Susan Boyle

Amateur Scottish vocalist Susan Boyle became an overnight sensation after appearing on the first round of 2009's popular U.K. reality show Britain's Got Talent. Boyle, who was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, in 1961, caught the judges (and the world) off guard with her masterful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Misérables, due in part to the unemployed church volunteer's "salt of the earth" demeanor and country backstory. (Boyle had attempted a singing career in 1999, recording a handful of demos that showcased her rich and expressive voice, but chose to look after her aging mother instead of pursuing the dream full-time.) Within hours of her appearance on Britain's Got Talent, Boyle was not only an Internet sensation, she was a worldwide phenomenon.