Delta Goodrem
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Delta Lea Goodrem (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian musician, singer and actress, who started her career as Nina Tucker on the television soap opera Neighbours.
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Early life
Born in Sydney, at a very young age, Goodrem had an interest in music, despite coming from a sports-based family. She took up piano as a hobby and focused on her music, and strived to be a performer, delivering mini-concerts in her street, charging neighbours to watch her sing and dance. Goodrem appeared in numerous television commercials and television shows in Australia. At the age of seven, Goodrem appeared in an American commercial for Galoob Toys. She also was signed up to be the Nesquik girl. Goodrem has also made cameos in Australian television episodes of Hey Dad!, A Country Practice and Police Rescue.
In 2001, Goodrem was signed up to Sony, and was requested to go the Empire Studios to record potential material. She recorded a five-track demo EP of self-penned songs before releasing a moderately successful single in November 2001, called "I Don't Care", which reached number 64 on the ARIA Music Charts [1] (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1206855/bio).
Innocent Eyes
In 2002, after a role in Neighbours, Goodrem released her first single, but second CD, entitled "Born To Try". It debuted at number 3, and slowly climbed up and hit pole position due to her relentless promoting schedule.
After a string of promotional duties, Goodrem soon became a household name, and Australia's newest sweetheart, and girl-next-door.
After winning a 'Silver' Logie for "Most Popular New Female Talent" for her role of Nina Tucker in Neighbours, Goodrem released her second single, 'Lost Without You'. It was the only single from her forthcoming album to debut at number 1, and it stayed there for two weeks, beating stiff competition from very competent international acts.
Her debut album Innocent Eyes was released March 3, 2003, and was a massive success, producing a record five number 1 singles in Australia. She has writing credits on neatly song on the album, thus becoming the only international act, or Australian female performer in history to be credited as performer and writer on four number 1 hits.
Goodrem then later released the title track from her album; Innocent Eyes. It debuted at number 2, and peaked at number 1 after two weeks at number 2. This put Delta in the history books for being the only female artist to have three number 1 singles from her debut album.
In the June of 2002, Goodrem appeared on Channel V, a lifestyle, musical program that was on cable TV. She performed a featurette concert of 7 songs from her album (which was already 6x Platinum by then). The concert was well received, and since then have appeared on her DVD, and was demanded for many re-runs.
Cancer
However, in the midst of promoting her album, she announced that she had Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, and ceased work to begin treatment for the disease. This greatly affected the marketing push for Innocent Eyes, with Goodrem unable to perform any promotional tours or appear on any TV shows. However, the album was successful in spite of this, with the media coverage given to her health perhaps acting as promotion on its own.
Early on in her treatment, Goodrem recorded a few new songs, and a video clip for her fourth single 'Not Me, Not I', though it was apparent that treatment was taking its toll. When asked why Goodrem worked so hard to promote her album in spite of her illness, she said that: 'I am very dedicated to my fans, and that song (Not Me, Not I) is so special to me that I had to film a clip for it.'
On October 4 of that year, while Goodrem was still undergoing treatment, it was announced that she would not renew her contract with manager Glenn Wheatley. Goodrem's mother, Lea Goodrem, subsequently replaced Wheatley.
Goodrem capped off a professionally successful, though personally traumatic, year by winning a record seven ARIA Music Awards on October 21, 2003, which broke the previous record of six, held by Natalie Imbruglia. The ARIAs were seen as something of a 'come-back' for Goodrem, and although she didn't perform personally, Darren Hayes of Savage Garden performed her song "Lost Without You" as a tribute to her.
In the first week of December 2003 Innocent Eyes broke John Farnham's Australian record of 25 consecutive weeks at No. 1 (Whispering Jack (1986)). In total, Innocent Eyes spent 29 weeks at #1, tied with Neil Diamond's Hot August Night (1972), as the second longest charting number-one album in Australian history. Innocent Eyes has gone over 14x platinum in Australia alone, with sales in the United Kingdom reaching a high level as well.
Goodrem released her debut DVD entitled Delta has been a success in both Australia and the United Kingdom and features many videos depicting her life up until now. The DVD broke Australian record, selling in excess of half a million.
After cancer
After announcing in late December/early January that she was in remission, Goodrem began to go back into the studio and write and record new songs, for a then-untitled album. There were rumours at the time that she was dating tennis player, Mark Philippoussis. The rumours proved to be true, and the couple seemed to be smitten with each other. Philippoussis was Goodrem's second boyfriend, with Blair McDonough being the first.
In January 2004, Goodrem was well enough to attend the 2004 Australian Open at length, where she prominently supported Australian player Mark Philippoussis. She continued her support during the Wimbledon tournament. In February 2004 it was announced Goodrem had won the lead role in the Australian comedy film Hating Alison Ashley, the movie based on the novel by Robin Klein, a prominent Australian author.
"Out Of The Blue"
In October, Goodrem released the debut single from her forthcoming album, whose working title was Mistaken Identity. The song was called "Out Of The Blue", and was about Goodrem's new relationship. The single was well received by the public, and shot to number 1, and subsequently went platinum.
As of October 2004, however, Goodrem's relationship with Philippoussis was over after Paris Hilton announced to the media that she was Philippoussis' new love interest, much to the surprise of Goodrem and her fans. This was later confirmed by Philippoussis, though he stated that Hilton was not the cause of the break-up. This was suspected, as he didn't attend the 2004 ARIA Awards, at which Goodrem was performing for the first time.
Delta has been dating married (but now separated from his wife Kerry Katona, an ex-Atomic Kitten) ex-Westlife star Brian McFadden since September 2004. In December 2004, Goodrem announced she was planning to relocate to the United States in an attempt to break into the US market. Goodrem has already appeared on the North American soap opera North Shore.
Mistaken Identity, and the controversy
Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity was released on November 7, 2004 and debuted at number 1. The first single from it, "Out of the Blue", debuted at number 1 on its first week of release in October 2004.
By now, Goodrem was dating McFadden, and both (again) seemed very smitten with each other. However, over in the UK, Goodrem's public profile was receiving a backlashing due to her relationship with McFadden. Many Katona fans stormed Goodrem's official forum, and hurled abuse at Goodrem. Subsequently, Goodrem's popularity faded, and her single, Out Of The Blue, peaked at a low number 9.
In Australia, "Mistaken Identity" the album track, debuted and peaked at number 7. In true Tori Amos style music, the Australian public did not receive Goodrem's single as well, and the single soon slid out of the Top 50 Singles Chart. Many detractors quoted that this was the beginning of the end of Goodrem's career. In the UK, a different second single was released from the album. "Almost Here", a duet with Brian McFadden, who had already been successful being part of Westlife, pushed the single up to debut at number 3, her chart best equal with "Born to Try".
Further controversy
In late February, a charity concert was held in Dublin. Goodrem and McFadden were both headliners for the concert. When the couple finished singing their single 'Almost Here', according to the media, the crowd booed the couple off. It was later realised that it was only a select group of Katona singers at the front who booed the couple off.
At one point, Goodrem was stated to say that she was becoming deeply depressed, and isolated. She said that she wished the media would leave her alone, and stop abusing her relationship with McFadden.
Also in February, Paris Hilton accused Delta of using her split from Mark Philippoussis to find fame in the US, according to tabloid reports. She denied claims that she had ever been romantically involved with Philippoussis.
In April 2005, Goodrem was signed on to Columbia Records, home to internationally popular girl-group Destiny's Child. She was then put as a high-priority artist in the label, and subsequently, Goodrem began to prepare her assult on the American markets.
It was quoted in an article that Columbia would drop their deal with Goodrem unless her dropped her mother as manager. They then quoted to say that ever since her mother took reins, Goodrem's career was spiralling into controversy and disrepair. Goodrem and her mother both responded angrily, and both quoted that they would 'always work with each other'. It was later shown that the whole article was just tabloid.
Tabloid reports in the UK also claimed that Brian McFadden had proposed to Delta in April. He later released a statement claiming that this was untrue.
Visualise
In June 2005, Delta Goodrem will begin her maiden tour, The Visualise Tour, peforming in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra and other major Australian cities. On The Visualise Tour she will be singing a number of songs from her debut album, Innocent Eyes, and her latest one, Mistaken Identity. It has been said that the tour will be just like an international one.
Delta Goodrem is a member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving, a group against drink driving. She recorded a message for the radio about the risks of drink driving. Goodrem has released her fourth single from the Mistaken Identity album in Australia, the funny, poppy track "A Little To Late".
Awards
2003:
4 ARIA No.1 Awards
7 ARIA Awards
1 MTV Music Video Award
2004:
2 ARIA No.1 Awards
1 ARIA Award
1 World Music Award: Highest Selling Australian Artist
2005:
2 MTV Australia Music Video Awards
Discography
- "I Don't Care" - (2001) Australia #64
- "Born to Try" - (2002) Australia #1, UK #3
- "Lost Without You" - (2003) Australia #1, UK #4
- "Innocent Eyes" - (2003) Australia #1, UK #9
- "Not Me, Not I" - (2003) Australia #1, UK #18
- "Predictable" - (2003) Australia #1
- "Out of the Blue" - (2004) Australia #1, UK #9
- "Mistaken Identity" - (2005) Australia #7
- "Almost Here" (duet with Brian McFadden) - (2005) Australia #1, UK #3
- "A Little Too Late" - (2005) Australia #13
- Innocent Eyes - (2003) Australia #1, UK #2
- Mistaken Identity - (2004) Australia #1, UK #25
- Delta - (2003) Australia #1
Filmography
- Hating Alison Ashley - 2005 (#4 on the Australian Movie Charts)
Vocal Profile
- Voice Type: Lyric Coloratura Soprano
- Highest Note: A6
- Lowest Note: B3
- Octave Range: 3 Octaves (B3-A6)
- Longest Note: 12 Seconds
External links
- Official Delta Goodrem Forums (http://forums.deltagoodrem.com)
- Official Delta Goodrem site (http://www.deltagoodrem.com.au/)
- Template:Imdb namede:Delta Goodrem