Katherine Jenkins

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<h2>Early Life and Musical Foundations</h2>

<p><a href="/biography/katherine-jenkins">Katherine Maria Jenkins</a> was born on June 29, 1980, in Neath, Wales. She and her sister Laura were raised by their parents, Selwyn John and Susan. From a young age, Jenkins showed musical promise, participating in school productions and local performances.</p>

<p>She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Primary School, Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School, and Gorseinon College. Excelling academically, she received top marks in her GCSEs and A-levels, and was involved in school musicals such as <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamity_Jane">Calamity Jane</a></em> and <em>Guys and Dolls</em>. Jenkins studied vocal performance, receiving instruction from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Thomas_(choral_conductor)">John Hugh Thomas</a>, and passed her Grade 8 exams in both singing and piano with distinction.</p>

<h2>Vocal Achievements and Formal Education</h2>

<p>From 1991 to 1996, Jenkins was a <a href="/biography/katherine-jenkins">member</a> of the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and was awarded the prestigious St Cecilia Award, the highest honor for female choristers within the organization. She also performed with the National Youth Choir of Wales for three years, and twice won the BBC Radio 2 Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest. Additionally, she received the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year title and the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholarship for promising young singers.</p>

<p>At 17, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, one of the world’s leading conservatories. She graduated with honors, earning a diploma in music.</p>

<h2>Early Career and Public Recognition</h2>

<p>After graduation, Jenkins undertook various roles including work as a freelance vocal coach and a tour guide on the London Eye. In 2000, she won the Face of Wales modeling competition, before turning her full focus to music. She gained wider public attention in 2003 after performing at Westminster Cathedral for a service celebrating the silver jubilee of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II">Pope</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II">John Paul II</a>.</p>

<p>In 2004, Jenkins signed a major record deal with Universal Classics, reportedly worth £1 million, marking one of the most significant contracts in British classical music at the time.</p>

<h2>Recording History and Commercial Breakthrough</h2>

<p>Between 2004 and 2008, six of Jenkins’s seven studio albums reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts, with total sales exceeding four million worldwide. Her debut album, <em>Premiere</em>, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date. Her follow-up album, <em>Second Nature</em>, reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and earned the Album of the Year title at the 2005 Classic BRIT Awards.</p>

<p>Her third album, <em>Living a Dream</em>, featured the Italian-language cover “L’Amore Sei Tu” (“I Will Always Love You”) and held the top spot on the classical chart for nearly a year. The album also peaked at number 4 on the mainstream charts, earning Jenkins her second consecutive Classic BRIT Award for Album of the Year.</p>

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<h2>Continued Success and Genre Expansion</h2>

<p>Jenkins’s fourth album, <em>Serenade</em>, released in November 2006, sold over 50,000 copies in its first week and reached number 5 in the UK pop charts. At one point, her albums occupied the top four HMV classical chart slots simultaneously.</p>

<p>Her fifth album, <em>Rejoice</em>, released in November 2007, included original songs, two of which were written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Barlow">Gary Barlow</a>. It reached number 3 on the UK pop charts, surpassing albums by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Girls">Spice Girls</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls_Aloud">Girls Aloud</a>.</p>

<p>In October 2008, Jenkins released <em>Sacred Arias</em>, her final album under Universal Music. Shortly after, she signed a US$10 million (£5.8 million) deal with Warner Music, reported to be the largest in classical recording history at the time.</p>

<h2>Warner Music Era and Collaborations</h2>

<p>Her first album with Warner Music, <em>Believe</em>, was released in October 2009 and featured collaborations with <a href="/biography/andrea-bocelli">Andrea Bocelli</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Rieu">André Rieu</a>, and <a href="/biography/chris-botti">Chris Botti</a>. Jenkins promoted the album on UK television and performed “Parla Più Piano” (from <em>The Godfather</em>) at events including Children In Need Rock the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Albert_Hall">Albert Hall</a> alongside <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Lloyd_Webber">cellist</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Lloyd_Webber">Julian Lloyd Webber</a>. In 2010, she reprised the song at <em>A Concert for Heroes</em> at Twickenham Stadium, and also performed on the Argentine television show <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susana_Giménez">Susana Giménez</a></em>.</p>

<p>Her subsequent albums included <em>Daydream</em> (2011), <em>This is Christmas</em> (2012), and <em>Home Sweet Home</em> (2014), the latter marking her debut with Decca Records. In 2015, Jenkins expanded into progressive rock by contributing spoken word vocals to “A Perfect Life” on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Wilson">Steven Wilson</a>’s album <em>Hand. Cannot. Erase</em>.</p>

<h2>Television Appearances and Philanthropy</h2>

<p>In 2012, Jenkins competed on the American television show <em>Dancing with the Stars</em>, finishing in second place. In addition to her musical endeavors, she has performed for British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and supported numerous charitable causes. Jenkins has also regularly sung at high-profile sporting events and appearances on talk shows, further establishing her presence as a crossover artist in both classical and popular music spheres.</p>

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