GLOBAL singing sensation, Susan Boyle, is to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, for her distinction in the field of music.
She will receive the Honorary Doctorate of Music at a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 30th.
On being told of the award, Susan said: “I am truly honoured to be receiving this Doctorate. It is brilliant and I thank the RCS for even considering me, let alone actually awarding me with this great privilege. Thank you.”
Susan has become a regular visitor at the RCS working with Andrew Panton, artistic director of Musical Theatre.
He has been an integral part of Susan’s career having worked with Susan since 2012.
He has vocally coached her on her studio albums as well as directed her sell-out UK and USA tours. His importance to Susan’s career was showcased in the ITV documentary, There’s Something About Susan, and the process they went through in creating her first live concert tour.
Known best for her element of surprise and a powerful and heart stopping voice, Susan has become a world-wide top-selling artist, achieving critical acclaim in the six years since appearing on Britain’s Got Talent.
Announcing the 2015 Honorary Doctors, Professor Jeffrey Sharkey said: “Graduation is always a time for celebration and a great moment for us to not only to congratulate those students who have completed their journey with us.
“It is also a time for us to recognise those artists and academics who have helped create a far reaching voice for the arts in the UK and beyond.”
Also being honoured on the day, will be Professor Celia Duffy, who will receive a Doctor of the Conservatoire for outstanding service to the arts and to culture.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Other recipients of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Honorary Doctorates include singer Annie Lennox, actor and comedian Billy Connolly, actress Tilda Swinton, opera singer Dame Felicity Lott, actress Geraldine McEwan and stage and screen actor Timothy West CBE.
Founded in 1847 and launched by Charles Dickens, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is one of the UK’s most internationally-distinguished conservatoires.
It has a student population of 1,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students; there is a large community of international students drawn from around 60 countries.
At RCS there are around 500 public performances each year selling 59,000 tickets to audiences around the country.
RCS is the only conservatoire, outside of the Julliard, to offer degree level tuition across the five performance disciplines – drama, dance, production, music, screen. REF 2014 results revealed RCS research in music and drama had the strongest impact of any HEI research undertaken in Scotland.
The proportion of our research judged to be world leading or internationally excellent has risen by more than 50 per cent and within the conservatoire sector, RCS held its position since 2008 (ranked No.3 in the UK for research in music, No.4 for drama).
Find out more about the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: rcs.ac.uk
Susan Boyle facts and statistics over the past five years
To date the list of Susan’s successes is in itself compelling reading: 650 million YouTube hits and said to be the most-watched clip of 2009.
Two Grammy nominations, three Guinness World Records, over 22 million albums sold, no.1 albums in 40+ countries, more platinum album certifications than can be counted.
Six albums released and a seventh in production.
Performing to half a billion people on the final of China’s Got Talent, headline grabbing performances on the biggest TV shows around the globe, she has sung for the Pope, the Queen, ticked off her wish list of meeting musical and screen idols and smashed music records held by the Beatles that had remained unchanged since the 1960’s.
Combined with a successful autobiography, a musical about her life story, sell-out UK and USA tours, movie roles and hit documentaries, Susan continues to be an unstoppable force in the music world and the very reason the RCS wants to award her distinction in this field.
• Over 680 million YouTube views of BGT Audition Clip.
• Over 22 million albums sold globally
• Six albums released in five years making Susan the most successful act to come from a reality TV show signed to Syco
• Over 120 platinum and gold albums in 38 countries
• Two Grammy nominations
• Three Guinness World Records
• 66 million Wikipedia views in one week setting a new record
• Most pre-ordered album in Amazon history
• Fastest selling debut album globally (2009)
• In 2010 Susan became the first female artist to have a number one album simultaneously in both the UK and the US, twice in less than 12 months.
• In 2011 Susan made UK music history again by becoming the first female artist ever to have three successive albums debut at No.1 in the UK album chart in less than two years. No other female solo singer in the 65-year history of the Official UK charts has achieved this in the first week of the albums being released
• In 2013 Susan became the first British artist to have been given the honour of the duet with Elvis posthumously and featuring his vocals on their album. Only two other females have been afforded this, Celine Dion (Canadian) and Lisa Marie Presley (USA)
• Performed on some of the biggest TV shows in the world, including Oprah, America’s Got Talent, X Factor, Dancing With the Stars, The Today Show, Larry King Live, the Queen’s jubilee, the Papal Mass in Scotland (over one billion global audience) China’s Got Talent (half a billion audience)
More information from:
Katie Bell
k.bell@rcs.ac.uk
mobile: 07834 785014
direct: 0141 270 8387
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RCS contact details…
Contact: Katie Bell
Phone: 0141 270 8387
Email: k.bell@rcs.ac.uk
Website: http://www.rcs.ac.uk
