History of Charlotte Church in Timeline

Charlotte Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter from Cardiff, known for her classical crossover music early in her career before transitioning to pop and other genres. She gained fame as a child prodigy and has released numerous albums and singles, achieving international success. Beyond music, she has ventured into acting and television presenting, demonstrating versatility in her career. She has also been involved in political activism.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

February 1986: Charlotte Church's Birth

In February 1986, Charlotte Maria Church, originally named Charlotte Maria Reed, was born in Cardiff, Wales. She is known as a singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter.

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1992: Mother's Second Marriage

In 1992, Charlotte Church's mother, Maria, married James Church, who later adopted Charlotte.

1998: Release of 'Voice of an Angel'

In 1998, Charlotte Church released her first album, Voice of an Angel, which became a major success and made her the youngest artist with a No. 1 album on the British classical crossover charts.

1998: Enrollment at Howell's School Llandaff

In 1998, Charlotte Church started at Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff on a vocal scholarship, after leaving The Cathedral School, Llandaff. She managed to balance her schoolwork and performing career.

1999: Appearance on Heartbeat Christmas Special

In 1999, Charlotte Church appeared in the Christmas special of the TV series Heartbeat.

1999: Release of Second Album and Ford Ad Campaign

In 1999, Charlotte Church released her eponymous second album, featuring operatic, religious, and traditional tracks. The song "Just Wave Hello" was used in a Ford Motor Company ad campaign.

1999: Rupert Murdoch Wedding Performance and Scholarship

In 1999, Charlotte Church sang at Rupert Murdoch's wedding, waiving a $100,000 payment for "good press." She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff.

1999: Adoption by James Church

In 1999, Charlotte Reed was adopted by her stepfather, James Church, and took his last name.

2000: Release of 'Dream a Dream' Album

In 2000, Charlotte Church released Dream a Dream, an album of Christmas carols that included her first venture into pop music with the title track featuring Billy Gilman.

2001: Film Appearance and Song Performance for 'A Beautiful Mind'

In 2001, Charlotte Church made her first film appearance in A Beautiful Mind. She performed the end title song, "All Love Can Be", after Celine Dion was unavailable.

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2002: First Appearance on Have I Got News for You

In 2002, Charlotte Church first appeared on Have I Got News for You as the show's youngest-ever panellist.

2002: Release of "Best Of" Album and Royal Christmas Tour

In 2002, at the age of 16, Charlotte Church released a "best of" album called Prelude and participated in the Royal Christmas tour with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, marking the end of her classical music career.

2003: Second Appearance on Have I Got News for You

In 2003, Charlotte Church appeared on Have I Got News for You.

2003: Collaboration with Jurgen Vries on 'The Opera Song'

In 2003, Charlotte Church collaborated with trance music producer Jurgen Vries under the name CMC, singing vocals on "The Opera Song (Brave New World)", which reached number three in the UK Singles Chart.

December 2005: Role in The Wizard of Oz Pantomime

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

2005: Attempt to Move into Pop Music

In 2005, Charlotte Church made a less successful attempt to transition from classical singing to pop music.

2005: Appearance on The Catherine Tate Show

In 2005, Charlotte Church played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show.

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2005: Release of Pop Album 'Tissues and Issues'

In 2005, Charlotte Church released her first pop album, Tissues and Issues, which had four successful singles in the UK.

April 2006: Concerts in Glasgow, London, and Cardiff

In April 2006, Charlotte Church performed three concerts in Glasgow, London, and Cardiff, mixing tracks from her pop album with pop covers.

September 2006: Premiere of The Charlotte Church Show

On September 1, 2006, The Charlotte Church Show began airing on Channel 4.

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November 2006: Parting Ways with Sony

In November 2006, Charlotte Church and Sony parted ways after her six-album contract ended, amid speculation about a break from singing, pop releases' chart performance, and her pregnancy.

2007: Records Sold Worldwide

By 2007, Charlotte Church had sold over ten million records worldwide, including over five million in the United States.

2007: Patron of The Topsy Foundation UK

In 2007, Charlotte Church became Patron of The Topsy Foundation UK, helping to raise awareness and funds for its work to support rural communities in South Africa.

April 2008: Articles emerge about return to Classical crossover

In April 2008, articles emerged in the UK press stating that Charlotte Church was still training classically and considering a return to classical crossover music.

June 2008: Pregnancy with Son and Future Music Plans

In June 2008, Charlotte Church became pregnant with her son, Dexter Lloyd Henson. She expressed plans to work on more music, considering both classical and pop genres.

2008: Appearance on Katy Brand's Big Ass Show

In 2008, Charlotte Church appeared briefly in a sketch in Katy Brand's Big Ass Show.

2008: Rose d'Or Nomination

In 2008, Charlotte Church was nominated for the Rose d'Or Special Award for Best Entertainer.

June 2009: Plans to Resume Work on a New Album

In June 2009, Charlotte Church discussed resuming work on a new album and her partner's encouragement to pursue her career after settling down.

2009: US Release of Pop Album

In 2009, Charlotte Church's pop album, Tissues and Issues, was released in the US through Amazon.com MP3 shop and iTunes.

January 2010: Appearance on Hospital 24/7

In January 2010, Charlotte Church appeared on the finale of Hospital 24/7, visiting the Children's Hospital for Wales to launch the Noah's Ark Appeals campaign.

March 2010: Appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

In March 2010, Charlotte Church appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, confirming that she had begun writing and recording her sixth studio album with a more mature and "kooky" vibe.

August 2010: Release of "Cold California" Track

On August 4, 2010, Charlotte Church made her new track, "Cold California," available for download from her website.

October 2010: Release of 'Back to Scratch' Album

Charlotte Church's album, Back to Scratch, was released in the UK on October 25, 2010. The album was preceded by the title track single on October 24.

October 2010: Back to Scratch Album Release

On October 25, 2010, Charlotte Church released her album, Back to Scratch, her first album in five years.

March 2011: Ending Deal with Power Amp Music

In March 2011, Charlotte Church ended her US$3 million deal with Power Amp Music over promotional disputes.

April 2011: Release of "Snow" Single

On April 11, 2011, Charlotte Church released "Snow" as the third single from her album.

May 2012: Premiere of New Songs on BBC Radio

On May 26, 2012, Charlotte Church premiered three new songs, "The Rise", "How Not to be Surprised When You're a Ghost", and "Say It's True", on BBC Radio with Bethan Elfyn.

September 2012: Release of First EP 'ONE'

On September 4, 2012, Charlotte Church released her first EP titled ONE.

December 2012: Release of "Glitterbombed" Single

On December 19, 2012, Charlotte Church released "Glitterbombed", the lead single from her second EP, on The Line of Best Fit.

2012: Appearance on Have I Got News for You

In 2012, Charlotte Church appeared on an episode of Have I Got News for You

March 2013: US Release of 'One and Two' and North American Performances

On March 12, 2013, One and Two were combined for a US release. Charlotte Church promoted them with her first North American performances in almost a decade, appearing in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and at the South by Southwest Festival.

March 2013: Release of Second EP 'Two'

On March 4, 2013, Charlotte Church released her second EP, Two.

July 2013: Release of 'I Can Dream' Single

On July 15, 2013, Charlotte Church released "I Can Dream", the lead single from her third EP, via SoundCloud.

August 2013: Release of Third EP 'THREE'

On August 19, 2013, Charlotte Church released her third EP titled THREE.

March 2014: Release of Fourth EP 'Four' and Music Video

In March 2014, Charlotte Church released her fourth EP, Four, and a music video for the lead single, "Little Movements", on YouTube on March 15, 2014.