سيرة
Mary Hopkin was born in Pontardawe, Wales, on May 3, 1950. As a teenager, she achieved modest success as a Welsh folk singer. Then, on May 4, 1968, just one day after turning 18, she appeared on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks (1956), which showcased emerging entertainers competing for audience votes. Her debut performance singing the folk song "Turn, Turn, Turn" was an immediate hit. This marked the beginning of one of the most rapid rises in show business history.
During the show, she was noticed by Twiggy, the 1960s supermodel and actress, who contacted Paul McCartney and encouraged him to audition Mary. Without hearing her sing, McCartney invited her to join the Beatles’ newly formed Apple label. He arranged and produced her debut single, "Those Were the Days," released on August 31, 1968, which became an international number one hit and propelled her to fame. Within a year, her first LP, Postcard, was released. Over the next four years, she became undeniably one of the world’s leading singing stars. However, in the early 1970s, her popularity declined due to her reluctance to embrace the rock-and-roll trend of the time.
