Childhood and discovery
Goodrem was born on November 9, 1984 in Sydney, New South Wales to parents Denis and Lea Goodrem and has a younger brother named Trent. 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 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 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."[6] The album has yet to surface, Goodrem preventing its release years later via civil action in 2004.[7]
2001–2003: Career launch, Neighbours and Innocent Eyes
The success of "Lost Without You" (2003) cemented Goodrem's rising popularity.
At the age of fifteen, Goodrem landed 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 [8] 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" premiered on the show and became her first Australian number one and the third highest selling single of 2002. In the UK, it reached number three. Goodrem's role scored her a Silver Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" at the 2003 Logie Awards and two other nominations at the 2004 Logie Awards.
In January 2003, "Lost Without You" again topped the ARIA singles chart and reached number four in the UK, cementing Goodrem's popularity with the general public. Her largely self-penned debut album Innocent Eyes was released in March 2003 and debuted at number-one, breaking Australian records previously held by John Farnham's Whispering Jack (1986) by staying at number-one for 25 consecutive weeks, while tieing 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[9] and sold over a million copies in Australia alone, three million worldwide. The album was hugely successful in the UK, peaking at #2.
"Not Me, Not I", released following the announcement that 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.[10] Goodrem ceased work on Neighbours and her music to begin treatment and in early October, 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.[11] 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. In December, an Australian-only single "Predictable" became her fifth consecutive number one single.
2004–2005: Mistaken Identity, film debut and The Visualise Tour
"Out of the Blue" (2004) re-launched Goodrem's singing career after a year off battling cancer.
After announcing in late December 2003 that she was in remission, Goodrem began work on her second album. In October 2004, 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. Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity, noted for its personal lyrics (most notably "Extraordinary Day") and mature themes (dealing with the hardships of Goodrem's previous twelve months undergoing cancer treatment)[12], was released in early November and debuted at number-one in Australia, top ten 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 and became her seventh Australian number one. Singles released only in Australia - "Mistaken Identity", "A Little Too Late" and "Be Strong" - were moderately successful. In October 2004, Goodrem launched her own lingerie line titled "Delta by Annabella".[13]
In March 2005, she starred in her first film role of Hating Alison Ashley, a movie 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.[14] 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 but the single proved to be of only limited success, peaking at number eighteen on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and failing to enter the Billboard Hot 100. Plans to release a hybrid of her first two albums were later terminated and Goodrem looks to have 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 led to initially slow sales.[15] 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[16] 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.
2006–present: Post-Mistaken Identity activities
Goodrem's Japanese album, Innocent Eyes.
On March 15, 2006, Goodrem performed a new song "Together We Are One" at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in front of 80,000 spectators and up to 1.5 billion television viewers worldwide. "Together We Are One" was released as an Australian single, reaching number two. In June, Goodrem signed to Modest! Entertainment for her world-wide management.[17] In later 2006, Goodrem began promoting in Japan with the release of her album Innocent Eyes, a compilation of songs from her two studio albums and the single "Flawed" which appears in the Japanese film, Adiantum Blue. The album has to date 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 The X Factor to perform a duet titled "All Out of Love" and was in Melbourne on Christmas Eve to perform at the annual Carols by Candlelight.[18] She is currently writing and producing material for her third studio album, due for release mid 2007.
Personal life
Cancer
On July 8, 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.[19] "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."[20] As part of her treatment, Goodrem undertook chemotherapy, which resulted in the loss of her hair, and radiation therapy.[21]
News of her diagnosis appeared on the front pages of newspapers and an outpour 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. 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".[22]
Relationships
During her time on Neighbours, Goodrem was romantically linked with fellow cast member Blair McDonough. Goodrem's song "Not Me, Not I" is widely speculated to be written about their breakup.[23] In 2004, while going through remission, Goodrem began a nine month relationship with Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis. Her single "Out of the Blue" was written about their relationship and the support he gave her. The couple ended in controversy with allegations Philippoussis had been linked to another woman (including socialite Paris Hilton) before breaking it off with Goodrem.
"Almost Here" (2005), McFadden and Goodrem in the music video for their duet.
On the Mistaken Identity album, Goodrem collaborated with Irish singer Brian McFadden on the duet "Almost Here". Initially, the couple denied being romantically linked[24] until McFadden admitted the relationship.[25] The couple underwent weeks of tabloid scrutiny, focusing particularly on the fallout of McFadden's marriage with former Atomic Kitten member Kerry Katona. Press speculation suggested that the pair had embarked on their affair before McFadden had separated with Katona. This was denied by both Goodrem[26] and McFadden.[27] The couple's relationship faced further scrutiny in May 2006 when a newspaper claimed that Goodrem's mother had advised her to end her relationship with McFadden.[28] There have been repeated rumours that the couple are engaged, though this has been strongly denied.
Charity work
Goodrem is a member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving), a group of celebrities using their position to rally, and raise awareness of the risks of drink driving. She has recorded a message, which has aired on Australian television and radio, about the risks of drink driving.
Goodrem also uses her experience with cancer to raise awareness for other young people affected by the disease, helping to launch a UK web site specifically aimed at young teenagers affected, in mid 2005. She is a well-known ambassador for Research Australia's Thank You Day, which celebrates the country's health and medical researchers. She makes regular appearances at local charity events; on November 7 2005, Goodrem received a Thank You Day Celebrity Advocacy Award "in recognition of her efforts in raising funds and awareness for Australian medical research and charities." She has established the Delta Goodrem Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Trust Fund, created to help raise funds for Hodgkin's patients. A percentage of all CDs, concert tickets from her Mistaken Identity Comeback Tour and merchandise sold goes towards the charity.
In earl 2007 Goodrem and McFadden arrived in Ireland to open a new children's ward in the Capital's main children's hospital. She has been helping people from all over the world.
