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 TV singing competition The Voice UK.
Andrea is also the niece of Philomena Begley, a well-known Irish country music singer.
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Andrea Begley's Music Journey
Andrea grew up loving music. She often performed in Irish dance and music festivals called fleadhanna. She also took part in many singing competitions across Ireland.
After finishing her law degree in 2008, Andrea started writing her own songs. She began performing at open mic nights and other events in Belfast.
Early Steps: The Hit in 2012
In 2012, Andrea joined a TV songwriting show called The Hit on RTE 2. Her original song, "The Message," was chosen by producer Steve Lillywhite. It made it to the final eight songs in the competition.
Winning The Voice UK in 2013
Andrea auditioned for The Voice UK. Danny O'Donoghue from the band The Script chose her to be on his team. Andrea worked hard and eventually won the entire competition!
After her big win, she signed a contract with Capitol Records. She then moved to London to record her first album. Her winning song was a cover of "My Immortal" by Evanescence. This song reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart and number 70 on the Irish Singles Chart.
Her first album, also called The Message, was released on October 21, 2013.
Andrea's Performances on The Voice UK
Here are some of the songs Andrea performed during her time on The Voice UK:
| Performed | 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, came out on October 21, 2013. It included her winning song "My Immortal" from The Voice UK. It also featured her cover of "Dancing in the Dark".
The album quickly became popular. It reached number 10 on The Official Chart Update in the UK. It also entered the Irish Albums Chart at number 61 and the UK Albums Chart at number 7.
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 many new songs on her own. Her second studio album, "Soul of a Songbird," was released on December 6, 2019.
Andrea's Visual Impairment and Activism
Andrea Begley has a condition called glaucoma, which affects her eyesight. She developed it when she was 5 years old, after being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 3 and a half. 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). She is currently the head of the RNIB network committee in Northern Ireland.
Andrea also gives motivational talks. She shares her experiences with sight loss and talks about issues related to visual impairment and disability. She speaks to groups and businesses across the UK and Ireland.
Andrea Begley's Music Releases
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 Begley 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 and light-hearted. 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.
