At 60, Susan Boyle Says She Dreams Of Driving A Fiat Smart Car

Jul 08, 2021 by apost team

Susan Boyle has easily become one of the most successful “Britain’s Got Talent” acts. She first auditioned for the show in 2009 and instantly blew everyone away with her absolutely breathtaking voice. Her powerful yet angelic vocals captured the attention of people from all around the world as they couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her undeniable talent. Although she didn’t win the competition series, Boyle went on to become the professional singer she had always dreamed of becoming.

Since appearing on “Britain’s Got Talent,” Boyle has gone on to continue to win over the hearts of many as she has continued to strive to reach her goals and aspirations. She’s been given the chance to live the life of luxury she never had growing up and has even made an effort to work more on herself. With a stunning makeover and new outlook on life, Boyle continued to reach great heights as she climbed the music charts, mesmerizing an even grander audience than she could have ever imagined.

Boyle has gone on to perform on a variety of shows and has had many specials and documentaries made showcasing her life story and her talent. With an endless stream of talent has come a new abundance of wealth, and Boyle has not been shy with showing off all the wonderful items she’s been able to acquire thanks to having such a gifted voice. At 60 years old, Boyle has accomplished a lot over the span of her career, and she has even gone on to earn her provisional license and is working on purchasing the car of her dreams.

Born on April 1, 1961, Boyle grew up in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. She is the youngest of four brothers and five sisters. Growing up, Boyle struggled as she had been misdiagnosed with a learning disability but later discovered that she actually has Asperger syndrome, as she told BBC News in 2013. However, Boyle was bullied as a child, taking a toll on her confidence. Thankfully for Boyle, she was able to turn to music and trained early on in her life to work on making it a career. She took singing lessons and attended Edinburgh Acting School in hopes of continuing to build upon her talents.

In the late 1990s, Boyle worked more on making her dreams a reality. The hopeful star-in-the-making auditioned for the ITV show “My Kind of People” that was presented by British entertainer Michael Barrymore. Boyle performed on the show but was mocked by Barrymore as she performed “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” from the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

In 1998, Boyle professionally recorded and cut a demo of three songs, including “Cry Me A River,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” and “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” She sent them off to various record companies, radio talent competitions, and local and national television networks. Still striving to finally make it big, Boyle had reached no success with her demo but submitted a track for a charity CD to commemorate the millennium in 1999. It was only after her televised audition on “Britain’s Got Talent” was aired that she finally received recognition for her early work as a struggling singer.

apost.com

Boyle had auditioned for and won several local singing competitions, but they never came with much fame or recognition. Finally, she was urged by her mother to audition for the hit competition series “Britain’s Got Talent,” where she could finally show off her skills to a broader audience and hopefully receive the commercial success she so long hoped for. In 2008, Boyle applied for an audition in Glasgow for the third series of the show.

Boyle’s audition song was befitting for her goals and aspirations, as she had long dreamed of becoming a professional singer and had been working hard at finally mastering her craft. She auditioned with “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Miserables. While everyone was too busy judging Boyle for her less than superstar appearance, she proved everyone who criticized her wrong the moment she opened her mouth.

According to the “Britain’s Got Talent” YouTube account, Boyle was 47 years old at the time of her audition, had never been married before, and only shared her apartment with her cat. With a “cheeky” sense of humor and a stunning voice, Boyle made a remarkable first impression as she blew everyone away with her stunning rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream.” 

The judges at the time of her performance were Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan, and Amanda Holden, and each of them were completely gobsmacked by Boyle’s vocal abilities, much like the rest of the world. Boyle was easily a fan favorite during the series and made it all the way to the finals. Despite seeming like the obvious choice to go on and win the competition, Boyle placed second to street dance troupe Diversity. 

Although she didn’t win, Boyle remained in good spirits despite being extremely exhausted and drained from the rough nature of the show. The Guardian reported that Boyle was admitted to the Priory clinic following the night of the final results for this, but Morgan insisted that she was “essentially fine.” Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time, even reached out to Cowell and Morgan to check on Boyle’s wellbeing. “I hope Susan Boyle is OK because she is a really, really nice person and I think she will do well,” Brown said. Thankfully, Boyle recovered after taking some well-needed rest.

Following her time on “Britain’s Got Talent,” Boyle found herself the center of attention across the world, as people anticipated what she had in store next. In November 2009, she released her official debut album titled “I Dreamed a Dream.” It had 11 covers of other songs and one original track called “Who I Was Born To Be.” Some of the covers on the album included “Wild Horses,” originally performed by The Rolling Stones, “How Great Thou Art,” and “Amazing Grace.”

The album was a great success and went on to be the fast-selling debut album in the United Kingdom, surpassing “The X Factor” winner Leona Lewis’ “Spirit.” Boyle’s debut album was also greatly received in the United States as it had one of the best opening weeks for a new artist. Just shy of becoming the best-selling album of 2009 as it placed second to Taylor Swift’s “Fearless,” “I Dreamed a Dream” did extremely well on the Billboard charts and garnered plenty of media attention.

In December 2009, Boyle had her own television special titled “I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story,” which featured a duet with her longtime musical hero and icon Elaine Paige. Millions of people tuned in to watch, and Boyle continued on in her rise to stardom. She was even considered as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2010, as per the Mirror. In October that same year, Boyle released her autobiography “The Woman I Was Born To Be — My Story” that detailed her life, from being bullied as a child to rising to sudden global fame.

Fans didn’t have to wait too long for Boyle to release her highly anticipated second album in November 2010. This time, Boyle released a Christmas album titled “The Gift.” Since her claim to fame came from a competition series, the Scottish singer held her own competition called “Susan’s Search,” where the winner went on to sing a duet with her on her new album. CBS News reported that contestants were encouraged to upload a video of themselves singing “Silent Night” for their audition. Boyle described the short competition as “an opportunity” and to let “them live the dream that they have always wanted to,” as per CBS News.

Boyle’s third album, “Someone to Watch Over Me,” was filled with more song covers and a handful of original compositions. “Standing Ovation: The Great Songs from the Stage,” Boyle’s fourth album, was comprised of some of the most iconic numbers from musicals. It also featured a few duets with singer Donny Osmond and “The Phantom of the Opera” star Michael Crawford.

While she had taken acting classes in the past, Boyle never really had the chance to showcase her skills in that field until 2013, when she made her acting debut as Eleanor Hopewell in “The Christmas Candle.” Based on a book written by Max Lucado, the movie follows the story of a 19th-century village full of simple people who are in need of a miracle. Along with acting, Boyle also performed an original song, “Miracle Hymn,” in the film. This was also one of the tracks on her Christmas album “Home for Christmas.” Boyle also starred in a handful of documentaries surrounding her life story, including “Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar” and “There’s Something About Susan.”

Boyle took a short break from the entertainment industry in 2015 but quickly came out with a new album afterward. A few years later, Boyle joined the competition series “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” with the hopes of being declared the winner. The show featured previous winners as well as finalists from previous seasons of the worldwide “Got Talent” series.

Boyle auditioned in front of Cowell once again, alongside the other judges, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Mel B. After performing “Wild Horses” from her debut album, Boyle won over the judges and audience much like she had during her first audition. Judge Mel B pressed her golden buzzer for Boyle and sent her through to the finals. Boyle tugged at everyone’s heartstrings when she performed her original audition song, “I Dreamed a Dream,” but she, unfortunately, did not win the competition series.

Rising to fame comes with plenty of highs and lows, but Boyle has worked hard at adjusting to her current lifestyle. Following “Britain’s Got Talent” and skyrocketing to fame, Boyle worked on gaining more confidence and received a beautiful makeover that helped polish her look and really make her shine like the star she is. According to Express, the singer still lives in her childhood home but gave it a much-needed makeover and remodel.

When it comes to the more luxurious side of being a celebrity, Boyle has set her sights on obtaining her very own vehicle. Speaking with the Sun in 2019, Boyle revealed that it had been quite a long time since she was last behind the wheel. “When I was 17 I had one lesson but bashed my dad’s back lights in,” she said. “I was reversing out and bumped into something.” After this, Boyle didn’t have a driving lesson again until she was in her late fifties. “But now I feel more confident to drive and, within myself,” Boyle said.

During an interview with Edinburgh News, Boyle revealed that she got her provisional license at the age of 58. I Drive Safely describes a provisional license as a license with special conditions that has limitations to help ensure driver safety, since most people with this type of license are newer drivers. This license also gives eager drivers the opportunity to practice driving. In other places, a provisional license is also referred to as a learner’s permit.

“I’ve had a couple of lessons and, so far, the car has not been dented… so we’re alright, but watch out,” Boyle jokingly told Edinburgh News. She revealed that she had not driven on the actual road yet, but was practicing in car parks “complete with chasing publicists.” Boyle’s publicist, Nicola Phillips, also chimed in to talk about the singer’s driving experience. “I was filming, running alongside the car filming and trying not to get hit,” Phillips said.

Boyle has always been known for her wit and brazen personality, and it seems like she is still exactly the same. “I like to terrorize the public, but driving has always been one of my dreams, and I’ll go for my test when I’ve got time to learn,” Boyle explained. Although the Scottish singer didn’t say just when she thinks she’ll get her full license, she spoke with the Sun about the kind of car she hopes to one day own and drive. “I like the Smart cars of the Fiat 500,” she said. “I wouldn’t be getting a Rolls Royce or anything like that. I am very down to earth, I’m just me.” The Sun reported that she has also been spotted in a Peugeot.

Over her roller coaster ride of fame and success, Boyle has managed to stay extremely humble and grateful for everything that she’s achieved. She’s been recognized by many people across the world for having one of the most beautiful voices in the entertainment industry, and she has continued to work on releasing more music for all of her fans. With a goal of learning to drive and buying the simple car of her dreams, the 60-year-old singer has shown no signs of slowing down any time soon.

What do you think about Susan Boyle learning to drive? Did you know about her life story? Let us know, and be sure to send this along to your friends and family, too!