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Dannii Minogue

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Dannii Minogue

Danielle Jane Minogue (born October 20, 1971), known as Dannii Minogue, is an Australian singer, songwriter and occasional actress and fashion designer. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s, as a result of her role in the Australian television talent show Young Talent Time. In the late 1980s, she joined the cast of long running Australian soap Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in the early 1990s.

Minogue achieved early success with hits such as "Love and Kisses" and "This is It", though by the release of her second album, her popularity as a singer had declined and this lead her to concentrate on other fields such as television presenting. The late 1990s saw a brief return to music, Minogue reinventing herself as a dance artist with "All I Wanna Do", her first number one UK Club hit. In 2001, Minogue further returned to musical success with the release of her biggest worldwide hit to date, "Who Do You Love Now?", while her subsequent album, Neon Nights, became the most successful of her career. In the UK, she has achieved eleven consecutive number one dance singles, becoming the best performing artist on the UK Upfront Club Chart.[1] Minogue is currently signed to All Around The World and in 2006, released her first official "best of" compilation, The Hits and Beyond.

Childhood and beginning

File:YoungTimeTalentDannii1.jpg
Minogue as a regular performer on the weekly music program Young Talent Time

Minogue was born in Melbourne, Australia to an Australian father, Ron Minogue, and Carol Jones, who in 1955 had immigrated as a child from her native Maesteg, Wales to Townsville, Queensland. Minogue is the youngest of three children; her sister, Kylie Minogue, is a dance-pop singer and actress, and her older brother, Brendan, is a news cameraman in Australia.

Minogue began her career as a child on Australian television. From the age of seven, she had appeared in several soap operas, including Skyways and The Sullivans. In 1979, she became a regular performer on the successful weekly music programme Young Talent Time. Minogue recorded her first solo recordings for the programme, including a cover version of Madonna's hit single "Material Girl"; during this time, she also performed live at several sold-out nationwide concert tours.[2][3] In 1988, Minogue departed from Young Talent Time to continue her acting career, appearing as the rebellious teenager Emma Jackson on the popular soap opera Home and Away. Minogue remained on the programme for only a year, but proved to be popular among Australian audiences when she was nominated for a "Silver Logie" for the country's "Most Popular Actress on Australian television".

Recording and performing career

Mushroom Records: 1990–1997

File:Love & kisses.jpg
Love and Kisses (1991), Minogue's gold-certified debut album

Minogue signed a recording contract with Australian-based Mushroom Records in January 1989. Her first album, Dannii, was released the following year and reached number twenty-four on the Australian albums chart. Outside Australia, the album was released in 1991, with additional tracks, under the title Love and Kisses, and became a top ten success. Minogue's debut hit single "Love and Kisses", described as "excellent" by All Music Guide,[4] peaked at number four on the Australian singles chart and was certified gold.[5] It was also successful in the UK, where it reached the top ten on the singles chart.

Minogue released Love and Kisses and..., a re-worked version of her debut album, in April 1992. The album, a collection of dance songs, comprised tracks and remixes from Love and Kisses. It peaked at number forty-two on the UK albums chart, and sold nearly 60,000 copies.[5] Several remixes by producer and DJ Steve Hurly were successful in European dance clubs. Minogue credits these remixes for providing her with a "new image and sound to work with" on future releases.[6] Minogue released her second album Get into You — which included the songs "Show You the Way to Go", "This Is It" and "This Is the Way" — in October 1993. The album contained uptempo dance tracks and mature vocals, but despite her past chart success, failed to make the British top fifty.[7] In 1995, Minogue released the singles "Rescue Me" and "Boogie Woogie", a collaboration with dance act Eurogroove. Released only in Japan, both songs reached number one on the Japanese singles chart. She reportedly began recording her third album in 1995; however, Minogue and her record label, Mushroom Records, parted ways in late 1995 following a contract disagreement.[8]

Eternal Records: 1997–2001

Girl (1997), resulted in Minogue reinventing herself as a dance artist

After the release of her first two albums, Minogue had discovered an interest in dance music, which had began with several remixes of her songs by Steve Hurly. She commented that the remixes were "the first thing I did that was really cool and my love of dance music and clubbing started from there."[9] Minogue's interest in dance music and clubbing influenced her third album Girl, releaed in September of 1997, which featured collaborations with musicians such as Brian Higgins of Xenomania, and Minogue contributed the majority of the lyrics. The album presented a more sophisticated and adult style of dance music, but despite generally positive reviews, failed to make the British top fifty, although the Unleashed Tour in late 1998 sold out in Britain.[10][11] Minogue's single "All I Wanna Do", which the Daily Mirror described as a "bass-bumping, shuddering return",[12] peaked at number four on the UK singles chart and was certified gold in Australia.[5] The album's follow-up singles, "Everything I Wanted" and "Disremembrance", failed to match the chart success of "All I Wanna Do", but were successful on the UK dance charts, reaching number one.

Mushroom Records released two budget compilation albums in December 1998, as part of the label's twenty-fifth anniversary. Released only in Australia, The Singles comprised Minogue's most popular single releases, while The Remixes contained popular remixes. In January 1999, following her performance at the 1998 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Minogue released the festival's first official theme song, "Everlasting Night". It appeared on the compilation CD Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras of 1999, and its music video, co-directed by Minogue, was a tribute to Australia's gay and lesbian community.[13]

In November of 2001, Minogue released the single "Who Do You Love Now?", a collaboration with Dutch dance act Riva. Described by Sound Generator as a "nice serene and dreamy vocal on the dance floor anthem", the song peaked at number three on the UK singles chart, and reached number one on the dance charts.[14] In the United States, the song was released to success on Billboard dance charts, reaching number one on the Dance Club chart. In 2001, Minogue signed a six album deal with London Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music International.[7]

London Records: 2002–2003

File:Neon nights 2003.jpg
Neon Nights (2003), Minogue's most successful album to date

In March of 2003, Minogue released her fourth album Neon Nights, which the BBC called "a pleasant cocktail of pop sophistication, club culture and accessibility".[15] It consisted of 1980s inspired pop–dance songs and provided Minogue with some of the strongest reviews of her career. Neon Nights peaked at number eight on the UK albums chart (her highest ranking since her debut), and produced three top ten singles. The second single, "I Begin to Wonder", declared one of the "best things" on the album by Ireland's Radio Telefís Éireann, became her most successful single, peaking at number two on the UK singles chart.[16] The album's success was equally widespread, and following extensive airplay by North American dance radio, Warner Music Group released it in the United States in late 2003. Singles "I Begin to Wonder" and "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" were also substantial successes on the U.S. dance charts.

In June 2003, Minogue hosted her own radio programme, Dannii Minogue's Neon Nights. Broadcast in Australia and the UK, Minogue played songs by up-and-coming DJs, as well as her own music.[17] She signed a new contract with independent dance label All Around the World Records in 2004.[18]

All Around the World Records: 2004–present

In October of 2004, Minogue released the single "You Won't Forget About Me", a collaboration with the dance act Flower Power. Described by MSN Entertainment as a "real grower" and noted for its "snip snapping house beats and '80s flecked synths", the song peaked at number seven on the UK singles chart and continued Minogue's success on the U.S. dance charts.[19] "Perfection", another collaboration, this time with the Soul Seekerz, followed in October of 2005.

Minogue released The Hits & Beyond, a greatest hits album, in June 2006. The album was comprised of new songs alongside the most successful singles from her four studio albums. It debuted at number seventeen on the UK albums chart, but dropped quickly, spending only seven weeks in the Top 200. In Australia, The Hits & Beyond became one of Minogue's lowest charting albums, peaking at number sixty-seven. The album introduced a new single, "So Under Pressure", inspired by the cancer diagnoses of her sister Kylie Minogue as well as that of an unnamed friend. The single became her tenth consecutive song to reach number one on the UK Upfront Club chart[20] and her ninth Top 20 hit in Australia. Minogue has described the recording of "So Under Pressure" as a "real achievement" as she was "brave enough to put all [her feelings] into words".[9] Throughout her sister's battle with cancer, Minogue had been closely followed by the media, who wanted to know about Kylie's developments. The period left her feeling drained, but also motivated her to continue to record and compose personal lyrics.[20] In September 2006, Minogue's cover of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" appeared on Spirit of Christmas, a compilation CD of holiday songs available through Myer department stores across Australia.[21]

In November 2006, Minogue performed Sister Sledge's 1979 song "He's the Greatest Dancer" on BBC One's Children in Need telethon. A studio version of the song, remixed by Fugitive, appeared on the dance compilation Clubland 10, released in November 2006.[22] The following month, "He's the Greatest Dancer" was released to UK dance clubs and reached number one on the Upfront Club chart.[23] Minogue's record label, however, has not announced a full commercial release date for the song.

Acting career

In 1992, Minogue made her feature film debut in Secrets, which co-starred Noah Taylor. The film revolved around five Australian teenagers who become stuck in the basement of a hotel in an attempt to see The Beatles. The film was not well received by audiences or critics, with Minogue's performance being described as "not all that convincing".[24]

In the summer of 1994, Minogue returned to television as a presenter, co-hosting Channel 4's popular morning show The Big Breakfast in the UK. In 1996, she resumed her co-hosting duties, presenting the Eggs on Legs road show segment. That same year, Minogue briefly hosted the children's show Disney Time and co-hosted, with Gareth Jones, the teenage Saturday morning entertainment show It's Not Just Saturday for sixteen weeks. The show achieved high ratings, averaging over 1.5 million viewers in the UK.[11] In 1997, Minogue hosted Top of the Pops, a British music chart television programme, before returning to her recording career later that year.

In April 1997, Minogue made her stage debut as Rizzo in the musical Grease: The Arena Spectacular. In Australia, the show sold over 450,000 tickets during its first season.[5] The following year, Minogue resumed her role as Rizzo, performing in New Zealand. At the 1998 MO Awards, Minogue was nominated for "Best Female Musical Theater Performer" for her role.[5] Her next theater role was 1999's Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare's most popular plays, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The play received mixed reviews; critic Matt Grant wrote that Minogue "lacks true conviction as she ploughs through the lines without capturing their full force",[25] while Fiachra Gibbons singled Minogue's performance out, noting in her review that Minogue's "disco-queen-from-hell delivery works well" for her character, Lady Macbeth.[26] Two years later, Minogue appeared as Esmeralda in the musical production of Notre-Dame de Paris in London's West End. The musical received poor reviews from British critics who called it "lame" and its songs "reminiscent of [the] Eurovision song contest".[27] At the 2002 Maxim Awards, she won "Best Stage Performance" for her role.[11] In 2001, Minogue also appeared in the stage play The Vagina Monologues, which co-starred Kika Markham and Meera Syal.

In 2007, Minogue is scheduled to begin filming the Australian low-budget psychological thriller Except East Richmond, which is slated for release later that year. She will also appear as a judge on the talent show Australia's Got Talent, which will be broadcast on the Seven Network.[28]

Personal life

File:DanniiMinogueEsquireMag.jpg
Minogue (right) and sister Kylie on the cover of Esquire in July 1999.

In January 1994, Minogue married Australian actor Julian McMahon, whom she met at while working on the television series Home and Away in 1991.[29] Minogue and McMahon were married for less than two years and divorced in 1995. Minogue refuses to discuss the divorce, but the media reported that McMahon had been unfaithful. Referring to the divorce, Minogue said that it was her "biggest regret and biggest downfall".[30] In October 1995, Minogue posed nude in the Australian edition of Playboy magazine. Commenting on the reason she posed nude, Minogue said she "just had a marriage break-up. Most women go to the hairdressers - I did Playboy. I chose the photographer, the location, what I did or didn't want to wear and everything else about the pictures. I found it a really liberating, empowering experience."[31] The edition featuring Minogue sold out in under four days and became one of the best selling editions in Australia.[5] In October 1999, Minogue became engaged to Canadian Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve, but their relationship ended in 2001.[32]

Throughout her career, Minogue has often been compared to her more commercially successful sister, Kylie Minogue. She has struggled to find respect from critics and is often portrayed as a "wannabe" by the media.[33] Referring to the comparison, Minogue said "it is hard to be compared all the time to Kylie. On the other hand, however, people will always try to compare you to somebody. Look at Britney and Christina."[34]

Minogue is regarded as a gay icon, and credits her gay following for her success.[34] While part of her appeal lies in her upbeat dance music and her confident sexual posturing, she acknowledges the gay community throughout the world by performing at gay events, and by openly supporting AIDS and gay rights causes.

Other activities

Minogue is an ambassador for the Terence Higgins Trust, an organization that works to increase awareness of AIDS. She joined the charity in hope that her endorsement would encourage people to discuss safe sex and the disease more openly.[35] In 2004, she posed nude, wrapped only in a red ribbon, to promote World AIDS Day in Australia and the UK.[35] She has long been a supporter of breast cancer research and, in October of 2003, performed in a London comedy show, titled Funny Women, which raised money for breast cancer research, as well as awareness of domestic violence.[36]

In September of 1988, Minogue released her own fashion range entitled Dannii. She became interested in fashion design while appearing on Young Talent Time. Minogue had designed the clothing she had worn on the show, and the positive response from the audience resulted in her releasing her one line.[37] Minogue's debut line Dannii sold out across Australia in ten days, and was followed by three additional successful summer lines in 1989.[5]

Controversies

In 2002, the British National Party, far right and anti-immigration political party, claimed that Minogue supported their cause following comments she had made in an interview with Britain's GQ magazine. In the interview, Minogue was quoted saying that French National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen had "struck a chord with people", and that "even the street signs [in Australia] are written in Asian".[38] Minogue responded to the British National Party's claims in Gay Times magazine saying, "I am not a racist. That is not how I live my life. I have a Jewish manager, I perform in gay clubs, I come from a multi-cultural background and I am very proud of that".[39]

In February of 2006, Minogue made headlines again when surveillance tape stills from London strip club Puss 'N Boots were published by News Of The World, a British tabloid newspaper. The stills showed her kissing and fondling a female lap dancer. A spokesman for Minogue downplayed the event and called it a "harmless girls' night out".[40]

Discography

For a comprehensive listing of all Dannii Minogue releases, see Dannii Minogue discography.

Studio albums

Top ten singles

The following singles reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and/or Australia. Their peak positions are shown, along with the peak positions for the UK Upfront Club Chart and Ireland. For a full singles discography, see Dannii Minogue discography.
Year Single Peak positions
UK AUS UK Club IRL
1991 "Love and Kisses" 8 4 - 22
1991 "Jump to the Beat" 8 48 - 5
1993 "This is It" 10 13 - 17
1997 "All I Wanna Do" 4 11 1 -
2001 "Who Do You Love Now?" (with Riva) 3 15 1 20
2002 "Put the Needle on It" 7 11 1 20
2003 "I Begin to Wonder" 2 14 1 22
2003 "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" 5 22 1 -
2004 "You Won't Forget About Me" (with Flower Power) 7 20 1 22

Notes

  1. ^ "Club Queen". Dannnii Music – Official website. June 29 2006. Retrieved December 3 2006.
  2. ^ "Young Talent Time". Dannii.com – The official fan site. Retrieved December 3 2006.
  3. ^ Nathan Smith and Krzysztof Pilarek. "Biography". A Piece of Dannii. Retrieved December 3 2006.
  4. ^ "Biography". All Music Guide. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Chronology". Dannii Music – Official website. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  6. ^ "Singles". Dannii Minogue's Official fan site. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  7. ^ a b "Biography". Music Square. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  8. ^ Love and Kisses Fanzine, July 1995.
  9. ^ a b "Artist Profile: Dannii Minogue". EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved January 1 2007.
  10. ^ "Tours". Dannii Minogue's Official fan site. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  11. ^ a b c "Other Works for Dannii Minogue". IMDB. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  12. ^ Ian Hyland. "Dreamy Danni is Putting on a Great Front". Daily Mirror. August 10, 1997. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  13. ^ "Singles". Dannii Minogue's Official fan site. Retrieved December 6 2006.
  14. ^ "A 'proper' record from young Dannii of well crafted little gems.". Sound Generator. March 19, 2003. Retrieved December 12 2006.
  15. ^ Andrew McGregor. "Review of Neon Nights". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Retrieved December 4 2006.
  16. ^ Cristín Leach. "Review of Neon Nights". Radio Telefís Éireann (RTE). April 23, 2003. Retrieved December 4 2006.
  17. ^ Ron Slomowicz. "Dannii Minogue Interview". About.com. Retrieved December 4 2006.
  18. ^ "Dannii Minogue Signs Her Fourth Record Deal". Contact Music. Retrieved December 4 2006.
  19. ^ "Review of "You Won't Forget About Me"". MSN Entertainment. October 22, 2004. Retrieved December 4 2006.
  20. ^ a b Chrissy Iley. "Sister Act". The Daily Telegraph. July 2, 2006. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  21. ^ "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Dannii Music – Official website. September 19, 2006. Retrieved December 4 2006.
  22. ^ "Clubland Vol. 10". All Around the World Records. Retrieved December 5 2006.
  23. ^ "Number 1...Again!". Dannii Music – Official website. Retrieved December 21 2006.
  24. ^ Sarah Turnbull. "Secrets Critical Review and Bibliography". Murdoch University. Retrieved December 12 2006.
  25. ^ Matt Grant. "Is This a Dannii I See Before Me?". BBC News. Retrieved December 18 2006.
  26. ^ Fiachra Gibbons. "Journey To Macbeth". The Guardian. Retrieved December 18 2006.
  27. ^ Fiachra Gibbons. "Alarm as Cats heads for last miaow". The Guardian. Retrieved December 21 2006.
  28. ^ Greg Thom. "Dannii, homecoming queen". Herald Sun. Retrieved December 21 2006.
  29. ^ "Biography". IMDB. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  30. ^ "Minogue regrets divorce from 'Nip/Tuck' star". Ask Men – Celebrity News. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  31. ^ Jonathan Thompson. "Q: The Interview - Dannii Minogue". The Independent on Sunday. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  32. ^ "The Real Dannii Minogue". The Age (Melbourne) Magazine. Issue no. 24. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  33. ^ "The Real Dannii Minogue". The Age (Melbourne) Magazine. Issue no. 24. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  34. ^ a b "Interview with Dannii Minogue". Arjan Writes. December 17, 2003. Retrieved December 10 2006.
  35. ^ a b "Dannii Minogue and Terrence Higgins Trust launch new "Wear Your Ribbon" campaign for World AIDS Day 2004". Terrence Higgins Trust. December 1, 2004. Retrieved December 12 2006.
  36. ^ "Funny Women". Dannii Minogue's Official fan site. October 13, 2003. Retrieved December 12 2006.
  37. ^ Gary James. "Dannii Minogue Interview". Famous Interviews Canada. Retrieved December 14 2006.
  38. ^ "Dannii Minogue May Sue BMP". BBC News Entertainment. Issue no. 24. November 29, 2002. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  39. ^ Rupert Smith. "Setting the Record Straight". Gay Times magazine. January 2003. Retrieved December 7 2006.
  40. ^ "Dannii Minogue Considers Legal Action Over Stripper Tape". Yahoo! Music News. February 9, 2006. Retrieved December 7 2006.
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