Living the dream

Susan Boyle has come a long way from the drab little lady who tugged at millions of heartstrings around the globe on April 11, when she appeared as a contestant on Britain's Got Talent. Now, with her first album out — named after the song that made her famous, I Dreamed A Dream — Boyle talks about growing up, that audition and doing what she was born to do.

What was it about Britain's Got Talent that made you want to apply for it?

Well, I'd watched the show on television, like everyone. And I had promised my mum that I would do something with my life just before she died.

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What was going through your head when you were filling in the application form?

I was just concentrating on it. They asked what you'd done in the past and what kind of act you had and if you had a stage name! I just thought, well, my own name will do, won't it? I didn't know whether I needed a stage name or not. Was it enough to just put my own name down?

Who had you enjoyed on the show before?

I liked the Glaswegians on it when I saw it on the TV. But it was when I saw wee [chorister] Faryl [Smith] that I thought, ‘I could do that. I fancy that.' She's a very good singer. All the best to her. Paul Potts was exceptional too. Fantastic voice. He was an inspiration to everybody, all the ordinary people like me that just enjoy singing. If you can do it when you're working in the Carphone Warehouse, you can do it from anywhere.

Take me to the audition day.

Well, I will never forget that day — for all the right reasons. January 21. A lot of people dream about being on television, about making records, about entertaining people. You chance your arm and see how far you can get. But to be honest I never thought for a minute that I would get this far.

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The audition was at the SECC [Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre]. I could see the place but I kept on taking the wrong bus. I must have changed buses about six times to get to the place and I could see it all the time.

I got there hours early and sat in the holding room watching everybody do their audition one by one. Everybody kept saying to me ‘are you sure you should be at this audition'. I saw dance groups come and go, men with spoons, dogs.

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Eventually it was my turn, I got three yeses. By the time I'd finished my audition I'd missed my last bus home so one of the runners got me a taxi home. I was on a real high, it was like Celtic winning the cup.

What were your nerves like at the audition?

Pretty jangled, you know? Then with missing the buses, I was all over the place. I went on stage and my knees were knocking but I decided you either show nerves or you get cheeky with it. I said right, the cheek's the thing.

I introduced myself as Susan Boyle and that I'd like to be a professional singer like Elaine Paige. Well that was immediately met with laughter and then I began to sing. Without blowing my trumpet too much, I got a standing ovation, it was exhilarating. I didn't imagine that I'd get that reaction.

My original intention was to go on in a football strip. A Celtic strip, just to get the attention. But my family told me they'd completely disown me if I did! [laughs] So I thought I'd draw the line.

Why did you choose I Dreamed A Dream?

It was just a song I loved from a musical I loved. I'd seen a production of Les Misérables in Edinburgh, at the Playhouse and I liked the mother figure. It was after my mother died that I'd seen the show and I loved the song and what it meant. I'd sort of regressed after she'd died, if you like.

Can we talk about your mum?

It was life-changing not having her to depend on so much. I had to learn to do things for myself. My dad has been dead ten years now and my mum for two and a half. They had a good innings. They were elderly when they went and they'd been sweethearts since they were 20.

This was a promise that I'd made to my mum, that I'd do something with my singing. She was the reason I pursued my singing. She was the reason I became a member of choirs and sang in wee clubs. Just to see what I could do. She had a good belief that I could do it. She was a good woman.

We'd seen a soloist singing on the TV just before she passed and I said, ‘Is that what you want me to do, mum?' And she said, ‘Yes.' I said, ‘Are you serious?' And she said, ‘Of course I am.' So I decided to do something about it.

The dream my father had of becoming a singer is coming true though me so I think he'd be proud.

You're the youngest of nine? What was it like growing up in such a large family?

Oh, we were quite a squad. All with different abilities. But all very musical. We were a wee bit like the Von Trapps! There were guitars sitting about in the house and a piano and we'd all experiment with them.

We loved The Beatles in the '60s. I was just a wee lassie and we'd sit and watch Top of The Pops and wait for them and The Rolling Stones come on. My dad hated that programme so he used to turn it down, I used to turn it up just for devilment.

Tell me how the dynamics of your house worked.

We were never allowed to go to the local dance hall, but I had a sister who used to shimmy down the drainpipes and sneak out. But there's nobody around who hasn't done that before.

How ironic that you've now taken Wild Horses and made it yours.

I just hope that I can do it justice. The words are great. They take me back to where I lived. It's a very powerful song.

Are your memories of growing up outside of music happy?

They're mixed, like everybody else's. The majority of my childhood was quite happy until I started getting bullied at school. They used to knock me about a bit and try and make me cry. There's nothing worse than another person having power over you by bullying you and you not knowing how to get rid of that thing. I didn't make friends very easily. I often felt pushed aside.

Was music a release from this?

Oh aye, it was a complete emotional release. I had a slight disability and instead of saying ‘right, I have this disability' and concentrating on it, I had to find my abilities and concentrate on that instead.

Singing was the one thing that I was good at. Music was my escape and my brother bought me lots of LPs. I was daft about the Osmonds at the time. I used to go up to my bedroom and play records, I could be who I wanted to be. I used to imagine myself singing to an audience. It was my safe haven. Even at 13, I would see people singing on the TV and wanted to be in that position and entertain people.

When did you first discover that you had a powerful voice?

I've sung since I was about 9. I'd do theatrical stuff and join choirs. I was picked for a solo once, but choirs for me were about hiding behind other people. I was quite shy back then. The thing is, by the time you get to my age you lose that shyness.

How old are you?

[whispers] 48. It's only a number, for goodness sake!

If you'd told the young Susan this was going to happen to her, what would she have said?

She wouldn't have said a word. She would've been too shy to say anything.

A lot of the music on your album has a religious flavour to it.

Aye, there's a couple of hymns on there. It seemed right. How Great Thou Art is a song that takes me right back to my childhood. There's a lot of people I associate with that hymn — it's a very spiritual song.

On a personal level, church is very important to me, it's the central point of my faith and I recognise that God gives you gifts that you have to use to the best of your ability. I hope I've got the right professionalism to do that now.

I know that I've got the right people behind me to bring it forward. I just hope that I can.