Newspaper Page Text
October 12, 2011
Reporter
PAGE 3A
Susan Boyle helps local
woman dream again
BY WILL DAVIS
An 82-year-old Monroe
County woman says Scottish
singing sensation Susan Boyle
has not only taught her to, as
her hit song says, dream the
dream, but also how to feel
again.
Betty Adams of Lee King
Road visited Boyle in Great
Britain earlier this year and
got to spend some time with
the unlikely, but still accessible,
star. Adams said she, like many
others who've been abused, has
developed a strong attachment
to the Cindarella singer, one
that has enriched their lives.
And Adams said that's helped
her make friends with other
Boyle fans, relationships that
have helped her endure the
loss of her home to a fire this
summer.
Boyle's April 2009 perform
ance on "Britian's Got Talent"
made her an overnight sensa
tion, as the frumpy 40-some-
thing Boyle stunned audiences
by belting out a powerful rendi
tion of "I Dreamed a Dream"
from "Les Miserables" on
England's version of "American
Idol", dubbed "Britain's Got
Talent."
Adams said she'll never forget
when a friend e-mailed her the
link of the YouTube video.
While it played, she got up
from the computer to make a
sandwich. Hearing Boyle sing
from the kitchen, Adams was
taken aback.
"Holy cow!" she thought, "that
woman can sing!"
As she learned more about
Boyle's humble, often difficult,
beginnings, the more Adams
said she identified with Boyle.
Boyle has said she was often
bullied as a child and was nick
named "Susie Simple" at
school. One of 10 children, she
was born when her mother was
47 years old. Deprived of oxy
gen at birth, teachers said she
suffered from a learning dis
ability. Her mother was a
typist and father a miner.
Boyle has never married and
lives alone in her government
duplex.
Adams said she was abused
psychologically as a child.
Adams' own mother hated
her, said Adams, so she
knows what it's like to have a
rough start to life.
"I built this wall around my
emotions," said Adams. "I'm
82 and I've never felt any
thing. When my husband
died, I never shed a tear. The
only thing I could feel was
anger."
Adams said she admires
the way Boyle is so free, and
has developed good friend
ships with her neighbors.
That example has helped
her tremendously, said
Adams, who said she's expe
riencing joy in her life now.
So when some other of
Boyle's Georgia fans planned
a trip to visit her in April this
year, Adams was eager to join
them.
Upon arrival, they went to
see the posh new home Boyle
had bought with her new
found millions only to discov
er that she had tired of the
high life and had bought and
moved back into her govern
ment duplex.
"She missed her neighbors,"
said Adams admiringly.
When Adams and friends
visited Boyle's small town,
they went to the local library
and found her there. "She
talked to us for 15 minutes,"
said Adams. "She's the most
down-to-earth person, and
she's funny - a great hoot. I
was gobsmacked over there."
Adams said Boyle is a hug
ger who's quick to embrace
people she barely knows.
Stardom does not appear to
have changed Boyle. She
rarely wears makeup.
Adams said Boyle connects
with people because so many
have been abused like she
was. Even when she made
her life-changing appearance
on "Britain's Got Talent", she
was met by snickers and
jeers when her frumpy figure
appeared on stage. Only
when she began belting out her
moving rendition of "I Dreamed
a Dream" did she win over
the audience - big time.
Adams said Boyle told
her that she had just now
started to feel secure.
Boyle has sold 14 million
albums in two years, set
ting a new record in
Britain and topping the
charts in 30 nations. She
has made $21 million, said
Adams.
Boyle has helped Adams
in more ways than one,
and sometimes in unex
pected ways. On June 5,
Adams' internet service
had been down for two
weeks so she was staying
up late surfing the web to
catch up on her Susan
Boyle news. Because she
was up late, she smelled
smoke from a fire that had
broken out in her home
and was barely able to run
outside the back door and
escape. She lost five dogs
in the fire.
"I owe Susan my life,"
said Adams.
In addition, the friend
ships she made with other
Boyle fans in Georgia gave
her a support network to
survive the post-fire trau
ma. Her Boyle friends sent
her gifts and encouraged
her through a difficult
time.
To show her admiration,
Adams sends Boyle gifts
about every five weeks,
things like bracelets and
clothes. Adams said she
likes seeing Boyle wear
the gifts in her TV appear
ances.
Now, she may join her
Boyle fan club in Georgia
to see Boyle again when
she comes to New York in
November to appear on
"The Today Show".
For Adams, Boyle represents
a life of overcoming difficulties
with grace and warmth.
Betty
Adams, left,
of Monroe
County
meets her
hero, Susan
Boyle at
Boyle’s
government
duplex in
Scotland.
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