Charlotte Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlotte Church
Church performing at the FOCUS Wales Festival in 2013
Born	Charlotte Maria Reed (1986-02-21) 21 February 1986 (age 39) Cardiff, Wales
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress presenter
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Jonathan Powell ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop alternative rock classical crossover operatic pop Celtic
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Sony Power Amp

Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a talented Welsh singer, songwriter, actress, and TV presenter from Cardiff. When she was a child, Charlotte became famous as a classical singer. Later, she tried singing pop music. By 2007, she had sold over ten million records around the world. She also hosted her own TV talk show called The Charlotte Church Show on Channel 4. Charlotte is a soprano, which means she has a high singing voice. In recent years, she has also become involved in political activism, supporting causes she believes in.

Early Life and First Steps to Fame

Charlotte Church was born Charlotte Maria Reed in Llandaff, a part of Cardiff, Wales. Her parents separated when she was two years old. She was raised by her mother, Maria. In 1992, her mother married James Church, who later adopted Charlotte in 1999. Charlotte has four siblings: two younger half-brothers and two older adopted siblings.

Charlotte's big break in music happened when she was just 11 years old. In 1997, she sang "Pie Jesu" by Andrew Lloyd Webber over the phone on a TV show called This Morning. After that, she performed on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show. Her singing led to performances at big venues like Cardiff Arms Park and the Royal Albert Hall. She even opened for famous singer Dame Shirley Bassey. Charlotte also received a special scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff. She managed to balance her schoolwork with her performing, and she left school when she was 16.

Music Career Highlights

Classical Music Success (1998–2002)

Charlotte Church in 2000

As a classical singer, Charlotte Church sang in many languages, including English, Welsh, Latin, Italian, and French. She signed a contract with Sony Music. Her first album, Voice of an Angel (1998), was a collection of classical songs. It sold millions worldwide and made her the youngest artist to have a No. 1 album on the British classical charts.

Her second album, Charlotte Church (1999), also featured classical and traditional songs. One song, "Just Wave Hello", was used in a car advertisement and helped introduce her to new fans. In 2000, she released Dream a Dream, an album of Christmas carols. This album included her first song with a more pop-influenced style, also called "Dream a Dream".

In 2001, Charlotte added more pop, swing, and Broadway styles to her album Enchantment. That same year, she appeared in the film A Beautiful Mind, singing the end title song "All Love Can Be". In 2002, when she was 16, she released a "best of" album called Prelude. This marked the end of her classical music career as she prepared to move into pop music.

Pop Music Journey (2003–2009)

In 2003, Charlotte worked with music producer Jurgen Vries on a song called "The Opera Song (Brave New World)". She was credited as CMC on the song, which reached number three in the UK Singles Chart.

In 2005, Charlotte released her first pop album, Tissues and Issues. Four songs from this album were popular in the UK: "Crazy Chick" reached number two, "Call My Name" reached number ten, "Even God Can't Change the Past" reached number seventeen, and "Moodswings" reached number fourteen.

In 2006, Charlotte performed concerts in Glasgow, London, and Cardiff. She sang songs from her pop album and covers of other pop hits. Later that year, she and Sony Music decided to part ways. This happened after her contract for six albums ended.

Charlotte Church performing in 2005

In 2007, Charlotte became a supporter of The Topsy Foundation UK, a charity that helps communities in South Africa affected by HIV and AIDS. She helped raise money and awareness for their work.

Even after focusing on pop, Charlotte continued to train classically. She has performed for important figures like Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III (when he was Prince of Wales), and U.S. President Bill Clinton. In 2009, she shared that she was working on a new album.

New Music and Back to Scratch (2010–2011)

On 13 March 2010, Charlotte confirmed that she was writing and recording her sixth studio album. She said the album would have a more mature and unique sound. On 4 August 2010, she released a new song called "Cold California" on her website.

Charlotte's new album, Back to Scratch, was released in the UK on 25 October 2010. The album had 14 songs and was produced by Martin Terefe. The first song released from the album was the title track, "Back to Scratch". This song was inspired by family problems but also related to her own life after she separated from Gavin Henson. The album also included "The Actors" and a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River".

In March 2011, Charlotte ended her deal with Power Amp Music due to disagreements about promotion. Both parties said it was a mutual decision. The third song from the album, "Snow", was released on 11 April 2011.

EP Releases (Since 2012)

On 26 May 2012, Charlotte premiered three new songs: "The Rise", "How Not to be Surprised When You're a Ghost", and "Say It's True". She released her first EP (a shorter album) called ONE on 4 September 2012.

Charlotte Church performing at the Victorious festival in 2013

On 19 December 2012, she released "Glitterbombed", the first song from her second EP. Her second EP, Two, was released on 4 March 2013. One and Two were combined for a US release on 12 March 2013. Charlotte promoted these EPs with her first North American performances in almost ten years.

She released the first song from her third EP, "I Can Dream", on 15 July 2013. Her third EP, THREE, was released on 19 August 2013. Charlotte's fourth EP, Four, was released on 10 March 2014. She also released a music video for "Little Movements", a song from the EP.

Acting and Television Career

Charlotte Church has made several appearances on television. She was in the CBS series Touched by an Angel and the 1999 Christmas special of Heartbeat. She also appeared on Have I Got News for You in 2002, 2003, and 2012. In 2005, she played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show.

In December 2005, Charlotte played Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz for The Paul O'Grady Show Christmas pantomime.

On 1 September 2006, The Charlotte Church Show began on Channel 4. Charlotte won a British Comedy Award for Best Female Comedy Newcomer in 2006. She was also nominated for the Rose d'Or Special Award for Best Entertainer in 2008. The show ran for eight episodes and had a Christmas special in December 2008.

In January 2010, Charlotte visited the Children's Hospital for Wales to help launch a campaign to raise money for new equipment in the Critical Care Unit. In 2014, she performed as Mrs Ogmore Pritchard in a BBC adaptation of Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas.

In 2018, Charlotte appeared in the BBC One documentary Charlotte Church: Inside My Brain. In this show, she explored the topic of mental health and different types of research in that field. In 2022, Charlotte appeared as "Mushroom" on the third series of The Masked Singer and finished in second place. That same year, she had a brief appearance in the TV series Welcome to Wrexham, where she sang the Welsh National Anthem.

Writing and Political Views

Charlotte Church has written two autobiographies. The first, Voice of an Angel (My Life So Far), was released in October 2000 when she was 14. Her second autobiography, Keep Smiling, came out in late 2007. In 2019, she wrote several opinion pieces for The Guardian newspaper.

After experiencing media intrusion into her personal life, Charlotte became more vocal about political issues. She is a member of the media campaigning group Hacked Off. In May 2015, she joined a protest in Cardiff against austerity measures. She also spoke to a large crowd at a march in London. She has supported Jeremy Corbyn when he led the Labour party and has shown support for the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, in elections. Charlotte is also a supporter of Welsh independence. In January 2017, she took part in a protest in Cardiff about Donald Trump becoming US president.

Personal Life

Charlotte Church's personal life has often been reported on by newspapers. In 2007, she was listed among Britain's richest young people with her then-boyfriend, Welsh rugby player Gavin Henson. They started dating in 2005. They became engaged in February 2010.

Charlotte and Gavin Henson have two children: a daughter named Ruby (born September 2007) and a son named Dexter (born January 2009). The couple separated in mid-2010.

Charlotte later met musician Jonathan Powell, who had worked with her family. They started dating in late 2010. In June 2017, she had a miscarriage. On 4 October 2017, Charlotte and Jonathan secretly married in Cardiff. They later had a small ceremony with family and friends at their home. In August 2020, Charlotte and Jonathan had a daughter named Frida Simone.

In 2019, Charlotte founded The Awen Project, a charity focused on life learning and education, especially with access to nature. In 2021, Charlotte bought Rhydoldog House, a large mansion in Wales, which was featured on the show Charlotte Church's Dream Build. In 2023, she listed Rhydoldog House for sale.

In February 2022, Charlotte appeared on Kate Garraway's Life Stories. She shared that she decided to take a break from music in 2002. At 16, she moved out of her family home and wanted to experience a more normal teenage life, away from the pressures of celebrity. By the age of 19, she had resumed her music career.

Discography

Studio albums

• Voice of an Angel (1998)
• Charlotte Church (1999)
• Dream a Dream (2000)
• Enchantment (2001)
• Tissues and Issues (2005)
• Back to Scratch (2010)

Television and Film Appearances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Charlotte Church para niños

• List of Welsh musicians