Recent Posts
Culture December 1, 2020
How this artist turned her grief into something beautiful.
When speaking of opera divas, the first names that come to mind are Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, and Montserrat Caballe. You may not have heard the name Summer Watson in these discussions, but she should certainly be top of mind.
Summer Watson is a British classical crossover singer, model, philanthropist, and wellness powerhouse. She stands out from other artists not only because of her appearance and great talent, but also because of her inspiring story.
After graduating from the Royal College of Music, she was the first-ever artist to sign a £1million contract with Sony Classical. Watson recorded an album of some of her favorite classical, film, and pop songs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.
Mid-recording, she was in the tragic Potter’s Bar train crash. This led to her covering Sting’s well-known song, “Fragile.” The album went to No 1. on the iTunes charts in the U.S. and No. 2 on the U.K. classical charts. This led to her bursting onto the international music scene in 2003.
Watson wanted the wealth of music that she had been exposed to in her training to be accessible for everyone! This lead to a strong desire to perform in arenas instead of concert halls, and record albums rather than sing in opera houses.
She has spent the past 15 years touring all over the world, sharing stages with Michael Bolton, Chris Botti, and David Foster. She has performed for celebrities and royalty all over the world at Buckingham Palace, in Europe, Dubai, Jordan, Sri Lanka, and to a TV audience in China of 1.3 billion people.
With her singing voice being so magical, and her story so unique, everyone who encounters Summer Watson is left in admiration while being inspired by the beauty and possibilities of life.
In 2014, Watson faced the most challenging period of her life – she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. Her life as she knew it came to an abrupt halt. Her strength, her way of living, her right breast, her confidence, her ability to sing, and her fitness would all be taken from her. Watson had to face losing everything and start over.
Through the recovery process, Watson turned to the incredible power of music to heal her. She reevaluated her life and how she was living. She realized that health is not just about how much kale you eat, or how far you run every day. Most importantly, she had to figure out – what was the story she was telling herself? What was she choosing to accept; toxic media, toxic friendships, or relationships? If so, this is what can also cause disease (or unease) within the body.
After receiving this life-threatening diagnosis, Watson learned to love and celebrate life – every single breath of it. So many people have serious traumas to face. Watson now celebrates the joy in every moment, no matter what the world throws at her.
Watson found that music, nature, and being surrounded by her supportive friends and her golden retriever Marleigh are what helped her to heal.
Now that she was free to show her authentic self without a care in the world, Summer was able to sing all genres of music. She learned that music is a major healing power for the human body. She also learned that there is only one of you in the universe, so you have to just do you!
After two years of good health from 2017-2019, Watson thought she had closed the door to pain and trauma. She was performing regularly, vocal coaching, and working as an Ambassador for Amnesty International. Then, she then hit April 2020.
Watson faced loss for the first time. The burning pain following the death of her golden retriever, Marleigh was the final chapter that led her to have the courage to tell her story. In 2020, Watson coped with this loss through writing her own songs and lyrics, creating inspirational music, and sharing her own powerful story of becoming a warrior.
“When life gets tough, you put on your warrior armor and say I will not back down. I will rise and stand taller and stronger than ever before. After all, the only way out is through!”
Her new EP, “Unveiled” tells her story of overcoming trauma and the importance of celebrating every single second of life.
Warm and a touch melancholic, “Unveiled” showcases the soft soprano vocal performance of British Classical Crossover superstar, Summer Watson. In life, it is extremely important to reveal one’s true self to the world. It is important to enjoy living no matter what trials and tribulations we may face. “Unveiled” is just that – taking one’s mask off and showing our true core, the beauty, one’s inner light, and living with our heart open.
“Let’s open up for the world to see, Unveil your world
And when your heart is open the world is unveiled
Just leave the words unspoken, love will prevail.“
There is nowhere for us to hide now. The year 2020 has given us all an opportunity to look inward. We are learning to listen to our hearts to reflect on what is important. Watson’s mission is to inspire others to live their lives and share their stories so that we can all prevail.
Watson wants to send so much love to anyone on the journey of cancer, whether you were diagnosed yourself, or are supporting someone with cancer.
And, for anyone struggling to adapt to this new world we find ourselves living in, breathe deep and list all the things that you are grateful for. If you are out of work or stuck in transition, start by taking on the first hour of every day like a warrior.
Use this time to evaluate your life. As if you were baking a cake, write down everything you need in order to achieve the life you want. Take one step at a time and you will get there! What ingredients do you need in your life to make the perfect recipe? We are only here once, so no matter what is thrown at us let’s enjoy it. Call a friend, your Mum or run to your partner or children and tell them you love them. Love will prevail.
