YouTube sensations from across the Black Country and Staffordshire

YouTube started in 2005 as a way to make videos easier to watch on a computer and allow people to share potentially important footage freely with one another.

According to its founder, Jawed Karim, the inspiration for YouTube first came from Janet Jackson's infamous 2004 Super Bowl 'slip' incident and later from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Karim could not easily find video clips of either event online, which led to the idea of a video sharing site.

Between then and now, the site has taken on a life of its own.

All manner of people upload videos of themselves doing pretty much anything, for the whole world to see.

For some, the reaction their clips have received has been life changing.

Bloxwich teenager Beth Ford is the latest YouTube star to make headlines - after footage of her singing Pie Jesu, from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem, took the Internet by storm.

The performance was filmed - unbeknown to her and put on YouTube. The footage was picked up by the San Francisco Globe last month which described the 14-year-old's voice as 'utterly sublime' and encouraged readers to listen to the video.

The Walsall Academy pupil's performance has now gathered more than 72,000 views and propelled her own song 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows' to the top of online music chart the Hype Machine.

She said of her success: "I am amazed that so many people, from so far away, would take the time to listen and I am even more astonished that they would write such lovely, generous comments about my voice.

"I am just a normal teenager who loves to sing, but who goes to school just like any other 14 year old.

"I am lucky to have really good friends, if I did start to get big-headed or think that this made me different, they would soon tell me to stop."

Beth is set to release a number of singles in the near future through her website and said: "I am very excited to find out what people think of my single.

"I didn't expect many people to take any notice of it outside friends and family, so it will be interesting to see whether it travels as far as my video, or maybe even further.

"I am finding out that the world is a small place thanks to the Internet.'

"Whilst I have been at school today the video has been seen by another 10,000 people."

Beth is not the only Black Country act to have proved a hit on YouTube.

Black Country theatre production group The Fizzogs formed over 12 years ago and had been performing as their now famous 'dancing grannies' characters for a decade before a video of the piece went what is now known as 'viral'.

After getting nearly 50,000 views on YouTube and over 1.5 million shares on Facebook, the video propelled them to fame.

Since then, the unique trio's routine has been aired on TV stations in the US and the phone hasn't stopped ringing from people wanting to hire the dancing grannies for parties, festivals and functions.

Fizzog Deb, one of the stars of the video, said: "Our success through YouTube changed a lot for us.

"Before that our bread and butter had been taking theatre to schools, it wasn't always comedy.

"The success from this video meant we were getting calls to do the dancing grannies routine at all sorts of events and so that became our main thing.

"We certainly didn't set out to get however many hits on YouTube, you can never guess what people will react to.

"Both the freedom of what you can put out there for people to see and the huge potential audience mean it is a great thing for artists and performers."

YouTube has also become synonymous with new music since its conception.

It is now recognised as a platform for raw artists to share their sounds with the world and form a solid fanbase on their road to success.

Streetly singing sensation Connie Talbot won over music lovers from across the globe with the help of the site since bursting on to the scene through the more traditional route of television.

As a six year old, she rose to prominence on Britain's Got Talent when her rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow took her to the final.

Her first audition has gathered over 20 million views on YouTube after those who missed the show caught up with the incredible performance online.

Last year, her recording of a cover of Heroes by the Swedish DJ and music producer Alesso was released to raise money for the Royal British Legion's poppy appeal.

After being shared by QI host and Twitter king Stephen Fry, the video racked up over 80,000 hits, exposing the talented young singer to even greater success.

Sharon Talbot, mother of the now 14 year-old Connie, said YouTube is a great way for artists to connect with the public. Fans can now see her as soon as a new video goes up.

"It is a showcase if the video goes viral they can get noticed. It is like a shop window to showcase talent," she said.

YouTube has also become the perfect place for comedians to share new material.

Its freedom means they can be as outrageous or self indulgent as they like, rather than having to cater to the latest comedy trends.

For Black Country comedian Jonny Cole, who mixes music and comedy to tell tales of his upbringing to audiences of all ages, it was the perfect platform.

His song 'Wednesbury', a love letter to the town which he calls 'the centre of the universe', includes the line 'and it dow matter if yo cor read, as long as yo can drink and as long as yo can breathe'.

It has clocked up nearly 70,000 views and pushed Jonny to a wider comedy audience.

Earlier this year he went on a Black Country tour with his band The Ronaldos and is preparing to release an album later this year.

In 2013, footage of six-year-old breakdancer Bgirl Terra, from Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, took the internet by storm.

When Dachiya could walk by the age of nine months and was jumping off the sofa to do handstands at two, her parents were understandably impressed with her achievements.

When the YouTube community was given footage of her appearing at the Pro Chelles international dancing competition in Paris, they couldn't believe their eyes.

In the short video, she stuns the crowd with her moves, during which, in a tiny grey tracksuit and hat, she spins on her head, performs windmills and forward flips like a trained professional.

Over 3 million people saw Dachiya's performance, proof that the public's appetite for unique characters doing extraordinary things is insatiable.

At the other end of the spectrum, the unbelievable success of 'Doreen's Story', a video featuring comedy character Doreen Tipton -show that we also like a slice of satire.

Since being uploaded, over 1.3 million people have watched Doreen Tipton, aka Gill Jordan, speak about dealing with the trappings of 'lazy cow syndrome'.

Doreen, a Black Country benefits scrounger who pleads with her doctor to 'upgrade her to bi-polar' so she never has to waste time applying for jobs again, is the creation of David Tristram, who was born in Quarry Bank near Dudley.

The character has taken on a life of its own, with Doreen releasing an autobiography called 'From Rug-Rats to Riches' last year and a full length movie in the pipeline.

YouTube has taken the talents of the Black Country onto the world wide stage and as Beth Ford prepares to release her new singles to a eagerly awaiting global audience it is clear that for many it is just the beginning.