The inspirational memoir by international classical music star Paul Potts, winner of Britain’s GotTalent—soon to be a major motion picture from The Weinstein Company
One Chance is the remarkable true story of Paul Potts, cell phone salesman by day, amateur singer by night, who stepped onto the stage in the premiere season of Britain’s Got Talent, and changed his life. When he opened his mouth to sing Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma,” judge Simon Cowell and millions of viewers were stunned. Paul went on to win the show’s competition and become a YouTube sensation and multiplatinum artist virtually overnight. Filled with personal recollections not featured in the film, this is the wonderful story of the shy, bullied Welsh store manager who seized his biggest dreams and won audiences around the world. The film One Chance, starring James Corden, Tony-winning star of One Man, Two Guvnors, and Julie Walters, star of Mamma Mia! and Billy Elliot, was directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada) and written by Justin Zackham (The Bucket List), and will be released in fall 2013.
The verger role was mainly a ceremonial one: leading the choir in and out of the cathedral. It was great for me, as it meant I was able to sing every day I was in work! The cathedral was a very special place to sing, with its ten-second echo (it has a very long, high vaulted nave, which means the sound takes a long time to travel to the back of the church). This meant that leading the choir in from the back of the church, we were only just hearing the start of the processional hymn when the organ
chosen to perform last. Once again, the time soon came for me to enter the stage. Although I had performed “Nessun Dorma” at the start of competition, singing it again felt anything other than easy. I was aware that at the start, any success was unexpected, whereas now expectations were raised, and this increased the pressure on me. So much so that I could feel my legs beginning to shake while I was waiting for the doors at the back of the stage to open. I found I was checking the words of
producers on my debut record, One Chance. There was Nigel Wright, whom I had worked with on Britain’s Got Talent, and also two Swedish double acts: Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, who have also worked with artists such Leona Lewis, Josh Groban, and Celine Dion; and Andreas “Quiz” Romdhane and Josef Larossi, known as Quizlarossi, who had worked with Il Divo, Kelly Clarkson, and Diana Ross. I didn’t have a lot of time to get to know them, as it was very intense. Recording an album was an alien
included the city’s iconic opera house. I was told on camera that I would be performing there as part of an Australian tour the following year. That took my breath away. To be honest, I hadn’t thought that far ahead; I hadn’t even resigned from my job at Carphone Warehouse. But to go on a world tour and perform at Sydney Opera House felt like yet another dream I didn’t want to wake up from. After Australia, we went back to Europe the long way round, going via Los Angeles to change planes. I was
funny guy and difficult not to warm to. I don’t suppose either of us could have imagined that when we met again, it would be on the set of a Hollywood film, with James playing the part of me! With the UK part of the tour complete and my confidence up, I set off for the next set of concerts in North America. My first date was an event at the Planet Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas, before beginning the tour proper in Seminole, Florida. Julz and I spent a few days in Vegas, taking in a few shows
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