About Me
Biography:
With international record sales topping 10 million albums, Charlotte Church is the world's most successful classical crossover female artist.
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.
Church was born Charlotte Maria Reed in Llandaff, a district of Cardiff, Wales. She was raised a Roman Catholic by her mother, Maria, who was separated from Church's biological father. Church was adopted by her mother's second husband, James Church in 1998.
Her break came at 11 when she sang "Pie Jesu" over the telephone on the television show "This Morning" in 1997, followed by her performance on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show in 1998. This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, the Royal Albert Hall and opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp. She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff where she started in 1998. She balanced performing and school with help from tutors for when she was on the road and said in many interviews that she was "just like every other girl her age".
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 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. She has also performed before Pope John Paul II and Bill Clinton, the former United States President.Charlotte Church is the youngest artist to ever have a #1 album on the UK Classical charts.
She made an acting debut on CBS-TV series Touched by an Angel,starred in the 1999 Christmas special of Heartbeat, and in 2003 she presented an episode of Have I Got News For You. In 2005 she played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show, in a sketch with the fictional character Joannie Taylor.
She made her silver screen debut in 2003's I'll Be There, co-starring and directed by Craig Ferguson. Church played the role of Olivia, the daughter of a washed-up 80s rocker from a one-night-stand, played by Ferguson. Church currently appears in a high profile television advertising campaign for Virgin Holidays.
In spite of her extraordinary success, Charlotte had managed to keep a firm grip on the essentials of growing up. At home in Cardiff, she maintained a lively circle of friends, with whom she shared 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."
She first dabbled into pop in February 2003 providing vocals for the Jürgen Vries (aka Darren Tate) single "The Opera Song". She was credited on the sleeve with her initials, CMC. The track reached number 3 in the UK charts.
Church made her venture out of classical music and in 2005, she issued her first pop album Tissues and Issues. The first four singles have all been at least moderately successful in the UK.
In November 2006, it was announced that she and Sony had parted ways. This was a mutual decision reached since her five and later six album deal had come to an end. In the summer of 2006, Church began work on her own entertainment TV show, The Charlotte Church Show.
The show, hosted by Charlotte and featuring two celebrity guests each week, involves a mixture of sketches, reality TV, interviews and music, as well as a recurring Welsh theme. The show has averaged 1.9 million viewers and 10% of the available audience. Church won a British Comedy Award for "Best Female Comedy Newcomer" in 2006, and the 'Funniest TV Personality' award at the 2006 Loaded Magazine's 'LAFTA' awards. In 2008 she was nominated for the Rose d'Or Special Award for Best Entertainer.
On 6 October 2006, it was announced that Channel 4 had commissioned a further two series of the show. According to her official website, the final series, originally planned for summer of 2007, was deferred until after Church gave birth. It was announced on the February 10, 2008 that Church was ready to make her return to TV. The show will air some time in the summer.
Church has lent her support to the production of limited-edition T-shirts or vests for the 'Little Tee Campaign' for Breast Cancer Care which donates money for breast cancer research.She has also been a long time and very visible supporter of the Noah's Ark Appeal to build a children's hospital in Wales.
On 20 September 2007, at 10:35pm Church gave birth to a girl named Ruby Megan Henson. On June 18, 2008, it was announced that Church and Henson are expecting their second child. The baby is due in the middle of January 2009.
Music:
