Paul Potts, the British opera bloke
 

Might be old news, not sure, but this fellow is a bit of all right, all in all.

Various bits of controversy here and there (pronounced con - trahv - er - see) but oh well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

My musical taste doesn't run too much in this direction, I am a bit of a philistine ("Isn't opera where they sing, and symphony where they DON'T Sing?"

but this is really really good stuff.

Up there with Andrea Bocelli at least. An auspicious start...

I don't know why exactly, but the lady opera singers don't do it for me but tenors do. I go for female singers in other genres but with opera, the vibratto is overwide for me and the sound too monotonous.

There was an intersting bit in Wikipedia about Potts:

During the programme there was some controversy as to the 'undiscovered' nature of Potts' talent, who was portrayed on the show as simply a mobile phone salesman, whereas he had in fact appeared in four amateur opera productions and in a concert for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and had plans for a summer tour with the Orchestra. Potts responded to his critics saying that he had not claimed to be completely untutored, but had never performed any concert for pay, and was therefore amateur, and that the lessons he had received in Italy he had paid for from his own savings.

Funny, I was going to post this a few weeks ago. :D

I love this clip, his singing got to me as well, raised the hairs on the back of my neck, so to speak. I think it has to do with him looking so utterly gutted and almost sad at the beginning and then this amazing voice rises and he just lets it all out. There is definitely something to him. I don't get that kind of reaction very often.

Yeah, could be staged, but I'm tempted to think it is real enough. He's had training, but that's not the point. Lots of people have plenty of training and for some reason or another, they never make it. To see someone triumph like this is a nice ray of light amongst the usual storm clouds we get hung over our heads by the media. The fact that he is apparently so humble is just icing on the cake. If it is all legit, I wish him well, not that he needs it now.

P.S. I love the look on Amanda's face at around 2:00. Try and get a woman to do that using only your voice. ;) :D

I liked it, if you heard it in context and its entirety it's even more powerful. This is one of those arias that just builds and builds, and right before the end, just before the triumphant finish, the audience is literally tense with anticipation.

My wife too has this adoration for tenors. I don't know what it is, but in college I used to go out with sopranos and violin players almost exclusively. Well, not go out, party is a better word. :)

Any controversy does not distract me for a minute. He was an unknown, never a paid performance, and most of all, he captured the moment, and huge numbers of people who normally don't listen to opera were swept up.

I get a kick out of how slowly ol' cynic Simon Cowell warmed up to him. Dude is a trip. On one level, I think he works because people respect tough love, even if they boo when their darling gets savaged. I caught part of "America's Got Talent" the other day by accident and David Hasslehoff in the Cowell spot made you almost wish for Cowell.

But some of the knife sticking by Cowell in American Idol is over the top. Many, many people are shaky singers when young, and to stomp on their neophyte li'l hearts with "that was simply dreadful . . . . I don't think I've ever heard worse," and the like is way too much, IMO, especially in that effective and cold British accent.

Oh man, the pretty lady was a bit wide eyed at Paul's sound, wasn't she? :cool: Is this the same lady?

Singing on stage is a trip. At some point, what used to be nervous butterflies calm down enough so that you sorta channel the energy of the audience. Sounds woo - woo, but one of the biggest thrills I know is singing a song before a large group and all of sudden, you sing it better than you ever thought you could, and at exactly the right time.

Most audiences really want to be entertained, and if you give them half a reason, they can be pretty generous.

The Today Show on NBC featured his story a few weeks ago.

It's pretty surprising when you see him for the first time, and looks like such a sad sac....and then that wonderful voice comes out. Amazing.

The power of the human voice never ceases to amaze me, when it's done well. Do a search for Thomas Quasthoff if you want to be amazed. It's quite a voice coming from an unlikely body.

I've made a living at singing opera and sometimes take it for granted, because I can do it. But, there are screaming fans out there, who are truely moved by it.

I retired from singing some years ago, and as I've gotten farther away from it, I find myself more interested than ever.

this gave me goose bumps. He's great and I love opera as well.

Ah here's how he desribes himself

"large, relatively well formed head, brown eyes, distinctive lips"

Heh heh. :) That's prety amazing, and I didn't know you did Opera there Smith, I'll remember to keep you away from my wife. :D

I still sing from time to time, but only once or twice per year. Mostly, my artistic outlet is in the running of a music festival wherein I and my cronies from the opera world teach high schoolers how to sing.

That's right, I remember now. :) Why does it seem like I haven't seen you for such a long time on mshop?

I have been busy, and haven't so many MB issues right now - Both MBs are doing well, and my wallet is all the heavier for it.

Work is darned busy - not much time for web surfing.

I noticed that too, it was something all right.....