By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
A humble-looking man stood anxiously in front of the crowd as the judges stared indifferently at the stage. But a few minutes later, the audience and the judges were suddenly enraptured by the operatic number, Puccini's operatic classic ``Nessun Dorma.''
The man, the show's hero, was Paul Potts. Before lifting the crowd to standing ovations on "Britain's Got Talent" last year, he worked as a mobile phone salesman.
The 36-year-old rising star was a shy guy with some financial difficulties and didn't draw much interest from people around him. He was sometimes bullied in school and that experience may have had an influence on his lack of self-confidence.
But after he shot to stardom and his rendition became one of the all-time most-viewed clips on You Tube viewed by 13.5 million in the final rounds, he saw a lot of changes around him.
``The support I've had has been incredible and I feel so touched and humbled by it. It has done so much for my confidence and I really can't thank people enough for giving me the chance to realize my dream,'' Potts said in an email interview with The Korea Times.
Before coming to Korea to hold concerts in May, Potts expressed his feelings about the concerts and told his story to Korean fans.
He said that he has only just quit his job selling mobile phones, some nine months after winning the show. ``I was on extended leave as I toured the world performing to thousands, but I was too scared to resign in case it had all been a dream. Part of me wasn't sure if this was a reality, and I was scared in case I found out that I was dreaming everything after I had handed in my notice,'' he said.
Before debuting on "Britain's Got Talent," he took part in a charity concert with six members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
He also had four performances with the Bath Opera a few years back when he was an amateur. Through hard work, he saved all he could to fly to Italy and attend one of its famed opera schools.
``While I was there, I was chosen to sing for Pavarotti. It was one of the highlights of my life. I had to pay for the master class but had to audition first and I couldn't believe I'd even got through. When I returned to Britain, I sent tapes to agents, but nobody even acknowledged receiving them, so I figured I wasn't good enough,'' he said.
He has also appeared on Michael Barrymore's TV program "My Kind of People", and was fortunate enough to be the winner of the show.
When he was young, he participated in the church choir and sang in front of his family. As an adult, he pursued amateur opera. But at that time, he was working the graveyard-shift, packaging products and filling shelves at Tesco, mostly wines and frozen products. He confessed that occasionally, he would fall asleep against the counter.
To become an opera singer, he attended summer school for three months in Italy. It was then that he got the chance to sing before the maestro Luciano Pavarotti. ``At times, I think I endured such struggles and hard times in preparation for what I have now,'' he said.
But he said that he paid for himself. ``I worked hard to do so. I'm no pro. I didn't hide anything from anyone. I am what I am ― a normal man working a day-to-day job. And I've never been paid for my singing or any of the opera work I've done before ― if only,'' he said.
Potts' tale is often regarded as one of opera's great Cinderella stories. Concerning his stance as an emerging star, he said that he will continue to not let his good fortune change his ``everyman'' outlook on life.
``I just want to be a reminder to everyone that if you work hard, your dreams will come true. I am not going to change ― although I might invest in some nice suits! But whatever happens, I'm keeping that Tesco one. It's a reminder of where I was and where I attempt to remain,'' he said.
``You can attain your dreams with continuous challenges and constant effort. Everyone has the capability to do so. Many people underestimate their abilities and talents. Look at me! You have the full potential to do so,'' he said.
Potts released his debut album, ``One Chance'' last year, which went to the top in the U.K. charts and more than 300,000 copies of the albums were sold in the first two weeks.
He said that he is looking forward to meeting his fans in Korea. ``Through the various Internet sites, I've seen how passionate and supportive my Korean fans are. I am very excited for the opportunity to actually meet my fan club. I can't wait to meet the fans in Korea that have thought so dearly of me and who have continued to support me. I am very grateful to all my fans in Korea,'' he said.
The upcoming concerts are part of his headlining 65 concert states in 13 countries. He will work on his next album this year.
Potts also revealed that his story will be made into a Hollywood movie, produced by Simon Cowell.
He quoted Simon Cowell as saying, ``It's another Billy Elliot ― a story anyone in the world can understand.''
Potts is to hold his first concerts in Korea at Ewha Womans University Grand Hall in Seoul on May 3 and 4.
For the Seoul concert, he will perform his numbers from ``One Chance,'' which was released last August and others which have not been released yet.
For more information, call (02) 722-6504 or visit www.ticketlink.co.kr.