Boyle Rushed to Mental Health Clinic

(NEWSER) - Susan Boyle has checked out of a mental health hospital where she was treated for nervous exhaustion and is "much happier," her brother tells the Telegraph. "She seems a lot more like herself. Things are becoming clearer for her now," he said. "She's now beginning to believe that, 'Yes, indeed, I will be a singer.'" Boyle, 48, has moved to a flat in central London. More»

Move, inspired by budget crunch, might actually help patients

(NEWSER) - Alabama plans to shut down four of its six mental hospitals, laying off 948 employees in the process, by next year, state officials announced this week. By next May, only two facilities will remain open, one for criminal suspects, and another for geriatrics, the New York Times reports. The move is the latest attempt to cut costs by the cash-starved state, which has already cut mental health funding by 36% since 2009. More»

'I Dreamed a Dream' chronicles singer's rise to fame

(AP) - Producers say the spectacular rise to fame of singer Susan Boyle is being turned into a stage musical that will tour Britain, the US, and Australia. But if you're hoping to see the internet sensation herself, you're out of luck: Scottish actress Elaine C. Smith has been cast as Boyle. The aptly-named show, I Dreamed a Dream, is due to open March 2012 in Newcastle, before a six-month tour. The show's producer said Boyle's story has "all the qualities of a fairy tale, but with the added bonus of being absolutely true." (Click to read about Boyle's bittersweet take on fame .) More»

Singer can't fade into obscurity like author Harper Lee

(NEWSER) - It's been exactly 1 year since Susan Boyle's star-making turn on Britain's Got Talent , and the singer is now crazy famous—but she doesn't seem to be enjoying it much. Friends say Boyle's suffered a breakdown and doesn't enjoy her celebrity, writes Ben Macintyre for the Times of London . She fears she'll be dropped by her label, and she hasn't even moved into the new house she bought. More»

Britain's Got Talent finds another diamond in the rough: Janey Culter

(NEWSER) - In an almost eerie rerun of the Susan Boyle incident, Britain's Got Talent has found yet another unlikely star: angel-voiced 81-year-old Janey Cutler. The video of Cutler's "spine-tingling" performance of Edith Piaf's "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" has racked up 407,000 views on YouTube, and, according to the Daily Mirror , has already started a bidding war between US networks, including NBC and CBS, who want her to make an appearance stateside. More»