Anthony Callea

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Anthony Callea
Anthony Callea performing at Highpoint
Anthony Callea performing at Highpoint
Background information
Birth name Anthony Cosmo Callea
Born December 13, 1982 (age 24)
Origin Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genre(s) Pop
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Years active 2004–present
Label(s) Sony BMG (2004–present)
Website Official Website
Anthony Callea 2004
Enlarge
Anthony Callea 2004

Anthony Cosmo Callea (born December 13, 1982 in Melbourne) is a ARIA Award winning Australian singer and was the runner-up in the 2004 season of Australian Idol. Callea currently holds the record for highest-selling single and fastest-selling single in Australia for his debut single "The Prayer".

Contents

[edit] Australian Idol

Anthony Callea began entering talent contests as a child and trained with the Johnny Young Talent School. He auditioned and was selected for the final 30 in the television series Australian Idol in 2004. Based on viewer votes, he did not make it through the first round of competition but was invited back as a "Judge's Choice Wildcard", where his performance earned him a place in the final 12.

Over the weeks of the competition his popularity with the Australian public grew. During his run on the show, he gave several performances that earned him high praise from the judges, including Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water", Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" and Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion's duet "The Prayer." Judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson said Anthony's performance of the latter was the finest he had seen during his two years with the show. The competition concluded in November 2004 with Anthony as runner-up to Casey Donovan.

[edit] Post-Idol

He was immediately signed to Sony/BMG Records, and his first single,"The Prayer" was released in December 2004. It debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at number one, and remained there for five consecutive weeks. Within seven weeks, it had become the highest-selling Australian single of all time, as it was certified four times platinum, selling in excess of 280,000 copies.[1] His next single, the double A-side "Rain / Bridge over Troubled Water" spent two weeks at number one. His self-titled album, Anthony Callea, debuted at number one, on the week of 4 April, 2005, and remained at the top of the chart for three weeks. His third single "Hurts So Bad" debuted at number ten on the ARIA Charts, while the album's final single, "Per Sempre (For Always)" debuted at number five.

Anthony's DVD Live at the Palais was released on 7 November, 2005. It debuted at #3 in the ARIA DVD Chart and awarded Gold status.

Anthony released the single "Live for Love" on November 4, 2006, the first from his second album "A New Chapter" and the only song he didn't co-write. Both the single and the album, which was released on November 25, 2006 debuted at number 9.

The second single will be "Addicted to You", The album lasts just over an hour and contains his characteristic mix of genres - powerful ballads as well as more up-tempo songs, all of them co-written by Anthony.

Two additional tracks were also made available on i-tunes - "Meant For Love" to coincide with the release of "Live For Love" and "Whatever It Takes" for the album's release.

Anthony also contributed his version of a Brian McKnight song, "Home", to the compilation album Home: Songs of Hope & Journey by various Australian artists to raise funds and bring attention to beyondblue, an Australian initiative against depression.

[edit] Idol Performances

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album cover Album information
Anthony Callea
  • Released: March 25, 2005 (Australia)
  • Chart Positions: #1 (Australia)
  • Certifications: 2x Platinum (Australia)
A New Chapter
  • Released: November 25, 2006 (Australia)
  • Chart Positions: #9 (Australia)
  • Certifications: Gold (Australia)

[edit] Singles

Year Song Australia Certification Album
2004 "The Prayer" 1 4x Platinum (ARIA) Anthony Callea
2005 "Rain / Bridge over Troubled Water" 1 2x Platinum (ARIA) Anthony Callea
2005 "Hurts So Bad" 10 - Anthony Callea
2005 "Per Sempre (for Always)" 5 - Anthony Callea
2006 "Live for Love" 9 - A New Chapter
2007 "Addicted to You" TBA - A New Chapter

[edit] Other

  • "I Wanna Know What Love Is" (studio recording Track 3 of Australian Idol: The Final 12 2004)
  • "Listen with Your Heart" (released as bonus CD to a limited number of debut albums)
  • "Wanna Be The One" (b-side to Rain/Bridge Over Troubled Water CDS)
  • "Don't Tell Me" (b-side to Rain/Bridge Over Troubled Water CDS)
  • "The Healing of a Heart" (Bambi 2 Soundtrack)
  • "Meant for Love" (iTunes exclusive)
  • "Whatever It Takes" (iTunes exclusive)
  • "Home" (on Home: Songs of Hope & Journey compilation)
  • "The Christmas Song" (on The Spirit of Christmas 2005 compilation)

[edit] Videography

[edit] Music videos

  • Listen With Your Heart (unverified, currently unreleased)
  • The Prayer
  • Rain
  • Bridge Over Troubled Water
  • Hurts So Bad
  • Per Sempre (For Always)
  • Live For Love

[edit] DVD

  • Anthony Callea: Per Sempre (For Always) (DVD single)
  • Anthony Callea: Live In Concert (recorded at The Palais, Melbourne)[debuted at #3 in ARIA DVD Chart]

[edit] Awards

Award Category About Result
2006
MTV Australia Video Music Awards 2006 Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice Award 2006 Himself Won
Dolly Teen Choice Awards 2006 Hottest Album Of 2006 'Anthony Callea' Won
2005
Pop Republic Awards 2005 Artist Of The Year Himself Won
Variety Young Awards 2005 Entertainer of the Year Himself Won
MO Award 2005 Australian Performer Of The Year Himself Nominated
MO Award 2005 Contemporary Rock Performer Himself Won
Channel V's OZ Artist Of The Year Award 2005 Oz Artist Of The Year Himself Won
ARIA Awards 2005 Highest Selling Single The Prayer Won
ARIA No.1 Chart Awards 2005 ARIA No.1 Single Rain / Bridge Over Troubled Water Won
ARIA No.1 Chart Awards 2005 ARIA No.1 Single The Prayer Won
ARIA No.1 Chart Awards 2005 ARIA No.1 Album 'Anthony Callea' Won

[edit] Career Highlights

  • Sang National Anthem at the Rugby League Trinations-Game 2 (21st October, 2006)
  • Sang National Anthem at the Australian Grand Prix 2005
  • Sang National Anthem at the State of Origin (2005)
  • Supernova nominee (2005)
  • Sung for Luciano Pavarotti (2005)
  • Carols By Candlelight (Melbourne) 2 years running (2004, 2005)
  • Tribute performance at the Logies for tsunami victims
  • Performed seconds before midnight at Sydney Lord Mayors New Years Eve Party at the Sydney Opera House (2005)
  • Recorded song for closing credits of Bambi II (Disney's sequel to Bambi - 2006)
  • Sang for Queen Elizabeth II in March 2006 at Commonwealth Day Church Service in Sydney
  • Ran and tripped in Commonwealth Games Baton relay on the day of the opening ceremony in March 2006.
  • Sang At Sunrise Benefit Concert for the people of Beaconsfield after the great escape of Miners.
  • Sang National Anthem at the MCG for the Australia vs Greece soccer game (May 2006)
  • Sang at the 2005 ARIA Awards.

[edit] Trivia

  • Anthony is set to be a guest appearance at Diana Ross's concert in late 2006
  • Anthony auditioned for the 2002 Popstars solo competition, with Scott Cain the winner.

[edit] References

  1. ^ ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2004 Singles. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on November 14, 2006.

[edit] External links

Australian Idol
Hosts and Judges
Andrew G | James Mathison
Mark Holden | Marcia Hines | Ian "Dicko" Dickson | Kyle Sandilands
Winners
Guy Sebastian | Casey Donovan | Kate DeAraugo | Damien Leith
Runners-Up
Shannon Noll | Anthony Callea | Emily Williams | Jessica Mauboy
Seasons
Idol 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
Other
List of semi finalists | Young Divas | Australian Made: The Hits | List of commercial releases
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