| Delta Goodrem | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Delta Lea Goodrem |
| Born | 9 November 1984 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Pop, soft rock, Adult Contemporary |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, performer, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Sony Music (WW) (2000–present) Columbia Records (U.S.) (2005–2008) Mercury Records (U.S.) (2008–present) |
| Website | www.DeltaGoodrem.com |
Delta Lea Goodrem (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home country.[1] As of the late 2000s or early 2010s, she holds the Australian record for the highest-selling album of the last decade and the most number-one singles from a debut album. Her repertoire falls under the pop and adult contemporary styles, and heavily features the piano, which she usually plays barefoot while performing live.[2][3][4][5][6]
Contents |
Delta Lea Goodrem was born on 9 November 1984 on the outskirts of Sydney to parents Denis and Lea Goodrem. Her parents named her Delta after the Joe Cocker song, "Delta Lady". Goodrem, who showed a strong interest in music and performing from a very young age, attended The Hills Grammar School, though due to its curriculum placing strong emphasis on sport (Goodrem taking part in netball, running and swimming), music was primarily kept separate.[7] At the age of seven she appeared in an American commercial for the Galoob toy company, starring alongside fellow Australian Bec Cartwright[8] and began playing piano at the same age while taking up singing, dancing and acting lessons. She appeared in numerous commercials for companies such as Optus and Nesquik, and had several minor roles in episodes of successful Australian television shows including Hey Dad...!, A Country Practice and Police Rescue.[9]
At the age of thirteen Goodrem recorded a five song demo CD, financed through her television work.[10] It was sent to the Sydney Swans Football Club (of which Goodrem is a supporter) and they passed it onto Glenn Wheatley,[11] the manager behind successful Australian artists, Little River Band and John Farnham. Interested in Goodrem's potential as a recording artist, Wheatley signed Goodrem an artist development deal with independent label, Empire Records.[12] Between June 1999 to September 2000 she worked with producers Paul Higgins and Trevor Carter on thirteen tracks for an album called Delta, which saw "an ambitious 15-year-old keen to emulate the pop sound of the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Mandy Moore."[13] The album has yet to surface, Goodrem preventing its release years later via civil action in 2004.[14]
At the age of 15 Goodrem signed a record deal with Sony[1] and began work on an album of pop-dance songs including the unsuccessful debut single "I Don't Care", which peaked at number sixty-four on the ARIA singles chart in November 2001.[15] The album and proposed second single "A Year Ago Today" were pushed aside as a result, allowing Goodrem and Sony to re-evaluate her future musical direction. In 2002 Goodrem took up the role as shy school girl and aspiring singer Nina Tucker in the popular soap Neighbours,[1] which helped re-launch Goodrem's music career. The piano-based ballad "Born to Try" co-written by Audius Mtawarira premiered on the show and became her first ARIA number one and UK Top 3.[16] Goodrem's role on the show scored her a Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" at the 2003 Logie Awards[17] and two other nominations at the 2004 Logie Awards (including a Gold Logie nomination).
In January 2003 "Lost Without You" again topped the ARIA singles chart[18] and reached number four in the UK, increasing Goodrem's popularity. Her largely self-penned debut album Innocent Eyes was released in March and debuted at number-one on the ARIA album charts, breaking Australian records previously held by John Farnham's Whispering Jack (1986) by staying at number-one for 25 consecutive weeks, while tying with Neil Diamond's Hot August Night (1972) as the second longest charting number-one album with a total of 29 weeks at top spot.[15] It was the highest selling album in Australia of 2010[19] and sold over a million copies in Australia alone, 4.5 million worldwide.[20] The album also charted highly in the UK, peaking at No. 2.[15]
"Not Me, Not I", released following the announcement Goodrem had been diagnosed with cancer, became her fourth consecutive ARIA number-one single, overtaking the previous effort of three number-one's from Kylie Minogue's debut Kylie album.[21]
Goodrem ceased work on Neighbours and her music to begin treatment and in early August, announced she would not renew her contract with Glenn Wheatley, mother Lea Goodrem replacing him as her manager.[22] Later that month, Goodrem won seven ARIA Awards, including "Best Female Artist", surpassing Natalie Imbruglia's previous record of six awards in 1999.[23] Too unwell to perform at the ceremony, singer Darren Hayes performed a rendition of "Lost Without You" as a tribute, bringing an overwhelmed Goodrem to tears. Her first full-length DVD Delta became the highest selling music DVD by an Australian artist in Australia ever, with a certification of 12x platinum,[15] while Australian-only release "Predictable" became her fifth consecutive number one ARIA single in December. Goodrem made a recording that she didn't want to be released publicly and had to battle with her old record company to prevent them from releasing it.[24]
After announcing in late December 2003 that she was in remission, Goodrem began work on her second album. In September 2004 she became the face of soft drink giant Pepsi in Australia, appearing on the product, billboards, TV advertisements and performing an exclusive show for competition winners.[25] In October, first single "Out of the Blue", co-written and produced by Guy Chambers, debuted at number-one in Australia and number nine in the UK. October saw Goodrem launch her own lingerie line titled "Delta by Annabella".[26] Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity, notable for its darker themes inspired by the hardships of her previous twelve months,[27] was released in early November and debuted at number-one in Australia, Top 10 in New Zealand, but peaked at a disappointing number twenty-five in the UK. "Almost Here", a duet with Irish singer Brian McFadden, reached number three in the UK, became her seventh ARIA number one, and her first number one in Ireland. Singles released only in Australia – "Mistaken Identity", "A Little Too Late" and "Be Strong" – were moderately successful.
In March 2005 she starred in her first film role of Hating Alison Ashley, a film based on the popular children's novel, Goodrem acting the title character. The film performed poorly at the box office and was not a critical success, some critics citing Goodrem's performance as too robotic and detached.[28] April saw Goodrem relocate in New York to launch her career in the United States with a re-worked version of "Lost Without You". She appeared in the last two episodes of short-lived American series North Shore in a bid to gain greater exposure around the US. "Lost Without You" proved to be modestly successful, peaking at number eighteen on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, but Goodrem was reportedly dissatisfied with its performance. Plans to release a hybrid of her first two albums were later terminated and Goodrem put America on hold.
In July Goodrem embarked on her first headline concert tour of Australia, The Visualise Tour. Ticket prices (ninety-nine Australian dollars each) came under criticism for being higher than most international acts touring Australia at the time and this initially led to slow sales.[29] By the time the concerts were due to take place, many venues sold out after tickets were reduced to $60. Once the tour concluded over 80,000 tickets had been bought in total making The Visualise Tour one of Australia's highest selling local tours.[30] The Visualise Tour: Live in Concert was released in November and became Goodrem's second No. 1 DVD.
On 15 March 2006 Goodrem performed a new song, "Together We Are One", at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in front of 80,000 spectators and up to 1.5 billion television viewers worldwide. The song, written specifically for the event with Chambers and McFadden, was released in Australia, peaking at number two,[31] and was performed by the Top 5 contestants on American Idol. In June, Goodrem signed to Modest! Entertainment for her worldwide management.[32] October saw Goodrem promoting in Japan with the release of an updated version of Innocent Eyes and the Japan-only single "Flawed", which reached number one on the Japanese download chart. The album peaked at number eight on the Japanese international chart (excluding Japanese artists) and number nineteen on the official Japanese album chart (including Japanese artists). In November, Goodrem appeared with Westlife on UK talent series The X Factor to perform a duet titled "All Out of Love", which appeared on the boyband's ninth LP, The Love Album. She was in Melbourne on Christmas Eve to headline the annual Carols by Candlelight.[33]
On 10 August 2007 Goodrem was in Los Angeles to film the music video for "In This Life", the first single which is also the opening theme for the anime Deltora Quest, based on the novels by fellow Australian Emily Rodda. The video premiered on 31 August on Sunrise. "In This Life" was released as the first single from her new album on 15 September. It debuted at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, becoming Goodrem's eighth number one single in Australia.
Her latest album, the eponymous Delta, was released in Australia on 20 October 2007. Goodrem has described the material as "...a lot lighter" compared to her previous album Mistaken Identity.[34] In January she stated, "As people become more aware of your life, they can pinpoint what songs are about. On this album, I've tried to remove a lot of that and just write great pop songs, songs that are from my heart but there's no baggage with them".[35][36] The album debuted on number one on the ARIA albums chart, marking her third number one album in her home country, and received platinum certification for shipments of 70,000 records, though sales were much lower; only 23,000 copies were sold during the first week. In December the album received a 2x platinum award for shipments of 140,000 copies.[37] The album was certified 3x Platinum in February.
The second single of the album was "Believe Again", released in December. The video for the song was one of the most expensive ones made in the Australian music history.[38] It was the most added song on the radio of week 46.[39] The song debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart. The third single, "You Will Only Break My Heart", was released on 29 March 2008 and peaked at No. 14. The fourth single to be lifted from the album is "I Can't Break It To My Heart", which debuted and peaked at No. 13. Following the release of the lead single, Goodrem currently holds the record for most No. 1 singles on the ARIA charts by an any artist, with 8.
According to Goodrem she is going to explore new places around the world in 2008, including Brazil.[40] Goodrem has also written numerous songs that have been recorded by other artists, one song even being used as the winners song in Norweign Idol in 2007. Goodrem wrote the Middle-Eastern influenced song, "Eyes On Me", which was recorded by Celine Dion and released as the second single from her worldwide hit album, Taking Chances. It was originally intended to be included on Goodrem's album but didn't make the cut. "Eyes On Me" was released as the second single in the UK from Taking Chances in early January 2008.[41][42]
In January 2009 Goodrem embarked on her Believe Again Tour tour of Australia to support her third studio album Delta. She also recorded a duet, "Gotta Be Right Here With You", with Olivia Newton-John to help raise money for Newton-John's cancer hospital in Melbourne.[43][44]
In February 2008 different sources reported Goodrem had been dropped by her record company in the US, Sony BMG.[45][46] Her partner McFadden, however, claimed she had just switched record labels. She is now a part of Mercury Records.[47] He also stated she was at that moment in Los Angeles to shoot a new video and the cover for the US version of Delta.[47]
In July 2008 Goodrem released her third album in the United States. The tracklisting was the same as the Australian version, with one song ("The Guardian") replaced by "Born To Try".
In July 2008 it was announced that Goodrem would embark on a national tour of Australia, titled the Believe Again Tour.[48] She originally announced nine dates in seven cities, but later announced more shows, performing 14 in eight cities. The tour ran from 9 January to 4 February 2009.
Goodrem was nominated for two awards at the 2008 ARIA Awards – Highest Selling Single and Highest Selling Album – and won the award for Highest Selling Album of 2008.[49] At the 2008 World Music Awards held on 9 November in Monaco Goodrem received her third World Music Award for World's Best Selling Australian Artist.
During a recent Australian interview it was mentioned by Goodrem that she will begin work on her fourth studio album, due to be released in 2012. Goodrem told the Courier Mail during a recent interview that the new album will be more "stripped back"; she also explained "I've done a 360 back to where I started, but hopefully it's more evolved. I feel I've stepped up my game. I'm experimenting with different chord changes and different areas of music." Goodrem moved to Los Angeles to work on the album.[50] On 28 November 2010 a representative for Goodrem confirmed to the Sunday Herald Sun that Goodrem will release her new album in 2012.
Goodrem was a guest judge at the Sydney auditions for the seventh season of Australian Idol from 16 May to 18 May, and received good reviews for the guest appearance. Goodrem has become the latest global face of Proactiv Solution, promoting the skin and care treatment alongside Vanessa Williams and Jessica Simpson.
A concert DVD of Goodrem's Believe Again Tour was released on 18 September 2009.[51] The DVD of the Believe Again Tour debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Music DVD Charts.
Goodrem was selected to host for the 7th annual Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards, along with co-hosts Benji Madden and Joel Madden on 13 November.
Goodrem was invited to sing with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli at his American Christmas concerts after wowing producer David Foster with her talent when she gatecrashed his birthday soiree. She performed in 4 of his concerts, as well as additional concerts in Las Vegas and Anaheim. Goodrem topped the Aria End of Decade album charts with Innocent Eyes coming in at No. 1 ahead of P!nk's Funhouse. During Prince William's Australian Promotional Tour Delta got the chance to have lunch with the Prince during his visit to Melbourne before he went to the Australian Open to watch Roger Federer's match. Delta commented via Twitter that -What an honour! Just left lunch with the charming Prince William and an amazing, inspirational group of young Australians. xx-[52]
Australian launch of Michael Jackson's This Is It DVD, March 2010: Goodrem and Guy Sebastian were chosen by the Jackson estate to perform at the Australian launch of This Is It.[53] The invitation only event was attended by the film's director Kenny Ortega, Michael's choreographer Travis Payne, and Michael's brother Jackie Jackson[54] Goodrem and Sebastian performed "Earth Song".[55]
Goodrem was selected by Andrea Bocelli to rejoin him for his 2010 Asian Tour in late April, early May. The Tour Kicked off in Tokyo, Japan with additional shows in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.[56]
In 2010 Goodrem joined forces with Avon as a celebrity judge for "Avon Voices"[57]
Goodrem appeared on the song Stand Up To Cancer, alongside many other notable singers, which was released 11 September 2010.
On 23 November 2011, Goodrem was confirmed to be apart of the judging panel of the Australian version of The Voice that will begin airing in early 2012. Goodrem will coach alongside Keith Urban, Joel Madden and Seal.[58]
Goodrem appeared at the 25th annual ARIA Music Awards on 27 November 2011, where she presented two awards and performed, despite rumours she had been overlooked for the ceremony.[59]
Goodrem was born to Lea and Denis (now divorced) and she has a younger brother, Trent,[60] who is an Australian Rules football player with the Central District Football Club in the SANFL.[61]
On 8 July 2003, at the age of 18, Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer which attacks the body's immune system. She was forced to put all working commitments on hold while undertaking treatment for the disease. In an exclusive interview with the Australian Women's Weekly, Goodrem revealed that, since 2002, she has suffered from a head to toe rash, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and a lump on her neck.[62] "I was doing sit-ups when I felt something pop in my neck. I reached down and I felt a small lump at the base of my throat. It wasn't sore, it wasn't visible, but I could feel it."[63] As part of her treatment, Goodrem undertook chemotherapy, which resulted in the loss of her hair, and radiation therapy.[64]
The news of her diagnosis made newspaper and television headlines and an outpouring of support was shown by fans and the general public alike, Goodrem thanking them during The Visualise Tour for all the letters and well wishes she received. Much of Goodrem's 2004 album Mistaken Identity, in particular "Extraordinary Day", is inspired by her battle.[27] Reflecting on that period of her life, Goodrem says,
| “ | It's weird to see pictures of that time. In some ways the fact that I was so sick was so out there, and yet I kept it really private. No-one saw me on the days I was really sick...I was 18 when I was diagnosed and I had a number one album and single in the country. And in the UK, I was number two. It was such a bipolar year.[65] | ” |
In 2004 Goodrem began a nine month relationship with Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis. Her "comeback" single "Out of the Blue" was written about his support during her cancer battle.[66] The couple's relationship ended in controversy when newspapers reported Philippoussis had been unfaithful.[67] Later that year, Goodrem began dating former Westlife singer Brian McFadden.[68]
On 30 November 2007 Goodrem and McFadden announced they were engaged. In his book, McFadden wrote that he proposed to her on a trip to Bali. OK Magazine Australia revealed that McFadden had planned the proposal for months and the couple planned to wed in December 2009. The wedding was, however was delayed with Australian media reporting that the couple had sold their mansion in Hunters Hill and were living separately – Goodrem in the US and McFadden with friends in Melbourne – due to their careers taking them in different directions. However, McFadden laughed off split rumours.[69] On 1 April 2011, it was confirmed that McFadden and Goodrem called off their engagement. The couple released a joint statement stating that they wished each other every success and happiness in the future.[70]
Goodrem is currently dating singer Nick Jonas.[71]
As of the late 2000s or early 2010s Goodrem has achieved eight No. 1 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)singles and multiple UK Top 10 singles. Her debut album, 2003's Innocent Eyes, made her one of Australia's highest-selling female recording artists, spending 29 weeks at No. 1,[19] selling well over a million copies in Australia and another 3.5 million internationally, debuting at No. 2 in the UK and breaking various records in the process.[72] Goodrem went on to win 7 ARIA awards at the 2003 arias, out of a staggering 10 nominations, cementing her in Australian history books.
In 2003, at the age of 18, amidst her blooming career, Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of cancer which affects the immune system. She has since made a full recovery but is still in remission and now devotes a great deal of her time promoting cancer charities.
In 2004 Goodrem released Mistaken Identity, her second studio album which entered the ARIA charts at No. 1 spawning two No. 1 singles and quickly gained multi-platinum status. In 2005, Goodrem embarked on The Visualise Tour, her debut concert tour of Australia, combining songs from both Innocent Eyes and Mistaken Identity.
Goodrem released her third studio album, self-titled Delta, on 20 October 2007 to yet another number-one debut, gaining multi-platinum status within the first few months of release. Goodrem also shifted attention to different markets, releasing the album in the Far East and the USA. In January 2009, Goodrem embarked on the Believe Again Tour of Australia to support her third studio album.[49] She has sold approximately 5 million albums, and 6 million combined albums and singles worldwide.[73]
Goodrem regularly visits sick children in hospital and uses her own experience with cancer to help raise awareness for other young people affected by the disease. A percentage of each ticket for The Visualise Tour went towards the "Delta Goodrem Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Trust Fund", established by Goodrem in support of cancer research.[74] In May 2005, Goodrem helped launch "Teen Info on Cancer", a UK website aimed at supporting young teenage sufferers.[75] In November 2005, Goodrem became an ambassador for Research Australia's "Thank You Day", which honours the country's health and medical researchers and received a Thank You Day Celebrity Advocacy Award "in recognition of her efforts in raising funds and awareness for Australian medical research and charities."[76] Goodrem is set to be the face of Alternative Hair, the UK hairdressing industry's top fundraising event, in aid of cancer charity Leukaemia Research.[77] Goodrem is also member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving), a group of celebrities raising awareness of the risks of drunk driving.[78]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | Hating Alison Ashley | Alison Ashley | Main role |
| 2011 | Santa's Apprentice | Little Beatrice | Voice Role[79] |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Hey Dad..! | Cynthia Broadhurst | Guest role
|
| A Country Practice | Georgina Bailey | Guest role
|
|
| 1995 | Police Rescue | Sophie Harris | Guest role
|
| 2002–2003 | Neighbours | Nina Tucker | Recurring role
|
| 2005 | North Shore | Taylor Ward | Guest role
|
| 2010 | Stand Up to Cancer | Herself | Performed |
| 2011 | Dancing with the Stars US | Herself | Performed with Duet Michael Bolton - Im Not Ready + Natural Women |
| 2012– | The Voice | Herself | Judge/Coach |
|
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