__NOTOC__ 2009 (MMIX) was a common year starting on Thursday in the Gregorian calendar. It was the 2009th year of the Common Era or the Anno Domini designation, the 9th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last of the 2000s decade.

2009 was designated the: International Year of Astronomy. International Year of Natural Fibres.

Events

January

January 1

* Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, and Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.

* Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, becomes the American Capital of Culture and Vilnius and Linz become the European Capitals of Culture.

Slovakia adopts the euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.

January 3 – Israel launches a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip as the Gaza War enters its second week. January 7 – Russia shuts off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorses the move and urges greater international involvement in the energy dispute. January 13 – Ethiopian military forces begin pulling out of Somalia, where they have tried to maintain order for nearly two years. January 17 – Israel announces a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza War. It comes into effect the following day, on which Hamas declares a ceasefire of its own. January 21 – Israel completes its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Intermittent air strikes by both sides of the preceding war continue in the weeks to follow. January 22 – Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda is captured by Rwandan forces after crossing over the border into Rwanda.

January 26

The first trial at the International Criminal Court is held. Former Union of Congolese Patriots leader Thomas Lubanga is accused of training child soldiers to kill, pillage, and rape.

The Icelandic government and banking system collapse; Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.

February

February 1

Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow is enthroned as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.

February 7 – The deadliest bushfires in Australian history begin; they kill 173, injure 500 more, and leave 7,500 homeless. The fires come after Melbourne records the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires are ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.

February 8 – The Taliban releases a video of Polish geologist Piotr Stańczak, whom they had abducted a few months earlier, being beheaded. It is the first killing of a Western hostage in Pakistan since American journalist Daniel Pearl was executed in 2002. February 10 – A Russian and an American satellite collide over Siberia, creating a large amount of space debris. February 11 – Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Zimbabwe following the power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe signed in September, 2008. February 17 – The JEM rebel group in Darfur, Sudan sign a pact with the Sudanese government, planning a ceasefire within the next three months. February 26 – Former Serbian president Milan Milutinović is acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia regarding war crimes during the Kosovo War.

March

March 2 – The President of Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira, is assassinated during an armed attack on his residence in Bissau. March 3 – Gunmen attack a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan, killing eight people and injuring several others. March 4 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.

March 7 – NASA's Kepler Mission, a space photometer which will search for extrasolar planets in the Milky Way galaxy, is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA.

March 17 – The President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, is overthrown in a ''coup d'état'', following a month of rallies in Antananarivo. The military appoints opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as the new president.

April

April 1 – Albania and Croatia are admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

April 2 – The second G-20 summit, involving state leaders rather than the usual finance ministers, meets in London. Its main focus is an ongoing global financial crisis.

April 3–April 4 – The 21st NATO Summit is held, 60 years after the founding of the organization. Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is appointed as the new Secretary General of NATO.

April 5 – North Korea launches the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket, prompting an emergency meeting of—but no official reaction from—the United Nations Security Council. April 6 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing nearly 300 and injuring more than 1,500.

April 7 – Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.

April 10 – A political crisis begins in Fiji when President Josefa Iloilo suspends the nation's Constitution, dismisses all judges and constitutional appointees and assumes all governance in the country after the Court of Appeal rules that the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is illegal. April 11–April 12 – The Fourth East Asia Summit is postponed after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declares a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas.

April 17 – Thirty-four heads of state and government meet in Port of Spain, Trinidad for the 5th Summit of the Americas.

April 18 – Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist, is sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage by an Iranian court. She is released the following month, after an appeals court reduces and suspends her sentence. April 21 – UNESCO launches The World Digital Library. April 24 – The World Health Organization expresses concern at the spread of influenza from Mexico and the United States to other countries. International cases and resulting deaths are confirmed. April 29 – Amidst Russia's effort to improve relations with NATO and with the West in general, NATO expels two Russian diplomats from NATO headquarters in Brussels over a spy scandal in Estonia. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticises the expulsions.

May

May 18

* The third C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group meets in Seoul.

Following more than a quarter-century of fighting, the Sri Lankan Civil War ends with the total military defeat of the LTTE.

May 23 – Former President of South Korea Roh Moo-hyun, under investigation for alleged bribery during his presidential term, commits suicide. May 25 – North Korea announces that it has conducted a second successful nuclear test in the province of North Hamgyong. The United Nations Security Council condemns the reported test.

June

June 1 – Air France Flight 447, en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 on board.

June 11 – The outbreak of the H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu", is deemed a global pandemic, becoming the first condition since the Hong Kong flu of 1967–1968 to receive this designation. June 13 – Following the reelection of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, supporters of defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi accuse the government of fraud, and launch a series of sustained protests.

June 18 – NASA launches the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/LCROSS probes to the Moon, the first American lunar mission since Lunar Prospector in 1998.

June 20 – The death of Neda Agha-Soltan, an Iranian student shot during a protest, is captured on what soon becomes a viral video that helps to turn Neda into an international symbol of the civil unrest following the presidential election.

June 21 – As a step toward total independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland assumes control over its law enforcement, judicial affairs, and natural resources. Greenlandic becomes the official language. June 25 – The death of American entertainer Michael Jackson triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief. Online, reactions to the event cripple several major websites and services, as the abundance of people accessing the web addresses pushes internet traffic to potentially unprecedented and historic levels. June 28 – The Supreme Court of Honduras orders the arrest and exile of President Manuel Zelaya, claiming he was violating the nation's constitution by holding a referendum to stay in power. The ''coup d'état'' is condemned by the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and multiple nations around the world. June 30 – Yemenia Flight 626 crashes off the coast of Moroni, Comoros, killing all but one of the 153 passengers and crew.

July

July 4 – The Organization of American States suspends Honduras due to the country's recent political crisis after its refusal to reinstate President Zelaya.

July 5 – Over 150 are killed when a few thousand ethnic Uyghurs target local Han Chinese during major rioting in Ürümqi, Xinjiang.

July 7 – A public memorial service is held for musician Michael Jackson. It is regarded as one of the most prominent funerals of all time.

July 15 – Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Qazvin, Iran, killing all 168 on board.

July 16 – Iceland's national parliament, the Althingi, votes to pursue joining the EU.

July 22 – The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting up to 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds, occurs over parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

August

August 3 – Bolivia becomes the first South American country to declare the right of indigenous people to govern themselves. August 4 – North Korean leader Kim Jong-il pardons two American journalists, who had been arrested and imprisoned for illegal entry earlier in the year, after former U.S. President Bill Clinton meets with Kim in North Korea. August 7 – Typhoon Morakot hits Taiwan, killing 500 and stranding more than 1,000 via the worst flooding on the island in half a century. August 20 – Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, imprisoned for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, is released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds as he has terminal prostate cancer. He returns to his native Libya.

September

September 25 – At the G-20 Pittsburgh summit, world leaders announce that the G-20 will assume greater leverage over the world economy, replacing the role of the G-8, in an effort to prevent another financial crisis like that in 2008. September 26 – Typhoon Ketsana begins to cause record amounts of rainfall in Manila, Philippines, leading to the declaration of a "state of calamity" in 25 provinces.

September 28 – At least 157 demonstrators are killed in a clash with the Guinean military.

September 29 – An 8.3-magnitude earthquake triggers a tsunami near the Samoan Islands. Many communities and harbors in Samoa and American Samoa are destroyed, and at least 189 are killed.

September 30 – A 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes just off the coast of Sumatra, killing around 1,000 in Indonesia.

October

October 2

* The International Olympic Committee awards the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro.

Ireland holds a second referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty. The amendment is approved by the Irish electorate, having been rejected in the Lisbon I referendum held in June 2008.

October 20 – European astronomers discover 32 exoplanets.

November

November 3

The Czech Republic becomes the final member-state of the European Union to sign the Treaty of Lisbon, thereby permitting that document's initiation into European law.

The Prime Minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, is designated the first permanent President of the European Council, a position he takes up on 1 December 2009.

November 13 – Having analyzed the data from the LCROSS lunar impact, NASA announces that it has found a "significant" quantity of water in the Moon's Cabeus crater. November 20 – CERN restarts the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland; they had shut it down on September 19, 2008. November 23 – In the Philippines, at least 58 are abducted and killed in an election-related massacre in the province of Maguindanao. This appears to be the deadliest attack on journalists in recent history. November 27 – Dubai requests a debt deferment following its massive renovation and development projects, as well as the late 2000s economic crisis. The announcement causes global stock markets to drop.

December

December 1 – The Treaty of Lisbon comes into force. December 7 – December 18 – The UNFCCC's United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 conference is held in Copenhagen, Denmark. December 16 – Astronomers discover GJ1214b, the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.

Deaths

January

January 1

* Nizar Rayan, Palestinian military and political leader (b. 1959)

* Johannes Mario Simmel, Austrian writer (b. 1924)

* Helen Suzman, South African activist and politician (b. 1917)

January 12

* Claude Berri, French film director (b. 1934)

* Arne Næss, Norwegian philosopher (b. 1912)

January 13 – Patrick McGoohan, American-born British actor (b. 1928)

January 14 – Ricardo Montalbán, Mexican-born American actor (b. 1920)

January 15 – Said Seyam, Palestinian politician (b. 1957)

January 16 – Andrew Wyeth, American painter (b. 1917)

January 20 – Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian Patriarch of Alexandria (b. 1920)

January 25 – Mamadou Dia, 1st Prime Minister of Senegal (b. 1910)

January 27

* John Updike, American writer (b. 1932)

* R. Venkataraman, 8th President of India (b. 1910)

January 30 – Ingemar Johansson, Swedish boxer (b. 1932)

February

February 6 – James Whitmore, American actor (b. 1921)

February 9 – Eluana Englaro, Italian patient in right-to-die case (b. 1970)

February 25 – Philip José Farmer, American writer (b. 1918)

February 27 – Manea Mănescu, Romanian Prime Minister (b. 1916)

March

March 2 – João Bernardo Vieira, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1939)

March 14 – Alain Bashung, French singer, songwriter and actor (b. 1947)

March 15 – Ron Silver, American actor and political activist (b. 1946)

March 18 – Natasha Richardson, English actress (b. 1963)

March 20 – Abdellatif Filali, 13th Prime Minister of Morocco (b. 1928)

March 25 – Yukio Endo, Japanese gymnast (b. 1937)

March 28 – Janet Jagan, American-born President of Guyana (b. 1920)

March 29 – Maurice Jarre, French composer and conductor (b. 1924)

March 31 – Raúl Alfonsín, 49th President of Argentina (b. 1927)

April

April 12

* Marilyn Chambers, American pornographic actress (b. 1952)

* Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, American social theorist (b. 1950)

April 14 – Maurice Druon, French novelist (b. 1918)

April 19 – J. G. Ballard, English novelist (b. 1930)

April 22

* Ken Annakin, English film director (b. 1914)

* Jack Cardiff, English cinematographer (b. 1914)

April 25 – Beatrice Arthur, American actress (b. 1922)

April 28 – Ekaterina Maximova, Soviet-Russian ballerina (b. 1939)

May

May 2

* Augusto Boal, Brazilian theatre director (b. 1931)

* Jack Kemp, American politician and football player (b. 1935)

May 4 – Dom DeLuise, American actor and comedian (b. 1933)

May 9 – Chuck Daly, American basketball coach (b. 1930)

May 13 – Achille Compagnoni, Italian mountaineer (b. 1914)

May 17 – Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan writer (b. 1920)

May 18 – Velupillai Prabhakaran, Sri Lankan militant (b. 1954)

May 19 – Robert F. Furchgott, American scientist (b. 1916)

May 23 – Roh Moo-hyun, 16th President of South Korea (b. 1946)

May 27 – Clive Granger, British economist (b. 1934)

May 30

* Luís Cabral, 1st President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1931)

* Ephraim Katzir, 4th President of Israel (b. 1916)

* Gaafar Nimeiry, 5th President of the Sudan (b. 1930)

June

June 2 – David Eddings, American author (b. 1931)

June 3

* David Carradine, American actor (b. 1936)

* Koko Taylor, American musician (b. 1928)

June 6 – Jean Dausset, French immunologist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)

June 8 – Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (b. 1935)

June 12 – Félix Malloum, 3rd President of Chad (b. 1932)

June 13 – Mitsuharu Misawa, Japanese professional wrestler (b. 1962)

June 17 – Ralf Dahrendorf, German-British social theorist and politician (b. 1929)

June 25

* Farrah Fawcett, American actress (b. 1947)

* Michael Jackson, American performer and recording artist (b. 1958)

June 30 – Pina Bausch, German choreographer (b. 1940)

July

July 1

* Alexis Argüello, Nicaraguan boxer and politician (b. 1952)

* Karl Malden, American actor (b. 1912)

July 4 – Allen Klein, American businessman (b. 1931)

July 6

* Vasily Aksyonov, Russian novelist (b. 1932)

* Robert McNamara, 8th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1916)

July 17

* Meir Amit, Israeli general and politician (b. 1921)

* Walter Cronkite, American newscaster (b. 1916)

* Leszek Kołakowski, Polish philosopher (b. 1927)

July 19 – Frank McCourt, Irish-American author (b. 1930)

July 26 – Merce Cunningham, American choreographer (b. 1919)

July 31 – Bobby Robson, English footballer and manager (b. 1933)

August

August 1 – Corazon Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines (b. 1933)

August 5 – Budd Schulberg, American screenwriter (b. 1914)

August 6

* John Hughes, American film director and writer (b. 1950)

* Willy DeVille, American singer-songwriter (b. 1950)

August 8 – Daniel Jarque, Spanish Footballer (b. 1983)

August 11 – Eunice Kennedy Shriver, American founder of the Special Olympics (b. 1921)

August 13 – Les Paul, American musician and inventor (b. 1915)

August 18 – Kim Dae-jung, 15th President of South Korea (b. 1925)

August 24 – Toni Sailer, Austrian alpine ski racer (b. 1935)

August 25 – Ted Kennedy, American politician (b. 1932)

August 26 – Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, Iraqi politician and theologian (b. 1953)

August 27 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Soviet-Russian author (b. 1913)

September

September 8 – Aage Bohr, Danish physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)

September 11

* Juan Almeida, Cuban revolutionary and politician (b. 1927)

* Yoshito Usui, Japanese manga artist (b. 1958)

September 12

* Norman Borlaug, American agronomist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)

* Jack Kramer, American tennis player (b. 1921)

September 14

* Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (b. 1952)

* Henry Gibson, American actor and songwriter (b. 1935)

September 17 – Noordin Mohammad Top, Malaysian Islamist militant (b. 1968)

September 18 – Irving Kristol, American writer and political commentator (b. 1920)

September 23 – Ertuğrul Osman, 43rd Head of the Ottoman Dynasty (b. 1912)

September 25 – Alicia de Larrocha, Spanish pianist (b. 1923)

September 28 – Guillermo Endara, President of Panama, 1989–1994 (b. 1936)

September 29 – Pavel Popovich, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1930)

October

October 2 – Marek Edelman, Polish political and social activist (b. 1922)

October 4

* Shōichi Nakagawa, Japanese politician (b. 1953)

* Günther Rall, German fighter pilot (b. 1918)

October 4 – Mercedes Sosa, Argentine singer (b. 1935)

October 5 – Israel Gelfand, Soviet-American mathematician (b. 1913)

October 7 – Irving Penn, American photographer (b. 1917)

October 13 – Al Martino, American singer and actor (b. 1927)

October 19 – Joseph Wiseman, Canadian actor (b. 1918)

October 30 – Claude Lévi-Strauss, French anthropologist (b. 1908)

October 31 – Qian Xuesen, Chinese scientist (b. 1911)

November

November 3 – Francisco Ayala, Spanish novelist (b. 1906)

November 8 – Vitaly Ginzburg, Russian physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)

November 10 – Robert Enke, German footballer (b. 1977)

November 15

* Patriarch Pavle, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (b. 1914)

* Pierre Harmel, 39th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1911)

November 16 – Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (b. 1978)

November 20 – Lino Lacedelli, Italian mountaineer (b. 1925)

November 21 – Konstantin Feoktistov, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1926)

November 24 – Samak Sundaravej, 25th Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1935)

November 30 – Milorad Pavić, Serbian writer (b. 1929)

December

December 3 – Richard Todd, Irish-born British actor (b. 1919)

December 4

* Eddie Fatu, Samoan-American professional wrestler (b. 1973)

* Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Soviet-Russian actor (b. 1928)

December 5

* Alfred Hrdlicka, Austrian artist (b. 1928)

* Otto Graf Lambsdorff, German politician (b. 1926)

December 9 – Gene Barry, American actor (b. 1919)

December 13 – Paul Samuelson, American economist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)

December 16

* Roy E. Disney, American businessman (b. 1930)

* Yegor Gaidar, Russian politician (b. 1956)

December 17 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (b. 1919)

December 19

* Hussein-Ali Montazeri, Iranian scholar and human rights activist (b. 1922)

* Kim Peek, American savant (b. 1951)

December 20 – Brittany Murphy, American actress (b. 1977)

December 21 – Edwin G. Krebs, American biologist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)

December 23 – Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Tibetan politician (b. 1910)

December 24 – Rafael Caldera, 54th and 60th President of Venezuela (b. 1916)

December 30 – Abdurrahman Wahid, 4th President of Indonesia (b. 1940)

Nobel Prizes

Chemistry – Ada Yonath, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, and Thomas A. Steitz Economics – Elinor Ostrom and Oliver E. Williamson

Literature – Herta Müller

Peace – Barack Obama

Physics – Charles K. Kao, Willard Boyle, and George E. Smith Physiology or Medicine – Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak

Major religious holidays

January 6 – Christmas in most Armenian Apostolic Churches of Christianity

January 7 – Christmas in the Russian Orthodox Church and Georgian Orthodox Church of Christianity

January 14 – Pongal

January 26 – Lunar New Year

February 23 – Shivaratri

February 25 – Ash Wednesday

March 10 – Mawlid

March 11 – Holi

April 3 – Rama Navami

April 8 – Passover begins

April 12 – Easter in Western Christianity

April 14 – Vaisakhi in Sikhism

April 19 – Easter for many Eastern Christians

May 2 – Buddha's Birthday

May 8 – Buddha Purnima / Vaisakhi Purnima

May 28 – Shavuot begins

August 6 – Raksha Bandhan

August 14 – Krishna Janmashtami

August 22 – Ramadan begins

August 23 – Ganesh Chaturthi

September 2 – Onam

September 18 – Rosh Hashanah begins

September 19 – Navratri begins

September 20 – Eid ul-Fitr

September 27 – Yom Kippur begins

September 28 – Dussehra

October 2 – Sukkot begins

October 17 – Diwali

November 1 – All Saints' Day in Western Christianity

November 27 – Eid al-Adha

December 11 – Hanukkah begins

December 18 – Islamic New Year (1 Muharram 1431)

December 25 – Christmas in Western Christianity and most Eastern Orthodox Churches

In fiction

References

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name	Alexander Rybak
background	solo_singer
birth date	May 13, 1986
Birth place	Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
instrument	Vocals, violin, piano
genre	Pop, folk, classical, Baroque pop
occupation	Singer, actor, songwriter, composer, pianist
years active	2009–present
associated acts	Eurovision Song Contest 2009, Frikar
website	www.alexanderrybak.com }}

Alexander Igoryevich Rybak (Russian: ''Алекса́ндр И́горевич Рыба́к'') or in Belarusian Alyaksandr Igaravich Rybak (''Аляксандр І́гаравіч Рыбак''), born 13 May 1986 in Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist, writer, and actor. Representing Norway in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Russia, Rybak won the contest with 387 points—the highest tally any country has achieved in the history of Eurovision—with "Fairytale", a song he wrote and composed. His debut album, ''Fairytales'', charted in the top 20 in nine European countries, including a #1 position in Norway and Russia.

Personal life

Rybak was born on May 13, 1986, in Minsk, Belarus—which at that time was the Belarusian SSR in the Soviet Union. When he was 4 years old, he and his family moved to Norway. Rybak was baptized and raised in the Orthodox religion. At the age of five, Rybak began to play the piano and the violin. His parents are Natalia Valentinovna Rybak, a classical pianist, and Igor Alexandrovich Rybak, a well-known classical violinist who performs alongside Pinchas Zukerman. He stated "I always liked to entertain and somehow that is my vocation". Rybak bought a new apartment and lives now at Aker Brygge (Oslo, Norway).

Anger issue

In 2010, several incidents of uncontrolled anger caused commentators to question whether Rybak has an anger control problem. During the trials for the ESC 2010 finals in Bærum, Rybak became so infuriated when a sound technician was not doing what he wanted that he smashed his own hand, breaking his fingers. Also, during trials for Swedish television in June 2010, he smashed his violin on the floor. His appearance was then canceled. According to his manager, Kjell Arild Tiltnes, Rybak does not have an issue with aggression. Tiltnes stated that "as long as he abreacts on objects and on himself, I see no reason for this to be something that he needs help dealing with." Rybak said, "I never raised my voice before, and that's why I did what I did. I'm just a human being—and perhaps not the glossy image many believe. So it was good to get out frustrations so I could go on. It's only me that goes beyond the same."

Career

Rybak has been a student at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo since the age of 10. Due to his success in the Eurovision Song Contest, he is currently taking a break from his bachelor's degree studies at the Institute. In 2004, Rybak was awarded the Anders Jahre Culture Prize. In 2005, he entered the Norwegian version of Idol, ''Idol: Jakten på en superstjerne'', reaching the semifinal. In 2006, Rybak won ''Kjempesjansen'' (“The Great Opportunity”), a talent competition hosted by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), with his own song, "Foolin". Alexander Rybak has collaborated with artists such as a-ha's lead singer Morten Harket and Arve Tellefsen. As of 2007, Rybak has played the fiddler in Oslo Nye Teater's production of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and won the Hedda Award for this role.

Eurovision 2009

Rybak won the 54th Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Russia, with a record 387 points, singing "Fairytale", a song inspired by Norwegian folk music. The song was composed and written by Rybak and was performed together with the modern folk dance company Frikar. The song received good reviews with a score of 6 out of 6 in the Norwegian newspaper ''Dagbladet'', and, in an ''ESCtoday'' poll, he scored 71.3%, making him the favourite to get into the final.

In the Norwegian national heats, Rybak achieved a clean sweep, gaining the top score from all nine voting districts and ending with a combined televote and jury score of 747,888, while the runner up, Tone Damli Aaberge, received a combined score of 121,856.

The song competed in the second semi-final and won a place in the Eurovision final.

Rybak later won the Eurovision final with a landslide victory, receiving votes from all the participating countries (except Norway, which was not allowed to vote for itself). Rybak finished with a total of 387 points, breaking the previous record of 292 points scored by Lordi in 2006 and scoring 169 points more than the runner-up, Iceland.

After Eurovision, film and the first album

Rybak's first album, ''Fairytales'', was released after his Eurovision win. Rybak also co-stars as Levi in the film ''Yohan'' directed by Grete Salomonsen, which was released in March 2010. Rybak also went on a tour in Norway with former Norwegian Eurovision winner Elisabeth Andreassen, something that had been decided before his Eurovision win and participation. He and Frikar also toured Norway and Europe in 2009. In a December 2009 performance of his hit "Fairytale" at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, held at the Oslo Spektrum, Rybak shared the stage with nine other acts. Too EMI Norway has just released a film entitled Fairytale, the movie, directed by acclaimed Norwegian director, Rune Langlo, documenting the journey of Alexander Rybak since claiming the top prize for Norway in Moscow.

In 2009, he recorded the theme song, called "I Don't Believe in Miracles / Superhero", for the Russian action movie ''Black Lightning'' produced by Timur Bekmambetov.-

2010–present: 2nd album and ''Let's dance'' Sweden

On January 30, 2010, Rybak performed one of his new singles, "Europe Skies", in national final, Euroviisut 2010, to select the 2010 Finnish entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. On March 12, 2010, Alexander Rybak performed his Eurovision 2009 winning song "Fairytale" on UK TV show ''Eurovision: Your Country Needs You''. In April 2010, Rybak released a new song, featuring Opptur, called "Fela Igjen". Alexander released his second album on June 14, 2010, called ''No Boundaries''. It was not as successuful as his first album, so far it has peaked at number 7 in Norway, number 8 in Sweden and 32 in Finland. On January 7, 2011, Rybak was one of twelve contestant on the next Swedish season of the dancing show ''Let's dance'' (Swedish version of television franchise ''Strictly come dancing''), in the show Rybak danced to win the competition against other Swedish celebrities. Rybak made it to the Top 4 before being voted off on March 11, having received the lowest scores from both juries and the voting public.

Discography

Studio albums

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="10"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NOR ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| BEL ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| DEN ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| DUT ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FIN ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| GER ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| POL ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| RUS ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SWE ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FRA |- ! scope="row" | ''Fairytales'' |

1st Studio Album

Release Date: 29 May 2009

Labels: EMI, Universal

Genre: Pop

| 1 || 13 || 15 || 29 || 4 || 16 || 7 || 1 || 2 || 21 |- ! scope="row" | ''No Boundaries'' |

2nd studio album

Release Date: 14 June 2010

Labels: Universal

Genre: Pop

| 7 || — || — || — || 32 || — || 12 || — || 8 || — |- ! scope="row" | ''Visa vid vindens ängar'' |

3rd studio album

Release Date: 15 June 2011

Labels: Universal

Genre: Pop

| 7 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 40 || — |- |colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |}

Singles

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! scope="col" colspan="10"| Chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| NOR ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| IRE ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| RUS ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FIN ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| GRE ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SWE ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| DEN ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| DUT ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| EU |- |rowspan="3"|2009 ! scope="row"| "Fairytale" | 1 || 10 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 3 | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"|''Fairytales'' |- ! scope="row"| "Funny Little World" | 1 || — || — || — || — || — || 4 || — || — || — |- ! scope="row"| "Roll With the Wind" | 10 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- |rowspan="2"|2010 ! scope="row"| "Oah" | 23 || — || — || — || — || — || 56 || — || — || — | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| ''No Boundaries'' |- ! scope="row"| "Europe's Skies" | — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- |2011 ! scope="row"| "Resan till dig" | — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="1"| ''Visa vid vindens ängar'' |- |colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |}

Other songs

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| RUS |- | 2009 ! scope="row"| "I Don't Believe in Miracles / Superhero" | 18 | style="text-align:center;"|''Black Lightning Soundtrack'' |- | 2010 ! scope="row"| "Fela Igjen" (feat. Opptur) | |''Non-Album single'' |- |colspan="14" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |}

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2009	''Fairytale - The Movie''	Himself
2010	How to Train Your Dragon	Hiccup	Norwegian dubbed version
2010	Yohan - Barnevandrer	Levi

References

Hyllet i hjembygda (Norwegian), Østlands-Posten, May 18, 2009, about the official Alexander Rybak Fanclub on Facebook

Du kan bli med Alex til Moskva (Norwegian), Akershus Amtstidende, April 15, 2009, about the official Alexander Rybak Fanclub on Facebook

External links

Official homepage

Official Facebook Page

Official International Fansite of Alexander Rybak

Fan web-site of Alexander Rybak

Alexander Rybak PR in Ireland

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from Norway Category:Melodi Grand Prix contestants Category:Melodi Grand Prix winners Category:Naturalised citizens of Norway Category:Norwegian violinists Category:Norwegian male singers Category:Norwegian actors Category:Norwegian composers Category:Norwegian songwriters Category:Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2009 Category:Eurovision Song Contest winners Category:People from Minsk Category:Norwegian people of Belarusian descent Category:People from Nesodden Category:Norwegian multi-instrumentalists Category:Norwegian fiddlers Category:Spellemannprisen winners

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Danny MacAskill, (born 23 December 1985) also known as 'Danny MegaSkill', is a Scottish trials cyclist, from Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. He is 176 centimeters tall and works professionally as a street trials pro rider for Inspired Bicycles Ltd. He released 'April 2009', a five-and-a-half-minute street trials video, filmed by his flatmate Dave Sowerby, on YouTube on the 19th April 2009. The video quickly gained popular acclaim and widespread media attention. The video features stunts performed by MacAskill set to 'The Funeral' by Band of Horses.

As of April 2009, MacAskill, who was brought up in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, had been practicing for more than 12 years. He gave up his job as a mechanic so he could ride full time. He now lives in Edinburgh. In June 2009, MacAskill appeared in the music video for Doves' single "Winter Hill". MacAskill also appeared in a TV-commercial for the new Volkswagen Golf Estate.

On 16 November 2010 MacAskill released a new video "Way back home" sponsored by Red Bull. The video showcases locations around Scotland including Edinburgh Castle, North Berwick, wartime bunkers on the island of Inchgarvie beneath the Forth Bridge and a hydro-electric power station in the Scottish Highlands.. In May 2011 Leica Cameras released a "Go Play" promo video featuring him doing tricks in the city of Cape Town. In August 9th of 2011 Cut Media released a video named "Industrial Revolutions". The video features MacAskill doing tricks in an abandoned Scottish iron works. It was created for Channel 4's documentary Concrete Circus.

References

External links

dannymacaskill.co.uk

Category:People from Skye and Lochalsh Category:Scottish cyclists Category:Living people Category:1985 births

de:Danny MacAskill fr:Danny MacAskill it:Danny MacAskill

Rémi Gaillard (born 7 February 1975 in Montpellier, Hérault, France) is a French humorist who uploads videos on YouTube. After losing his job at a shoe store, Rémi then began to use his free time to have fun and run some pranks on the public. He is the 18# most subscribed comedian on YouTube.

Gaillard gained attention in the French media after performing a well-documented series of pranks, including an appearance disguised as a Lorient football player in the ''2002 Coupe de France'' final match, during which he took part in the winners' celebrations and was greeted by the then president of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac. He is also an amateur football player and has posted videos of his skills.

Gaillard has appeared in several sport events, TV game shows and political rallies.

Concept

Gaillard became famous for his videos where he displays an "outrageous" style of humour, questioning public norms:

stealing someone's lottery ticket and appearing to have won;

dressed as a sheep, laying funeral flowers in front of roasting sheep;

transforming a roundabout into a roofless home;

many challenges to rigid conventions, by perturbing

* the old-aged public of ''Countdown'',

* the well-ordered behaviour of tennis exhibition matches,

* the police.

The majority of Gaillard's stunts have resulted in prison sentences for the comedian.

His videos were mostly posted on Stage 6. After this did not pick up he posted them on his YouTube channel. In most, Gaillard plays pranks on other people and TV shows.

Gaillard's motto is ''C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui'' ("It's by doing whatever, that one becomes whoever.").

Most of Gaillard's videos are shot by his friend Grégory Laffargue.

Sketches

The majority of Gaillard's sketches are of the hidden camera type, in which the antagonist performs an unexpected or surprising action to elicit humorous responses from the bewildered witnesses. Gaillard often disguises himself in outlandish costumes for the pranks. During some pranks, Gaillard is accompanied by a crowd of friends, giving the action a flashmob-like nature. Some other videos may feature acrobatics like aiming footballs at distant goal-like objects, or more still aim to antagonize police forces he interacts with during his sketches.

Gaillard shot his first sketch in 1999 with a friend in Montpellier. In 2001, he created an internet website, nimportequi.com.

He gained notoriety in 2002 at the finals of the Coupe de France. Disguised as an FC Lorient player, he celebrated the team's victory with the players, shook the hand of the then French President Jacques Chirac and signed autographs, without anyone realizing that he was not a player on the team.

Some of his most famous sketches are parodies of the Rocky Balboa movies, Pac Man, Mario Kart, and his football videos.

He often dresses up in large animal costumes. Pig, dog, cat, turtle, snail, bee, shark, kangaroo, spider, beaver, fly, gorilla, chicken, penguin, giraffe, rabbit, butterfly and sheep have all been used in pranks.

In 2007, he gained the attention of journalists from Le Monde and was invited on a few talk shows..

On his official site, Gaillard claims over 1.1 billion views on his videos on the web.

Gaillard also appeared in Orangina, Pepsi, Durex and LG commercials.

References

External links

Gaillard's Dailymotion channel

Category:1975 births Category:People from Montpellier Category:Living people Category:French humorists Category:Pranksters

ar:ريمي غايار br:Rémi Gaillard ca:Rémi Gaillard cs:Rémi Gaillard de:Rémi Gaillard es:Rémi Gaillard eu:Rémi Gaillard fr:Rémi Gaillard it:Rémi Gaillard he:רמי גאייאר hu:Rémi Gaillard nl:Rémi Gaillard ja:レミ・ガイヤール no:Rémi Gaillard pl:Rémi Gaillard pt:Rémi Gaillard ru:Гайяр, Реми sr:Реми Гајар fi:Rémi Gaillard sv:Rémi Gaillard tr:Rémi Gaillard

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
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"		! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"
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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