Somewhere tonight American Idol judge Simon Cowell is grinning. You can just imagine it, can't you? That smile that he wore on Britain's Got Talent when he heard Susan Boyle sing "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables, remember? Simon was smart enough to take that talented lady and make her a star. Oh yes, she had the talent, but Simon had the wherewithal. And today it's paid off with the news that Susan Boyle's debut CD is number one on the UK charts.

The record keepers across the pond, the Official Charts Company, announced that Boyle's CD, also called I Dreamed A Dream, sold 410,000 copies since its release on November 23. That means it's not only the top of the chart, it's also the fastest selling album this year. It's even the most albums sold in the first week of a release for a British debut.

Without question, Susan Boyle is the success story of the year. She's a star is born ... if the birth was over 40 years in the making. The Boyle story is the kind of feel-good script that would never be believable, except that it's true. If some screenwriter wrote this with Brenda Blethyn in mind for the title role, he/she would be laughed out of the studio.

On December 13, TV Guide will be airing a TV special about Boyle called I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story, and now they'll be able to add this accomplishment to the roll. Within days, there will also be news about the U.S. release of the CD. Billboard anticipates Boyle will debut at the top of the album charts, surpassing Adam Lambert's debut by perhaps a two-to-one margin.