Katherine Jenkins

With her smooth, angelic voice belting out a blend of classical and popular music, as well as operatic arias, Katherine Jenkins deftly made her mark as one of Britain's most luminous and talented crossover artists. She was born on June 29, 1980 in Wales, England. By age seven, Jenkins' passion for pop music soon gave way to a love of all things classical, whereupon she began taking piano lessons and singing with a local choir. Jenkins attended London's Royal Academy of Music, where she studied advanced level Welsh. While she was still a student, she was almost raped in London by a man who followed her off a bus. The then-19-year-old was reportedly returning home when her attacker sprang upon her and tried to drag her into an alley, but Jenkins fended him off and escaped. After graduating with honors, she worked briefly as a freelance music teacher, a tour guide for the iconic London Eye landmark, and a model. Meanwhile, Jenkins steadily pursued her musical career with performances at several prestigious concert venues, including Australia's Sydney Opera House, London's Royal Albert Hall, and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.