IN: Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1988. The group consists of singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist/singer Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their debut album Leisure (1991) incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC, Blur released Modern Life

Childhood friends Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon from Essex met Alex James when they began studying at London's Goldsmiths College in 1988. Albarn was in a group named Circus, who were joined by drummer Dave Rowntree that October. Circus requested the services of Coxon after the departure of their guitarist. That December, Circus fired two members and James joined as the group's bassist. This new group named themselves Seymour in December 1988, inspired by J. D. Salinger's Seymour: An Introduction. The group performed live for the first time in summer 1989. In November, Food Records' A&R representative Andy Ross attended a Seymour performance that convinced him to court the group for his label. The only concern held by Ross and Food was that they disliked the band's name. Food drew up a list of alternatives, from which the group decided on "Blur". Food Records finally signed the newly christened band in March 1990.  From March to July 1990, Blur toured Britain, opening for the Cramps, and testing out new songs. In October 1990, after their tour was over, Blur released the "She's So High" single, which reached number 48 in the UK Singles Chart. The band had trouble creating a follow-up single, but they made progress when paired with producer Stephen Street. The resulting single release, "There's No Other Way", became a hit, peaking at number eight. As a result of the single's success, Blur became pop stars and were accepted into a clique of bands who frequented the Syndrome club in London dubbed "The Scene That Celebrates Itself". NME magazine wrote in 1991, "[Blur] are [the] acceptable pretty face of a whole clump of bands that have emerged since the whole Manchester thing started to run out of steam."  The band's third single, "Bang", performed relatively disappointingly, reaching only number 24. Andy Ross and Food owner David Balfe were convinced Blur's best course of action was to continue drawing influence from the Madchester genre. Blur attempted to expand their musical sound, but the recording of the group's debut album was hindered by Albarn having to write his lyrics in the studio. Although the resulting album Leisure (1991) peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, it received mixed reviews, and according to journalist John Harris, "could not shake off the odour of anti-climax".
QUESTION: Did they release any songs?
IN: Grahame was born Gloria Grahame Hallward in Los Angeles, California. She was raised a Methodist. Her father, Reginald Michael Bloxam Hallward, was an architect and author; her mother, Jeanne McDougall, who used the stage name Jean Grahame, was a British stage actress and acting teacher. The couple had an older daughter, Joy Hallward (1911-2003), an actress who married John Mitchum (the younger brother of actor Robert Mitchum).

In March, 1974, Grahame was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent radiation treatment, changed her diet, stopped smoking and drinking alcohol, and also sought homeopathic remedies. In less than a year the cancer went into remission. The cancer returned in 1980 but Grahame refused to acknowledge her diagnosis or seek radiation treatment. Despite her failing health, Grahame continued working in stage productions in the United States and the United Kingdom.  In Autumn of 1981 while performing in Lancaster, England, Grahame was taken ill. The local hospital wanted to perform surgery immediately, which she refused. Contacting her former lover, actor Peter Turner, she requested to live in Liverpool, in the home of his mother. Grahame requested that Turner not contact medical people or her family but Turner did so, as he was concerned about her health. According to Turner's book, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, his local family doctor told Grahame she had a cancerous tumor in her abdomen "the size of a football". Breast cancer is not mentioned in the book. Peter Turner informed two of Grahame's children, Timothy and Paulette, who were in the United States, of her illness. They travelled to Liverpool deciding to take their mother back to the United States against the wishes of the doctor, Grahame, Peter Turner and his family.  After staying six days at the home of Peter Turner's mother, on 5 October 1981 Grahame was flown back to the United States by her two children where she was immediately admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City. She died in the hospital a few hours after admittance at the age of 57. Her remains were interred in Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Grahame had kept an apartment at the New York City complex Manhattan Plaza. The community room at the complex is dedicated to Gloria, with her portrait hanging on the wall.
QUESTION: Was she granted that wish?
IN: Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who came to international attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. Her first album, I Dreamed a Dream, was released in November 2009 and became the UK's best-selling debut album of all time, beating the previous record held by Spirit by Leona Lewis. I Dreamed a Dream set a record for biggest first week sales by a debut album, according to the Official Chart Company in the United Kingdom.

On 9 July 2010, Boyle announced that her second album would be a Christmas album entitled The Gift. As part of the lead-up to the album, she held a competition called Susan's Search, the winner of which sang a duet with her on her new CD. The album was released on 8 November 2010.  The album was produced by Steve Mac, who said that "Now Susan's used to the studio and the recording process, this time round we might go even further down a traditional route of recording by getting a band together and rehearsing songs before we go into the studio to see what works, how she reacts with certain parts, and so we can change the arrangements that way. I think that's going to work much better....With Susan it's very important she connects with the public and the public connect with her. She doesn't want to sing anything that hasn't happened to her or she can't relate to."  In November 2010, Boyle became one of only three acts ever to top both the UK and US album charts twice in the same year. On 30 November 2010, in the United States, Boyle performed on ABC's The View singing "O Holy Night" and then on NBC's Christmas at Rockefeller Center program performing "Perfect Day" and "Away in a Manger". During her appearance on The View she was unable to finish her song, stating that she had a "frog in her throat"; she wanted to start the song over but was not allowed to. The audience applauded her anyway and she later performed an unaired version of the song which was uploaded to The View's YouTube account.  In October 2010 Boyle's autobiography The Woman I Was Born To Be - My Story was published.
QUESTION:
Was the gift a success