Opera singer Sarah Brightman. Biographies, stories, facts, photos

Childhood and youth

On August 14, 1960, the real estate developer Grenville Brightman and his wife Paula had a daughter, who was named Sarah. The friendly family lived in a suburb of London - Berkamsted.

Brightman's creative biography began long before albums, tours and worldwide recognition. Her mother, Paula, who was fond of ballet and amateur theater before marriage, at the age of three, enrolled her daughter in the Elmhart Ballet School. There, the future artist began to open up from a new unseen side.

Despite the boundless love of her parents, Sarah was never eccentric and capricious. On the contrary, with young years the future singer was accustomed to following the daily routine. So after school, she went to dance lessons and practiced ballet until eight in the evening, after which she returned home: she had dinner and went to bed. The girl also did not forget about her homework: she did it right before the start of classes.

At the age of eleven, the young talent is sent to a boarding school specializing in performing arts. In a situation different from home, the girl felt extremely uncomfortable. It was impossible to make friends with other students, and Sarah was constantly trying to escape from the hated educational institution. Once she even succeeded, but after an educational conversation with her father, Brightman no longer wanted to let her family down.

The singer herself admitted more than once that as a child she always wanted to sing, but she categorically refused to go against her parents.

Paula Brightman realized what a talent her daughter had only when she was twelve years old. At a school performance, her beloved child sang a song from Alice in Wonderland, and although at that time Sarah looked extremely unpresentable (tangled hair, braces on her teeth), auditorium, fascinated by the voice of the young performer, gave a standing ovation.

The teachers realized that all this time they were focusing on the wrong thing. After a year of study at the boarding school, a talented student was sent to audition at the Piccadilly Theater, where they recruited actors for John Schlesinger's new musical Me and Albert. The charismatic person received two roles at once: Vikki, eldest daughter Queen Victoria, and a street tramp. At that moment, Sarah realized that in the future she wants to connect her life with the stage.

After studying for a year in a boarding school, the aspiring artist transferred (at the age of 14) to the London School performing arts where she could go without leaving her family for a long time. During the summer holidays, Sarah worked as a model. One day she could pose in Woolworth jeans, and the next she could parade in haute couture and pose for Vogue magazine. The girl, who dreamed of becoming a singer, decided not to limit herself to dancing. At school, in addition to ballet classes, she attended singing lessons and learned the basics of playing the guitar.

Despite the obvious craving for singing, Brightman's future was still associated with ballet. Everyone expected that Sarah would be accepted into the Royal Ballet company, but she did not pass the selection.

As a result, sixteen-year-old Sarah realized the dream of thousands of teenage girls, becoming a member of the then popular dance group Pan's People. Over time, work there ceased to bring due satisfaction, and the ambitious young lady decided to conquer new heights.

By a happy coincidence, at that moment, choreographer Arlene Phillips was looking for dancers for her dance group Hot Gossip.

Music

While collaborating with Hot Gossip, Sarah recorded demo songs. One of the songs caught the attention of producer Hans Ariola. He was looking for the right voice to sing the Jeffrey Calvert single "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper" and Sarah was the perfect vocalist. The track instantly gained popularity among UK listeners.

In 1980, Sarah accidentally saw an advertisement for the recruitment of actors in the new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber "Cats". By that time, more than a year had passed since the singer left dance group. The girl needed money and therefore decided to try herself in a new role. "Extraordinary" personalities were invited to the casting. In this regard, she came to the audition in a blue-green robe and with a haircut in the form of a mohawk.

The outrageous young lady was noticed, and a few months later Sarah found out that she got the small role of Jemima's pussy (when the musical is put on Broadway, Jemima's name will be replaced by Sillabab).

Having played in "Cats" for a year, the future star of the crossover received the main vocal part in the performance of the composer Charles Strauss "The Nightingale". Brilliant reviews from critics intrigued the girl's former artistic director. He decided to go to the musical and look at the ward. What he saw and heard shocked the composer.

For the next few years, Brightman becomes Andrew's muse. To perform complex parts in musicals, the artist decides to raise her skill level and takes vocal lessons from the greatest tenor of our time, Placido Domingo, with whom she works in Requiem (1985).

Participation in the Phantom of the Opera (1986) becomes a real triumph for the singer. After the premiere, the performer will be given the pseudonym "Angel of Music" (this is how the Phantom calls Christina, whose role was brilliantly played by Sarah).

In 1988, the singer published a collection of English folk songs "The trees they grow so high". But the work goes unnoticed, as do the next two projects - "The songs that got away" (1989, a collection of little-known songs from musicals) and "As I came of age" (1990).

In 1992, together with Jose Carreras, the artist performed the song "Amigos para siempre" - the official song of the Barcelona Olympics.

In 1997, the whole world will know about Sarah. Singer in duet with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli releases the song "Time to say goodbye". The single single shot up overnight to the top of the charts and was sold in the amount of 15 million copies.

With a circulation of several million copies, the next full-fledged work, the album "Timeless" (1997), also diverges.

In 1998, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber, a unique concert took place at the Royal Albert Hall (London). It featured melodies and songs from famous shows: "Cats", "Evita", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Aspects of Love".

The Phantom of the Opera was presented with two arias: the main aria performed by Sarah Brightman and Antonio Banderas, and "All I Ask Of You" performed by Sarah Brightman and Michael Ball. Video footage of the two-hour concert, directed by David Mallet, was later released on DVD by Universal Studios.

In the new millennium, Sarah pleased her fans with fresh works: the album "Harem" (2003), in whose arrangements one can hear echoes of modern dance music, "Symphony" (2008) and "A Winter Symphony" (2008)

In 2013, the video "Adagio" and the disc "Dreamchaser" were released.

In 2014, the premiere of the song of the group "Gregorian" - "Conversation with God" took place, in which Brightman performed the solo part.

Personal life

After the composition "Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper" became the leader of the charts, the personal life of the performer, as well as her career, underwent drastic changes.

During that period, the manager of the German rock band Tangerine Dreams, Andrew Graham Stewart, appeared in Sarah's life. A stormy romance broke out between them, and after a short courtship, the young people legalized the relationship. The marriage lasted four years. The reason for the divorce was the singer's acquaintance with composer Andrew Lloyd Weber, who by that time was already the author of sensational musicals: "Jesus Christ is a superstar", "Joseph, his colored clothes and amazing dreams", "Evita".

The man was happily married to a sweet, meek woman, Sarah Jane Tudor-Hugill, and raised two children - a daughter, Imogen, and a son, Nicholas. But Andrew failed to remain faithful to his wife.

In 1983, Sarah divorced her first husband. After some time, Weber also dissolved the marriage and, without undue delay, married a new darling. Their wedding took place on March 22, 1984, on the composer's birthday and on the day of the premiere of his new musical called Star Express.

The singer's tour had a negative impact on the marriage. The press also played an important role, repeatedly publishing notes about the artist's too close friendship with other men. Andrew did not lag behind the star wife: the composer began an affair with Madeline Gurdon. In July 1990, the couple publicly announced that their union had broken up.

The "angel of music" could only fall in love with the creators of this very music. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was in the arms of Frank Paterson that the eminent performer found solace. The first significant collaboration was the album "Dive", followed by "Fly", the song from which ("A Question Of Honor") Sarah performed before the start of the World Boxing Championship in 1995.

Sarah Brightman now

Now the eminent singer is preparing for a world tour. It is authentically known that at the end of 2017, Sarah, together with musical group"Gregorian" will visit Moscow and St. Petersburg as part of the Christmas program.

On his Instagram, the star of the classic crossover posts photos from concerts, presentations and from the recording studio with enviable regularity.

Discography

"The Trees They Grow So High" (1988);

"The Songs That Got Away" (1989);

"As I Came Of Age" (1990);

"Dive" (1993);

"Fly" (1995);

"Time to Say Goodbye" (1997);

"Eden" (1998);

"La Luna" (2000);

"Harem" (2003);

"Symphony" (2008);

"A Winter Symphony" (2008);

Childhood and youth

She was born on August 14, 1960 in Burkamsted, an English town located not far from London. She was the eldest child in a family with five other children besides her. Her father, Grenville Brightman, was a real estate developer. When Sarah was three years old, her mother, Paula Brightman (nee Hall), who was fond of ballet and theatrical performance before marriage, arranged the girl at the Elmhart Ballet School.

She attended art school since childhood. At the age of three, she took ballet classes at the Elmhurst School and appeared at local festivals. At the age of 12, she played in a theater production directed by John Schlessinger "Me and Albert" at the Piccadilly Theater in London. Sarah received two roles at once: the role of Vicky, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria, and the role of a street tramp. The girl was delighted. This experience forever instilled in her a love for the stage.

The beginning of a singing career

At the age of 14 she began to sing, at 16 she performed as a dancer in the television series Pan's People, and at 18 she joined the group HOT GOSSIP ("Fresh Gossip"), with which she achieved her first success - the song I Lost my Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978 took number six on the UK Singles Chart.

In the same 1978, Sarah met her first husband, Andrew Graham Stuart, who was a manager German band Tangerine Dream and was seven years older than her (the marriage lasted until 1983).

The following works of the HOT GOSSIP group were less successful, and Sarah decided to try herself in a different role - she took up classical vocals, and in 1981 she took part in the production of the musical Cats by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (New Theater in London).

Sarah and Andrew got married in 1984. Both had a remarriage, and Andrew Lloyd-Webber had two children in a previous marriage. The wedding took place on March 22, 1984 - on the composer's birthday and on the day of the premiere of his new musical called Starlight Express.

In 1985, Sarah, along with Placido Domingo, performed at the premiere of Lloyd Webber's Requiem, for which she was nominated for music award Grammy Award for Best New classical performer". In the same year, she performed the role of Valensina in The Merry Widow for New Sadler's Wells Opera. Especially for Sarah Lloyd-Webber, he created the role of Christina in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, which premiered at Her Majesty's Theater in London in October 1986. For the performance of the same role on Broadway, Sarah Brightman received a nomination for the Drama Desk Award in 1988 .

Start of solo career (1988-1997)

In 1988 she recorded the album "Early one morning", composed of folk songs, performed the role of Carrie in the new recording of Carousel from MCA; in 1992 she played in the production of "Trelawney of the Wells" at the Comedy Theater; in 1993 at the Chichester Festival - in the play "Relative Values". After her divorce from Lloyd Webber in 1990, Sarah toured with Lloyd Webber's Music, after which she decided to leave her homeland and move to the United States.

In the US, Sarah met Frank Peterson, co-producer of the first album. musical project Enigma MCMXC a.D. He became her producer and new life partner. Together they released the album Dive (1993) and then the pop-rock album Fly. Sarah continued to work with Lloyd Webber - released an album of his songs called "Surrender, The unexpected songs".

In 1992, in a duet with José Carreras, she performed the song Amigos para siempre (Friends for life), the official anthem of the Barcelona Olympics, which spent several weeks on the charts in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. The song from the Fly album - A Question of Honor - Sarah performed before the start of the international boxing championship in 1995. "I was then busy with my operatic exercises," Sarah says about the creation of this composition. "My producer suggested that I do the part from 'La wally' and he did something around it." In the same year, she played the role of Sally Driscoll in the play " Dangerous Ideas"And the role of Miss Giddens in the play" The Innocents ".

In 1996, together with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, she recorded the single Time to say goodbye in Germany, which they performed at the boxing match of Henry Maske, who was ending his active sports career. The single became the "best of all time" in terms of pace and sales in that country. The single sold 5 million copies. The third album "Timeless", released under the label East-West (in the US - Angel Records), was released in 1997 and soon sold 3 million copies. He received 21 "gold" and "platinum" awards. USA, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the album went platinum. Unlike previous albums, "Timeless" has a more classical sound. The album includes two songs recorded in a duet with Argentinean tenor José Cura: "Just show me how to love you", for which a video was shot, and "There for me".

Further success: world tours (1998-2005)

The new album "Eden" was released in 1998 and was accompanied by a world tour of the singer. In 1999, her own show One Night in Eden premiered. In her show, Sarah did not limit herself to traditional elements, for example, during the performance of the song "La mer", Sarah hangs in the air behind a translucent blue curtain, thus trying to give the viewer the impression that she is singing from the sea. Together with a team of 42, Brightman has performed in more than 90 concert halls. The next album, La Luna (2000), went gold in the US before it was released. The album includes the most famous classical and popular songs performed by the singer.

In the same year, the collection "The very best of 1990-2000" was released. From September 2000 to May 2001, Brightman is on the world tour "La Luna". It also took part american singer Josh Groban. Together with him, Sarah performed the song "There for me" from the album Timeless. Concert performances by Sarah Brightman take place in the most prestigious concert halls in the world - at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Concert Hall them. Tchaikovsky in Moscow, Orchard Hall in Tokyo.

In 2001, the album "Classics" was released, which includes opera arias and classical works from previous albums, as well as new compositions, such as Schubert's "Ave Maria".

The theme of Sarah's next album "Harem" (2003) is East. The name itself can be translated as "forbidden place". "The ideas for the album come from India, the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey," Sarah says in an interview with the "Live from Las Vegas" DVD. From previous albums "Harem" has a slightly more danceable sound, although classical elements are also present in this album. For example, in the composition "It's a beautiful day" Sarah performs "Un Bel di" by Puccini. Together with the album, a collection of clips "Harem: a Desert Fantasy" is released. The collection includes not only clips from the "Harem" album, but also new versions of the hits "Anytime, Anywhere" and "Time to Say Goodbye". Like the previous albums "Eden" and "La luna", "Harem" was accompanied by a world tour. The danceability of the project was reflected in the show: in comparison with the previous one, more dancers are involved in it. The stage itself was made in the form of a crescent moon and a path emanating from it, which ended with a star. This time Sarah brought her show to Russia as well. The concerts took place in Moscow (September 15, 2004, Olympiysky c / c) and in St. Petersburg (September 17, 2004, Ice Palace).

Symphony (2006-2012)

In 2006, a collection of clips "Diva: the Video Collection" was released along with a CD collection "Diva: the Singles Collection" and new version album Classics.

In 2007, Sarah performs at various events: at a concert in memory of Diana, she, along with Josh Groban, performs "All I ask of you" from the musical The Phantom of the Opera (July 1); at Live Earth in Shanghai (July 7) - opera arias and the hit "Time to say goodbye"; at the opening ceremony of the IAAF Athletic Games in Osaka (August 25) - the new single "Running". In addition to this single, two more are released: the duet with Chris Thompson "I will be with you (Where the lost ones go)" becomes the soundtrack for the tenth part of Pokémon, and the duet with the Spanish countertenor Fernando Lima "Pasión" becomes the soundtrack for the Mexican telenovela of the same name.

Sarah's songs become soundtracks not only for TV shows: the composition "Time to say goodbye" is included in the film "Blades of Glory". And in September, Sarah begins acting in the film “Ripo! Genetic Opera" as Blind Meg.

In November, another duet is released - "Snowbird" with Anne Murray, which is included in the album "Anne Murray duets:" Friends & Legends ". Sarah continues to participate in various events, such as "Fashion on ice" in Atlantic City (November 17 ), on which she performs not only songs from previous albums, but also from the new one - "Symphony" - the composition itself "Symphony", "Fleurs du mal", "Let it rain". At the Bambi Verleihung 2007 awards ceremony, Brightman, along with Andrea Bocelli performs Time to say Goodbye in front of Henry Maske, the same song they perform at Bocelli's "Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live in Tuscany" concert, as well as the song "Canto della Terra" from the singer's new album.

The album itself is released on January 29, 2008 in the US and March 17 in Europe. “Throughout my career I have worked in very different musical styles"- says Sarah about her new album, - "This is the first album in which all these styles are combined to create a diverse musical landscape."

On August 8, 2008, Sarah Brightman, along with Chinese pop singer Liu Huang, sang the official anthem of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games "One World, One Dream".

November becomes very busy for the singer: the North American tour of Symphony starts, the winter album "A Winter Symphony" is released, and the screening of "Genetic Opera" begins in cinemas. The Symphony tour, like the album, was full of duets: in Mexico, where the tour began, tenor Alessandro Safina and countertenor Fernando Lima sang with Sarah, in the USA and Canada - Mario Frangulis. The tour itself used equipment that had not been used on any tour before: it created holographic sets.

In 2010, at the XXI Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Sarah Brightman performed the song "Shall be done". This song and Sarah are part of a collaboration between Panasonic Corporation and the UNESCO World Heritage Center, which launched "The World Heritage Special" on National Geographic Channel.

Failed flight into space and a new album

In August 2012, confirmation was received that Brightman's candidacy, once famous for the clip "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper" ("I'm in love with a space marine"), was approved for training for a manned flight into space on the Soyuz spacecraft » to the ISS as a space tourist. Presumably, the flight was to take place in the fall of 2015 and last 10 days. On March 16, 2013, the head of the space agency, Vladimir Popovkin, announced that the flight could take place only in the case of a short-term expedition to the ISS for a period of no more than 8 days. On October 10, 2012, at a press conference in Moscow about the start of her preparations for the flight, she said that she had a dream to fly into space in 1969. In 2013, she went on a world tour in support of the new album "Dreamchaser" ("Chasing the dream"). At the end of the tour, Brightman had to undergo a six-month flight training and began it in the spring of 2015 at the Cosmonaut Training Center. It was estimated that her flight in support of women's education and the fight against the depletion of natural resources would cost $51 million, and the singer's fortune was estimated at only $49 million. On May 13, 2015, it became known that Brightman refused to fly to the ISS due to family reasons. character.

Languages

Sarah's albums contain songs in various languages, mostly English ("Dust in the wind"), the native language of the singer. Sarah also sings opera arias in Italian ("Nessun dorma"). The albums contain songs in Spanish ("Hijo de la luna"), French ("Gueri de Toi"), German ("Schwere Träume"), Russian ("It's good here", the English title is "How fair this place"), Latin ("In paradisum"), Hindi ("Hamesha" on "Arabian nights") and Japanese ("Stand Alone" from the "A Cloud on the Slope" soundtrack).

Duets

• Eric Adams
• Michael Ball "Seeing Is Believing" (album "Love changes everything")
• Antonio Banderas "The Phantom of the Opera"
• John Barrowman "Too Much In Love To Care" (album "Love changes everything")
• Steve Barton "Think of me" (album "Love changes everything")
• Andrea Bocelli "Time to say goodbye", "Canto della Terra" (album "Symphony")
• José Carreras "Amigos Para Siempre"
• Jacky Cheung "There for me" (New Millennium Concert)
• Michael Crawford "The Phantom of the opera" (album "The Andrew Lloyd Webber collection")
• Jose Cura "Just show me how to love you", "There for me" (album "Timeless")
• Placido Domingo ("Requiem" and "Christmas in Vienna (1998)")
• Mario Frangoulis Carpe Diem (Album "A Winter Symphony"), (Tour "Symphony" in the US and Canada)
• Sir John Gielgud "Gus: the Theater Cat" (album "Surrender", "The Andrew Lloyd Webber collection")
• Josh Groban "There for me" (La Luna tour), "All I ask of You" (Diana tribute concert)
• Ofra Haza "Mysterious days" (album "Harem")
• Steve Harley "The Phantom Of The Opera" (Video Clip)
• Tom Jones "Something in the air" (album "Fly")
• Paul Miles Kingston
• Andrzej Lampert "I will be with you"
• Fernando Lima "Pasión" (album "Symphony")
• Richard Marx The Last words you said"
• Anne Murray "Snowbird" (Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends)
• Elaine Paige
• Cliff Richard "All I ask of you" (video clip), Only you (album "Love changes everything")
• Alessandro Safina "Sarai Qui" (Symphony album, Symphony! Live in Vienna, Symphony Tour Mexico), Canto della Terra ("Symphony! Live in Vienna", Symphony Tour Mexico), "The Phantom of the opera" (Symphony tour in Mexico)
• Kazim Al Sahir "The War is over" (album "Harem")
• Paul Stanley "I will be with you" (album "Symphony")
• Chris Tompson "How can Heaven love me" (album "Fly"), "I will be with you" (soundtrack to the 10th part of the series "Pokemon")
• Sergey Penkin "I will be with you" (Russian version of the album "Symphony")
• Participation in projects[edit | edit wiki text]
• Gregorian, "Voyage, Voyage", "Don't give up", "Join Me", "Moment of peace"
• Sash! "The Secret Still Remains"
• Schiller "The Smile", "I've seen it all" (album "Leben")
• Macbeth "How Can Heaven Love Me"

Discography

• Requiem (as Herself), New York and London (1985)

Musicals

• Cats (as Jemima), New London Theater (1981)
• Nightingale (as Nightingale), Buxton Festival and the Lyric, Hammersmith (1982)
• Song and Dance (as Emma), Palace Theater in London (1984)
• The Phantom of the Opera (as Christine Daaé), Her Majesty's Theater London (1986)
• Aspects of Love (as Rose Vibert) (1989)
• "Repo! Repo! The Genetic Opera (as Magdalene "Blind Meg") (2008)

QUEEN OF CLASSICAL SINGING SARAH BRIGHTMAN

For her fans, she is simply the "Angel of Music". For critics - the object of incessant controversy. For the music world - a unique phenomenon. Sarah Brightman extremely rare to hear on the radio and even rarer to see on music channels. Someone has no idea who she is at all. However, this does not interfere with the albums Sarah becomes "gold" and "platinum", and concerts in many countries of the world take place with a full house.

The Magic of Sarah Brightman's Voice

What is the secret of the success of this green-eyed Englishwoman with a shock of chic dark curls? Maybe it's all about the timbre of the voice? Or is the range of more than three octaves to blame? Or maybe the secret lies in the amazing repertoire, which harmoniously includes the so-called "pop", opera, musical, disco, and even jazz, rock and Celtic folk music? Or are people attracted to having a miss Brightman two voices - chest and lyric soprano? Most likely, all of these factors matter. miss fans Brightman do not need such analysis and explanations. Once bewitched by her voice, a person remains in this captivity forever.

Even opera arias in her mouth sound somehow special - stylish and modern. , in fact, created a new direction in music. She threw a bridge between the classics and the "pop", was not afraid to mix them up and be different from everyone else.

She knew what she wanted

Born 1960 in Burkhamsted, a sleepy English town not far from London. When the girl was three years old, her mother Paula, who was fond of ballet and theatrical performances, enrolled her daughter in the Elmhart Ballet School. Thus began the artistic career of the young Miss Brightman.

Back in childhood Sarah realized what he wants to achieve in life. Unlike other children, she did not need free time. After school, she went to dance lessons and practiced ballet until eight o'clock in the evening. Returning home, the girl immediately went to bed in order to have time to do her homework early in the morning. On weekends, she performed at various local competitions and festivals, where she always won prizes.

At 11 years old Sarah sent to a boarding school that specialized in performing arts. The girl had a hard time, because friendly relations did not develop with the students, she was constantly teased. Unable to stand Sarah once ran away from school, but her father persuaded her to return. At the same time, he told his daughter that the choice was hers. And the daughter chose a boarding school where she could develop her artistic talents.

Brightman's voice heard

Herself Sarah always wanted to sing, but her mother realized what an amazing voice her daughter has only when she was 12 years old. After seeing the performance of her daughter at a school concert, where she sang a song from Alice in Wonderland, Paula realized that it was singing that was her calling. Sarah. young miss Brightman did not look then in the best way: tangled hair, brackets on the teeth. In a word, maturation. However, the audience was numb with delight.

teachers Sarah quickly spotted talent young talent. After a year of study at the boarding school, she was sent to audition at the Piccadilly Theater, where they recruited actors for John Schlesinger's new musical Me and Albert. Sarah received two roles. This experience forever instilled in her an ardent love for the stage.

Having studied until the age of 14 in a boarding school, Sarah transferred to the London School of Performing Arts. Sarah, who dreamed of a career as a singer, decided not to limit herself to dancing. At school, in addition to ballet classes, she attended singing lessons. Moreover, the girl learned to play the piano, guitar and even composed songs, and worked as a model during the holidays.

Sara and Hot Gossip

However, the future miss Brightman still associated with ballet. Everyone expected that Sarah will be accepted into the company of the Royal Ballet, but she did not pass the selection. The girl was depressed, but did not give up. As a result, the 16-year-old realized the dream of thousands of teenage girls by becoming a member of the then most popular dance group Pan's People. Besides, Sarah was a Vogue model, and the cosmetics company Biba chose her as the face of the firm. Quite a big achievement to start with.

Over time, Pan's People lost their spot on the BBC TV charts and began touring dance routines around the country. Sarah remained a member of the group for 18 months until she was noticed by choreographer Arlene Phillips, who was looking for new dancers for her Hot Gossip collective. Sarah passed the selection.

At the same time, she was recording demos. One of the songs interested the producer of the record company Hans Ariola. He was looking for the right voice to sing Jeffrey Calvert's "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper". Sarah offered to record this song, and it instantly became a hit in the UK. And the Hot Gossip group is a phenomenon. The youth went crazy for them.

Success and first marriage

18 year old Sarah became a pop star. Later, in an interview, the singer said with a laugh that she quickly spent all the money she earned without thinking about paying taxes. Then the girl met her first husband - Andrew Graham Stuart. He was seven years older Sarah and worked as the manager of one of the German rock bands. After a brief period of courtship, they married.

Being on the wave of success, the young artist recorded several more songs, but these songs were not destined to become hits. In 1980, Sarah accidentally saw an advertisement for the recruitment of actors in a new musical (author of the rock opera music) "Cats". By that time, she had left the group and needed a job, so she decided to try her hand at a new genre for herself, despite the fact that she was not at all going to link her fate with musical theater.

"Extraordinary" personalities were invited to the casting, and Sarah came to the audition in a green-blue robe and with a hairdo a la mohawk (her hair was also blue). A few months later, the girl was informed that she got the small role of Jemima's pussy.

Didn't forget Sarah and about his solo career. In 1981 Geoffrey Calvert and Miss Brightman, who organized their own record label Whisper, recorded two more singles. But these songs also failed to repeat the success of the first hit. The role in "Cats" was predominantly dance, although Sarah and there was one small vocal part in the song "Memory". But this was enough for the young star to understand: she has a good voice and needs to be developed. Sarah began to take lessons from famous vocal teachers, and the classes were not in vain.

star couple

After playing in "Cats" for a year, the girl moved to another musical. She received the main vocal part in the performance of the composer Charles Strauss "The Nightingale". Brilliant reviews from critics intrigued Andrew Lloyd Webber. He decided to look at Sarah. What he saw shocked the composer, because he managed to overlook such a vocal talent, although the girl was under his nose for a whole year. That evening changed a lot in the life of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman.

Very fast them business relationship developed into a serious romance. Both were married at the time (he to another Sarah, she to another Andrew), and he had two children. However, their romance developed. It was Andrew Lloyd Webber who became the producer of the new singles Sarah.

After the performance "The Nightingale" Sarah continued her theatrical career by joining the troupe comic opera"Pirates of Penzance". In 1983 Sarah divorced her first husband. After some time, Andrew also dissolved the marriage and, without undue delay, married Sarah. Their wedding took place in 1984, on the composer's birthday and on the day of the premiere of his new musical Star Express.

The first Grammy in the piggy bank of Sarah Brightman

The attention that the yellow press paid to their union was comparable only to the attention to Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Sarah many accused her of working her way up through Andrew Lloyd Webber, for he was famous composer and wealthy person. It is noteworthy that the British media to this day do not miss the opportunity to pour over Miss Brightman mud and stubbornly refuse to acknowledge her talent.

In 1984 Sarah became the new performer of the leading role in Webber's musical Song and Dance. This "concert for the theatre," as it was written on the posters, was a combination of the earlier "Tell Me About It Sunday" and Andrew's "Variations" on Caprice. Andrew, meanwhile, was obsessed with the idea of ​​writing something extraordinary for Sarah whose voice he never ceased to admire. Thanks to this, "Requiem" appeared.

Andrew decided that the "Requiem" should be performed by a boy, a girl and a man. Namely, Paul Miles-Kingston, by Sarah Brightman and Placido Domingo. In December 1984, Requiem was recorded and was an astonishing success, given the classical nature of the work. Sarah was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Classical Artist.

"The Phantom of the Opera" - for the beloved

In the same time Sarah offered to play the role of Christina in Ken Hill's musical The Phantom of the Opera. However, then she was bound by other obligations. In addition, Andrew got excited about the idea of ​​writing his "Phantom of the Opera", in which the vocal abilities of his wife and muse could "sparkle" in full force. Unlike other productions and film adaptations, Webber emphasized passion and romance. And I didn't guess. The musical is still a fantastic success. Christina's part was written by Andrew specifically for the voice Sarah.

Some critics admired Webber's new creation and performer leading role, others, on the contrary, proved to everyone that Sarah useless actress and singer (forgetting that it is to her that everyone owes the appearance of this amazing musical). One way or another, The Phantom of the Opera easily managed to conquer the whole world and become perhaps the most popular musical in the history of musical theater. And, despite the attacks of some critics, the role of Christina Dae became a real triumph. Sarah Brightman.

Still creative, but no longer a family union

It is curious that at the rehearsals of The Phantom of the Opera, the actors more than once witnessed violent skirmishes between Sarah and Andrew. In addition, while working on the musical, the couple lived in separate apartments. “It’s easier to work that way,” they explained. Whether these words reflected the true state of things or whether storms began in paradise is unknown.

in the musical "Cats"

As it were, Brightman and Webber were still spouses and continued to work together. Sarah embarked on the Andrew Lloyd Webber Music World Tour. Andrew, meanwhile, was working on a new musical, Aspects of Love. He believed that in this performance for Sarah no suitable role. However, in 1989, the song "Anything But Lonely", which Andrew wrote for Aspects of Love, was released as a single. Fulfilled it Sarah.

The next year can be safely called one of the most difficult periods in life. Sarah. Her long absences had a negative impact on the marriage. The press also played its role, which repeatedly published notes about too close friendship. Sarah with other men. Meanwhile, Andrew began an affair with a certain Madeline Gurdon. In July 1990, the composer told reporters that his marriage to by Sarah Brightman came to an end.

Despite this, the singer and composer remained friends: in the same year, she played Rose in the London and Broadway productions of Andrew's new musical Aspects of Love, and subsequently performed with José Carreras at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona a song that was written by Webber specifically ad hoc.

The Mystery and Phenomenon of Sarah Brightman

in the musical "The Phantom of the Opera"

Soon she met Frank Peterson, producer Enigma projects and Gregorian. During their time together Sarah moved to Germany, where Frank lived, and their relationship gradually ceased to be exclusively business. In 1993, they prepared and released the album "Dive" together, with which the singer returned to the world of pop music. Didn't forget Sarah and about her ex-husband: she recorded two albums, which consisted entirely of Andrew's songs.

Continuing to work actively in the field of pop music, Sarah does not leave the classics. She performed with such performers as Placido Domingo, Ricardo Cocciante and Andrea Bocelli. And although they are now only business partners with Frank Peterson, he became the producer of her album "Harem" - fantasy on oriental themes.

Continues to ignore the division of music into genres. Critics who consider her voice one of the best of our time and call Sarah"Queen of classical singing" is all the time confusing with the breadth of her musical interests.

DATA

Album Sarah Brightman"Harem" was followed by a world tour. The danceiness of the project was reflected in the show. It, in comparison with the previous ones, involved a lot more dancers. own show Sarah brought to Russia in 2004.

with Andrew Lloyd Webber

candidacy Sarah Brightman in 2012, she was approved to prepare for a manned flight into space on the Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS as a space tourist. The flight should take place in 2015 and will last 10 days. Supporting women's education and combating the depletion of natural resources will cost the singer $51 million, and her fortune is estimated at only $49 million.

sings in Italian, Spanish, French, German, Russian (“It's good here”, the English title is “How fair this place”), Latin, Hindi and Japanese, but mostly English, the singer's native language.

Updated: April 11, 2019 by: Elena

22/08/2012

British singer Sarah Brightman(Sarah Brightman) was born on August 14, 1960 in Berkhamsted, located in the western part of Hertfordshire, England.

At the age of three, Brightman began taking ballet classes at the Elmhurst School and performing at local festivals. At the age of 12, she played in a theatrical production directed by John Schlesinger (John Schlesinger) "I and Albert" at the Piccadilly Theater in London, receiving two roles in the play at once.

In parallel with ballet classes, Sarah tried to learn to sing on her own and in 1978 became a member of the Hot Gossip show group. The single Starship troopers released by the group, which Sarah sang, became a hit on many dance floors, and also reached number one in the British charts, bringing the artist great success. The following works of the Hot Gossip group were less successful, and Sarah decided to try herself in a different role - she took up classical vocals, and in 1981 took part in the production of the musical "Cats" by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (Andrew Lloyd Webber).

In 1985, Brightman, along with Placido Domingo(Placido Domingo) performed in the premiere of Lloyd Webber's Requiem, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Music Award in the Best New Classical Performer category. In the same year, she performed the role of Valencina in The Merry Widow for New Sadler's Wells Opera. Especially for Sarah Brightman, Lloyd-Webber created the role of Christina in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, which premiered in October 1986. For the performance of the same Broadway role Sarah Brightman was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 1988.

In 1988, Brightman first tried herself in solo work, releasing an album of English folk songs The trees they grow so high. It went unnoticed by the public, as did the singer's next work - The songs that got away (1989). In 1992, in a duet with Jose Carreras, she performed the song Amigos para siempre (Friends for life), the official anthem of the Barcelona Olympics, which spent several weeks on the charts in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. In 1993, Brightman collaborated with Enigma composer Frank Peterson to release the album Dive, in the vein of classical style"pop". In 1996, in a duet with Tom Jones (Tom Jones), Brightman recorded the song Something in the air, which received great popularity among listeners. The song was included in her next work - the album Fly, in which the singer combines the styles of "pop" and "techno".

In 1996, together with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, the singer recorded the single Time to say goodbye in Germany. The single became the "best ever" in terms of pace and sales in that country. Five million copies have been sold. The next album Timeless was released in 1997 and soon sold three million copies. He received 21 "gold" and "platinum" awards. In the US, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the album went platinum. Unlike previous albums, Timeless has a more classical sound.

The next two albums - Eden (1998) and La luna (2000) also enjoyed success largely due to the use of works by such composers as Puccini , Beethoven , Dvorak And Rachmaninov. In 2001, Sarah released the Classics album, in which she again turned exclusively to the classical era, and in 2003 she recorded the Harem record, using the influence of modern dance music in it.

On January 29, 2008, the singer's new album Symphony was released in the United States, and on August 8, 2008, Sarah Brightman, along with Chinese pop singer Liu Huang, performed the official anthem of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games "One World, One Dream". In 2010, at the XXI Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Sarah Brightman performed the song Shall be done.

Sarah Brightman is the recipient of a huge number of awards, including two Grammy statuettes, three Echo Awards, two Arabian Music Awards, as well as the first prize of the New York Film Festival.

On February 8, 2012, Brightman was awarded the title of UNESCO Artist for Peace. This honorary title was given to the British star "in recognition of her commitment to humanitarian and charitable ideals, her contribution to the promotion of cultural dialogue and cultural exchange through her career, and her service to the ideals of the organisation".

Brightman married twice. In 1979, the singer's husband was Andrew Graham-Stevard, with whom she lived until 1983.

March 22, 1984 Brightman married the famous composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber. In 1990 they divorced.

Sarah was born on August 14 1960

IN 1981 1982

IN 1984 1985

IN 1989

1990 1992

1993 ) and "Fly" ( 1995 ).

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Sarah was born on August 14 1960 years in Hertfordshire (England). From the age of three she was engaged in dancing, and soon began to sing. At the age of 13, she made her debut in the theater, at the age of 16 the girl participated in the famous television show “Pan’s People”, and in the late 70s she began performing as a soloist with dance group"Hot Gossip". The group's rather frivolous style was a success, and the composition "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper" performed by 18-year-old Sarah reached the first line of the British hit parade.

IN 1981 famous composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber puts "Cats". IN 1982 Sarah quite accidentally gets into this performance for an episodic role. However, the main result of this participation was the marriage of Sarah and Lloyd Webber, who because of her divorced his previous wife. It was Andrew who eventually turned the girl into an "angel of music", as Brightman has long been called by her enthusiastic fans.

IN 1984 Sarah has taken on the lead role in Lloyd Webber's new musical Song and Dance, 1985 In the year she played in Kalman's classic operetta The Merry Widow, and then in Masquerade.

At the same time, Lloyd Webber wrote "Requiem" for Sarah - his first classic. Then the Phantom of the Opera is released - a musical that made Sarah famous all over the world.

IN 1989 year, with the suggestion of her husband, Sarah recorded the album "The songs that got away", which included arias from classic Broadway and West End musicals. The album was received very warmly by both the public and critics.

Sarah's success could not but affect her family life. Constant touring led to the fact that in 1990 the spouses separated, remaining at the same time good friends. At the same time, the singer played in Lloyd Webber's new work "Aspects of Love", and then, together with Jose Carreras, she performed a song written by the composer for the opening of the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 year. At the same time, the album "Sarah Brightman sings the music of Andrew Lloyd-Webber" was released. Subsequently, Sarah repeatedly performed the works of her ex-husband and participated in productions of his musicals.

In the 90s, Sarah achieved great success in the field of pop music. Her collaboration with producer Frank Peterson brings great success to albums such as "Dive" ( 1993 ) and "Fly" ( 1995 ).

IN 1997 The duet of Sarah and tenor Andrea Bocelli was also a huge success. Their joint album "Time to say goodbye" is still one of the best-selling records in the world. In the same year, the album "Timeless" was released, in which Brightman and Peterson developed ideas for crossing pop music and classics.

IN 1998 And 2000 years, Sarah released the albums "Eden" and "La Luna", on which she successfully continued this line. Nevertheless, the singer does not forget about the classics as such, regularly performing in the company of the world's leading opera performers. So, for example, in 2001 year, Sarah performed in Moscow in a pair with the same Jose Carreras.

IN 2001 In 1999, her album with the classical repertoire “Classics” was even released. Among her recent works the album should be called "Harem" ( 2003 ), where the singer presented her fantasies on oriental themes.

IN 2006 a collection of clips "Diva: the Video Collection" is released

8 August 2008 Sarah Brightman, along with Chinese pop singer Liu Huang, sang the official anthem of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games "One World, One Dream".