Andrea Begley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrea Begley
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|---|---|
| Born | 15 January 1987 Pomeroy, Northern Ireland |
| Genres | Pop rock, pop, Celtic, folk, country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | Capitol |
| Associated acts | Danny O'Donoghue, Philomena Begley |
Andrea Begley is a talented singer and songwriter from Pomeroy, Northern Ireland. She became famous after winning the second season of the BBC singing show The Voice UK.
Andrea is also the niece of the well-known Irish country music singer Philomena Begley.
Contents
Andrea's Music Journey
Andrea grew up loving music. She often performed in fleadhanna, which are Irish dance and music festivals. She also took part in many singing competitions.
After finishing her law degree in 2008, Andrea started writing her own songs. She performed at open mic nights and other events in Belfast.
Starting on TV: The Hit
In 2012, Andrea appeared on a TV show called The Hit. This show was about songwriting. Her original song, "The Message," was chosen by producer Steve Lillywhite for the final round.
Winning The Voice UK
In 2013, Andrea auditioned for The Voice UK. The Script's Danny O'Donoghue picked her to be on his team. Andrea worked hard and eventually won the competition!
After her big win, she signed a deal with Capitol Records. She moved to London to record her first album. Her winning song was a cover of "My Immortal" by Evanescence. It reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart and number 70 on the Irish Singles Chart.
Her first album, also called The Message, came out on October 21, 2013.
Her Performances on The Voice UK
Here are some of the songs Andrea sang on the show:
| Performance | Song | Original Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind Audition | "Angel" | Sarah McLachlan | Joined Team Danny |
| Battle Rounds | "People Help the People" (against Alice Barlow) | Birdy | Winner |
| Knockout rounds | "Songbird" | Fleetwood Mac | Winner |
| Week 1 | "Ho Hey" | The Lumineers | Safe |
| Week 2 | "One of Us" | Joan Osborne | Safe |
| Final | "My Immortal" | Evanescence | Winner |
| "Hall of Fame" | The Script | ||
| "Angel" | Sarah McLachlan |
Her First Album: The Message
Andrea's first studio album, The Message, was released on October 21, 2013. It included her winning song "My Immortal" and a cover of "Dancing in the Dark".
The album did very well! It reached number 10 on the UK's Official Chart Update. It also got to number 61 on the Irish Albums Chart and number 7 on the UK Albums Chart.
Music Since 2014
In 2014, Andrea moved back to Ireland. She has continued to perform and tour. She even went on two tours with her aunt, Philomena Begley, in 2018 and 2019.
Andrea has released several new songs on her own. Her second album, "Soul of a Songbird," came out on December 6, 2019.
Visual Impairment and Activism
Andrea has partial sight because of a condition called glaucoma. She developed it when she was 5 years old. She has had many operations, and now she has about 10 percent of her vision.
Since she was 19, Andrea has volunteered with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). This group helps people who are blind or have sight loss. She is currently in charge of the RNIB network committee in Northern Ireland.
Andrea is also a motivational speaker. She shares her own experiences with sight loss. She talks about issues related to visual impairment and disability to different groups and businesses. She wants to help others understand and support people with disabilities.
Andrea's Music
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
IRE |
SCO |
||
| The Message |
|
7 | 61 | 7 |
| Soul of a Songbird |
|
– | – | – |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
IRE |
SCO |
|||||||||||||||
| 2021 | "All I Want" | – | – | – | n/a | ||||||||||||
| "Dancing in the Sky" | – | – | – | n/a | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | "Away in a Manger" | – | – | – | n/a | ||||||||||||
| "O Holy Night" | – | – | – | n/a | |||||||||||||
| "One More For The Road" | – | – | – | n/a | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | "Shallow" (with Hype) | – | – | – | n/a | ||||||||||||
| "Always Remember Us This Way" (with Hype) | – | – | – | n/a | |||||||||||||
| "Beyond the Rainbow's End" | – | – | – | n/a | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | "Never a Pal Like Mother" | – | – | – | n/a | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | "In the Bleak Midwinter" | – | – | – | n/a | ||||||||||||
| 2013 | "My Immortal" | 30 | 70 | 36 | The Message | ||||||||||||
| "Dancing in the Dark" | 113 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes release that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||||||
EPs
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | EP | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
IRE |
|||||||||||||||
| 2012 | "The January Song" | – | – | From the Blue | ||||||||||||
| "The Message" | – | – | ||||||||||||||
| "Talent in my Fingers" | – | – | ||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes release that did not chart or was not released. | ||||||||||||||||
Other Charted Songs
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
|||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | "Ho Hey" | 98 | The Message | ||||||||||||||
| "Take On Me" | 103 | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes release that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||||||
Andrea's Autobiography
Andrea wrote a book about her life called "I Didn't See That Coming." It was published in October 2013 by BBC Books.
Andrea chose the title to be a bit funny. She said it helps people feel more comfortable talking about her visual impairment. She believes that if she can joke about it, others will feel more at ease too.
