April 1: Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum is 25 today.

Hillary grew up in Nashville and was raised around other artists and writers. Her mother is country music singer Linda Kaye Davis who charted three minor country singles as one half of the duo Skip & Linda and won a Grammy for her duet with Reba McEntire. In her solo career, Davis has recorded five major-label studio albums and more than 15 singles.

When she was young, Hillary had no desire to become a musician herself, since it required being away from home too often.
That changeed after her first performance during her junior year in high school, when she joined her mother on stage for a family Christmas show at Opryland. Following the show, she changed her mind, and decided she wanted a career in music.

After high school at Donelson Christian Academy, Scott worked with singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw and earned some publicity, but was unable to secure a contract with a major studio. She auditioned for American Idol twice, but was rejected by the judges in both cases.

Then she met future band members Charles Kelley and later Dave Haywood. She ran into Kelley at a Nashville bar and had recognized him from his MySpace page, where she had previously heard his music. She asked him if they could play music some time.

The trio got together to write some songs at first, but ended up forming Lady Antebellum. Scott claims that being part of Lady Antebellum, as opposed to being a solo artist, lessens the pressure on her on the stage.




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Lady Antebellum officially formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone," before signing to Capitol Records Nashville and releasing "Love Don't Live Here." The song, which nearly reached the top due to its breakthrough performance by the group peaked at #3 on the Hot Country Songs chart in May 2008, served as the first single to the group's self-titled debut album.

Certified platinum in the U.S., the album also includes the singles "Lookin' for a Good Time" and "I Run to You," the latter of which became the group's first Number One in July 2009.

"Need You Now," was released in mid-2009 and was the first single off the band's new album released in January 2010; it was also the group's second number one single. "American Honey," the second single from Need You Now, was released in January 2010, and became their 4th top 10 single, as well as their third #1 single. "Our Kind of Love," the album's third single, was released in May 2010, and became their fourth consecutive Number One on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Lady Antebellum has been awarded Top New Duo or Group in 2009 by the Academy of Country Music and New Artist of the Year in 2008 by the Country Music Association. They were nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards; and two more at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

Of these nominations, they took home the award for Best Country Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals for "I Run to You." More recently on April 18, 2010, the group was awarded Top Vocal Group, Song of the Year ("Need You Now"), and Single of the Year ("Need You Now") at the 45th ACM Awards.

The group was nominated in six categories for the 2011 53rd Grammy Awards.  The trio won the Grammy for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Country Song, Best Country Album and and Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.


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April 1: Susan Boyle "Britain's Got Talent," "I Dreamed a Dream," is 50 years-old today.

 

Scottish singer Susan Magdalane Boyle first gained public attention Worldwide when she appeared as a contestant on reality TV programme Britain's Got Talent on April 11, 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. Her first album was released in November 2009 and debuted as the number one best-selling CD on charts around the globe.

Interest and fascination was triggered by the contrast between Boyle's powerful voice her plain appearance on stage, nd her stated deissre to sing like "Elaine Page," a British musical legend. 

The huge contrast of the audience's first impression of her, with the standing ovation she received during and after her performance, led to an international media and internet response. Within nine days of the audition, videos of Boyle—from the show, various interviews and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" – had been watched over 100 million times. Her audition video has been viewed on the internet several hundred million times. Despite the sustained media interest she later finished in second place in the final of the show behind dance troupe Diversity.

Boyle's first album, I Dreamed a Dream, was released on November 23, 2009 and became Amazon's best-selling album in pre-sales. According to Billboard, the arrival of I Dreamed a Dream ... marks the best opening week for a female artist's debut album since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991."


In only six weeks of sales, it became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 9 million copies.

Press this link to view You Tube video:

Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent 2009 Episode 1 - Saturday 11th April | HD High Quality



In September 2010, Boyle was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as having had the fastest selling debut album by a female artist in the UK, the most successful first week sales of a debut album in the UK, and was also awarded the record for being the oldest person to reach number one with a debut album in the UK.

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Boyle was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Born when her mother was 47, Boyle was later diagnosed as having learning difficulties. She says she was bullied as a child and was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school.
Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her 10-year-old cat, Pebbles.

After her father died in the 1990s, she took care of her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91. Boyle has a reputation for modesty and propriety. Boyle sang in the choir at her church in Blackburn then took singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil. She attended Edinburgh Acting School and took part in the Edinburgh Fringe.

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Prior to Britain's Got Talent, her main experience had come from singing in her local Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes; in local choirs; and in karaoke performances at pubs in and around her village. She had also auditioned several times for My Kind of People. She also has long participated in her parish church's pilgrimages to the Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland, and has sung there at the Marian basilica.

Her repertoire through the years has included songs such as "The Way We Were" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him." British tabloids claimed "exclusives" of video clips of some early performances. In 1995, her audition for Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People at the Olympia Shopping Centre in East Kilbride was filmed – the amateur video shows Barrymore was more interested in mocking her than in her ability to sing.

A biopic is being made starring Glenn Close as Susan Boyle. It has also been announced that Boyle will appear in a musical about her life. She will appear as herself, rather than "having to sit watching people up there" who are actors. The musical will "tell the singer's entire life story, including her years living with her moggy back in Blackburn before her world-famous telly audition." The show may play in the West End before touring the United Kingdom.

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