The Susan Boyle concert scheduled for the Zayed Cricket Stadium on December 13 has been cancelled. Get more details here.
Embarking on her first solo tour abroad, UK talent show hero and global superstar Susan Boyle is coming to Abu Dhabi on December 13. Gary Green caught up with the extraordinary vocalist to find out more.
When Susan Boyle first stepped foot onto the stage for the audition rounds of UK talent show staple Britain’s Got Talent, no one knew quite what to expect. As soon as she sang her first note though, it was clear that the woman from Fife was unlike any of the other acts that had stood in front of Simon Cowell and co that day. She stunned Cowell and the audience with a powerful yet subtle performance of the iconic song ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from the well-known musical Les Miserables, went on to finish as the show’s runner up that year and hasn’t looked back since.
Fast forward four years and Susan is still wowing the crowds today. With two Grammy nominations, over 680 million hits on YouTube and 20 million album sales worldwide Boyle is a bona fide international superstar. And when we heard that she would be on her way to Abu Dhabi this month to perform for her fans in the Middle East for the time, we had to grab a word with the woman herself to hear more about her rise to fame.
It’s fantastic news that you’ll be performing in Abu Dhabi. What are you looking forward to most during your show?
I am most looking forward to just being in the country and being able to perform in Abu Dhabi. This will be the very first time I have performed in the Middle East and I am very excited to be bringing my show to this country.
2013 has been a year in which you embarked on your first ever worldwide solo live tour, with your first dates being in Scotland. How important was it for you to start it off at home?
The Scottish people have been an amazing support to me over the past four years. It felt right that I should start at home to say a massive thank you to them all for their loyalty and friendship. I couldn’t have done it without my country behind me and it was the only way I could say thanks for everything. I’m eternally grateful.
Your fans seem to be extremely loyal, some of them flying to see you in concert.
I genuinely think that I am the luckiest singer in the world. My fans are truly amazing people who have been so supportive and followed me to all corners of the globe, including Japan, the USA, Australia, Europe and Scotland. It is always wonderful to see the same familiar faces and the red scarves where ever I go. Really they are an exceptional group of people, even fans who can’t travel around and follow me on tour are fantastic and always manage keep in contact in their own special way. I appreciate every one of them.
It’s been over four years since the video of your Britain’s Got Talent performance took the world by storm. Do you think something like YouTube is necessary for your career now, or do you think you’ve established yourself enough that you can do without it?
I hope I’ve established myself as an artist now, but the YouTube medium is vital, not just for me but all established and new artists. Four years ago I had no clue about YouTube or the power that it holds. Now I do. It kick-started my career overnight because it meant so many people, particularly outside the UK, could see and hear me sing immediately, and has done the same of many people. Between Britain’s Got Talent and YouTube, I have a lot to be grateful for.
This will be your first time performing a full concert outside your home country. Are you excited for this new experience?
Very excited, it will be great! I can’t wait to visit Abu Dhabi. The world, as they say, is my oyster and I can’t wait to travel it performing. First stop the UAE!
We look forward to seeing you in concert. What can we do to welcome you?
Coming to watch the show would be the best welcome Abu Dhabi could offer me. There are a lot of surprises in the show, it’s definitely worth a watch.
Susan Boyle will be performing at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on December 13. Tickets start at Dhs250 and are available from www.ticketmaster.ae (800 86823).
