Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle never married; she says she was never so much as kissed; she gave up several years of her life to take care of her dying mother. Described on Wikipedia as an unemployed, devout Catholic, she has been singing in bars in her local village.

When she walked onto the stage of Britain's Got Talent, she was, in the eyes of the world, a 47 year-old nobody, albeit "cheeky". She walked off a huge star. If you haven't seen this yet, you should:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

and if you have seen it, watch it again.