Russell Watson

Born in 1974, British tenor Russell Watson became an opera singer by freak occurrence. While he was regularly singing in bars and clubs in the Manchester and London suburbs, an owner of one such venue told Watson that he thought his voice was better suited for opera and requested that he learn Puccini's "Nessun Dorma," which he did and promptly added to his set. Watson eventually signed with Decca Records, issuing his debut, entitled The Voice, in April of 2001. Nicknamed "the People's Tenor" (since he likes to chat with and seeks feedback from his fans), Watson seems poised to convert more than a few opera naysayers as he covers such contemporary compositions as Freddie Mercury's "Barcelona (Friends Until the End)," Ultravox's "Vienna," and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," in addition to the standards.