[THREE UPDATES BELOW]
If you do nothing else today, watch this video of a stereotypical Welsh salesman who has a glorious secret. I am deadly serious. 300,000 more people have watched it just in the 30 minutes since I first saw it.
After you click the video, please click "read more." AFTER, please--don't spoil the surprise for yourself.
Take it from a professional: he is once-in-a-generation, at least. Remember that name... Paul Potts.
UPDATE: That was obviously from a British talent show. He made it into the finals this evening. Here's his semi-final performance. The sound mixing is a bit unbalanced (the music covers his voice at times), so listen to it on as high-quality speakers as you can.
By the way, he's only in his twenties. That means he hasn't yet reached his peak as a singer--my ear tells me there are aspects of his voice (particularly in terms of projection in the low range, as is typical in a tenor) that he probably hasn't fully developed yet. He's going to be indescribably extraordinary...
UPDATE II: I thought he looked a bit older than twenty-something and it turns out I was right. He's 36. But still, a gorgeous voice, and what sets him apart is his ability to sing with such natural emotion that doesn't feel like he's really "performing." He's still a once-in-a-generation performer with a tremendous gift.
UPDATE III: There's been a lot of confusion about his performing background. He has been singing in the British equivalent of community theatre (pay to play). He also paid for a summer of vocal study that included lessons and putting on performances. The "studied with Pavarotti" meme is a bit misleading. He attended a masterclass with Pavarotti; a masterclass is a one-time event (sometimes paid) in which singers can sit in on lessons of a master teacher and perhaps even be selected as a demonstration singer to whom the master will give a "mini-lesson" while the rest of the attendees watch. He has never made a living as a singer or been paid to perform in a concert setting. In a nutshell, he's a particularly devoted amateur who has never had a big break.
I think he just got that "break" he's been looking for... Bravo to him for his perseverance!
