Delta Goodrem Biography

news-detailsDelta Goodrem's star quality is apparent since her childhood. The singer and actress who was born on November 9, 1984 in Sydney, New South Wales has been 'camera-ready' since appearing on several TV commercials for Galoobtoy, Optus and Nesquik at the age of 7. Her parents Denis and Lea Goodrem have also nurtured her to become a star by engaging her in several lessons of singing, acting and dancing. She starts strumming piano at the age of 10, upon which she was enrolled at The Hills Grammar School which channeled Delta to be a sportswoman. Still her passion for the show business overcloud her skill in sports, landing her minor roles in Australian TV shows such as "Hey Dad...!", "Police Rescue" and "A Country Practice". The drive to sing also surfaced when she was 13 when she sent a five songs demo CD to Sydney Swans Football Club. The CD landed on the hands of producer Glenn Wheatley who signed her to Empire Records.

During June 1999 to September 2000, Delta recorded an album with Paul Higgins and Trevor Carter but the set was shelved for unknown reason. When she was 15 Sony took her under their wings and supported the release of her debut single "I Don't Care". It only managed to peak at #64 on ARIA singles chart and consequently the album was postponed from being released. It was a matter of raising her profile as a talented and qualified artist. When she was cast as an aspiring singer and shy schoolgirl named Nina Tucker in popular Australian drama, "Neighbors", her star meter went high instantly especially after her performance of the single "Born to Try". The song went number 1 on ARIA chart and entered the U.K. singles chart at Top 3. Prompted by the success, in January 2003 she released one more single titled "Lost Without You" that went to her official debut album "Innocent Eyes". The album that was released in Australia in March 2003 opened at #1 on ARIA albums chart and eventually became the number one highest selling album in Australia that year. In between the career, Delta slipped some time to be entangled romantically to her "Neighbors" co-star Blair McDonough.

Such exposure and success were toned down when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the age of mere 18. The form of cancer attacks the body's immune system and she had to endure a chemotherapy for the treatment. As a result, she withdrew from the work in "Neighbors" and almost all her other working commitments. Still, on the bright side, her music career took off successfully. "It's weird to see pictures of that time," Delta recounted. "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." The release of "Not Me, Not I" even propelled her career higher, sending her several trophies at the 2003 ARIA Awards. She was scheduled to perform on stage that night but due to her health condition, she was replaced by Darren Hayes who covered her song "Lost Without You" and dedicated it to her.

It was in December 2003 that she regained her composure and started to work on a new album. By October the next year, she was ready to release "Mistaken Identity", her sophomore effort that chronicled the pain she went through the past year. Notably 'darker' in tone, it went straight to #1 on ARIA chart and #3 on U.K. Albums chart. The first single "Out of the Blue" that she produced with Guy Chambers however, did not succeed in the chart but her duet with Brian McFadden on "Almost Here" received a moderately well success on U.K. Singles chart. In March 2005, the singer who eventually dates Brian, was back on screen for a role in "Hating Alison Ashley". Though it was not her first stint of acting, the movie was generally critically panned. She then moved on with her music career by taking steps to conquer more international market. She relocated to New York in a bid to reach her fans in U.S. Preparation to go smooth include an acting role in TV series "North Shore" and the rework of "Lost Without You". The TV show was short-lived and the revamped version of the single only managed to peak at #18 on Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Thus, the launch of her album in U.S. was postponed. In July that year, she was back in Australia to do "The Visualise Tour" that was sold out on some dates after the ticket price was reduced from 99 dollars to 60.

After constant touring, Delta signed a management deal with Modest! Entertainment that promoted her to Asian region including Japan. In the meantime, the work of a new album was in line. "Delta" was released on October 20, 2007 in Australia, just one month after she announced an engagement to Brian. The "lighter" album went triple platinum in February 2008 but Delta chose to switch label from Sony to Mercury Records. The U.S. version of the album was prepared to be released on July 15, 2008.