Issue date: July 25, 1999
Child star, soprano sensation or candid teenager? Try combining the three
and you get 13-year-old Charlotte Church, who has a triple-platinum CD, Voice
of an Angel. It has sold more than 600,000 copies in England alone and more
than two million worldwide. Church has sang for Prince Charles, the Pope and recently
for President and Mrs. Clinton. The native of Cardiff, Wales enjoys talking about
her friends and hometown. Here are excerpts from the conversation:
How do you try to keep your life normal, despite your celebrity status?
Well, no one comes up to me on the street. My friends and family keep me normal.
How would you describe your own personality? I don't know. Sometimes
I'm really bright and bubbly. But I have mood swings, too. But I'm a very good
child. What are your favorite activities to do? Cinemas, sleepovers,
going to my nana's house, playing on my PlayStation and listening to my billions
of CDs. What was the last movie you saw? Hmm...I saw Forces of Nature,
but then another one after that. I can't remember it now. Who are your
favorite actors? I like Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Cruise's wife, Sandra Bullock,
Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and that guy from Shakespeare in Love.
What types of music do you like? Rap, rave. I listen to anything.
Who would you like to sing with? Why? Lauryn Hill, Will Smith, All Saints,
Placido Domingo and Pavarotti are some. I like those particular artists. Any
others that you listen to? I really like Britney Spears. I actually even bought
her CD. I like TLC, too. I like their new song . Have you heard of the
Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync? Yeah. I like the Backstreet Boys better. 'N Sync
is just getting big out here. How did you get into classical music? Was
it intentional? It was a gradual thing. My teachers recommended it. I started
taking singing lessons at 9 1/2. You mentioned before that you want to
sing "Madame Butterfly" at La Scala in Milan when you grow up. Why?
I like Puccini. He's really good. Do you like shopping? Yes, I love
it. What do you like to shop for? Shoes, hair accessories and junk
jewelry. I love all that kind of stuff. How many pairs of shoes do you
have? Like 15 to 20. I'm not sure, because sometimes they just get bought
for me. Tonight, you're performing for the President and the First Lady.
Have you met them before? No, this is my first time. Who would your
rather meet, the President or the First Lady? I don't know. They're both pretty
impressive. She's the epitome of girl power. Spice Girls, eat your heart out when
it comes to Hillary. I know that you've met Prince Charles, appeared on
the "Late Night Show," and traveled around the world, but what's your
most memorable experience? When I met with the Pope in Rome. That was amazing.
Are you religious? I'm Catholic, so that made it even better. Do
you like the United States? Where have you been? [She nods her head.] I've
been to New York, Dallas, L.A., Las Vegas and Washington, DC. What do you
remember the most clearly about New York? Tall buildings. I like New York,
but it's a bit fast for me. Would you consider moving here to stay?
No, I like Wales way too much. Describe Cardiff for me. What's the attraction?
It's just that people are very friendly and family oriented. There's everything
you need there. It's very laid-back and it's not furiously fast like London. Cardiff's
the fastest-developing city in Europe. It has everything that big cities have,
but it's much nicer. Big cities have ten things and Cardiff will have two, but
that's all you need. What's the downside of being a star? Sometimes
it can get a bit tedious because you have to do all those radio and TV shows.
But I love the fans. For the last 7 months, 5 1/2 to 6 of it was on the road.
What's your advice for other young adults who want to make it in the industry?
It's such a competitive business, so you got to be strong-willed and nice, but
not pushy. I thought it was going to be easy at first, but it got tedious. I did
1,500 interviews within seven months. It gets tedious, but it's rewarding after
a while. Your mom says she always travels with you. How is that? It's
kinda nice taking a bit of home with you. Sometimes, we get at each other's throats,
but that's a typical mother-daughter thing. Are you close with your father,
too? Yes. Sometimes he travels with us, too. He came to Rome with us. Once,
my two friends came to New York with me. Are you an only child? Yes.
Did you ever want any siblings? Do you want any now? No. No. Do
you have any pets? I have a lizard named Iggie. I'm not sure if it's male
or female. What grade are you in? Is it hard to deal with both school and
traveling so much? I just finished 8th grade or your 7th. It's easy for me
to adapt. I go to a normal school when I'm at home. When I'm on the road, I have
a private tutor, who communicates with the school and sees what I have to do and
when it's due. Your mom told me that you just took a French exam this morning.
What's your favorite subject? French. What are your plans for this
summer? I'm making a second album and doing concerts. You've performed
in many venues. Which one has been your favorite? Ford's Theatre is very lovely.
I really loved the Royal Albert Hall in London. It's huge. It seats 7,000 people.
It's unique because it's completely round inside and outside, too. The Queen often
goes there. There seems to be a lot of teenage celebrities now, especially
in the United States. Do you think it's just a phase? It depends. Some are
trends and some will stay. -- By Linda Lou for USA WEEKEND | 
