Katherine Jenkins Biography

Name : Katherine Jenkins

Born : 29 June 1980

Occupation : Singer

Katherine Jenkins was born on June 29, 1980, in Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales. Growing up in a council house (a kind of public housing building common in the UK), Katherine was first attracted to pop music. But by the time she was 7, Katherine had fallen in love with classical music. She took piano lessons and joined the local choir.

For the next 10 years, Katherine distinguished herself locally as a chorister, competing -- and often winning -- various competitions for Choirgirl of the Year. Starting in 1990, Katherine was a member of the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers for six years. She also spent three years as a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales. The death of her father, Selwyn Jenkins, spurred her to pursue music even more passionately, and when she was 17, she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Since then she has become the official mascot for the Wales rugby team. Before the 2003 Rugby World Cup she recorded the Welsh team's official song, a version of Bread Of Heaven backed by a 100-piece male voice choir. Prior to that, she'd sung the Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium before the Wales/England game.In 2004 she performed at Westminster Cathedral, Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. In October the same year, Katherine's second album, Second Nature, was released, reaching number 16 in the UK pop charts.

2005 saw appearances at Tsunami Relief Cardiff and the G8 concert, Live 8, in Berlin. Katherine also became the new forces' sweetheart, performing at the VE Day anniversary concert at Trafalgar Square, at which she was introduced by Dame Vera Lynn. She went on to perform for the troops in Iraq in December 2005 and 2006.