Delta Lea Goodrem (born 9 November, 1984) is a multi ARIA Award winning Australian singer-songwriter, pianist and Logie Award winning actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the popular Australian soap Neighbours as Nina Tucker, and this assisted her in establishing an international music career. Her musical output usually falls under the pop and ballad genres and heavily features the piano, which she usually plays in her bare feet while performing live.
Her music is usually heavily influenced by classical or Adult Contemporary music, and sometimes by others such as alternative pop (pop rock) and dance-pop.
To date, Goodrem has achieved eight number one 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 #1, selling over a million copies in Australia and another 1.5 million internationally. Its successor, 2004's Mistaken Identity, entered the ARIA charts at #1 and gained multi-platinum status. To date, she has sold 3.5 million albums worldwide. In 2005, Goodrem embarked on The Visualise Tour, her debut concert tour of Australia. Goodrem released her third studio album, self-titled Delta, on October 20, 2007 to yet another number-one debut.
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 and now spends much of her time promoting cancer charities.
Childhood and discovery
Delta Lea Goodrem was born on 9 November, 1984 in Sydney, New South Wales to parents Denis and Lea Goodrem. She has a younger brother named Trent Goodrem. 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. At the age of seven, she appeared in an American commercial for the Galoob toy company, starring alongside fellow Australian Bec Cartwright and began playing piano at ten years of 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.
At the age of thirteen Goodrem recorded a five song demo CD, financed through her television work. It was sent to the Sydney Swans Football Club (of which Goodrem is a supporter) and they passed it onto Glenn Wheatley, 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. 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." The album has yet to surface, Goodrem preventing its release years later via civil action in 2004.
2001–2003: Career launch, Neighbours and Innocent Eyes
At the age of 15, Goodrem signed a record deal with Sony 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. 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, 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. Goodrem's role on the show scored her a Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" at the 2003 Logie Awards and two other nominations at the 2004 Logie Awards (including a Gold Logie nomination).
Audio samples:
"I Don't Care" (2001)
Goodrem's debut single was a pop-dance song which failed to make an impact on the charts.
"Born to Try" (2002)
Goodrem's first international hit was a co-written inspirational piano ballad.
"Lost Without You" (2003)
Goodrem's second ARIA number one. A re-worked version later became her first US single.
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In January 2003, "Lost Without You" again topped the ARIA singles chart 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. It was the highest selling album in Australia of 2003 and sold over a million copies in Australia alone, 2.5 million worldwide. The album also charted highly in the UK, peaking at #2.
"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.
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. Later that month, Goodrem won seven ARIA Awards, including "Best Female Artist", surpassing Natalie Imbruglia's previous record of six awards in 1999. 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, while Australian-only release "Predictable" became her fifth consecutive number one ARIA single in December. Delta 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.
2004–2006: Mistaken Identity, film debut and The Visualise Tour
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. 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".
Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity, notable for its darker themes inspired by the hardships of her previous twelve months, 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.
Audio samples:
"Out of the Blue" (2004)
This big ballad was co-written and produced by Guy Chambers.
"Mistaken Identity" (2005)
The title track from Goodrem's second album presented a darker side to her songwriting, detailing the effects of her illness.
"Together We Are One" (2006)
The theme song of the opening ceremony for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Co-written with Chambers and McFadden.
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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. 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. 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. The Visualise Tour: Live in Concert was released in November and became Goodrem's second #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, and was performed by the Top 5 contestants on American Idol. In June, Goodrem signed to Modest! Entertainment for her world-wide management. 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.
2007- present: Delta, American debut
On August 10, 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 August 31 on Sunrise. "In This Life" was released as the first single from her new album on September 15. It debuted at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, becoming Goodrem's eighth number one single in Australia.
Audio samples:
"In This Life" (2007)
First single from her third album. Written with Brian McFadden.
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Her latest album, self titled Delta, was released in Australia on October 20, 2007. Goodrem has described the material as "...a lot lighter" compared to her previous album Mistaken Identity. 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". 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. The album was certified 3x Platinum in February.
Goodrem performing during promotion in AustraliaThe 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. It was the most added song on the radio of week 46. The song debuted and peaked at #2 on the Australian Singles Chart. The third single, "You Will Only Break My Heart", was released on March 29, 2008 and peaked at #14. The fourth single to be lifted from the album is "I Can't Break It To My Heart", which is set for a release on August 16, 2008.
According to Goodrem, she is going to explore new places around the world in 2008, including Brazil. 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.
In January 2009, Goodrem will embark on the Believe Again Tour tour of Australia to support her third studio album Delta. The concert tour will see Goodrem up close and personal around the nation performing hits from her stellar career and current hit album Delta. Upon announcing the dates Delta said; "It's extremely exciting. I can't believe it's taken this long but I've already started putting the set list together and there are so many songs to play. I have been inspired by some intimate shows I have done recently here and internationally, and by playing theatres I can be closer to all the people who have taken my record home." She has also recorded a duet with Olivia Newton-John to help raise money for Olivia's Cancer Hospital in Melbourne. The duet has been confirmed by the Australian magazine, New Idea, to be called "Gotta Be Right Here With You". On March 27-28, Goodrem performed a two night show at The Seymour Centre in Sydney, quoting that she "wants to share a night of music with her loyal fans and forum friends".
In February 2008 different sources reported that Goodrem was dropped by her record company in the US, Sony BMG. However, this was later denied by her partner McFadden, who claimed in an interview that she just switched record labels. She is now a part of Mercury Records. He also stated that she was at that moment in L.A. to shoot a new video and make the cover for the US version of the album Delta. In March, she entered the Australian Recording Industry's record books after becoming the first artist to win 12 Number One Chart Awards.
Personal life
Cancer
Goodrem during chemotherapy after losing her hair.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. As a result, 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 her body had been giving warning signs since 2002. Symptoms included a head to toe rash, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and the appearance of a lump on her neck. "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." As part of her treatment, Goodrem undertook chemotherapy, which resulted in the loss of her hair, and radiation therapy.
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. 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. ”
In 2007, Goodrem's mother, Lea, revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. On October 27, she told News Limited that she had been diagnosed 8 weeks earlier.
Relationships
During her work on Neighbours, Goodrem dated fellow cast member Blair McDonough and it is widely speculated that the song "Not Me, Not I" was written about their breakup. 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. The couple ended in controversy when newspapers reported Philippoussis had been unfaithful. Reports indicated Philippoussis had been linked with socialite Paris Hilton before breaking it off with Goodrem, though this was denied by Philippoussis, it was confirmed by Goodrem.
In 2004, Goodrem began dating former Westlife singer Brian McFadden, with whom she collaborated on the single "Almost Here", and this caused immense tabloid scrutiny in the UK. It was suggested the pair had embarked on their relationship before McFadden and then-wife Kerry Katona had separated. In May 2006, newspapers claimed that Goodrem's mother had advised her to end her relationship with McFadden in order to concentrate on furthering her career. In the album sleeve of Delta, Goodrem is candid about her mother as well as boyfriend Brian McFadden. "I'm sorry we hurt each other, this chapter was hard to write," she wrote, referring to Lea. "Be strong in this next chapter, there's so many memories to make, laughs and smiles to have." Goodrem also thanked McFadden: "You made me believe again in life, love, music, and to be the best person and therefore the best artist I can be. "Every dream I have, we're standing side by side, we laugh, we sing, we cry." On November 30th 2007, Delta and Brian announced they were engaged. It is revealed in the Christmas Eve issue of OK Magazine Australia that Brian pre-planned the proposal for months. He wrote a book recounting their moments from when they first met until the final page when he asked Delta "Remember the day when I proposed to you in Bali?", and Brian did propose to her in a delayed trip to Bali because of Lea's problem with breast cancer. The announcement was made because Brian revealed that his fans thought Delta rejected the proposal. Delta accepted the proposal and the couple are reportedly planned to marry in Sydney in late 2009.
Philanthropy
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. In May 2005, Goodrem helped launch "Teen Info on Cancer", a UK website aimed at supporting young teenage sufferers. 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." 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. Goodrem is also member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drunk Driving), a group of celebrities raising awareness of the risks of drunk driving.
