By Gemma Haigh and Narelle McGowan
Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
Scottish Singing Sensation Susan Boyle has broken a world record with the most pre-ordered album in Amazon history.
The Britain’s Got Talent runner up’s first album I Dreamed a Dream is due to be released on Monday 23rd November and is predicted to top the album charts.
‘Su-bo’ will also be appearing on the X-Factor this Sunday to sing a track from her new album.
Julian Monagham, head of music buying at Amazon.co.uk told the Telegraph: “Just eight months ago, no one was aware of the talents of Susan Boyle. Now, she has generated more Amazon pre-order CD sales than any other artist.
“That is an incredible achievement and is testament to the fact that she has captured the hearts of people all over Britain, America and the rest of the world.”
Edinburgh Napier News caught up with one of Susan’s oldest friends, Suzanne Clifford, from her hometown Blackburn.
Suzanne says she remembers Susan’s singing: “I didn’t know that she could sing until she got up and sang in the pub one night and it was just absolutely amazing.”
Suzanne worked in the local pub where Susan would wow the punters singing songs from her favourite musicals every week on the karaoke.
Susan also toured with the pub band and entered competitions, so it was of no surprise to the people of Blackburn when Susan finally got her big break on Britain’s Got Talent.
Suzanne recalls the whole town getting behind Susan when she was on the talent show: “It was amazing because all the pubs and houses had banners and posters up everywhere saying ‘Go Susan’ and ‘Vote for Susan’.”
Watch the interview in full below:
Very clear embedded video. It is good to put Blackburn and its people in the press too whenever Susan is mentioned because once again, Susan is breaking every celebrity rule in the book. She still lives in the same council flat, still shops and walks around the area, and I am sure still visits her old haunts like the local pub. Let us hope that this will lead to the community benefitting. The Council will now have to definitely listen to its residents’ concerns. And politicians will have to be more accountable.
It is not a wonder that Susan remains in the hearts of the people and translates into sales. There are 90% Susan Boyles in the world and only a small percentage of Britney Spears, Madonnas, Leona Lewis’s etc… Her fame did not change her soul and spirit one iota, even if she had, in her words “scrubbed up pretty well.”