<p>Thing is - Susan has more talent than the female judge.</p>
<p>Who is the female judge, and what is her claim to fame?</p>
<p>I’m sure the judges do know in advance. My cousin worked for one of the European shows – might have even been this one – doing the prescreening judging where they decide who will perform for the judges. Simon et.al. were not the first to hear her sing.</p>
<p>I’ve never seen American Idol but I have watched America’s Got Talent which I think is great fun and not at all mean spirited. I think much of the astonishment and surprise when Ms. Boyle sang was due more to her lack of stage presence than to her appearance. One would expect a person with a voice like that to be at home on stage, and she clearly was not. So the talent was a surprise.</p>
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<p>I COMPLETELY agree. It felt manipulative. Too many ‘perfect’ shots of people’s reactions to have been a complete surprise. In fact, it felt very edited to me, like the looks they showed were from some other time. And since Simon basically wears the same thing over and over, you’d never know if his facial expression was from that night, or two years ago!</p>
<p>Of course it’s edited, manipulated, and packaged. It’s television. But take away all that and you’ve still got plain, middle-aged, unemployed, unmarried, unkissed Susan Boyle, standing up there singing her heart out in a voice ten times her size–making her dreams come true at an age when many of us have folded them up and packed them away.</p>
<p>That’s what makes me cry when I watch her video.</p>
<p>“But take away all that and you’ve still got plain, middle-aged, unemployed, unmarried, unkissed Susan Boyle, standing up there singing her heart out in a voice ten times her size–making her dreams come true at an age when many of us have folded them up and packed them away.”</p>
<p>hear, hear!! Well said !!
and my, what a bunch of cynical posters we have on this thread. tish, tish.</p>
<p>Cynical about reality television - you betcha, but not cynical about Ms Boyle. She is a breath of fresh air.</p>
<p>If y’all enjoyed this, you would really like Operatunity, a British documentary about a contest for amateur opera singers. It has this kind of story, of unprepossessing people who open their mouths and -wow. It delves into their family histories and backgrounds and is truly moving. I saw it on PBS years ago, and it seems to be only available through them.</p>
<p>Perfect description, lunitari!</p>
<p>I showed the video to my husband, who was transfixed as soon as she started singing. He complained about the loud audience, though. I wish there were a youtube video of her singing that song without the audience. It would be nice to really hear the voice.</p>
<p>Wow - this is really moving - both her story, her voice and her singing this song!</p>
<p>I think the set-up was a bit fake, but I don’t think she’s a fake. I don’t think the audience knew she would be good, although the judges may have. I want there to be more, lots more, people like this–I hate the “joke” contestants who are subjects of mockery.
(Did anybody else watch “World Idol” a few years ago, in which a funny-looking Scandinavian guy defeated Kelly Clarkson and others quite handily? That was similar in some ways.)</p>
<p>I still LOVE William Hung (and Mrs. Miller).</p>
<p>Apparently she recorded this song about 10 years ago for a charity CD. It’s wonderful:</p>
<p>[Exclusive:</a> Susan Boyle’s first ever song release revealed - listen to it here - The Daily Record](<a href=“http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/04/16/exclusive-susan-boyle-s-first-ever-song-release-revealed-listen-to-it-here-86908-21283564/]Exclusive:”>Exclusive: Susan Boyle's first ever song release revealed - listen to it here - Daily Record)</p>
<p>How do you make it play…???</p>
<p>Do you see a picture of her with an arrow in it? Clicking on the arrow starts the music. Or you can find it on youtube by searching on “cry me a river susan boyle”</p>
<p>Clicking the arrow did nothing. I will try the youtube search. Thanks.</p>
<p>I pulled it up through youtube, and wow…this is even better. Stunning lyrical talent.</p>
<p>The youtube for Cry Me A river. Absolutely magnificent.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Susan Boyle - Cry Me A River HQ](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8r9lRJ6yHY]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8r9lRJ6yHY)</p>
<p>That is NOT SUSAN BOYLES voice!! Entirely different woman, different pronunciation, timber, tone, etc…</p>
<p>^ Are you serious???
Remember it was made 10 years ago, and she did not sing at all for the last two. Perhaps she was rusty? at the Britain’s got Talent show?</p>