Whether Paul Potts has had training or not does not diminish his being the best of the group on the show. Most singers have had some kind of influence in their performance life - be it small or large. Taking voice lessons does not make you a professional. Being paid for the performances does.....Paul has a wonderful gift and I am happy to add his cd to my collection which ranges from Country to Opera. The audience reaction was amazing and Simon Cowell's even more so...rarely have I seen him so taken over anyone. He certainly rarely is even a little bit enthused on American Idol. It was worth it to see the look on his face.....
As a person who has studied voice and piano, I can appreciate the tonal quality of this man and his voice projection. I don't compare him with anyone else - he is unique in his ability to draw people into his performance, no matter what he would sing. I listened to him on the web site over and over and am going to keep track to buy his cd as soon as it is available.
One thing more, some of the bizarre and vulgar comments should have been eliminated from this forum. It was very frustrating to have to wade through them. Mary Newlon