of mine". Regarding the key lyric in the song, "This world's waited long enough. I've come home at last", Paige had sought to change the way the melody was sung, despite being fully aware of Lloyd-Webber's fastidious tendencies. To her, the moment was not exploited to its fullest potential, so she approached the show's director, David Caddick, and expressed her wish to hold the word "home", to which he agreed. Although she had been disappointed when she hoped to perform on Broadway in ''Evita'', ''Cats'' and ''Chess'', Paige stated of her debut there, "It was just the most perfect time to go with that particular show". After ''Sunset Boulevard'' finished, she suffered from depression, commenting that the show's closing "was the most terrible feeling. ... I'd felt I'd lost something so very important to me. I thought it had died and gone away".

Arts commentator Melvyn Bragg hosted a special edition of ''The South Bank Show'' about Paige's career in 1996, entitled ''The Faces of Elaine Paige''. The episode saw her visiting parts of the world where plays she had starred in had been set.

In 1997, Paige made her United States concert debut when she opened the Boston Pops season, which was aired on WGBH in America. The following year, she made a guest star appearance at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall. During the birthday tribute show, she sang "Memory" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", two songs from her past musical productions by Lloyd Webber. Paige's next role was Célimène in the non-musical play ''Le Misanthrope'' in 1998, but she admitted that she missed the musical element and that the silence was slightly unsettling to her. A Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Operatic and Dramatic Association soon followed. She later performed alongside Bette Midler in a 1999 New York concert to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

From 2000 to 2001, she starred as Anna Leonowens in a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''The King and I'' at the London Palladium. Paige had turned down an offer for the role the first time she was approached, but later accepted, admitting that she had "forgotten what a fantastic score it was", although she did question her own suitability for the role. Before the opening, the box office had already taken in excess of £7 million in ticket sales. The critic for ''The Independent'' commented, "It may well be impossible to be a success as Evita and a success as Anna" complaining that Paige was not refined enough for the role, whereas ''The Spectator'' asserted that the role further strengthened her title as the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre". During her time in ''The King and I'', her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Despite Paige wanting to pull out of the show, her mother insisted that she should continue until her contract had finished, and Paige's sister, Marion Billings, admitted, "That was very hard for Elaine, having to go on stage night after night knowing she wanted to be with Mum".

2002–present: Radio and return to West End and Broadway

Paige sang at the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then made her Los Angeles concert debut at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. In 2003, she played Angèle in ''Where There's a Will'', directed by Peter Hall. She next sang the role of Mrs Lovett in the New York City Opera production of Stephen Sondheim's ''Sweeney Todd'' in March 2004, earning positive reviews from critics, and a nomination for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Paige then embarked upon a UK tour which was entitled "No Strings Attached".

In September 2004, Paige began a weekly radio show, ''Elaine Paige on Sunday'', on BBC Radio 2, featuring music from musical theatre and film. In an unfavourable review, the show was described by Elisabeth Mahoney of ''The Guardian'' as "a chilly, alienating listening experience" and a "rare wrong move" on the part of Radio 2. Lisa Martland of ''The Stage'' agreed that "it is by far the music that brings me back to the programme ... and not her lightweight presenting style". However, the show regularly attracts 3 million listeners, and interviews are also featured each week. Paige also focused on television appearances, playing Dora Bunner in the 2005 ITV adaptation of Agatha Christie's ''A Murder is Announced'' in the ''Marple'' series, before performing a guest role as a post mistress in ''Where the Heart Is''. The episode of ''Marple'' was watched by 7.78 million viewers.

The release of Paige's first full studio album of new recordings in 12 years was marked in 2006, entitled ''Essential Musicals''. The album included popular songs from musicals identified by a poll on her radio show, in which 400,000 listeners voted. At this point, Paige had recorded 20 solo albums in total, of which eight were consecutively certified gold and another four multi-platinum, and she had been featured on seven cast albums. Paige also appeared in concert in Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. On 20 and 21 December 2006, she performed in concert in Shanghai, extending her concert tour to two dates to satisfy demand. With a noticeable absence from musical theatre, having not taken a role for many years, she explained in 2006 that "there's been nothing that I've wanted to do, and if you're going to commit to a year at the theatre, six days a week, and have no life, then it's got to be something that you want to do with all your heart". She also affirmed that she believes for older actors it becomes harder to obtain theatre roles.

In 2007, Paige made a return to the West End stage for the first time in six years, as the Chaperone/Beatrice Stockwell in ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' at the Novello Theatre. The production ran for a disappointing 96 performances, although it had opened to a standing ovation from the audience and a generally optimistic reaction from critics. ''The Daily Telegraph'' wrote, "Elaine Paige is a good sport ... enduring jokes about her reputation for being 'difficult' with a grin that doesn't seem all that forced. ... Only the self-importantly serious and the chronically depressed will fail to enjoy this preposterously entertaining evening". Paul Taylor from ''The Independent'' was less impressed and wrote "a miscast Elaine Paige manages to be unfunny to an almost ingenious degree as the heroine's bibulous minder". For her performance, Paige was nominated for a What's On Stage Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She next collaborated with the duo Secret Garden in recording the song "The Things You Are to Me" for their 2007 album, ''Inside I'm Singing''.

To raise money for Sport Relief Paige danced the Tango on ''Sport Relief does Strictly Come Dancing'' with Matt Dawson in March 2008, where they were voted second overall. She opened the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July 2008, performing some of her well-known songs from her 40-year career. She next started her world tour, with dates in China, America and Australia. To further celebrate 40 years since her professional stage debut, in October 2008 Paige released a picture-based autobiography entitled ''Memories''. The book took around eight months to compile; "Since ''Evita'' I suppose, I had kept a yearbook. My parents always kept cuttings and things like that for me. I did have quite a lot of reference material to work out" Paige commented.

An album entitled ''Elaine Paige and Friends'' was produced by Phil Ramone in 2010. The album features duets with Paige and artists such as Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow and Olivia Newton John as well as a duet with Sinéad O'Connor on a new song 'It's Only Life' penned by Gary Barlow and Tim Rice. Having entered the top 20 of UK album charts, ''Elaine Paige and Friends'' went on to achieve gold status.

Paige played the role of Carlotta in the Kennedy Centre production of ''Follies'', running from May 2011 to June 2011 at the Eisenhower Theatre in Washington, DC. She went on to reprise this role in the Broadway revival at the Marquis Theatre beginning 7 August 2011.

Legacy

Having had so many starring roles in famous musicals, many to critical acclaim, Paige is often referred to as the First Lady of British Musical Theatre. In 2008, she celebrated the 40th anniversary of her professional debut on the West End stage debut. Paige has never married nor had children, although she had an 11-year affair with the lyricist Tim Rice throughout the 1980s. She has said that she wanted to have children, but "it's a wonderful life I have, so I'm very fulfilled in other ways".

Paige's singing abilities have won her worldwide praise, as have her acting skills with Andrew Gans of ''Playbill'' magazine writing that "Paige's gift is to dissect a role and determine what phrasing, gesture or emotion can bring a scene to its fullest dramatic potential". Mark Shenton also highlighted her voice in 2008 as "one of the most distinctive and impressive voices in the business". Lloyd-Webber insists that her rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" is one of the best interpretations of a song by him.

Paige has gained herself a reputation as someone who can be "difficult". ''The Times''' Brian Logan wrote, "Paige is not exactly known for her humility. In newspaper profiles, that dread word 'difficult' is often applied". On one occasion, she told a male interviewer that she was going to stop giving interviews to female reporters because, in her own words, "I don't trust other women in these situations. They establish a sisterhood with you and then betray it every time". What has been seen as a cold side to her personality was also noted by Logan, but Paige has said that a common misconception of her is that she is confident and very serious. Another editor found her "refreshingly down-to-earth" and "very friendly".

Views on theatre

Though Paige has enjoyed a long career in musical theatre, she rarely goes to watch musicals, much preferring to watch films or plays. Furthermore, she considers herself primarily an actress before a singer, stating, "I really prefer to be in character". Comparing the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein to that of Lloyd Webber, Paige has said that she finds Rodgers and Hammerstein songs more difficult to sing, and described them as challenging. She concluded, "it's a quieter kind of singing, more controlled, not belting it out".

In light of the physical demands of performing in theatre Paige has said "Musical theatre is the hardest thing any actor will ever do. You become obsessive about sleeping, eating the right food, not speaking and giving yourself vocal rest and keeping exercised". Regarding the pressure of having to be in a fit condition to perform in theatre each night, she remarked "you wouldn't want to read the letters people write when you're off and they're disappointed — it's so awful, the guilt one feels for not being there". As part of a rigorous routine before musical roles to look after her voice, Paige stops eating dairy products and drinking alcohol and also focuses on keeping fit. After about three months into the production when her voice is tiring from performing, she even gives up her social life, sometimes only communicating by notepad and fax. The rehearsal process is when Paige is most contented, using the valuable time to "delve and discover" without the need to feel embarrassed. She also never reads her reviews from critics, finding that it is not helpful to have too many opinions.

Paige has named reality television series such as ''Any Dream Will Do'', which aim to find an unknown actor to play the lead role in a musical, as the greatest threat to theatre today, believing that "actors already striving in the theatre wouldn't dream of putting themselves on these shows". In a later interview, she questioned the seriousness of the actors auditioning for these types of shows: "you wouldn't put yourself up for one of those shows in case you got bumped off the first week and all your colleagues saw it". She has also expressed a wish for more new musicals to be put into production, instead of frequent revivals.

Stage roles

{| class=wikitable ! Duration ! Production ! Role ! Theatre ! Awards |- | 1968–1970 | ''Hair'' | Member of the Tribe | Shaftesbury Theatre | |- | 1973–1974 | ''Grease'' | Sandy | New London Theatre | |- | 1974–1975 | ''Billy'' | Rita | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | |- | 1975–1976 | ''The Boyfriend'' | Maisie | Haymarket Theatre, Leicester | |- | 1978–1980 | ''Evita'' | Eva Perón | Prince Edward Theatre |

Won: Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Musical/Society of West End Theatre Award - Best Actress in a Musical

Won: Variety Club Award - Showbusiness Personality of the Year

|- | 1981–1982 | ''Cats'' | Grizabella | New London Theatre | |- | 1983–1984 | ''Abbacadabra'' | Miss Williams/Carabosse | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith |

1984: Rear of the Year Award

|- | 1986–1987 | ''Chess'' | Florence Vassy | Prince Edward Theatre |

Variety Club Award for Recording Artiste of the Year

Nomination: Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Musical in ''Chess''

Head of the Year Award

|- | 1989–1990 | ''Anything Goes'' | Reno Sweeney | Prince Edward Theatre | Nomination - Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Musical in ''Anything Goes'' |- | 1993–1994 | ''Piaf'' | Édith Piaf | Piccadilly Theatre |

Gold Badge of Merit Award BASCA

Nomination - Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Musical in ''Piaf'' |- | 1994, 1995–1996, 1996–1997 | ''Sunset Boulevard'' | Norma Desmond | Adelphi Theatre then the Minskoff Theatre |

Variety Club Award - Best Actress of the Year

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) Queen's Birthday Honours Nomination - Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Musical

HMV Lifetime Achievement

|- | 1998 | ''Le Misanthrope'' | Célimène | Piccadilly Theatre |

Lifetime Achievement National Operatic and Dramatic Association

|- | 2000–2001 | ''The King and I'' | Anna Leonowens | London Palladium | |- | 2003 | ''Where There's a Will'' | Angèle | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre then the Theatre Royal, Brighton | |- | 2004 | ''Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' | Mrs Lovett | New York City Opera |

Nomination: Drama Desk Award - Outstanding Actress in a Musical

|- | 2007 | ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' | The Drowsy Chaperone/Beatrice Stockwell | Novello Theatre | Nomination: What's On Stage Award - Best Supporting Actress in a Musical |- |2011 |''Follies'' |Carlotta Champion |Kennedy Centre then the Marquis Theatre | |}

Discography

Solo albums

{| class=wikitable width="75%" ! width="15%"|Year ! width="30%"|Album title ! width="30%"|Other notes |- | 1978 || ''Sitting Pretty'' || First solo album release, issued by EMI |- | 1981 || ''Elaine Paige'' || First album released on WEA charted in the UK at #56 in May 1982 |- | 1983 || ''Stages'' || Second album released on WEA charted in the UK at #2 in 1983 |- | 1984 || ''Cinema'' || |- | 1985 || ''Love Hurts'' || |- | 1986 || ''Christmas'' || |- | 1987 || ''Memories: The Best Of Elaine Paige'' || Compilation album with material from albums recorded at WEA; includes one new recording. |- | 1988 || ''The Queen Album'' || Issued on Siren Records, Virgin Vip label. Features songs previously recorded by Queen |- | 1990 || ''The Collection'' || Second compilation album with material from albums recorded at WEA; No new material. |- | 1991 || ''Love Can Do That'' || Elaine Paige's first album on RCA Records, reached #36 in the UK album chart. |- | 1991 || ''An Evening With Elaine Paige'' || Live recordings of her 1991 UK Tour |- | 1993 || ''Romance & the Stage'' || |- | 1994 || ''Piaf'' || Songs featured in the musical ''Piaf'' |- | 1995 || ''Encore'' || Compilation album with material taken from the WEA albums; 1981 to 1994. Includes three new recordings from the musical ''Sunset Boulevard'' |- | 1996 || ''Performance'' || Live recordings of her 1991 UK Tour |- | 1997 || ''From a Distance'' || A compilation of ''Love Can Do That'' and ''Romance & the Stage'' plus two tracks from the 1991 UK Tour |- | 1998 || ''On Reflection: The Very Best Of Elaine Paige'' || |- | 2004 || ''Centre Stage: The Very Best Of Elaine Paige'' || Including 9 previously unreleased studio recordings and 3 live recordings |- | 2006 || ''Essential Musicals'' || A collection of songs from Musical theater, issued on Universal Music TV label, W14. Charted at #46 in UK album charts. |- | 2007 || ''Songbook'' || |- | 2009 || ''Elaine Paige Live'' || Live recording made as part of Paige's tour celebrating 40 years since she first appeared in the West End |- | 2010|| ''Elaine Paige and Friends'' || |}

Cast recordings

{| class=wikitable width="75%" ! width="15%"|Year ! width="30%"|Album title ! width="30%"|Other notes |- |- | 1970 || ''Fresh "Hair"'' || Original London Cast Recording |- | 1974 || ''Billy'' || Original London Cast Recording |- | 1978 || ''The Barrier: A Love Story'' || 1978 London Studio Cast Recording |- | 1978 || ''Evita'' || Original London Cast Recording |- | 1981 || ''Cats'' || Original London Cast Recording |- | 1984 || ''Chess'' || |- | 1989 || ''Anything Goes'' || 1989 London Cast Recording |- | 1992 || ''Nine'' || |- | 2000 || ''The King and I'' || 2000 London Cast Recording |}

Other albums and guest appearances

{| class=wikitable width="75%" ! width="15%"|Year ! width="30%"|Album title ! width="30%"|Other notes |- |- | 1972 || ''Hatching Out'' || With the group ''Sparrow''; lead vocals on "Don't Ask", "Many Things Are Clear", "Dream Song", Rainsun Song" and "Hello Goodbye". The last track was unreleased until the album was re-issued on CD in 1995. |- | 1998 || ''Songs from Whistle Down the Wind'' || Recording of the song "If Only" |- | 2000 || Michael Ball - ''Christmas'' || Duet on "As Long As There's Christmas" |- | 2001 || ''Andrew Lloyd Webber — Masterpiece'' || Live recording of concert at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China. |- | 2010 || ''I Dreamed a Dream - The Susan Boyle Story'' || Live duet with Susan Boyle |}

Videos and DVDs

{| class=wikitable width="75%" ! width="15%"|Year ! width="30%"|Album title ! width="30%"|Other notes |- | 1985 || ''Lyrics by Tim Rice'' || Performances of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "I Know Him So Well" |- | 1998 || ''Cats'' || Reprising her role as Grizabella |- | 1991 || ''Elaine Paige in Concert'' || Live recording at the Birmingham Symphony Hall of 1991 concert tour |- | 1998 || ''Andrew Lloyd Webber — Celebration'' || Live performances of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Memory" |- | 2001 || ''Andrew Lloyd Webber — Masterpiece'' || Live performances of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "The Heart is Slow to Learn", "Memory", "The Perfect Year", "As If We Never Said Goodbye", "No Matter What" and "Ni Yong You Wo De Wei Lai — Friends for Life" (The Chinese translation of "Amigos Para Siempre") |- | 2009 || ''Elaine Paige Live — Celebrating A Life On Stage'' || A live recording from Elaine`s `40th Anniversary Tour` including "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "Tommorrow", "Memory", "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien", "As If We Never Said Goodbye", "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "Broadway Baby" |}

References

External links

Official website

BBC Radio 2 - Elaine Paige at bbc.co.uk

Elaine Paige at the Internet Broadway Database

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