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How Susan Boyle Won My Heart
Piers Morgan, judge of Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, on the extraordinary moment when he first saw new music sensation and YouTube phenom Susan Boyle. Plus, his response to a certain proposition from her.
Admit it, when you first started watching the YouTube clip of Susan Boyle standing on the stage of the U.K. TV show Britain’s Got Talent, a smile came over your face. Not, I suspect, a smile of expectant pleasure that you were about to hear the second Elaine Paige, who Susan declared was her hero. But a smile of expectant horror and amusement at what I think most of us assumed would be about to happen—that, let’s face it, Susan’s singing might be rather more akin to that of a noise made when a lobster is being slowly boiled alive.
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As one of the three judges on that show (I also judge America’s Got Talent), I can remember the moment like it was yesterday.
We were at a big theater in Glasgow, Scotland, back in January.
It had been a long, hard day at the audition coalface, with very little talent on display.
Then Susan bounced on stage, full of tartan bonhomie, and the reaction was instantaneous: 3,000 people laughed their heads off, me and my co-judges, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden, stifled a chuckle, and the clear message from our collective expressions was "This is going to be a car-crash performance of epic proportions."
Susan, if you’re reading this, then here’s the deal: You promise to sing for me, and share half the profits of the album sales heading your way, and I’m all yours.
And then Susan Boyle began to sing.
And within just a few seconds, the joke was suddenly on us.
I can honestly say it was one of the most extraordinary moments in my perhaps equally unlikely career as a talent-show judge.
Because Susan is not just a good singer, she’s a fantastic singer. Someone whose stunning range, tone, and delivery is worthy of comparison to anyone—the great Elaine Paige included.
Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables was almost perfect. Yet she has never sung professionally; in fact, she has barely sung out of her tiny village in a remote part of Scotland.
Susan is about as amateur as they come. And at 48 years old, she knew this was probably her last chance at making the big time.
Boy, did she take that chance!
As I watched this astonishing scene unfurl again when the show aired in Britain on Saturday night, I texted Simon in Hollywood: "My god, Susan was even better than I remembered—she’s unbelievable." He agreed, and I could almost feel his beady little eyes going ‘KERCHING!’ down the line from his new Beverly Hills mansion.
For, unless I am a brainless aardvark—which might, sadly, be true—then this lady is going to sell a lot of records once the series is over.
And she deserves to. Because Susan represents the purest essence of what a great TV talent show should be all about.
Like the opera singer Paul Potts before her, her appearance and demeanor never suggested for one moment that she could possibly have such a huge talent.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
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Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
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Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
How Susan Boyle's Rival Won Me Over
Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
Susan Boyle has me actually interested in buying CDs again. I will definitely purchase her album when it comes out. Good for her!!
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Me too! It's been since FOREVER that I've bought a CD...I prefer to download individual songs on iTunes, but I would absolutely buy one of her CDs, and I would travel to see her sing in concert.
And Piers....I'd not ever watched the America's Got Talent (I'm from the U.S.), so I'd not heard of you, but I have to say that I've been watching this thing unfold and it's just wonderful. I'll never stop loving that moment on all of your faces when she belted out the first line of that song. It's was an incredible moment! Looking forward to following the rest of the show!
I agree with Piers about Susan. Her talent is topnotch. She and Piers have Aries energy in common...that feisty, outspoken, tell-it-like-it is personna! I know what I'm talking about because I have my moon and mars in Aries! Piers will be comfortable promoting her.
I have watched her sing 7 times, I have told everyone to watch her sing.!!! My G-d,isnt this a beautiful story!!!!. At first they were just laughing at her, and she could care less, and her warmth and friendliness, and laughter,with everyone. this is one of the greatest singers ever heard.!!!It puts all of us, worried about looks, style, shapes, designs,weight, everything to shame.!!!!.Exactly as Pierce Morgan said,... The joke was on us!!!I personally hate the cruelty of the program many times. But just because they offered her,a stage to sing to the world I am a Simon FAN.!!! Heart warming,we all need to see and hear this.AN. AMAZING VOICE&AMAZING Woman.Can't wait to see and hear more of her.Fantastic that the Daily Beast made this one of the main stories.Just Fascinating.!!!!
This is what a real human being is made of.Or we should all be like this lady,its not just her voice, it was all of her.!!As they say Beauty is in the eyes of the Beholder, after she started to sing SHE BECAME GORGEOUS,JUST GORGEOUS!!It is a beautiful world after all.!!when we can hear a voice like this.
It's unfortunate that you don't have the decency to apologize to Ms. Boyle and all the other less than perfect people who live in this world along with you.
It seem you and the other judges didn't learn anything from Paul Potts and I believe there was a youngester who also proved that looks are not an indicator of talent or skill.
Reports say that Ms. Boyle looked after her parents, is a compassionate person, volunteers at her church and is always willing to lend a helping hand. I doubt such praise will ever be said about you and the other "judges."
"Judge not lest ye be judged", seem real appropriate right about now.
Mixpixlix, were you saying these things to me or to the writer of the article??In no way was I at any moment making fun of this beautiful lady.I was saying that the show does that alot and that is why, I ,when thousands of people like it, I refuse to watch it because they are cruel. They could be judges, but cruelty is not needed. But like in the Roman, times, people enjoy the show. I started, to watch her because something in me said, Dont change this chanel,she is going to show all of them.I think she is beautiful and an amazing Human Being. and I started to cry, because she showed all, what inner beauty and talent is,and that all who laugh are ugly.I am not perfect either.
I was definitely NOT aiming my comments at you. When I wrote them there were no other comments posted.
I do not watch reality shows, punked programs, etc., as I find no humor or joy in humilating and embarrasing others.
Ms Boyle's story should be a lesson for all.
Where did my 2 coments, go they do not show up.amapola101
Ms. Boyle better get an agent/manger FAST because all kinds of media outlets will be using her for ratings -- they already are!
She needs protecting from over-exposure and rotten venues.
Someone with a bona fide showbiz reputation please step up!
I believe Simon is already getting her a contract, or finding her an agent.!!!He cannot laugh now, he will become her producer.But as much as I trully deslike his cruelty, and that must be one of the reasons, that people love this show,This show has offered opportunity to hundreds,and made them famous. I would never have the courage to go on a stage, and have people laugh or criticize me, like they do to some.But alot of my friends, say, that I miss the point, THEY ARE WINNERS JUST BECAUSE THEY ATLEAST HAD THE OPPORTUNITYTO GO ON TV>GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!
You do know that Simon's contracts are slave contracts? They are heavily in his favor and very little for the artist.
Have any of you heard of Michelle McManus?
Sublime, no less!
We all got a lesson to learn when it comes to judging a book by its cover, and what a magnificent book we discovered her to be.
Piers and Simon,
When I saw the tape of her audition, I cried. I beg of you, don't change a thing about her. Her hair, her eyebrows, her dress, her lovely face with no makeup. I think she's an angel- the kind that God sends down to remind us of our humanity and humility. She gave me faith again when all I seem to see around me is dreck and perverse.... stuff that is meant to shock and in turn, desensitize all of us so that we just don't see all the great things that the world has to offer, if we would just look and find..... a Susan Boyle.
Well said, january13a. No one should even TRY to change or ruin this angel of a woman. We want to love her just the way she is.
Piers, you are rude jerk. Seriously. Your sassy (but not funny) comments on her appearance and your assumed prediction of her LACK of talent talent based solely on her appearance are just shameful.
Blonde hair, blue eyes and a 36-24-36 figure will not get you into Heaven. Nor will it make you happy. Being a good person, that is something to be proud of.
Right on Traci and it disgust me that his girlfriend would say "is she blind" what does she have to offer? She'll never be the kind of person Susan is. Her remark angers me and it's not something Piers should repeat.
And btw, why would she pay your lazy ass (or anyone else's lazy ass) a 50% commission of her sales? Is that a joke?
I totally agree that someone should step-up and get this lovely lady away from Simon and his horrible contracts.
She needs someone to protect her & her God given voice.
Give her a REAL recording contract and not make a slave to the touring road of her. She's too fragil and too good for that tour of Simons. Just saying.............
The hair on the back of my neck stands up every time I see her! Susan Boyle is beautiful! My musical taste begins and ends with Diana Ross with some stops along the way at Cher and Madonna but I gotta tell you, I want to be the first person in line when Susan's first CD is released! You go girl!
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Why is Piers so proud to say he laughed at her? I am amazed that Piers and his fellow talking brainless idiots keep insulting her like that. Funny when I see a woman who is botoxed, bleached, implanted and liposuctioned the first things I think of is that she is fake, talentless and dumb. I can understand the tatooed youngish audience responding to her age- but take a second look at the ugly giggling freaks in the audience. Journalists please stop with the references to her plain looks.
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Honestly, everyone, this woman is *not that great of a singer.* She can't hit the lower notes on this song, her breath control is weak, and she is straining in her upper register. With a few years of training, she might have a passable voice, but she couldn't begin to sing the repertoire of someone like Elaine Paige (or Elaine Stritch, for that matter). The reason why this video resonates so much is -- let's be frank -- because she's a rather homely woman, and the lyric of the song seems to directly parallel what she's lived through herself. Letting her dreams slip by, being forlorn by men -- you can't help but feel sorry for her and want to see her be happy. But we can't say she's a great singer; she simply isn't.
It is true Susan did not hit the low notes, but you are wrong that she resonates because of her looks. I don't live in the UK, and I first heard Susan, before I saw her, or learned her story, and I thought she had an outstanding, albeit untrained, voice. Because Susan said she aspired to be like Elaine Paige, I checked Ms Paige's youtube performances. In my opinion, Susan compares favorably. In fact, I prefer Susan's voice. The only youtube performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" which was better than Susan's UNTRAINED performance was that of Patty Lupone.
I don't claim to be able to judge the technical merits. Her performance seemed fine within the limitations of the cheap computer speakers on which I listened. The comment is partially right, but doesn't touch the heart of the matter. I believe we've come to living in such a video-oriented world that, if a performer isn't visually attractive, no amount of musical talent will attain a popular following. This video brought that home. I was also reminded of stuff from the last century--Mama Cass, and Harry Chapin's song 'Mr. Tanner'.
I beg to differ... that was a tough song to deliver with the environment she was in and background of the audience cheers and yet she delivered superbly! You must listen to her recording of "Cry Me A River" and then make an assessment. The fact that she could sing on Larry King and the Morning Show with no accompaniment whatsoever attests to her extraordinary talent. Her story is the most pure I've ever heard and that's why we're all smiling and cheering for her, she has, in this day of many struggles, uplifted us! May God protect you from marketeers and speed you on Susan Boyle..
hey grumpyamboy,
did you listen to the track of her singing "Cry Me a River" on the charity cd? look on the internet for that also
she has a liquid voice, just flows over you, makes you want to keep listening as long as she is singing
Since Monday, I have watched that 7 minute YouTube video several times a day......and her pure voice and sweet demeanor still makes my heart swell. She is the female Josh Groban and I'm sure she will soon be signing a recording contract.
I understand Jay Leno is doing a skit on her tonight. He is nothing but an unfunny talk-show host with an ugly chin. The talk-show fools must degrade a woman at every chance which in turn, hurts us all in the end.
Susan Boyle is the genuine deal. I hope she gets a good contract and becomes a world success. God Bless her.
You can tell she has worked more on her voice than her hair, and it paid has off. You can tell she has practiced a lot in choirs.
She has the perfect voice for the perfect song. And the song is a great song, it fits the times.
I haven't heard a sonf for a long time, that kept playing in head, it is such a great song. There used to be all kinds of great songs.
I think it could become a hit.
Piers is not talented like she is. What those judges appear to do is demean their guests for what ever characteristic they kind find that is demeanable.
What kind of talent does it take to do that. Four year olds can do that.
And to assume what her performance was going to be like, based on his bias opinion he gained just by looking at her, before she was even given a chance to perform, shows he is not much of a judge.
Everyone knows she is great, and chose a great song to sing, which had a good fit with her voice.
Not everyone gets to the top because they know who to -low, some actually get to the top because they are better at what they do, which is different that positioning oneself as elite like the quasi judges do.
Susan Boyle is elite.
I've had enough of people condemning those who judged Ms. Boyle on her appearance and opining that Ms. Boyle shouldn't change a thing. First, I don't think Ms. Boyle is without positive physical attributes. She has a gorgeous, genuine smile--not unlike Piers. Secondly, if Ms. Boyle had worked on her appearance as diligently and with such astuteness as she has her singing, she might be getting a somewhat different reaction. I would very much like to see Ms. Boyle with a bit of an eyebrow wax--nothing too extreme, and professional hair and makeup. She's not going to be Amanda, but then I'm not either. Are these not the same things that Elaine Paige does? Apparently Ms. Boyle never had a big sister or other person to show her the ropes. Well if she's interested, someone should help her out in this regard. She could also use a little coaching on dealing with the media. And I'd like to see her put the same effort into her speaking voice that she does into her singing voice. She has the voice of someone who is not accustomed to being taken seriously. There is no reason at all, none, not to take Ms. Boyle very, very seriously.
Glad you noticed that Piers RESEMBLES Susan Boyle...same smile,
same double chin, same skin tone/texture...I couldn't help but notice that
when he was mesmerized by Susan's singing on BGT. Suprised no one else
noticed. He actually LOOKED LIKE he was in love with her in that moment..
check it out on utube. If a man has a double chin and is not hugely attractive,
no one comments (piers morgan for example), but when a woman like susan
does they pick her apart for everything including her eyebrows. give me a
break...that's just silly.She is lovely as she is and having seen her more
recently on TV and in magazines, she still looks good even with changes
and makeup..natural looking. I adore her and love to hear her sing.
And Piers, if your reading, stay away from Susan.
INCREDIBLE! I couldn't stop listening to the youtube video. Going to go to sleep, get up in the morning and listen again, and probably again and again. I LOVE this woman. Talk about vibrato!
Check out Susan's version of Cry Me A River, her only CD, at http://www.susan-boyle.com/
Thank you. It's beautiful. This lovely woman has shown up our culture of beauty for the shabby thing it is.
OK, Britain has talent, but have they no shame?
The sick, smarmy patronizing treatment the judges gave her made me want to smash my "telly."
They tug her out there and treat her like a circus show, and then put on airs like, "OMG! What a humbling experience!"
Don't they see what complete "bloody asses" they are?
Yes, she has a great voice, and yes she deserves tremendous applause, but those creepy holier-than-thou judges deserve to be voted off the island.
God, they pissed me off to no end.
I agree with you wholeheartedly.The first time I saw Susan's performance and then heard the judges remarks, I just wanted to cry, both tears of happiness because Susan's voice was beautiful, and tears of fury and shame that an audience full of people AND the judges would look only on the outside. The audience should be ashamed, but every one of those judges should hang up their hat and dismiss themselves from the show.Their collective behavior was entirely unprofessional. Can you imagine a REAL judge, in a court of law, behaving this way? If a real judge based their decisions on someone's looks before the person could ever utter a word, we'd be in a world of hurt and hopefully that judge would be out on their ear.
Susan's performance has gotten a lot of attention, and she does deserve it, but what needs more attention is the behavior of the judges. We live in a world that judges the book by its cover, even though we are taught to do otherwise. I can very much relate to Susan. Looks-wise, I am not high on the scale, and have been single my entire life. I have been laughed at and overlooked and know the pain of it all too well. There is a huge lesson to be learned here and I hope it doesn't pass us by, although I don't hold out much hope for that. The same people who are out there preaching her inner beauty now will be the same folks laughing at the next person who doesn't live up to their standards of "normal".
Your post, overdue, is wonderful. And as you can probably tell, they pissed me off too.
Thank you.
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