Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, television personality and actress. Goodrem signed a recording contract with Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut studio album, Innocent Eyes (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive weeks. It is one of the highest-selling Australian albums and is the second-best-selling Australian album of all time with over four million copies sold.[1]
Delta Goodrem
- Singer-songwriter
- actress
- television personality
- Vocals
- piano
- guitar
1993–present
Goodrem's second studio album, Mistaken Identity (2004), was recorded while she was undergoing treatment for cancer. It became her second number-one album. In 2007, Goodrem released Delta, her third number-one album, which saw another number-one single, "In This Life". Her fourth studio album, Child of the Universe (2012), produced the single "Sitting on Top of the World". In 2016, her fifth studio album, Wings of the Wild, became her fourth number-one album on the ARIA Albums Chart, while giving her another number-one single, "Wings". Goodrem's most recent and fifth number-one studio album, Bridge over Troubled Dreams was released May 2021.
Goodrem has a total of nine number-one singles and 17 top-ten hits on the ARIA Singles Chart. She has sold over eight million albums globally and overall has won three World Music Awards, 12 ARIA Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award and several other awards. She served as a coach on The Voice Australia from 2012 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2020. During her one-season hiatus in 2014, she served as a coach on The Voice Kids, and coached eventual winner Alexa Curtis. She coached eventual winners of the show in season five in 2016 and again in season six in 2017, Goodrem became The Voice's senior coach from 2017 to 2020 after Joel Madden's departure. With the release of her Christmas studio album Only Santa Knows in 2020, since then, she has a Christmas show every year, hosted by Channel 9.[2][3][4]
Life and career[edit]
1984–2000: Early life, education, and discovery[edit]
Goodrem was born in Sydney on 9 November 1984,[5][6] to Lea (née Parker) and Denis Goodrem.[7][8] She has a younger brother, Trent.[9]
Goodrem appeared in an American advertisement aged seven for the former toy company Galoob, alongside fellow Australian Bec Hewitt,[10] and began playing piano at the same age while taking up singing, dancing and acting lessons. She appeared in adverts for companies such as Optus and Nesquik, and had several minor roles in episodes of Australian television shows including Hey Dad..!, A Country Practice, and Police Rescue.[11]
While residing in Glenhaven, she attended the Hills Grammar School in neighbouring Kenthurst, from kindergarten until Year 11.[12]
At the age of thirteen, Goodrem recorded a five-song demo CD, financed through her television work.[13] It was sent to the Australian rules football club Sydney Swans (of which Goodrem is a supporter) and they passed it onto talent manager Glenn Wheatley.[14][15] Wheatley signed Goodrem to an artist development deal with independent record label, Empire Records.[16]
Between June 1999 and September 2000, Goodrem worked with producers Paul Higgins and Trevor Carter on thirteen tracks for an album to be called Delta.[15] A later report on these sessions described Goodrem as "an ambitious 15-year-old keen to emulate the pop sound of the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Mandy Moore."[17] Most of the tracks were written by Carter, although Goodrem co-wrote two and self-wrote the song "Love". Goodrem did a photoshoot for the album (some of the photos have surfaced), and recorded a home-made style music video for the song "Say" which has since leaked onto the internet.[18] Higgins took the album to Village Roadshow, which offered to market and distribute the album, but the deal was blocked by Goodrem's parents. The album has yet to surface, though it became the subject of a lawsuit in 2004.[16]
2001–2003: Career launch, Neighbours, Innocent Eyes and cancer diagnosis[edit]
At the age of 15, Goodrem signed a recording contract with Sony Music[19] 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 television soap opera Neighbours, which helped re-launch Goodrem's music career.[20][21] The piano-based ballad "Born to Try", co-written by Audius Mtawarira, premiered on the show and reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and the New Zealand singles chart, and number three in the UK. Born to Try was certified triple Platinum in Australia for sales of over 210,000 copies.[22] Goodrem's role on the show scored her a Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" at the Logie Awards of 2003.[23] In January 2003, "Lost Without You" topped the ARIA Singles Chart and reached number four in New Zealand and the UK. it was certified double platinum for sales over 140,000 copies in Australia.[22]
Goodrem's largely self-penned debut studio album, Innocent Eyes, was released on 24 March 2003 in Australia 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 29 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[24] and sold 1.2 million copies in Australia, and over 4 million worldwide.[25] The album also charted highly in the UK, peaking at number two. The album's third single "Innocent Eyes" again reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and number nine in the UK. it was certified Platinum in Australia for sales over 70,000 copies.[22]
On 8 July 2003, at the age of 18, Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.[26] 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 had suffered from a head-to-toe rash, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and a lump on her neck.[27] "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."[27] As part of her treatment, Goodrem undertook chemotherapy, which resulted in the loss of her hair, and radiation therapy.[27] 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 thanked them during The Visualise Tour for all the letters and well wishes she received.
The album's fourth single, "Not Me, Not I", was released following the announcement Goodrem had been diagnosed with cancer. It became her fourth consecutive number one single in Australia, overtaking the previous effort of three number-ones from Kylie Minogue's debut studio album, Kylie (1988).[28] It was certified Platinum for sales over 70,000 copies.[22] In early August, Goodrem announced she would not renew her contract with Glenn Wheatley. Her mother, Lea Goodrem, replaced him as her manager.[29] Later that month, Goodrem won seven ARIA Music Awards, including "Best Female Artist", surpassing Natalie Imbruglia's previous record of six awards in 1999.[30] As she was too unwell to perform at the ceremony herself, 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 11× platinum.[31] The Australian-only release "Predictable" became her fifth consecutive number one on the ARIA Singles Chart in December and was certified double Platinum for sales of over 140,000 copies.[22]
2004–2006: Mistaken Identity and The Visualise Tour[edit]
After announcing in late December 2003 that she was in remission, Goodrem began work on her second studio album. Goodrem received two nominations at the Logie Awards of 2004 including a Gold Logie nomination for "Most Popular Personality on Australian Television".
In March 2004, while Goodrem was still undergoing cancer treatment, Paul Higgins and Trevor Carter announced plans to release the album they had recorded with the then 15-year-old Goodrem in 1999 and 2000. They shopped the album around and ignited a bidding war amongst record companies.[17] After the success of Innocent Eyes, industry experts expected that bidding for the album could attract figures anywhere between $1.5 million and $15 million.[32] When Goodrem and her family disapproved of the album's release, a lawsuit was filed. Goodrem's lawyers claimed the album was made up of unfinished demo recordings which were not fit for commercial release.[32] After much coverage in the media, the case was settled in mediation. In exchange for not releasing the album, Higgins and Carter received an unspecified payout.[15]
In September 2004, she became the face of soft drink company Pepsi in Australia, appearing on the product, billboards, TV advertisements and performing an exclusive show for competition winners.[33][34] In October Goodrem launched her own lingerie line titled "Delta by Annabella".[35]
Goodrem's second studio album, Mistaken Identity, was released in Australia on 8 November 2004 and debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums chart. It was certified five times platinum for sales of 350,000 copies.[36] The album spent 46 weeks in the top fifty. It also reached number seven in New Zealand, and peaked at number 25 in the UK. The album's lead single, "Out of the Blue", which was co-written and produced by Guy Chambers, was released prior to the album on 8 October 2004. "Out of the Blue" debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and number nine in the UK. This was Goodrem's sixth straight number-one single in Australia. It was certified platinum in Australia.[37]
The second single, "Mistaken Identity", released as a single only in Australia, debuted at number seven and was certified Gold.[38] "Almost Here", a duet with Irish singer and then boyfriend Brian McFadden of Westlife, was released as the third single and reached number three in the UK and became her seventh ARIA number one, along with her first number one in Ireland. It was certified platinum in Australia.[38] "A Little Too Late" was released only in Australia and peaked at number 13. "Be Strong" was released as the album's fifth and final single in Australia as a digital download on 17 October 2005. At the time of release, digital downloads were not included as part of the main singles chart, therefore it was ineligible to chart. Much of the album, in particular "Extraordinary Day", was inspired by her battle with cancer.[18] Reflecting on that period of her life, Goodrem said "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".[39][40]
Personal life[edit]
In around 2002, Goodrem dated fellow Neighbours cast member Blair McDonough.[157] 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.[158][159] Later in 2004, Goodrem began dating former Westlife singer Brian McFadden, with whom she collaborated on the duet "Almost Here". They were engaged, but the pair ended their relationship in April 2011. Goodrem and McFadden released a joint statement stating that they wished each other the best for the future and will remain friends.[160] In May 2011, Goodrem started dating Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. They broke up in February 2012.[161]
Goodrem has been in a relationship with fellow musician Matthew Copley since late 2016.[162][163] In September 2023, Goodrem and Copley announced their engagement.[164]
In February 2020, James Joseph Lafferty pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court to stalking and intimidating Goodrem; including writing her over 300 poems and Instagram messages along with visiting Goodrem's apartment on Valentine's Day and the following day.[165]
On 16 August 2020, Goodrem released a six-minute video detailing the back story behind her song "Paralyzed". In the video, she revealed that after having her salivary gland removed, she faced serious complications that led to the paralysis of a nerve in her tongue, which left her having to re-learn to speak.[166]
Charity work[edit]
Goodrem is a long-standing supporter of various charities and foundations, serving as patron of The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney (a joint venture between St Vincent's Hospital and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research) and an ambassador for Starlight Children's Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Sony Foundation Australia.[184]
In May 2005, Goodrem helped launch "Teen Info on Cancer", a UK website aimed at supporting young teenage sufferers.[185] 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".[186][187]
In 2007 Goodrem was the face of Alternative Hair, in aid of cancer charity Leukaemia Research.[188] Goodrem is also a member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving), a group of celebrities raising awareness of the risks of drunk driving.[189] In 2011, Goodrem became an ambassador for The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney.[190][191]
On 27 October 2017, she was featured on a cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", to raise money for the Sony Foundation's project Friends4Youth.
In 2020, Goodrem released a charity single titled "Let It Rain", and also performed as part of three major charity concerts, Fire Fight Australia to raise funds for the 2019–2020 Australia bushfire crisis, as well as One World: Together at Home and Music from the Home Front to raise money in support of the COVID-19 pandemic. In October of the same year, Goodrem participated in the 20th year of Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony campaign to raise money for cancer care and research.[192] In the same month, Goodrem partnered with Remembering Wildlife to help raise funds for cheetah conservation efforts.[193]
In June 2020, Goodrem launched the Delta Goodrem Foundation in partnership with St. Vincent's Hospital and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre. The foundation aims to raise funds for the acceleration of innovative blood cancer research.[194][195] In July 2022, the Delta Goodrem Foundation partnered with Revlon in donating portions of lipstick sales to cancer charity Look Good Feel Better.[196]
Studio albums