HSG

In a recent post on this forum, we shared an image of curvaceous chanteuse Chloe Agnew, from the December 2006 issue of V.I.P.--an Irish celebrity magazine that is basically the Emerald Isle's answer to People (although classier, and with prettier photography).

Chloe appeared on the cover of said issue of V.I.P., along with her family. The magazine featured an extended interview with Chloe's mother (who is apparently a major Irish celebrity in her own right), and a brief Q&A session with Chloe, as well.

The article confirms that Miss Agnew is 17 years old, that she lives with her mother and younger sister in Knocklyon (a suburb of Dublin), and that the family has no less than "nine dogs, four cats and seven birds."

(The dog in the previously-posted V.I.P. photograph is named "JJ McNamara," for fans who wish to know everything about their Irish idol.)

The article also notes a very special gift that Chloe's mother recently gave her daughter, after the latter returned from her 2006 North American tour with Celtic Woman. As her mother tells V.I.P.:

Chloe was away and I was trying to think what I could do for her birthday. She's an independent young woman now and if she wants to go out and buy herself an I-Pod, she can. I decided to change her bedroom, which had become a bit little-girly for her. She nearly died when she got off the plane from America!

How wonderful that Chloe's mother came up with such a personal and creative gift, rather than simply offering another material possession.

At any rate, here are Miss Agnew's responses to the interviewer's questions.

* * *

VIP: With both parents in showbusiness, you've seen the good and the bad side of publicity. With the family trauma of recent years, how do you feel about the idea of celebrity?

Chloe: I've seen the nitty gritty side of the business and it helps me now in my own career. It's not a shock to me. I try to treat it as everyday life. I've seen the ups and the downs, but I don't take the knocks as hard now.

VIP: Do you enjoy performing on stage?

Chloe: I love it. It's second nature to me now.

VIP: How do you cope with nerves?

Chloe: I wouldn't be normal if I didn't get nerves; it's a case of learning how to control them, and to remember that when you get out there you are doing what you love. We've developed the show together and there's a confidence in that.

VIP: Do you feel you have to cope with a lot at your age?

Chloe: Yes, but that's life. I'm quite positive about that. I've wonderful people in my life. I have a fantastic tutor who travels with me, and we have one-on-one teaching for about five hours a day. I'd like to see where this takes me and where my career can go from here. I'd like to try different things. What I sing and perform now suits my voice and my age, but who knows, in a few years I might try something different.

VIP: What's the hardest part about your life?

Chloe: Being away from home, from my friends and family, missing out on some of the teenage things--hanging with your friends, so when I'm home I treasure it. I just broke up with a beautiful young guy . . . he's a wonderful guy, I love him to bits, but it's just too hard with all the travelling. I know I have an opportunity that a lot of people don't have.

VIP: What have you learned from your showbiz parents?

Chloe: [Laughing] Mum is an amazing person, there's nothing she doesn't know and it kills me to have to admit it! But she's always right! She has taught me great lessons in life about having courage and independence.

VIP: What are you looking forward to most about Christmas?

Chloe: It's always a big deal in our house. In the past couple of years it's been a mad time with shows and we'd be shopping on Christmas Eve and then straight into rehearsals and matinees, but hopefully we'll be able to hang out together this year.

VIP: [To both sisters] Any new year's resolutions, girls?

Chloe: [Laughing] To clean our rooms more!

VIP: [To mother and daughters] You've been through a lot in the past couple of years; has it brought you three girls closer together?

Chloe: Yes, absolutely, that's what I find so hard about leaving, because we're so tight-knit right now. When a part of that is missing, the whole operation has to be changed. We have it down to a fine art!

* * *

From this we learn several fascinating things.

Chloe travels with a tutor, so that during the Celtic Woman tours, she doesn't miss out on school.

She respects her mother--which is an interesting aspect of her personality, as the world's most beloved young plus-size models, Christina Schmidt and Kelsey Olson, have also acknowledged a close relationship with their mothers. How gratifying to see that this is true of Chloe, as well.

And intriguingly . . . Miss Agnew is single. Which means that she will now become the dream girl of every young man in the world (as if she wasn't already!).

Chloe comes across as a delightful and captivating individual, equal parts superstar and refreshingly normal young woman. How fortunate that young girls can look up to her as a role model, as an example of someone who does not starve herself into the androgynous celebrity mold, but remains naturally curvaceous--and gorgeous--and mature, while retaining her youthful charm.

Another enchanting image of Miss Agnew from V.I.P. magazine, December 2006:

Chad

Wonderful interview with an intriguing young starlet. Her personality sparkles. And what a beautiful, feminine dress! All she needs is a tiara, and the fairy-tale princess look is complete - yet at the same time, it's a very wearable style for a special occasion.

If Chloe is ever looking to "try something different," as she says in the interview - or rather, to augment her singing with an additional career path - I think she would make an amazing plus-size model. What a celebrity campaign that would be! We've already seen that she makes everything she wears look terrific.

Speaking of Chloe, fans will be delighted to see (and hear) this new YouTube video clip from the Celtic Woman concert at Slane Castle, in Ireland. Chloe sings the Latin hymn "Panis Angelicus," and for me, this is the highlight of the entire show:


Chloe looks even more opulent in this clip than she does in "The Prayer," and her movements are balletic in their gracefulness. At one point, she almost seems to be shaping the sound in the air with her arms, as she sings. It's a captivating clip - although you really need to view it on DVD to appreciate the wonder of it, and the richness of her beauty.

Emily

Chloe fans have the opportunity to see a great deal of their Irish Beauty this weekend. According to a press release,

http://www.prnewswire.com:80/cgi-bi...04547118&EDATE=

Chloe will be appearing on TV throughout the weekend -- which is only fitting, as Satudary is St. Patrick's Day!

Here is the itinerary:

It will be wonderful to have the world see (and hear) more of this curvaceous Celtic goddess.

MelanieW

A video of todays appearance by Chloe and her group has already been posted on YouTube:


Its a fun song, and although Chloe wears a conservative black dress for the performance (hey, its Martha Stewart), her hairstyle is breathtakingly beautiful. Its worth watching the clip just to see the romantic arrangement of her fairy-tale tresses.

Her movements are so fluid and graceful, and I adore the little glances that she flashes when she knows the camera is on her.

Theres also a new interview with Chloe at a beliefnet.com:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/212/story_21297.html

Its interesting to read such a substantial conversation with Chloe. I loved the detail of her much her music touched her fans - especially one young abused girl. And the references to how Chloes Irish heritage affects her, and the music of the group, are fascinating:

Beliefnet.com is a faith/spirituality site, so its interesting to see an interview focus on this aspect of the groups music. Not the typical media interview, by any means!

M. Lopez

Celtic Woman also frequently performs a song called "Beyond the Sea" for their TV appearances. Here they are in a CBS clip showing them on The Early Show, on Saturday,

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2580924n

and here's a video (poor quality, I'm afraid) of the girls performing on a Boston arts program, two Sundays ago:

http://wbztv.com/video/?id=29379@wbz.dayport.com

Both show wonderful close-ups of Chloe, who looks gorgeous, as always. For the CBS feature, she even exchanges a few words (in that soft, angelic voice) with the host.

I also thought I'd share a letter published in a Philadelphia newspaper, expressing the reactions of one concert-goer to the group's show:

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20070308_Letters___These_women_really_have_it.html

The text:


Isn't that marvellous? The writer clearly had Chloe in mind when he favourably commented on the girls' "curvy" appearance.

It's encouraging to see so many people responding to the traditionally feminine way in which these women present themselves - so rare, in a time when true femininity has been suppressed, maligned, and distorted by the mass media. Chloe's success with her group proves that people still respond to these timeless archetypes.