Charlotte Church

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Biography

Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed ; 21 February 1986) is a Welsh people|Welsh singer-songwriter , actress and television presenter . She rose to fame in childhood as a European classical music|classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide http://www.wma.com/charlotte_church/bio/CHARLOTTE_CHURCH_BIO.pdf including over 5 million in the United States . In 2010 she was reported to be worth as much as £ 11m (though one 2003 report quoted her worth at £25m). She hosted a Channel 4 chat show The Charlotte Church Show Church released her first album in five years, titled Back To Scratch , on 17 October 2010. She is also mentioned as one of the Bohemians in Ben Elton 's musical We Will Rock You (musical)|We Will Rock You .

History

Early life

Charlotte Church was born Charlotte Maria Reed in Llandaff , a district of Cardiff , Wales . She was brought up as a Roman Catholic by her mother, Maria, who was separated from Church's biological father, Stephen Reed. Church was adopted by her mother's second husband, James Church in 1986. Her break came at 11 when she sang Andrew Lloyd Weber 's " Pie Jesu " over the telephone on the television show " This Morning (TV series)|This Morning " in 1997, followed by her performance on ITV 's Big, Big Talent Show in 1997. This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park , the Royal Albert Hall and opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp . She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff where she started in 1998 after leaving The Cathedral School, Llandaff . She balanced performing and school with help from tutors for when she was on the road and said in many interviews that she was "just like every other girl her age".

1998–05: Classical career

Church was then introduced to the Cardiff impresario Jonathan Shalit, who became her manager and negotiated a contract with Sony BMG . Her first album, Voice of an Angel , was a collection of aria s, sacred songs, and traditional pieces that sold millions worldwide and made her the youngest artist with a No. 1 album on the British classical crossover charts.

Church appeared on Public Broadcasting Service|PBS specials. Her Charlotte Church (album)|self-titled second album also included operatic, religious and traditional tracks. One, the soaring and inspirational Just Wave Hello , was the centre piece of a millennium-themed ad campaign for the Ford Motor Company . The song's full-length video, featuring Church, won acclaim at the North American International Auto Show|Detroit Auto Show and introduced her to new fans. The track reached No. 31 in Britain.

In 2000, she released Dream a Dream , an album of Christmas carol s. It included Church's first foray into a more pop-influenced style in the title track Dream a Dream , borrowing the melody from Gabriel Faure|Fauré's Pavane (Fauré)|Pavane and featuring young American country singer Billy Gilman . Church also sang with Gilman in "Sleigh Ride" on his CD Classic Christmas .

In 2001, Church added more pop, swing, and Broadway theater|Broadway with her album Enchantment (album)|Enchantment . That year, Church made her first film appearance in the 2001 Ron Howard film A Beautiful Mind (film)|A Beautiful Mind . Celine Dion was beginning a concert engagement in Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas and was not available to perform the film's end title song, "All Love Can Be", so composer James Horner enlisted Church and the song was rewritten for her vocal range . Church also handled other vocal passages throughout the score.

In 2002, at 16, she released a " best of " album called Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church|Prelude , and took part in the Royal Christmas tour alongside Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer , concluding her classical music career.

2005–09: Pursuing pop career; Tissues and Issues

In 2005, Church issued her first pop album Tissues and Issues . Four singles were moderately successful in the UK with " Crazy Chick " reaching no. 2, " Call My Name (Charlotte Church song)|Call My Name " number 10, " Even God Can't Change the Past " number 17, and " Moodswings (to Come at Me like That) " number 14. Although these were released in Australia as well, they failed to reach the same level of success there, and in March 2006 it was announced that there would be no US releases of Church's pop work until she had achieved a number 1 hit in the UK. Tissues and Issues accounted for no more than 2% of her total sales. Church's pop album was released in the U.S. through Amazon.com MP3 shop, and iTunes in 2009.

In April 2006, she performed three concerts in Glasgow , London , and Cardiff, in venues holding between 2,000 and 3,000 people; the dates at London and Cardiff were sold out. Supported by Ireland|Irish band the New Druids, Church performed a mix of tracks from her debut pop album and a number of pop covers including Prince (artist)|Prince's " Kiss (song)|Kiss " and Gloria Estefan 's "Rhythm is Gonna Get You". Though Church hinted at the possibility of a full tour in the future, none took place.

In November 2006, it was announced that she and Sony had parted ways. According to her publicist, this was a mutual decision reached after a series of meetings throughout the year, which were held since her five and later six album deal had come to an end. There was some speculation that Church had decided to take a break from her singing career, in order to focus on her television show. Others suggested that the performance of her pop releases in the charts also contributed to the decision. Soon, she became pregnant with her daughter, Ruby Megan Henson, and this was widely believed to have contributed to the decision.

In 2007, Church became Patron of the charity The Topsy Foundation UK, helping to raise awareness and funds for its work to support rural communities in South Africa, empowering people infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS , through medical care, social support and skills development.

Articles emerged in the UK press in March and April 2008 stating that she was still training classically and was contemplating a return to classical crossover at some point. Church has sung in religious services in Taizé . She has also performed before Pope John Paul II , Queen Elizabeth II , the Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince of Wales and Bill Clinton .

In June 2008, she again became pregnant, this time with her son, Dexter Lloyd Henson. In Church's latest interview, she mentioned she would be ready to work on more music a few months after she was fully recovered from her second pregnancy, and Dexter was a little bit older, though was not sure whether she would further develop her classical career, her pop career, or both as she loves both genres for different reasons, and plans to work on both genres but needs to be in a creative state of mind to continue work on her second Pop album. Charlotte also mentioned that she has been working with a vocal instructor to keep her voice in check during, and after her second pregnancy, and while she has never put a focus on her body image, she would like to get back into the shape she was in before becoming a mother when she resumes work.

In June 2009, Church was interviewed for ' Hello! ' magazine,Hello& #33; Magazine http://www.hellomagazine.com/music/200906011327/charlotte/church/exclusive/1/ and discussed her life since having her second child. She said that she was currently in the studio, resuming work on a new album. She mentioned that Henson had been strongly encouraging her to get back to work, and pursue her career that she has greatly missed since settling down.

2010–present: Return to Music and Back to Scratch

Church appeared on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross on 13 March 2010, where she confirmed that she had already begun writing and recording her sixth studio album. Church also stated that the album was of a different sound to previous, more mature with a "kooky" vibe.

On 4 August 2010, Church made a new track, "Cold California", available to download from her Web site .

Church's new album, Back to Scratch , was released in the UK on October 25, 2010. The 14-track set has been produced by Martin Terefe. Back to Scratch was preceded by a single& nbsp;- the LP's title track& nbsp;- on October 24. "Back to Scratch" was originally inspired "by problems facing a family member", but Church admitted in a press release that the song now has resonance to her own personal life following her recent split from Gavin Henson.
Other tracks confirmed for the album include "Ruby", originally recorded by French singer Camille and written by Euston Jones, "Logical World", "Story Of Us", "Don't Think About It" and "Cup Of The Sun".
Back To Scratch will also feature "The Actors", which Church performed on BBC One talent contest Over The Rainbow in May, and a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River".
A video featuring a snippet of another song from the album, "Snow", is available to watch on the singer's YouTube channel and is currently streaming on her official Web site.
On 6 September 2010 Church posted a short video to her official YouTube channel showing her being filmed for the video of the lead single and title track "Back to Scratch" in the background the song can be heard playing.
It was announced on March 13, 2011 that Charlotte had terminated her $3 million (£2 million)deal with Power Amp Music over promotional disputes. Her spokesperson released the following statement "All I can really say, because of the confidentiality issues, is that it was in Charlotte's financial interests to do so before the agreement entered the second year of its term. This is typical for these type of deals, which are investment deals rather than record deals. I can also say that the decision to terminate the term early, which suited both parties, was made well before the commercial release of the album." A spokesperson from the record label also released a statement saying "It didn't work out with Charlotte and that's fair enough. There was no falling out. It was a mutual decision. They decided to exit the deal."

The third single to be released from the album, Snow was released on April 11, 2011. As of the beginning of 2012 there appear to be no new musical projects on the horizon for Church.

Acting and television career

Church has made a number of cameo appearances on television. She appeared in the CBS series Touched by an Angel , starred in the 1999 Christmas special of Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat , and in 2002 and 2003 she appeared on episodes of Have I Got News For You (the first time as the show's youngest-ever panelist; the second time as host). In 2005 she played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show , in a sketch with the fictional character Joannie Taylor . In 2008 she appeared briefly in a sketch in Katy Brand's Big Ass Show .

In December 2005, for '' The Paul O'Grady Show Christmas pantomime , The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)|The Wizard of Oz , Church played Dorothy Gale .

In January 2010 for Hospital 24/7 , Church made an appearance on the program finale, where she visits the Children's Hospital for Wales to launch the Noah's Ark Appeals campaign to fund the equipment in the new Critical Care Unit, which will help children needing high dependency, or critical & intensive care.

In the summer of 2006, Church began work on her own entertainment Television|TV show, The Charlotte Church Show . After a pilot episode which caused some controversy and which was never released to the public, the series began on 1 September 2006 on Channel 4 .

The show, hosted by Church and featuring two celebrity guests each week, involved a mixture of sketches, Reality television|reality TV , interviews, extremely foul language , and music, as well as a recurring Wales|Welsh theme. The show has averaged 1.9 million viewers and 10% of the available audience, and on 6 October 2006, it was announced that Channel 4 paid Church a reported £1,200,000 for a further two series of the show. According to her official website, the final series, originally planned for summer of 2007, was deferred until after Church gave birth.

Church won a British Comedy Award for "Best Female Comedy Newcomer" in 2006, and the 'Funniest TV Personality' award at the 2006 '' Loaded (magazine)|Loaded Magazine's '' 'LAFTA' awards. In 2008 she was nominated for the '' Rose d'Or Special Award for Best Entertainer.

In late June 2008, Channel 4 began showing trials for the series. It has since concluded its eight-show run. Church confirmed on 28 August 2008 that The Charlotte Church Show would return for a Christmas special, which aired on 21 December 2008. On Friday Night with Jonathan Ross , Church revealed that the third series would be shown on Thursday nights beginning on 10 July 2008. The show ended after its third series.

Church was confirmed by the BBC in February 2010 to be one of the judges on Andrew Lloyd Webber 's new West End revival show Over the Rainbow (2010 TV series)|Over The Rainbow .

She made her silver screen debut in 2003's '' I'll Be There (2003)|I'll Be There '', co-starring and directed by Craig Ferguson . Church played the role of Olivia, the daughter of a washed-up '80s rocker from a one-night-stand , played by Ferguson. The film did not meet with widespread success, playing for only ten days in British cinemas and being released directly to video in the US.
Charlotte was also under consideration to appear in the 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)| Phantom of the Opera as the leading female character Christine Daaé but elected not to audition as it was specified she would have to lose weight before she could try out which she declined to do. The part eventually went to Emmy Rossum . Church also stated she had wanted the part of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, however, at 14 she was too old for the part, which eventually went to Emma Watson .

Church sat in for Zoë Ball on BBC Radio 2 's Saturday breakfast show on September 10 and 17, 2011

Personal life

Church's personal life has often been portrayed in UK Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid newspapers, inspiring the song "Let's Be Alone" on her album Tissues and Issues .

Church released an autobiography titled Voice of an Angel (My Life So Far) at 14, before the release of Enchantment (album)|Enchantment and just after she had wrapped up her Dream a Dream Christmas CD. Her change of music direction is hinted at in the final chapter, "Turning Corners". She released a second autobiography titled Keep Smiling in late 2007, very different in tone from the first.

Aspects of her personal life have been criticised in the press. In 2002, she was photographed Tobacco smoking|smoking , which was controversial due to its possible effects on her voice. It subsequently emerged that she had developed a habit, and that many members of her family were heavy smokers, making it difficult for her to quit. Her smoking habit was alluded to on the album Tissues and Issues , in "Confessional Song". Her weight gain has also been criticized in the media. Regarding the pressure to lose weight, Church has been quoted as saying, "I'm happy with how I look. I like looking like this. Why change just to be like everyone else? What's the point of that? "The Guardian, 16 October 2005, pg. 18 In an interview with Reveal magazine in June 2006, she said, "I do look a bit of a heifer on telly and in pictures but that's because the camera puts pounds on you."

The press devoted much attention to Church's relationship with boyfriend Gavin Henson , a Wales national rugby union team|Welsh International rugby union player. At the end of 2005, she bought a property in her native Cardiff , for a reported pound sterling|£ 500,000 which she later sold for £900,000. The couple then bought a Manor house|manor with a 20-acre (8 hectare) small holding in the county borough of the Vale of Glamorgan in the scenic village of St Brides Major|St. Bride's Major . The couple mentioned marriage on talk shows and in the press but put off marriage while Church was pregnant.

In 2007, Church made another appearance on a British young people's Sunday Times Rich List|rich list with Henson. They were ranked 49th-richest young people in Britain with an estimated joint wealth of £12 million,
The couple bought a Princess Yachts|Princess yacht in spring 2008 for £800,000, named Sketchy, which is berthed at Swansea docks|Swansea marina . In late 2009, returning from a day-trip in the Bristol Channel , Church called out Her Majesty's Coastguard to rescue their lost Rigid-hulled inflatable boat|RiB tender. Church practices karate to keep fit.

On 20 September 2007, Church gave birth to daughter named Ruby Megan Henson. On 11 January 2009, Church gave birth to her second child, son Dexter Lloyd Henson. http://www.charlottechurch.com/ Church has stated she wants her childbearing days to be over by the time she is 32. She has also said she wants four to six children, whereas Henson wanted eight. The Daily Mail reported on 31 May 2010 that Church and Henson had split up.

Controversy

Church has provoked controversy on some occasions with her comments and criticisms& nbsp;& mdash; in an interview with Davina McCall , she agreed being diplomatic was "not in her nature". In the wake of the September 11 attacks|11 September 2001 attacks , at which time Church was 15, she visited Ground Zero and later stated, "I went to Ground Zero just as an ordinary person. It was awful, people taking debris to sell& nbsp;... Everyone there has to relate themselves to it. They are like 'Yeah, my neighbour's dog's owner's sister's dog was involved, but he got out just in time'. It was a bit sick. People overdramatise and lose perspective." Regarding the rescue workers at Ground Zero, Church commented, "They went from here in society to celebrities. They are even invited here to present television awards which I just don't agree with." After some Americans took offence to these comments, Church insisted that her comments were "distorted and misrepresented", and that "The New York fire-fighters display remarkable courage and sacrifice every day and their work and efforts at Ground Zero are an extension of that."

The pilot episode of Church's talk show, The Charlotte Church Show , provoked a backlash from some religious groups, as Church reportedly mocked the Roman Catholic Church and made controversial comments about Pope Benedict XVI , calling him a " Nazi " in reference to his service in the Hitler Youth and German Army . One large Catholic distributor of books, CDs and other goods, Ignatius Press , pulled Church's products from its catalogue.

In her video blog entry for 22 March 2007, Church referred to the UK's Eurovision Song Contest 2007|Eurovision entry, Scooch , as "absolute shit" and went on to say, "I've never seen shit like it, because Scooch really are shit." Russ Spencer of Scooch hit back, saying, "What a pity the voice of an angel has acquired the mouth of a sewer." Spencer's fellow band member Natalie Powers added, "As a mother of a young child myself I find her behaviour and language quite unacceptable. What kind of role model is this for a mum-to-be? " Church hit back by saying on her Channel 4 show, "They called me attention seeking & nbsp;... then what's doing the Eurovision dressed as air hostesses? "

She has claimed she would be a better judge for the reality show X-Factor (TV Series)|X-Factor than any of the judges on the show. She becomes "annoyed" when their remarks are inaccurate, stating, "They just do not know the ins and outs of a voice or music."

In January 2011, in an interview with Esquire magazine|Esquire magazine, Church referred to Queen Elizabeth II as "an old woman who has no idea what's going on", but apologised within days.

In November 2011, Church testified before the Leveson Inquiry about the media intrusion into her personal life stating "I've been made a caricature for so long, and this person portrayed in the tabloids really isn't me. It's not the person I am, and it's had a massive impact on my career. As an artist, I find it hard to be taken seriously because my credibility has been blown to bits."

Discography

Voice of an Angel (1998)

Charlotte Church (album)|Charlotte Church (1999)

Dream a Dream (2000)

Enchantment (album)|Enchantment (2001)

Tissues and Issues (2005)

Back to Scratch (2010)

Filmography

Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997
1999
2002–2003
2003
2005
2006–2008
2008
2010

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Result
2000	Classical BRIT Awards	Best Female Artist	Nominated
	Classical BRIT Awards	British Artist Of The Year	Won
	Hollywood Reporters Young Star Awards	Best Young Recording Artist Or Musical Group	Won
	Institute Of Public Relations In Wales	Millenium Communicator Of The Year	Won
2002	Rear of the year	N/ A	Won
2005	GQ Awards	Woman Of The Year	Won
2006	Brit Awards	Best British Female	Nominated
	Loaded (magazine)	Funniest T.V Personality	Won
	Glamour (magazine)	Editors Choice Award	Won
	Glamour (magazine)	Solo Artist Of The Year	Won
	British Comedy Awards	Best Female Newcomer	Won
2007	Glamour (magazine)	Readers Favourite TV Personality	Won
2008	Rose d'Or Awards	Best Entertainer	Nominated

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
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Charlotte Church Photo by: www.dwalls.com


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