Posted on 06/15/2007 9:10:31 PM PDT by doug from upland
(No, he is not Pol Pot. It is Paul Potts. If you have not heard his name, you will indeed be hearing it.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you have not heard this, you need to hear it. Yeah, I know, opera sucks. Well, it doesn't suck, I guess. I just never had any interest in it. But this is going to amaze you. What a Cinderella story. You will be moved and cannot help but to root for this guy, a guy Simon Cowell probably looked at as a total loser.
DO NOT MISS THIS PERFORMANCE ON YOUTUBE!
At 36, Potts is overweight, has not the best teeth, and lacks confidence. He was bullied as a kid.
Most human beings lead lives of quiet desperation. They never really feel that they have accomplished that which they think they could have accomplished.
Here is a guy with an amazing voice who has spent his time working for a mobile phone company to earn a living and pay the bills. At a You've Got Talent contest in Great Britain, he was discovered.
Some have expressed chagrin that he was a professional brought onto the show as a set up. It is true that Potts has had training. He insists, however, that he has never been paid for his singing. This really is a regular guy with a regular job who had a dream. After the exposure, that dream is going to come true.
Paul Potts participates on this mobile phone forum. A friend of his posted this thread to give his workmate encouragement.
Onecompare
Joined: Thursday, June 01, 2006
Total Posts: 154
Post for Pottsy!
Posted: Friday, June 15, 2007 @ 09:39
In case you've missed it our very own Pottsy12, better known as Paul Potts from ITV's Britain's got Talent has been amazing the country with his fantastic opera performances.
We've posted this thread for everyone to add a quick note of support and let him know that you will be voting for him in the final on Sunday 17th June.
So get to it - Post for Pottsy!
Opera singer. Phone company. Human interest story. Ordinary guy with extraordinary talent. Get ready for the Paul Potts cell phone with operatic ringtones.
He almost quit singing. A few years ago he had a burst appendix. They discovered a large tumor that was fortunately benign. While healing, he had a bike accident and broke his collarbone. This is such a great story. Go, Paul!
Here is his semi-finals performance — http://youtube.com/watch?v=rDB9zwlXrB8
The finals is on Sunday.
Are the finals LIVE? (obviously, I do NOT follow this stuff.) I did however watch his outstanding performance on YOUTUBE yesterday....he is GREAT!
Live in England.
ping
I don’t follow this stuff either. I was looking at the hits on my amnesty parody song on YouTube yesterday and accidentally caught this.
Not quite as inspiring, but you might enjoy the amnesty sing-along -— http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y8WdFHK-faM
Potts insists: I’m no opera pro
June 16, 2007
COMMENT ON THIS STORY
THE SUN was swamped with calls from furious readers last night after it emerged Britain’s Got Talent finalist Paul Potts is a trained opera singer who has been coached by PAVAROTTI.
Unassuming mobile phone salesman Paul won a standing ovation after he sailed through to the final gaining the largest share of the public vote.
Following his semi-final performance on Wednesday judge Piers Morgan gushed: “When we signed for this show we had a vision of finding someone doing an ordinary job, someone unassuming who quietly had this amazing talent that we could provide a platform for. You are that guy.”
But yesterday angry viewers told how they felt DUPED after details of Paul’s classical training emerged.
Far from being a shy amateur, Paul has received extensive singing training.
He was a regular with Bath Opera, where roles included the lead in Verdi Don Carlos.
He spent two summers touring northern Italy with a major opera school and took master classes with top stars.
He even got to sing in one hosted by his idol, Luciano Pavarotti.
Paul isn’t even a newcomer to TV talent shows. In 1999 he won £8,000 on Michael Barrymore’s My Kind Of Music.
The Sun was flooded with calls from readers who felt conned.
Matt Young, 33, said: “On the show there has been no mention that he performed in front of Pavarotti.
“It is dishonest of the programme makers. The show is supposed to be all about undiscovered talent but it seems Paul’s talent was recognised a long time ago.”
Julie Shepherd, 29, of East London, said: “My husband and I are absolutely fuming. We feel duped. We voted for Potts and are thinking about asking for our money back.”
Last night Paul defended himself, claiming he was just an “ordinary bloke.”
He said: “I am not a professional. I’ve never been paid for my singing, all the training I’ve received I paid for myself, and I grafted hard to do so.
In total I have spent about £2,000.
“The judges said I was an ordinary guy doing an ordinary job and that is absolutely true. I have worked at the Carphone Warehouse for three years.
“The tour I did in Italy was part of a course, it wasn’t professional.”
MIDI - La donna è mobile http://www.amato.org/amato0102/rigoletto02.html
Documents in his pants…Sandy took quite a chance
Several were there to see…felonies
Stealing some history…for Clinton’s legacy
He’s Sandy Burglar man…he would do all he can
Soon the commission meets…he would be feeling heat
Friends laughed at sloppiness…he lived in such a mess
What had he been stealing…about Clinton’s dealings
‘Though he had the chance…Osama would not be killed
Not today, not today…no, he would not be killed
Not todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay…he would not be killed today
Documents in his socks…his excuse is a crock
It was an accident…no harm meant
Would Sandy pay the price…orange jump suits can look nice
Perp walks are fun to see…on pay per view TV
Everything would be fine…he’d do no jail time
He was a Clinton hack…he’d get his clearance back
What had he been stealing…about Clinton’s dealings
‘Though he had the chance…Osama would not be killed
Not today, not today…no, he would not be killed
Not todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay…he would not be killed today
MIDI - La donna è mobile http://www.amato.org/amato0102/rigoletto02.html
Documents in his pants…Sandy took quite a chance
Several were there to see…felonies
Stealing some history…for Clinton’s legacy
He’s Sandy Burglar man…he would do all he can
Soon the commission meets…he would be feeling heat
Friends laughed at sloppiness…he lived in such a mess
What had he been stealing…about Clinton’s dealings
‘Though he had the chance…Osama would not be killed
Not today, not today…no, he would not be killed
Not todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay…he would not be killed today
Documents in his socks…his excuse is a crock
It was an accident…no harm meant
Would Sandy pay the price…orange jump suits can look nice
Perp walks are fun to see…on pay per view TV
Everything would be fine…he’d do no jail time
He was a Clinton hack…he’d get his clearance back
What had he been stealing…about Clinton’s dealings
‘Though he had the chance…Osama would not be killed
Not today, not today…no, he would not be killed
Not todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay…he would not be killed today
He has had professional training/coaching.
None the less ... WOW
can we get this show here in the states?
Let’s be real — you cannot sing ‘Nessun Dorma’ that well without training.
RGR - I sang at the 8th Winter Olympics at Tahoe - we worked for months and were the only city in the US to be accepted with two choirs - Yea Oakland - OHS and Tech!
Many of the people who appear on “American Idol” have had professional training; some argue with the judges, saying that they have studied for years, while others are openly told by the judges to get some professional training before trying again or going on to another round. Some of them have even worked as professionals, by which I mean they have accepted money or even supported themselves as singers. There is nothing wrong with getting professional training and nothing about working with as a pro before one appears on American Idol or Britain’s Got Talent.
I don’t understand the outrage. Does anyone really think that you can sing opera like that without training of some sort?
That Opera is his joy does not detract from what he did and does - to display this a “raw” talent is BS.
Yes, obviously he has had a lot of training. But the story is still about a guy who sells mobile phones who finally gets a shot. In their own way, performers on these shows have all had training. Some have had considerable training.
I think raw talent means that he he has something you and I don’t have and can never have. We could train for 20 years and never do something like that. God has to give you something special to do what he did. That raw talent has to be developed if you have the passion.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.