From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins Between 1990 and 1996 Jenkins was a member of the
Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and won
the St Cecilia Award, the highest RSCM award for female
choristers.[4] She was also a member of the National
Youth Choir of Wales for three years,[5] won the BBC Ra-
dio 2 Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest (twice), and the
BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year competition. She was al-
so awarded the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholar-
ship for the most promising young singer. At the age of
17 she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy
of Music,[4] where she studied Italian, German, French
and Russian, graduating with honours[5] and receiving a
music teacher’s diploma.
After working as a freelance singing teacher, a tour
guide on the London Eye and as a model,[6] she entered
a modelling competition and became the Face of Wales
Background information 2000. She then decided to follow a musical career.[4]
Universal Classics and Jazz heard her demo and she was
Born 29 June 1980 (1980-06-29)
invited to an interview at which she sang Rossini’s "Una
Origin Neath, Wales voce poco fa".[6] Universal offered Jenkins a six-album
deal,[6] the most lucrative in the United Kingdom’s classi-
Genres Crossover, Classical, Operatic pop
cal recording history, reportedly worth £1 million.[4][7][8]
Instruments Singing
(mezzo-soprano)
Record success
Years active 1998–present (singer)
2010–present (actress) Six out of seven of Jenkins’s studio albums reached num-
ber one in the classical charts between 2004 and 2008,
Labels Universal
selling a total of more than 4 million copies. After her
Warner Music Group
first album, Premiere, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-
Website KatherineJenkins soprano to date[4] she became the first British classical
crossover artist to have two number one albums in the
Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh mezzo- same year.[9] She is the first female artist to win two con-
soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer[1][2] secutive Classical BRIT Awards: her second album, Second
who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popu- Nature, reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart,[7]
lar songs, musical theatre and hymns. and was Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.
Jenkins’s Italian-language version of Dolly Parton’s
Early life and education "I Will Always Love You" ("L’Amore Sei Tu"), first per-
formed live at Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire on 28 Au-
Jenkins was born in Neath, Wales,[3] where she and her gust 2005, was the first cut on her third album Living a
sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John and Dream. After that album was released, uniquely, she held
Susan. She has half-sisters from her father’s first mar- the top three positions in the classical crossover music
riage, neither of whom she has met. chart.[4][10] The album held the number one position for
She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Pri- nearly a year and reached number four in the pop al-
mary School in Neath and later Dwr-y-Felin Comprehen- bum charts.[10] Jenkins repeated the success of Second Na-
sive School, received A grades in GCSEs and A Levels and ture with her Living a Dream album when she won the
participated in productions such as Calamity Jane and Guys classical BRIT award for Album of the Year for a second
and Dolls.[4] She attended singing lessons with John Hugh time.[11][12]
Thomas and passed her Grade 8 examinations with dis- Her fourth album, Serenade was released on 6 Novem-
tinction in both singing and piano. ber 2006 and reached number five in the mainstream
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Katherine Jenkins
charts selling more than 50,000 copies in its first week, py appeal at Covent Garden whilst wearing a dress made
a record in the genre.[4] The top four albums on HMV’s of 2,500 poppies.[23]
classical charts were hers.[13] With the Blue Man Group, Jenkins sang "I Feel Love"
Her fifth album, Rejoice, was released on 19 November in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance
2007 and included songs written specially for her,[14] two on 21 November 2005.[24] She performed at the Nobel
by Take That’s Gary Barlow.[15] The album entered the Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, on 11 December
pop album charts at number three,[16] beating the Spice 2005.[25]
Girls and Girls Aloud.[17] Jenkins commented "I never In November 2006 she performed before the Queen at
imagined when I was a young girl listening to them on the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the
the radio that I would outsell the Spice Girls and Celine Royal Albert Hall and joined fellow Welsh singer James
Dion. It’s almost too much to take in. I can’t thank my Fox in the final verse of "Anthem" from the musical
fans enough for all their support."[17] Chess.[26]
On 20 October 2008 Jenkins released Sacred Arias, In July 2007 Jenkins gave a concert at Margam Park
which is her last album with Universal Music. On 19 Octo- in south Wales, performing alongside Paul Potts and Juan
ber The Daily Telegraph stated that Jenkins had signed the Diego Flórez.[27] Jenkins extended a personal invitation
biggest classical recording deal in history, for US$10 mil- to Potts to sing "Nessun dorma" at the concert.[28]
lion (£5.8 million), with Warner Music.[18] In September 2007 Jenkins catwalk modeled at Naomi
Jenkins released her latest album, Believe, on 26 Oc- Campbell’s Fashion Relief event for charity in a Julien
tober 2009, the first with Warner Music. This album fea- Macdonald dress which was then bought by Sir Philip
tured Andrea Bocelli and other musicians like André Rieu Green for £10,000.[29]
and Chris Botti. She made various TV appearances such In November 2007 she sang again at the Royal British
as GMTV, Something for the Weekend and Piers Morgan’s Life Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall
Stories on 24 October 2009 and on The Graham Norton Show and was named classical performer of the year at the Va-
on 2 November 2009. She performed the theme from The riety Club Showbiz Awards.[30]
Godfather, Parla Piu Piano at Gary Barlow’s Children In Need With Darcey Bussell she has appeared in a stage song-
Rock The Albert Hall with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. Later and-dance production, entitled Viva la Diva, paying trib-
in December 2009, she performed a cover of Evanes- ute to stars[31] including Madonna and Judy Garland.[14]
cence’s "Bring Me to Life" at The Royal Variety Perfor- The show opened in Manchester in November
mance. On 23 May 2010, she went to Argentina for the 2007.[31][32] Jenkins learned to tap dance, spending eight
first time and sang Parla Piu Piano in the popular Argen- hours a week learning the choreography and running
tinian show Susana Giménez.[19] three miles a day to get fit.[14] She performed the Welsh
National Anthem on 17 May 2008 at the 2008 FA Cup Final
Concerts between Cardiff City and Portsmouth, becoming the first
person to do this at an FA Cup Final.[33]
Jenkins first came to public attention when she sang at
Westminster Cathedral honouring Pope John Paul II’s sil-
ver jubilee in October 2003 and then supporting Aled
Jones on tour.[5][7] At the Rugby World Cup in 2003 she
made her Sydney Opera House debut[6] and, in August
2004, her first USA appearance, supporting Hayley
Westenra at Joe’s Pub in New York City.[5]
Jenkins was the first person to perform the Home Na-
tions anthem "The Power of Four" and began to appear
regularly to sing the Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad
Fy Nhadau" at Welsh international rugby union matches,
singing with Bryn Terfel at the 2005 Wales vs. England Six
Nations match at the Millennium Stadium.[6] She is now
the official mascot for the Wales rugby union team.[8]
On 22 January 2005 Jenkins sang in Cardiff at the
Tsunami Relief Concert[8] and in April and May of that Jenkins sings the Welsh national anthem at Sophia Gardens be-
year supported Irish tenor Ronan Tynan on his first US fore the start of the 2009 Ashes
tour as a solo artist. That May she sang at Trafalgar
Square to a 15,000-strong audience celebrating the 60th At the beginning of 2009, Jenkins performed in South
Anniversary of VE Day.[20][21] At the Berlin stage of Live 8 Korea with Plácido Domingo. This was Jenkins’s third
in 2005, Jenkins sang the hymn "Amazing Grace",[22] and concert with Domingo having performed with him in
she later helped to launch The Royal British Legion’s pop- Hong Kong in 2008 and Athens in 2007. They then per-
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Katherine Jenkins
formed together in May 2009 at The Classical Brit
Awards.
On 8 July 2009 Jenkins performed at the opening cere-
mony of the Ashes Test Series between England and Aus-
tralia at Sophia Gardens cricket ground in Cardiff. On
Saturday 12 September 2009 she performed in Hyde Park
for the Last Night of the Proms. On Monday 21 Septem-
ber she performed at the memorial service for Sir Bobby
Robson, singing "Pie Jesu" at the request of Lady Robson.
On 12 November 2009, Jenkins performed a duet with
cellist Julian Lloyd Webber for Children in Need at the
Royal Albert Hall. The same month, Jenkins performed
"I Believe" (from Believe) with Andrea Bocelli on his PBS
Christmas Special. The duet appears in his album, My
Christmas. Jenkins was scheduled to do her first Arena
tour in March 2010.
On 24 May 2010, as part of the Argentina Bicentennial
she performed the Canadian Anthem at the Argentina
VS. Canada World Cup warm-up football match in the
River Plate Stadium at Buenos Aires.[34] On 11 June 2010,
Jenkins performed a live comedy routine with Armenian
comedy pianist Kev Orkian for a private birthday party
at which Motown legend Lionel Richie performed, along
with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) and comedi-
ans Bobby Davro and Jethro.[35] The comedy sketch was Jenkins live at Clumber Park in 2011.
an updated version of an old Victor Borge routine which
Orkian had written and developed with Jenkins. In her of- their show Viva la Diva before the Queen at the 79th Roy-
ficial blog, Jenkins mentions that she may one-day per- al Variety Performance, televised on 9 December 2007.[42]
form the routine in public. On 3 July 2010, Jenkins took On 15 December, Jenkins performed on The X Factor final
the stage at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the Nation- with contestant Rhydian Roberts, performing the song
al Symphony Orchestra. She was supported by violinist "You Raise Me Up".[43] Jenkins made an appearance on
Diana Yukawa.[36] Saturday Kitchen LIVE in December 2008.
Jenkins appeared in episode 3 of the fifth series of
Television The Apprentice, performing Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah"
as part of a private recital to winning team Ignite. The
On 23 December 2006, Jenkins appeared on ITV’s Parkin-
programme was aired on BBC One on 8 March 2009. 2009
son show, backed by the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
saw Jenkins performing on a large number of TV shows
and a brass band.[37]
– The Royal Variety Performance, Children In Need Rocks The
She made a cameo appearance in two episodes of Em-
Albert Hall, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, This Morning, GMTV,
merdale which saw 11.6 million viewers tune in to find out
Something for the Weekend, The Paul O’Grady Show, present-
who killed popular character Tom King who was mur-
ing for the BBC the week long series The Week We Went To
dered on Christmas Day. She appeared in the show on
War, Piers Morgan’s Life Stories for ITV1, Strictly Come Danc-
16 and 17 May 2007 which saw her opening the village
ing, The Graham Norton Show and The Andrew Marr Show.
pageant.[38]
Jenkins started 2010 by appearing as one of two men-
In July 2007, she performed live on Saving Planet Earth
tors on ITV1s prime time Friday night show, Popstar to
on BBC 1 to raise money for the BBC Wildlife Fund.[39]
Operastar. She appeared in the 2010 Christmas Special of
On 12 August 2007 she appeared on ITV’s Britain’s
Doctor Who, "A Christmas Carol", in which she played Abi-
Favourite View, nominating Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower
gail Pettigrew – her first major acting role. Jenkins ap-
Peninsula as Britain’s favourite view.[40] She commented;
peared as the featured singer on the 11 April 2011 episode
"I grew up on the edge of the Gower, but it was still a hol-
of ABC’s show Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) singing "Con
iday place for our family. We’d go on weekend breaks to
te partirò" (Time To Say Goodbye) and "O mio babbino
Three Cliffs Bay – six miles down the road! That’s how
caro". She later sang "The Flower Duet" with DWTS regu-
gorgeous it is."[41]
lar Beverley Staunton.
On 21 October 2007 she sang "Time to Say Goodbye"
On 23 October 2011, Jenkins appeared live on US tele-
with Andrea Bocelli on the Strictly Come Dancing results
vision network FOX from Wembley Stadium, performing
show. Jenkins and Darcey Bussell performed a segment of
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Katherine Jenkins
"God Save the Queen" before the NFL game between the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears.[44]
References
[1] "Profile on Classical Crossover.co.uk" Retrieved 28
October 2009.
Personal life [2] "Profile on Classical Archives" Retrieved 28
Her father, Selwyn, died of lung cancer at age 70 when October 2009.
she was 15.[4][45] She has remarked on missing him in her [3] "Katherine Jenkins". BBC Online. Retrieved 3 May
album liner notes and has dedicated any award she re- 2007.
ceived to him. [4] ^ Langley, William. "Not just a pretty voice". The
After Jenkins and Dame Vera Lynn were together at Daily Telegraph, 15 June 2004. Retrieved 5
centre stage at the 60th Anniversary of VE Day in 2005 September 2007.
during the song "We’ll Meet Again", the newspapers [5] ^ Foley, Jack. "Katherine Jenkins – more than just a
dubbed Jenkins "the new Forces’ Sweetheart", a nick- Welsh pretty face". indielondon.co.uk. Retrieved 16
name given to Lynn during World War II.[21] Lynn had October 2007.
said to Jenkins that she should "go out and entertain the [6] ^ Sweeting, Adam. "A treat for the dads and lads...".
troops," which Jenkins promised she would.[21] In De- The Daily Telegraph, 3 March 2005. Retrieved 13
cember 2005 and 2006 Jenkins travelled to Iraq to enter- February 2008.
tain the soldiers for Christmas.[9][46] On her first visit to [7] ^ "Katherine Jenkins Biography". BBC Online.
Iraq in 2005, when travelling to Shaibah, the largest Bri- Retrieved 16 October 2007.
tish base in Southern Iraq, the helicopter she was travel- [8] ^ Bourton, Tom. "The rise of Katherine Jenkins".
ling in was targeted by missiles. Anti-missile flares were BBC News, 25 May 2005. Retrieved 6 September
deployed and the group landed safely.[21] 2007.
In November 2008 Jenkins revealed to the Daily Mail [9] ^ "Jenkins’ festive show for troops". BBC News, 22
that when she was a student she had taken class A drugs October 2005. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
(cocaine and ecstasy) and cannabis. She noted that she [10] ^ Franks, Alan. "The Katherine Jenkins diversity
was introduced to them by people she socialized with at show". The Times, 23 November 2007. Retrieved 23
the time and that she stopped taking them after sign- November 2007.
ing her record deal in 2003.[47] In the article Jenkins said [11] "Sting on Classical Brit shortlist". BBC News, 2 April
"taking drugs is the biggest regret of my life". 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
Jenkins’s autobiography, Time to Say Hello, was re- [12] West, Dave. "Soprano delighted with second Brit
leased on 28 January 2008, and was also serialized in The win". Digital Spy, 6 May 2006. Retrieved 6
Mail on Sunday.[48] September 2007.
At the start of 2007 Jenkins made her first appearance [13] Jeffries, Stuart. "Why Katherine Jenkins is hogging
in the British young people’s Sunday Times Rich List the classical charts". The Guardian, 18 June 2007.
which ranked her as the sixty-second richest young per- Retrieved 6 September 2007.
son in Britain with an estimated wealth of £9 million.[49] [14] ^ Jones, Hannah. "I’ve got a story to tell, says
In 2010, the Sunday Times Rich List placed her at joint Kath". Western Mail, 6 October 2007. Retrieved 19
11th in the Top 20 Young Millionaires list alongside October 2007.
Leona Lewis and Charlotte Church with an estimated [15] "Details of Katherine Jenkins’ fifth album Rejoice".
wealth of £11 million. BBC Online, 9 October 2007. Retrieved 16 October
In July 2010, Jenkins was reported to have bought a 2007.
house with TV presenter Gethin Jones, to whom she has [16] "Lewis holds on to chart top spots". BBC News, 25
recently become engaged.[50] November 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
[17] ^ Price, Karen. "Katherine Jenkins beats Spice Girls
Discography in album charts". Western Mail, 26 November 2007.
Retrieved 26 November 2007.
Main article: Katherine Jenkins discography [18] Hope, Christopher (19 October 2008). "Singer
• Premiere (2004) Katherine Jenkins agrees $10million record deal to
• Second Nature (2004) break America". London: The Telegraph.
• Living a Dream (2005) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/
• Serenade (2006) celebritynews/3215861/Singer-Katherine-Jenkins-
• Rejoice (2007) agrees-10million-record-deal-to-break-
• Sacred Arias (2008) America.html. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
• Believe (2009) [19] http://www.primiciasya.com/
• Daydream (2011) despliegue.php?idnoticia=80676 Katherine Jenkins
on Susana Giménez (in Spanish)
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Katherine Jenkins
[20] "A party to remember live from Trafalgar Square – [39] "Saving Planet Earth". BBC Online, 11 May 2007.
VE Day 60th". BBC Online, 5 April 2005. Retrieved Retrieved 8 July 2007.
17 October 2007. [40] Pettie, Andrew. "Britain asked: What’s your
[21] ^ "G.I. Jenkins: How the Welsh opera diva favourite view?". The Daily Telegraph, 14 August
Katherine swapped designer dresses for desert 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
camouflage" by Katherine Jenkins, Daily Mail, 20 [41] Crump, Vincent. "Well, in my view Britain’s best
January 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008. is...". The Times, 12 August 2007. Retrieved 14
[22] "Live 8 concert line-ups". The Guardian, 29 June August 2007.
2005. Retrieved 6 September 2007. [42] Leigh, Spencer. "Royal Variety Performance". BBC
[23] Martin, Nicole. "It’s never too early to wear your News. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
poppy". The Daily Telegraph, 27 October 2006. [43] "Kylie and Jason sing on X Factor". BBC News, 12
Retrieved 17 October 2007. December 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2007.
[24] "Tate asks if Queen is ’bovvered’". BBC News, 22 [44] "Opera stars perform NFL London national
November 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2006. anthems" by Nicholas Pike, NFLUK.com (20 October
[25] "Julianne Moore to co-host Nobel concert". 2011)
usatoday.com, 29 November 2005. Retrieved 16 [45] Greenstreet, Rosanna. "Q&A". The Guardian, 23
October 2007. September 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
[26] "Festival of Remembrance". BBC Online. Retrieved [46] "Jenkins performs for Iraq troops". BBC News, 23
16 October 2007. December 2005. Retrieved 24 December 2006.
[27] "Talent show winner in opera concert". AOL. [47] Morgan, Piers. "I took drugs and I’m ashamed,
Retrieved 9 July 2007. reveals heavenly soprano Katherine Jenkins". Daily
[28] "Paul Potts comes home with Katherine Jenkins". 1 Mail, 1 November 2008 . Retrieved on 3 November
July 2007. newswales.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2007. 2008.
[29] "Big Brother twins steal the show at star-studded [48] Simpson, Rin. "Katherine Jenkins says she’ll never
Fashion Relief". Daily Mail, 22 September 2007. forget attacker". Western Mail, 14 January 2008.
Retrieved 19 October 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
[30] "Variety prize for Keira Knightley". BBC News, 19 [49] "Katherine Jenkins, Sunday Times richlist". The
November 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2007. Times. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
[31] ^ Thorpe, Vanessa. "See what they’ve been keeping [50] "I’m Gethin married! Engagement joy for Katherine
under their hats". The Guardian, 29 April 2007. Jenkins and her Blue Peter boyfriend" by Katie
Retrieved 30 May 2007. Nicholl, Daily Mail (6 February 2011). Retrieved 7
[32] Hastings, Chris. "Jenkins and Bussell as their February 2011.
favourite divas". The Daily Telegraph, Retrieved 14
February 2008.
[33] Szczepanik, Nick and Kempson, Russell. "Cup Final
External links
fans are urged to show respect". The Times, 17 May • Katherine Jenkins Official Site
2008. Retrieved 17 May 2008. • Katherine Jenkins at the Internet Movie Database
[34] "What’s new, Buenos Aires? Katherine Jenkins • Katherine Jenkins biography from BBC Wales
wears her favourite figure-hugging Posh dress to • Katherine Jenkins on Classicalx
sing at Argentina match". Daily Mail (London). 25 • Official Record Label Website
May 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/ • Diana Yukawa Supports Katherine Jenkins
article-1281313/Katherine-Jenkins-wears- • Katherine Jenkins Interview
favourite-Posh-dress-Argentina-Canada-football- Persondata
game.html. Name Jenkins, Katherine
[35] "Katherine Jenkins Official Blog".
http://katherinejenkins.co.uk/news,katherines- Alternative names
blog_157.htm/. Retrieved 28 June 2010. Short description Welsh classical crossover singer
[36] "Diana Yukawa Supports Katherine Jenkins". Diana Date of birth 1980-06-29
Yukawa, 3 July 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
Place of birth Neath, Wales
[37] "Katherine Jenkins on Parkinson".
parkinson.tangozebra.com. Retrieved 17 October Date of death
2007. Place of death
[38] "Emmerdale cameo role for Jenkins". BBC News, 26
March 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Katherine_Jenkins&oldid=462358132"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Katherine Jenkins
Categories:
• 1980 births
• Living people
• Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music
• British performers of Christian music
• Italian-language singers
• Opera crossover singers
• People educated at Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School
• People from Muswell Hill
• People from Neath
• Universal Music Group artists
• Warner Music Group artists
• Welsh female singers
• Welsh mezzo-sopranos
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