Reply #102: why would you think a hoax?

[northernlights]

Many, many, many plain people have good vocal instruments and take voice lessons. Her voice training looked and sounded to be about 3rd-4th year level -- about the same level as mine and many of my singing friends. Rank amateurs, all of us. The more attractive get leads in community musical theatre or solos in community chorus productions. The less attractive tend to get overlooked even at the community level.

She's been singing for 35 years, so that's plenty of time for her vocal technique to have reached auto-pilot, freeing her to focus on musical expression even under duress. :D

Her performance struck me as totally honest. She simply has lived that song -- it's a reflection of her experience of life. Unlike the attractive ones who have doors opening every other minute. Same as the rest of us unattractive ones who work and wait decades for a single opportunity...