The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June 1988. Prior to this, from mid-1983, ARIA had licensed the 'Kent Music Report' (which was later renamed as the 'Australian Music Report', until it stopped being published in 1999).,

The ARIA charts include:

• Weekly Top 100 highest selling singles
• Weekly Top 100 highest selling albums
• Weekly Top 100 highest selling digital tracks
• Weekly Top 100 highest selling digital albums
• Weekly Top 50 highest selling physical singles (ceased 4 April 2011 or ARIA report #1101)
• Weekly Top 50 highest selling physical albums
• Weekly Top 20 highest selling Australian singles
• Weekly Top 20 highest selling Australian albums
• Weekly Top 20 highest selling dance releases
• Weekly Top 20 highest selling country releases
• Weekly Top 20 highest selling compilation releases
• Weekly Top 50 highest selling catalogue albums
• Weekly Top 50 highest selling club releases
• Weekly Top 40 highest selling urban singles
• Weekly Top 40 highest selling urban albums
• Weekly Top 40 highest selling music DVDs
• Yearly Top 100 End of Year charts profiling the year in music
• End of Decade Top 100 charts profiling the decade in music ^[1]

The top 5 singles and albums are firstly published in News Limited newspapers each Sunday. All charts, in full, are then published on the ARIA Chart website each Sunday night at 6:30 pm AEST, in order for printed release the next day. Each chart is dated according to the Monday of the given week. The website and printed lists are shortened versions of the full chart, with only the top 50 singles and albums shown as well as only the top 40 digital tracks. The ARIA Report lists the charts listed above in full and is available via paid e-mail subscription each week (the report transitioned from paper to pdf starting 9 October 2000 or issue #554). These reports are uploaded to the Pandora Archive periodically.

Formulation of charts[link]

The ARIA charts are based on data collected from a number of traditional "bricks and mortar" retailers around Australia. Both the Top 40 Digital Track Chart and the Top 100 Singles Chart include data from online retailers including iTunes and BigPond music. Starting from 8 October 2006, due to low physical single sales at the time, the official ARIA singles chart included online data as well as physical sales. In 2006, it was announced that the Brazin retailing group, comprising major retailers HMV, Sanity and Virgin music/DVD stores would no longer contribute sales data to the ARIA charts.^[2][3] However, after a five month absence, Brazin reportedly re-commenced contributing sales figures to the ARIA Charts on 26 November 2006.^[4]

ARIA Awards[link]

There are numerous awards and events for Australian chart topping artist and groups that include:

The ARIA No.1 Chart Awards have been an event on the Australian music industry's calendar since 2002. The Awards were established in 2002 as a means of acknowledging Australian recording artists, and their record labels, who attained the coveted No.1 position on the ARIA album and singles chart

The ARIA Music Awards recognise excellence and innovation in all genres of Australian music. The very first ARIA Awards took place at Sydney's Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in front of 500 industry guests, on 2 March 1987. Nineteen years later, the ARIAs are held in front of 2,500 industry guests and 5,000 members of the general public. Up until 2008, the ARIA Awards were screened on Network Ten for many years. As of 2009, they air on the Nine Network, although the ratings of the 2009 ARIA Awards were well down on previous years.

"The ARIAs have always been, first and foremost, a showcase for local artists across a broad range of genres, produced by ARIA record company members. They are the highlight of the Australian music industry's calendar, covering a diverse range of talent over 28 categories". Denis Handlin, Chairman of ARIA.

The ARIA Hall of Fame has been an important part of the ARIA Awards since 1988. Traditionally taking place during the ARIA Awards ceremony, a diverse range of artists have been inducted into the Hall of Fame including Kylie Minogue, AC/DC, Dame Joan Sutherland, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny O'Keefe, Paul Kelly, John Farnham, INXS, Slim Dusty, Jimmy Little, Nick Cave, Midnight Oil and more.

In July 2005, ARIA staged the inaugural ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame event, which was introduced to honour the growing number of legendary performers, producers, songwriters and others who have had an impact on music culture in Australia. In the past, time constraints had prevented any more than one or two artists from being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at each ARIA Awards, resulting in a lengthy waiting list of worthy recipients.

While ARIA intends to maintain a Hall of Fame segment within the ARIA Awards presentation, the ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame will become an annual stand-alone event that continues to honour those whose musical achievements have had A significant impact in Australia and around the world.

ARIA certifications[link]

A music single or album qualifies for a platinum certification if it exceeds 70,000 copies shipped to retailers and a gold certification for 35,000 copies shipped.

For music DVDs (formerly videos), a gold accreditation originally represented 7,500 copies shipped, with a platinum accreditation representing 15,000 units shipped.

Number-one singles[link]

Pre-2000:

• 1940s || 1950s || 1960s || 1970s || 1980s || 1990s

2000 to present:

• 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008 || 2009 || 2010 || 2011 || 2012

Number-one albums[link]

Pre-2000:

• 1960s || 1970s || 1980s || 1990s

2000 to present:

• 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008 || 2009 || 2010 || 2011 || 2012

See also[link]

• Music of Australia
• List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
• List of number one tracks on the Australian Club Chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• ARIA Charts home page
• ARIA Charts with archives from June 1988

Delta Goodrem
Goodrem in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Delta Lea Goodrem
Born	(1984-11-09) 9 November 1984 (age 27) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Pop, soft rock, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, performer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Sony Music (WW) (2000–present) Columbia Records (US) (2005–2008) Mercury Records (US) (2008–present)
Website	www.DeltaGoodrem.com

Delta Lea Goodrem (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer-songwriter and pianist. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she enrolled in dancing, acting, singing and piano classes at a young age. She began her career as a child actress, starring in various television shows and rose to prominence in 2002 in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker.

Venturing into the music industry, Goodrem recorded an album entitled Delta through an independent label, which was never released due to legal reasons. Subsequently signing to Sony at the age of 15, she released her multi-platinum album Innocent Eyes which topped the Australian albums chart and UK Albums Chart. It became one of the highest selling albums in Australian history, with 4.5 million copies sold worldwide^[1] and all five of its singles— "Born to Try", "Lost Without You", "Innocent Eyes", "Not Me, Not I", and "Predictable"—reaching number one in Australia and three of them reaching the top ten in the UK. This gave her the record for becoming the first ever artist to have five Number 1 singles from a debut album.^[2]

Her subsequent albums, each followed with similar commercial success. Her second studio album, Mistaken Identity, was created during her battle with cancer (and several of its themes reflect this) and became her second consequent Number 1 album. In 2007, she released Delta, her third Number 1 album. Goodrem has continued to have a string of top-ten hits, including "Out of the Blue", "Mistaken Identity", "Together We Are One", "In This Life", "Believe Again" and "Sitting on Top of the World". Goodrem has achieved eight Number 1 singles and three Number 1 albums in her home country.^[3] As of the late 2000s or early 2010s, she holds the Australian record for the highest-selling album of the last decade and the most Number 1 singles from a debut album. As of 2012, she is a coach on The Voice Australia.

Biography[link]

1984–2001: Early life, education, and discovery[link]

Delta Lea Goodrem was born on 9 November 1984 to parents Denis and Lea Goodrem (who are now divorced). She has a younger brother, Trent,^[4] who is an Australian Rules football player with the Central District Football Club in the SANFL.^[5]

Her parents named her Delta after Joe Cocker's song "Delta Lady".^[6] At the age of seven she appeared in an American advert for the Galoob toy company, starring alongside fellow Australian Bec Cartwright^[7] and began playing piano at the same 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.^[8]

While residing at Glenhaven, a suburb of Sydney, Goodrem attended the Hills Grammar School in neighbouring Kenthurst, from kindergarten till tenth grade. She is known to return to her alma mater for visits.^[9]

At the age of thirteen, Goodrem recorded a five-song demo CD, financed through her television work.^[10] It was sent to the Sydney Swans Football Club (of which Goodrem is a supporter) and they passed it onto Glenn Wheatley,^[11] 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.^[12] 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."^[13] The album has yet to surface, Goodrem preventing its release years later via civil action in 2004.^[14]

[edit] 2001–03: Career launch, Neighbours, and Innocent Eyes

Delta Goodrem at The Palazzo resort in Las Vegas

	"I Don't Care" (2001) noicon Goodrem's debut single was a pop-dance song which failed to make an impact on the charts.
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At the age of 15 Goodrem signed a record deal with Sony^[3] 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 soap Neighbours,^[3] 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.^[16] Goodrem's role on the show scored her a Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" at the 2003 Logie Awards^[17] and two other nominations at the 2004 Logie Awards (including a Gold Logie nomination).

In January 2003 "Lost Without You" again topped the ARIA singles chart^[18] 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.^[15] It was the highest selling album in Australia of 2003^[19] and sold over a million copies in Australia alone, 4.5 million worldwide.^[20] The album also charted highly in the UK, peaking at No. 2.^[15] "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.^[21] 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.^[22] Later that month, Goodrem won seven ARIA Awards, including "Best Female Artist", surpassing Natalie Imbruglia's previous record of six awards in 1999.^[23] 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,^[15] while Australian-only release "Predictable" became her fifth consecutive number one ARIA single in December. Goodrem 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.^[24]

[edit] 2003–06: Cancer diagnosis, Mistaken Identity, and The Visualise Tour

On 8 July 2003, at the age of 18, Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. 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 has suffered from a head to toe rash, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and a lump on her neck.^[25] "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."^[26] 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 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.^[28] Reflecting on that period of her life, Goodrem says,

Shortly after the diagnosis, she received several ARIA nominations.

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.^[30] 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".^[31] Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity, notable for its darker themes inspired by the hardships of her previous twelve months,^[28] 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.

	"Out of the Blue" (2004) noicon This big ballad was co-written and produced by Guy Chambers. "Mistaken Identity" (2005) noicon 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) noicon The theme song of the opening ceremony for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Co-written with Chambers and McFadden.
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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.^[32] The couple's relationship ended in controversy when newspapers reported Philippoussis had been unfaithful.^[33] Later that year, Goodrem began dating former Westlife singer Brian McFadden.^[34]

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.^[35] 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.^[36] 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.^[37] The Visualise Tour: Live in Concert was released in November and became Goodrem's second No. 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,^[38] and was performed by the Top 5 contestants on American Idol. In June, Goodrem signed to Modest! Entertainment for her worldwide management.^[39] 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.^[40] She was a judge on the voice in 2012 alongside 3 other judges Seal,Joel Maddden and Keith Urban

[edit] 2007–09: Delta, and the Believe Again Tour

On 10 August 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 31 August on Sunrise. "In This Life" was released as the first single from her new album on 15 September. It debuted at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, becoming Goodrem's eighth number one single in Australia.

	"In This Life" (2007) noicon First single from her third album. Written with Brian McFadden.
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On 29 November 2007 Goodrem and McFadden announced they were engaged. In his book, McFadden wrote that he proposed to her on a trip to Bali.

Goodrem performing during promotion in Australia

Her latest album, the eponymous Delta, was released in Australia on 20 October 2007. Goodrem has described the material as "...a lot lighter" compared to her previous album Mistaken Identity.^[41] 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".^[42][43] 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.^[44]

The second single of the album was "Believe Again", released in December. The song debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart. The third single, "You Will Only Break My Heart", was released on 29 March 2008 and peaked at No. 14. The fourth single to be lifted from the album is "I Can't Break It To My Heart", which debuted and peaked at No. 13. Following the release of the lead single, Goodrem currently holds the record for most No. 1 singles on the ARIA charts by an any artist, with 8. According to Goodrem she is going to explore new places around the world in 2008, including Brazil.^[45] In January 2009 Goodrem embarked on her Believe Again Tour tour of Australia. She also recorded a duet, "Gotta Be Right Here With You", with Olivia Newton-John to help raise money for Newton-John's cancer hospital in Melbourne.^[46][47] In July 2008 it was announced that Goodrem would embark on a national tour of Australia, titled the Believe Again Tour.^[48] She originally announced nine dates in seven cities, but later announced more shows, performing 14 in eight cities. The tour ran from 9 January to 4 February 2009. Goodrem was nominated for two awards at the 2008 ARIA Awards – Highest Selling Single and Highest Selling Album – and won the award for Highest Selling Album of 2008.^[49] At the 2008 World Music Awards held on 9 November in Monaco Goodrem received her third World Music Award for World's Best Selling Australian Artist.

[edit] 2009–present: The Voice Australia and Sitting on Top of The World

A concert DVD of Goodrem's Believe Again Tour was released on 18 September 2009.^[50] The Australian launch of Michael Jackson's This Is It DVD, March 2010: Goodrem and Guy Sebastian were chosen by the Jackson estate to perform at the Australian launch of This Is It.^[51] The invitation only event was attended by the film's director Kenny Ortega, Michael's choreographer Travis Payne, and Michael's brother Jackie Jackson^[52] Goodrem and Sebastian performed "Earth Song".^[53]

On 1 April 2011, it was confirmed that McFadden and Goodrem called off their engagement. The couple released a joint statement stating that they wished each other every success and happiness in the future.^[54] Goodrem dated singer Nick Jonas from May 2011 to February 2012.^[55]

On 23 November 2011, Goodrem was confirmed to be a part of the judging panel of the Australian version of The Voice that will begin airing in early 2012. Goodrem will coach alongside Keith Urban, Joel Madden, and Seal.^[56] Since The Voice has started, some of Goodrem's decisions on the show have sparked criticism, who have panned her as "all style" and "little substance".^[57]

Goodrem's upcoming fourth studio album, which is right now lacking a title or a theme or track listing, has been in the process of recording since early 2008, with Gooodrem stating that it will be more "stripped back": "I've done a 360 back to where I started, but hopefully it's more evolved. I feel I've stepped up my game. I'm experimenting with different chord changes and different areas of music. I feel I can do anything on this album, I'm relishing that. I feel like the sky's the limit but at the same time it's very raw."^[58] However, the five years that followed the announcement were quiet regarding plans for the album and when it would be released. An announcement was made on 19 March 2012, stating that there is now a countdown on her official website to 30 March, with the promise of "something new, something fresh, something altogether exciting" on that day.^[59] On that day, it was then announced that Goodrem would be releasing her new single, "Sitting on Top of the World" .^[60]

Legacy and artistry[link]

Her repertoire falls under the pop and adult contemporary styles, and heavily features the piano, which she usually plays barefoot while performing live.^{[61][62][63][64][65]} Goodrem is also known for her technically skilled soprano voice.^[66][67]

Goodrem performing on Carols In Candlelight on 25 December 2006

Goodrem was honoured with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Sydney's Darling Harbour, which opened in April 2012. The singer donated a dress that she previously wore on stage to the attraction.^[68] As of the late 2000s or early 2010s Goodrem has achieved eight No. 1 Australian Recording Industry Association (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 No. 1,^[19] selling over 1.2 million copies in Australia and another 4.5 million internationally, debuting at number 2 in the UK and breaking various records in the process.^[69]

In 2004 Goodrem released Mistaken Identity, her second studio album which entered the ARIA charts at No. 1 spawning two No. 1 singles and quickly gained multi-platinum status. In 2005, Goodrem embarked on The Visualise Tour, her debut concert tour of Australia, combining songs from both Innocent Eyes and Mistaken Identity.

Goodrem released her third studio album, self-titled Delta, on 20 October 2007 to yet another number-one debut, gaining multi-platinum status within the first few months of release. Goodrem also shifted attention to different markets, releasing the album in the Far East and the USA. In January 2009, Goodrem embarked on the Believe Again Tour of Australia to support her third studio album.^[49] She has sold approximately 6.7 million albums, and 8 million combined albums and singles worldwide.^[70]

Philanthropy[link]

In May 2005, Goodrem helped launch "Teen Info on Cancer", a UK website aimed at supporting young teenage sufferers.^[71] 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."^[72] 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.^[73] Goodrem is also member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving), a group of celebrities raising awareness of the risks of drunk driving.^[74]

Discography[link]

• 2003: Innocent Eyes
• 2004: Mistaken Identity
• 2007: Delta

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Delta Goodrem

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Delta Goodrem

• Official website
• Official fansite
• Delta Goodrem at the Internet Movie Database

Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Sydney Entertainment Centre, October 2011.
Background information
Also known as	Nat Bass
Born	(1975-09-01) 1 September 1975 (age 36)
Origin	Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Pop, dance, electro-pop
Occupations	Actress, singer-songwriter, television personality-presenter, writer
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Sony, EMI
Associated acts	Rogue Traders
Website	nataliebassingthwaighte.com

Natalie Bassingthwaighte, sometimes referred to as Nat Bass, (born 1 September 1975) is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. In 1998 she began her acting career on the television series All Saints. In 2003 she starred in the American telemovie, Counterstrike. Bassingthwaighte gained commercial success for her role as Izzy Hoyland on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, which she portrayed from 2003 to 2006. It earned her two nominations at the 2006 Logie Awards for "Most Popular Personality" and "Most Popular Actress". From 2004 she began working on her music career: mainly songs with an acoustic-rock sound before being recruited as the lead singer of Australian electro-pop band, Rogue Traders in late 2004. Bassingthwaighte made her debut as a television presenter in 2008, hosting So You Think You Can Dance Australia. In 2011, Bassingthwaighte became a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor.

In April 2008 Bassingthwaighte co-wrote her first book, Sistahood: A Journal of Self-Discovery, with her younger sister Nicole Moore. In June that year she left Rogue Traders to pursue her solo music career. In February 2009, Bassingthwaighte released her debut album, 1000 Stars, it spawned the hit singles "Alive" and "Someday Soon" which both became platinum sellers. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number-one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold. Bassingthwaite has been married twice, in late 1998 she married Graham Wilmott, a chef from Wollongong, for two years. In December 2011 she married Cameron McGlinchey (former Rogue Traders' drummer), the couple already had a daughter, Harper Rain Sinclair McGlinchey, in August 2010. In February 2012, Bassingthwaighte was announced as a Moomba Monarch alongside Harry Kewell, Australian socceroo.

Early life[link]

Natalie Bassingthwaighte was born on 1 September 1975 in Wollongong, New South Wales to Betty (born ca. 1953) and Michael Bassingthwaighte (born ca. 1953).^[1][2][3] Betty has worked as a theatre nurse, beauty therapist and hairdresser.^[3] Since 1982 Michael has worked as the CEO of a health care insurance provider.^[4] Bassingthwaighte grew up in the suburb of Mount Warrigal as the second of four girls with her older sister Melinda (born ca. 1974) and the twins, Lisa and Nicole (born ca. 1982).^[3][5]From a young age, she used to charge 20c for family and friends to come and see her dress up and put on mini concerts.^[1] Bassingthwaighte got her first role in a primary school production of Peter Pan, playing the character Tinker Bell.^[1] She enrolled at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts and graduated from the Australian College of Entertainment.^[1]

After college, Bassingthwaighte successfully auditioned for a job at a theme park, Wonderland Sydney. She participated in a variety of performances, including 1950s, 1970s, country and Hanna Barbara shows.^[1] After working at Wonderland Sydney, Bassingthwaighte performed for two seasons as lead vocalist and stand up comic at the Kaos Comedy Theatre restaurant in Sydney.^[1] During that time she auditioned for other musicals. Bassingthwaighte was chosen from over 6000 people for the role as Mrs. Cohen in the Australian tour of the rock musical, Rent (1999).^[1] During Rent's tour, she auditioned for another stage production, Chicago. The casting directors were initially dubious given that she was not an A-List dancer, however she won the role of June and understudied the principal role of Roxie Hart.^[1] In 2002, during Chicago's run in Perth, Bassingthwaighte and some cast and crew members decided to visit The Pinnacles, a limestone formation and tourist attraction about 190 kilometres (120 mi) north-west of Perth.^[6] On the way there they became lost and their 4WD broke down – they were rescued by a Navy helicopter.^[6]

Her first lead role was in the Asian production Chang & Eng – it depicts the biography of the first Siamese twins – she portrayed Adelaide Yates in both the Singapore and Bangkok seasons of the show.^[1]

Music career[link]

2004–2008: Rogue Traders era[link]

Bassingthwaighte performing in Sydney during the 'We're Coming Home' Tour in 2006.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte had considered a music career for some years and had been a member of an R&B group, but it did not work out and her interest focused on other options.^[1] By 2004 she began working on her own demos: songs with an acoustic-rock sound and, late that year, she was recruited as the lead singer for Australian electro-pop band, Rogue Traders.^[1] Rogue Traders had formed in 2002 with James Ash on keyboards and Steve Davis on guitars, the group had used a variety of guest vocalists and issued a debut album before seeking a permanent singer. After being presented with the band's music, Bassingthwaighte auditioned for Ash and Davis. The pair had auditioned 15 to 20 candidates, and after she performed their song "Voodoo Child", she became the band's front woman.^[1]

In May 2005, the band released "Voodoo Child" as their fifth single – the first with Bassingwaighte – which reached number four on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum for shipment of 70000 units in Australia.^[7][8] "Voodoo Child" also reached number seven on the New Zealand Singles Chart,^[9] number three on the UK Singles Chart^[10] and number fifteen on the Irish Singles Chart.^[11] The single won the award for "Best Dance Video" at the 2006 MTV Australia Awards.^[1] The follow-up singles "Way to Go!" and "Watching You" also reached the ARIA top ten and both were certified gold for shipment of 35000 units.^[7][8][12] In October 2005, the group issued their second studio album, Here Come the Drums, which reached number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and spent a total of seventy-four weeks in the Top 50.^[7] It was certified 4× platinum and became their most successful album.^[13] The album received four nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2006 for "Breakthrough Artist – Album", "Best Pop Release", "Highest Selling Album" and "Best Group".^[14]

While Bassingthwaighte was with Rogue Traders, she also made solo appearances and releases. In December 2006 she performed a duet with label mate Shannon Noll on their cover version of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's "Don't Give Up", for the various artists' album Home: Songs of Hope & Journey. Noll and Bassingthwaighte's version reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart.^[15] She recorded "O Holy Night" for the album The Spirit of Christmas 2006, a Christmas compilation album for which all proceeds go to The Salvation Army in Australia. In 2007 Bassingthwaighte and Noll teamed up again for "Please Come Home for Christmas" on the album, The Spirit of Christmas 2007.

In October 2007 Rogue Traders released their third album, Better in the Dark, which spawned the hit singles "Don't You Wanna Feel" and "I Never Liked You" – both were certified gold, and "What You're On".^[7][16] The album debuted on the ARIA Albums Chart at number four and gained a platinum accreditation.^[7][13] For this album, Bassingthwaighte is credited as a co-composer for five of its twelve tracks, including all three singles.^[A] She worked with Ash and his wife Melinda Appleby on some tracks, "[w]e'd sit in a room and throw ideas around ... It was interesting that all three of us instinctively knew when we had a great idea".^[17] At the APRA Awards of 2009, "Don't You Wanna Feel" was nominated as Dance Work of the Year.^[18] In June 2008, Bassingthwaighte left the group to pursue her solo career.^[19] In November 2009 Rogue Traders announced her replacement as Mindi Jackson.^[20]

[edit] 2008–2010: 1000 Stars

Bassingthwaighte, Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, April 2007. After performing at the Fresh Party concert.

In June 2008, Natalie Bassingthwaighte began working on her debut solo album, 1000 Stars. In 2006 she had signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia to embark on a solo career.^[21] In October 2008, the album's lead single, "Alive", was released.^[21] It peaked at number eight on the ARIA Singles Chart and gained a platinum certificate.^[15][22] In January 2009 a second single, "Someday Soon", was issued which became Bassingthwaighte's third top ten single on the ARIA Charts and was also certified platinum.^[15][22] On 20 February the album appeared as a digital download.^[23] It debuted on the ARIA Albums Chart at number one and was certified gold.^[15][24]

In April 2009 the album's title track was released as the third single. It reached number thirty on the ARIA Singles Chart.^[15] The fourth single, "Not for You", was issued on 24 July and attained number twenty-five on the ARIA Top 50 Physical Singles Chart, but failed to reach the Top 100 Singles Chart.^[25] The fifth single, "Love Like This", appeared in January 2010, which reached the Top 100.^[26] It was used to raise awareness by the Aids Council of New South Wales for the 'Wear It With Pride' t-shirt campaign in the lead-up to that year's Sydney Mardi Gras parade.^[26][27] For 1000 Stars, Bassingthwaighte co-composed seven of its fifteen tracks, including the first two singles, "Alive" and "Someday Soon".^[B]

2011–present: upcoming second studio album[link]

On 28 August 2011, Natalie Bassingthwaighte told The Daily Telegraph that she had recorded several new tracks, with her first single, "All We Have", expected to be released soon.^[28] She said, "Everything is coming together ... I did lose my mojo for a while, I just didn't believe in doing something unless you're totally up for it. I wasn't feeling creative and then, suddenly, it was Christmas and it just felt right".^[28] Her record label uploaded a dance version of the track to their SoundCloud account on 3 September.^[29] "All We Have" was released for digital download on 30 September.^[30][31] On 4 October Bassingthwaighte performed the song on the Australian version of The X Factor – she was also a judge and mentor on the talent show's season three.^[31]

In February 2012, Bassingthwaighte was announced as a Moomba Monarch alongside Harry Kewell, the Australian socceroo.^[32] In 2006 Bassingthwaighte had been a Moomba Ambassador.^[33]

Acting career and television presenter[link]

Natalie Bassingthwaighte's first television role as an actress was in a 1998 episode of the hospital-based drama series All Saints.^[1] In 2000 she had a guest appearance in an episode of The Lost World, playing the role of Raina.^[1] Her first telemovie role was in the United States production, Counterstrike, playing the character of Kelly. She gained greater popular acclaim on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, playing the role of Izzy Hoyland from 2003 to 2006.^[34] This was her first full time television role.^[35] Initially Bassingthwaighte was hesitant to audition for Neighbours, "I said to my manager, 'No way'. I'd made the decision I'd done my last theatre show for a while, I wanted to concentrate on singing and I wanted to give film a go. We were all a little bit over the soapie star-turned singer. I didn't want to be that".^[34] However, her manager convinced her to reconsider, "I realised it was something I was interested in doing if I could stop worrying about what people might think".^[34] Upon securing the role, she relocated from Sydney to Melbourne.^[34] Bassingthwaighte was nominated for a Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality and a Silver Logie Award for "Best Actress" in 2006, for her role on the show.^[36][37] Bassingthwaighte left Neighbours in 2006 to focus on her music career and filmed her final scenes on 2 June.^[38][39] In March 2007, she reprised her role as Izzy Hoyland in scenes shot while on location in London in November 2006.^[38][40]

In 2004, Bassingthwaighte filmed a part in Rohan Sprong's student film When Darkness Falls – it was released in 2006 after editing. She portrays the character of Jinx De-Luxe, which involved a performance of the Marilyn Monroe song "Every Baby Needs a Da-da-daddy".^[1] In 2009 she starred in the Australian horror film Prey alongside Jesse Johnson, Christian Clark and Nicholas Bell, playing the role of Kate, an ambitious young surgeon working in the emergency department of a major city hospital.^[41] Part of the plot concerned three couples who become lost in outback Western Australia – Bassingthwaighte remembered similarities to her trip to The Pinnacles.^[6] The film was directed by George T. Miller and grossed $744 at the box office in Australia.^[42] In July 2010, for DVD release in the US, it was re-titled as The Outback.^[43]