| Charlotte Church |
| Welsh soprano Charlotte Church got her start as a classical singer whose pop-audience appeal made her a millionaire by the time she was 14 years old. Church was signed to a record deal at age 12, after being noticed during an impromptu performance on a local TV talent show. Her debut album, The Voice Of An Angel, was released in 1998 and became a hit on the classical charts. Church then released albums (including 1999's Charlotte Church and 2001's Enchantment), performed internationally and made numerous appearances on television, both in the United Kingdom and the United States. Although known primarily as an opera singer, she also sang songs from Broadway musicals and other popular tunes. One of her best-known songs is "Just Wave Hello," a hit single that was from a television commercial for the Ford Motor Company. As Church emerged from her young teen years, she recorded the pop album Tissues and Issues (2005), and her new all-grown-up persona made her a favorite of the gossip sheets. By 2007 she was into the second season of BBC variety show ( The Charlotte Church Show ) and expecting her first child with Welsh rugby player Gavin Henson. She began dating rugby star Henson in 2005. Charlotte became an overnight classical superstar in November 1998 with the release of her debut album, Voice of an Angel, issued when she was just 12 years old. Born in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, she began performing in public at age three, and five years later was a regular at local karaoke competitions; from there Church made a series of television appearances, followed by live dates at prestigious venues including the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall. Upon signing to Sony Classical, she released Voice of an Angel to considerable media attention; a self-titled effort followed in 1999. Both albums went platinum in the U.S. after reaching the Top Ten in the U.K. Dream a Dream, a Christmas album, released in 2000, hit the Top Ten and went platinum in the U.S. Her fourth release, Enchantment, appeared in the fall of 2001. While Church remained in the spotlight during her teenage years, they were not without controversy. In 2002, while 16 years old, she left home to live with her boyfriend, a move that attracted much public debate as well as coverage in British tabloids. Although the couple parted ways a year later, subsequent reports of Church's alleged smoking, drinking, and partying lifestyle dogged her throughout much of this time. In 2006, Church released the dance- and R&B-oriented Tissues and Issues in a bid to fully crossover as pop singer. The album was poorly received, and that same year Church and Sony ended their recording relationship. Besides singing, Church has acted in several films and television shows as well as hosted her own talk show. In 2007. |
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