Susan Boyle

Book excerpt: As a child Susan struggled at school and spent many years dreaming of being noticed at local talent shows. The death of her mother and the strength of her faith finally gave Susan the courage to apply for Britain's Got Talent in 2009. The rest as they say is history... Her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream, from Les Miserables, captivated not only the British audience but audiences across the globe. Millions of fans logged in on YouTube and Twitter making Susan an overnight success. Susan's debut album was recognised as the fastest selling UK debut album of all time selling 411,820 copies. In the U.S, the album sold 701,000 copies in its first week, the best opening week for a debut artist in over a decade. I Dreamed a Dream also outsold the rest of the top 5 albums combined. In only a week, it sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, becoming the Fastest Selling Global Female Debut Album.