More power to Susan Boyle

[canetoad]

I haven't seen this posted here. Do you know she has learning difficulties?

The youngest of nine children, Boyle suffered oxygen deprivation during birth, resulting in learning disabilities. "I come from a musical family," she says. "It has always been there, from my father down. Singing is always something I have done. It has been in my blood since I was 12 and took part in school productions and shows."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/18/susan-boyle-britains-got-talent

[Captain Hilts]

1. She's been very up front about that. Good for her. I wonder what difficulties she's had. nt

[canetoad]

3. Talking to my old auntie yesterday

She wondered if we may be related to her as my great-grandmother was called Sara Boyle and came from about 5 miles away from Susan.

[elleng]

14. THAT is GREAT!

Can you figure it out?

[canetoad]

20. I'm not much into geneaology

but I know her father's name was Patrick Boyle and my great-grandmother was an Irish immigrant to Scotland. May be worth following up.

[mamalone]

12. I am thinking some kind of processing difficulites..

obviously not of the auditory variety however;)

[elleng]

13. I suspect the same.

She also said in an interview that she tried to explain this at school, but they wouldn't/couldn't do anything about it because it was not physically apparent. This is very sad. NOW students with learning differences can be and are provided with appropriate help (IF their school and teachers are attuned. Not ALL are.)

[Faygo Kid]

2. This has been the week of Susan Boyle. Last night Larry King was clueless.

As usual. Here he had the hottest sensation to hit the airwaves in years, and he spent the first 45 minutes on junk.

Ed Sullivan should haunt him forever. Ed was weird, but would NEVER have made that mistake.

[Captain Hilts]

4. I LOVE that the handsome - NOT - Larry King asked her about a make-over. Ugh!! nt

[Mist]

5. No lie--King looks like Gollum after a bad case of flu. nt

[Warpy]

7. She had exactly the right answer, "Why should I?"

She is who she is and she made her peace with it a long time ago.

Surely we can put up with somebody who isn't a praying mantis with bleached blonde hair in order to listen to that wonderful voice.

I just hope she chooses her material as well in the future as she has so far.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Good for her!!! nt

[nickyt]

6. My concern about dear Susan is that she might end up in the hands of unscrupulous, greedy

management/handlers, who just work the hell out of her, treat her like a dog, take all her money for themselves, have no concern for her well-being etc etc. (an old showbiz story, for sure). Not a damn thing I can do about this possible scenario, but I hope she ends up in a great working environment with whoever ends up guiding her career from here on out -

[Captain Hilts]

9. A la Doris Day and Marty Melcher. Ugh! nt

[elleng]

15. I don't think she'd put up with it.

In all of her interviews, she's shown a sharp intellect and understanding of herself.

[nickyt]

18. I sure hope she doesn't! - the only thing is, you can be wooed and pursued by some

manager or whatever, and sign on the dotted line, and then - well, you're pretty well screwed. It's certainly an old story, artists getting used and abused...I happened to catch a bit of a story about some boy band on I think MTV the other night - they were doing great, selling millions of albums - never saw a dime. Forget the name of the band, but their manager, a fellow named Lou Perlman (hell, I think that was his name) - at least he got busted for his shenanigans and is doing 25 years in prison.

Most artists (with the exception of, say, Gene Simmons!) aren't particularly business-savvy, and can be awfully vulnerable to the vultures in the biz...

One of my favorite quotes:

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”

- Hunter S. Thompson

[glinda]

10. Check this out and listen to her 10 yr. old recording "Cry Me A River"- awesome

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/videogaga/16130/susan-boyle-hype-revitalizes-10-year-old-cover/

[mamalone]

11. I have a question...

For those of you who are more knowledgeable about these types of shows... and Simon Cowell in particular. My girls and I thought it was marvelously hilarious, and downright delightful how enraptured he was with her in the famous clip.... sitting there with his face in his hands, a simple grin on his face. I could swear he let out a sigh. The man looked like he was in love:loveya:

Anyway, has anyone else noticed that he hasn't said a single word about any of this except for what was in the original show? The other judges came on, and everyone and their second cousin has been quoted sharing some tidbit about Susan. But not Simon... not a word. That seems odd to me and I'm wondering if it seems odd to anyone else... or if anyone else might have some thoughts on it.

Just want to add that I have been thrilled with this whole thing. I adore Susan more every day and wish and pray for all the best things in life to start camping out on her doorstep from now on. :)

[revolve]

16. I Think hes working on a record deal with her /nt.

[elleng]

17. In one of the interviews (Piers or Amanda?),

s/he said he's in or probably in Hollywood now, making arrangements for recordings for her; its his business.

I thought Piers looked more 'interested' than Simon did (and SHE likes Piers, too!)

I hope they're decent blokes.

PS, for those who think the show was scripted, I've read that this is a 'traditional' British show, done annually? with MANY contestants; and that they view every Brit who shows up. After the first round they know the contestants, but until then, the judges do not.

[mamalone]

19. I had heard that as well..

Amanda (?) was asked about Susan being a ringer, or even an exaggeration of herself. She said that in England the regs are much stricter than they are here. The show would be taken off the air if they lied about her or her situation.

And about Simon.. I have never seen him look even remotely like that. He usually seems so callous, and he looked like the biggest mush while he was watching her. Now I don't think he is romantically interested in her, obviously, but I was thinking (hoping maybe) that this experience might have softened him up a bit- given him a little integrity.