Charlotte Church

The story of Charlotte Church's rise to fame as a confident 11-year-old is the stuff of legend. Brought up on the outskirts of Cardiff by her mother Maria and her adoptive father James, she first rocketed to fame in 1997, performing Pie Jesu down the phone on a national TV show in an extraordinary soprano voice which won the hearts of the nation. Swiftly followed by an equally sensational performance on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show, she soon had a manager, a major record deal with Sony, high profile live appearances and a debut album Voice Of An Angel; which topped the classical charts and also made her a star in America. Church was 13 when her self-titled second album - mixing ariahs with hymns and the patriotic Welsh song Men Of Harlech - accelerated her success and brought her to an even wider audience as she performed in front of The Queen of England, US President Bill Clinton and The Pope. She subsequently broadened her style and in 2005 abandoned classical music and turned to pop with her 2005 album Tissues & Issues, which included the hit single Crazy Chick. Church became a tabloid target after forming a relationship with Welsh rugby star Gavin Henson and had her own TV chat show, but she took a back seat from music when she became a mother. In late 2010 she returned with a new pop album Back To Scratch, largely featuring her own material, and it reached Number 23 in the UK album chart.

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