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| Born in Llandaff, Cardiff, on February 21, 1986, she became an international sensation with the release of her debut album, Voice Of An Angel, released just after she'd turned 13. That record, as did her 1999 self-titled second album and her 2000 Christmas collection Dream A Dream, achieved platinum status in the United States. Ms. Church's last album, Enchantment, was released in the autumn of 2001 and debuted at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. Charlotte Church has garnered worldwide acclaim for offering audiences something completely unique: herself. It's a quality that comes across not only in the dynamics and diversity of her repertoire--which includes Broadway musicals, opera, chamber music, Gaelic airs and contemporary songs--but in the captivating charm and poise of this 16 year-old Welsh singing sensation. Charlotte Church not only has "the voice of an angel," but a "wicked" flare for life. Over the course of four albums in as many years (1998's Voice Of An Angel, 1999's Charlotte Church, 2000's Christmas offering, Dream A Dream, and 2001's Enchantment), she has racked up international sales in excess of ten million units, earning a spot as one of Billboard's Top Ten best selling female vocalists worldwide for the year 2000, a list that included Madonna and Janet Jackson, among others. Her concerts are consistent sellouts--from the Hollywood Bowl to an appearance before 70,000 fans in London's Hyde Park--and she has shared the studio and stage with a wide array of top artists: from Placido Domingo to Wyclef Jean; Billy Gilman to the London Symphony Orchestra. Charlotte Church is the youngest artist to ever have a #1 album on the UK Classical charts. In spite of her extraordinary success, Charlotte has managed to keep a firm grip on the essentials of growing up. At home in Cardiff, she maintains a lively circle of friends, with whom she shares the vital interests of every adolescent girl--fads, fashion, boys and music. Her musical tastes run from opera to hip-hop to soul. "I'm sixteen," Charlotte cheerfully admits. "I go with the flow. I'd say it's important to meet challenges head-on. If there's something you really want to accomplish, but you're scared to try, that probably means you should give it a go. You only live once." It's a maxim Charlotte has followed throughout her extraordinary career. A gifted singer from the age of nine, she landed a major recording contract after a single appearance on a local TV talent show and, while she's never looked back, she also remains remarkably levelheaded about her success. "I never wanted to be famous," she asserts. "I just wanted to sing. But at the same time, I didn't want to be just another pop star. I love so many different styles of music, I wanted to be able to do them all." True to her conviction, Charlotte set out to carve a completely unique musical niche for herself, creating, in the process, a worldwide following that spans borders as easily as it does generations, reaching audiences of every musical persuasion. "I don't mind being considered a classical artist," she reveals, "because that's what my background and training have been. But I don't want to be stuck in any one category. It's true that, because of my age, I don't have the life experience to sing about things like love and death. But, as I get older, I find I can be a bit more of a narrator, telling the story and conveying the emotion of a song. And that opens a whole new world of possibilities." DISCOGRAPHY Charlotte Church in Jerusalem - VHS & DVD - March 26th, 0001 Dream A Dream - released 20.11.00 Charlotte Church - released 15.11.99 Voice Of An Angel - released 9.11.98 |
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