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Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue (born 20 October 1971) is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model. She rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian television talent show Young Talent Time and the soap opera 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, leading her to make a name for herself with award-winning performances in musicals with Grease and also in Notre Dame De Paris as well as other acting credits in the Vagina Monologues and as Lady Macbeth. The late 1990s saw a brief return to music after Minogue reinvented 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 twelve consecutive number one dance singles, becoming the best-performing artist on the UK Upfront Club Chart. Since 2007, Minogue has established herself as a successful talent show judge and television personality. She is currently a judge on Australia's Got Talent in Australia and, until 2010, The X Factor in the UK, where she was the winning judge in both 2007 and 2010 with Leon Jackson and Matt Cardle, respectively. On the 9th of November 2011, Dannii received an honorary doctorate degree in Media and Arts from Southampton Solent University for her 30-year varied career in the showbiz and media industry.
Minogue was brought up in Melbourne, the younger daughter of accountant Ronald Charles Allano Minogue, who is of Irish descent, and Carol Jones, a dancer from Maesteg, Wales. She is the youngest of three children; her older sister, Kylie, is a pop singer, and her brother, Brendan, is a news cameraman in Australia.
Minogue began her career as a child on Australian television. From the age of seven, she appeared in several soap operas, including Skyways and The Sullivans. In 1981, she joined 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. In 1988, Minogue departed from Young Talent Time to continue her acting career, appearing as the rebellious tomboyish teenager Emma Jackson on the soap opera Home and Away. Minogue remained on the programme for only a year. She proved to be popular among Australian audiences when she was nominated for a Silver Logie as the Most Popular Actress on Australian television.
In September 1988, Minogue released her own fashion range 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 own line. Minogue's debut line Dannii sold out across Australia in ten days, and was followed by three additional summer lines in 1989.
Minogue is an Australian dance-pop singer and her musical career consists of five studio albums, six compilation albums, twenty-eight singles, and five video albums. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian television talent show Young Talent Time and in the soap opera Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in the early 1990s.
Minogue released her debut Australian album Dannii in October 1990. It peaked at number twenty-four on the ARIA Albums Chart and was a moderate success. In June 1991, the album was released with additional tracks in the United Kingdom as Love and Kisses. In the UK, it reached number eight and produced five singles. Her debut single was the title track "Love and Kisses" which peaked at number eight in the UK, and at number four in Australia where it was certified gold. To date, it is her only top ten single in Australia. The second single "Success" made the top twenty in the UK, peaking at number eleven, and the top thirty in Australia, peaking at number twenty-eight. "I Don't Wanna Take This Pain" was released as the third single in Australia in late 1990 where it failed to make the top fifty, becoming her lowest charting single on that chart. It was released as the fifth single throughout Europe and in the UK, it also underperformed but it did manage to still make the top forty peaking at number forty. "Jump to the Beat" and "Baby Love" were released in 1991 and proved to be successful singles in the UK where "Jump to the Beat" peaked at number eight and "Baby Love" peaked at number fourteen. In Australia, the success varied. Both singles made the top fifty with "Baby Love" also making the top thirty. Her second album, Get Into You, was released in October 1993. The album did not perform as well as her debut, peaking outside of the top fifty in Australia and the UK. After a brief hiatus from recording music, Minogue released her third album Girl in September 1997. The album, composed of dance and electronic music, produced three number one club songs in the UK. In March 2003, she released her fourth album Neon Nights. Inspired by dance music from the 1980s, the album was certified in gold in the UK. It produced four singles, all of which became number one on the UK Dance Charts. In 2007, she released a compilation of tracks that she had recorded while signed to AATW, which were heavily inspired by '80s dance music, titled Club Disco. The album collected together the six singles she had released since her Neon Nights period: "You Won't Forget About Me", "Perfection", "So Under Pressure", "I Can't Sleep at Night", "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "Touch Me Like That". As a recording artist Minogue has sold over 7 million records worldwide.
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, under the title Love and Kisses, and became a top ten hit. Minogue's debut single "Love and Kisses" peaked at number four on the Australian singles chart and was certified gold. In the UK, the song reached the top ten on the singles chart. August 1991: Embarked on an extensive promotional tour of South East Asia, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taipei and the Philippines.
Minogue released Love and Kisses and..., a re-issue 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. Several remixes by producer and DJ Steve "Silk" Hurley were successful in European dance clubs. She credits these remixes for providing her with a "new image and sound to work with" on future releases. Also that year, 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".
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. In mid-1994, Minogue returned to television as a presenter, co-hosting Channel 4's morning show The Big Breakfast in the UK. 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 began recording her third album in 1995; however, Minogue and her record label, Mushroom Records, parted ways in late 1995 following a contract disagreement.
In 1990, Minogue was asked by Queen Elizabeth II to perform at the Royal Variety Show; she sang her latest release "Success".
In 1996, Minogue 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. 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. 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.
Following the release of several remixes of her songs by Steve "Silk" Hurley, Minogue became interested in dance music. 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." Minogue's interest in dance music and clubbing influenced her third album, Girl, released in September 1997, which featured collaborations with musicians such as Brian Higgins of Xenomania. The album presented a more sophisticated and adult style of dance music, but despite generally positive reviews, failed to make the British top fifty. The lead single "All I Wanna Do", which the Daily Mirror described as a "bass-bumping, shuddering return", was a success peaking at number four on the UK singles chart. In her native Australia, the single also proved to be a success peaking at number eleven and was certified gold. The album's second single "Everything I Wanted" made the top twenty in the UK and the top fifty in Australia, while the third single "Disremembrance" narrowly missed the top twenty in the UK, peaking at number twenty-one. All three singles released from Girl reached number one on the UK dance chart.
June 1998 saw Minogue begin The Unleashed Tour, a UK tour only. 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 all of Minogue's single releases, while The Remixes contained popular remixes. These releases were promoted with the song "Coconut" which was previously only available as a hidden track on CD versions of the Girl album. 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.
In November 2001, Minogue released the single, "Who Do You Love Now?", a collaboration with 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. In Australia, the song peaked at number fifteen, while in the United States the song was released to dance clubs, and reached number twelve on the United States' Billboard Dance Club chart. In 2001, Minogue signed a six-album deal with London Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music International.
In March 2003, Minogue released her fourth album, Neon Nights, which the BBC called "a pleasant cocktail of pop sophistication, club culture and accessibility". It consisted of 1980s inspired dance-pop 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 four top ten singles. "Who Do You Love Now?" was not officially released as the first single, however it was included on the album. The official lead single was "Put the Needle on It", a 1980s inspired dance-pop song which proved to be a top ten hit in the UK, peaking at number seven. It enjoyed top twenty success in multiple countries including Australia, where it peaked at number eleven and was certified gold. The second single, "I Begin to Wonder", was declared one of the "best things" on the album by Ireland's Radio Telefís Éireann and became her highest charting single in the UK, peaking at number two. In Australia, the single garnered Minogue another top twenty hit, peaking at number fourteen and was also certified gold. Third single "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" was equally successful as its predecessors, peaking at number five in the UK, while in Australia the single just missed the top twenty, charting at number twenty-two. 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 US dance charts.
In October 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 also made the top twenty in Australia. "Perfection", a collaboration with the Soul Seekerz, followed in October 2005 where it reached the top twenty in both the UK and Australia.
Minogue released The Hits & Beyond, a greatest hits album, in June 2006. The album consisted of new songs alongside singles from her four studio albums. It debuted at number seventeen on the UK albums chart. In Australia, The Hits & Beyond became one of Minogue's lowest charting albums, peaking at #67. The album introduced a new single, "So Under Pressure", inspired by the cancer diagnoses of her sister Kylie as well as that of an unnamed friend. On 11 December Minogue performed "Kids" with her sister Kylie during Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour in Melbourne and "Celebration" on 31 December in London at Wembley Arena. 19 April 2006. Retrieved 29 October 2008.</ref> The single made the top twenty in Australia and the UK and also became her tenth consecutive song to reach the number one spot on the UK Upfront Club chart. Minogue has described the recording of "So Under Pressure" as a "real achievement" as she was "brave enough to put all into words". In September 2006, Minogue's cover of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" appeared on Spirit of Christmas, a compilation album of holiday songs available through the Myer department store chain across Australia.
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, which was released in November 2006. The following month, "He's the Greatest Dancer" was released to UK dance clubs and reached number one on the Upfront Club chart. It also charted in the top forty on the Australian singles chart.
October onwards saw a total of five releases from Minogue; first, on 29 October, reissues of her 1997 and 2003 albums Girl and Neon Nights, each containing a double-disc, the second disc of which includes remixes. On 5 November, she released Unleashed, a collection of previously unheard material from her time with London Records, and The Video Collection, which includes every one of her music videos as well as bonus features. Digital album Club Disco was released on the same date, featuring several previously released singles, such as "You Won't Forget About Me", "Perfection" and "So Under Pressure", cancelled single "I Can't Sleep at Night" and covers of "Xanadu" and the disco classic "He's the Greatest Dancer". Finally, on 3 December, a new single was released, entitled "Touch Me Like That" which peaked at number one on the UK Dance Chart.
In early 2008, Minogue was hired as the headline performer at Australian Fashion Week. In particular she was booked to make an appearance as the opening party hosted by MAC Cosmetics. She also returned as a judge on Australia's Got Talent for its second series and released Club Disco as a double album in Australia with some changes to the tracklisting.
At the start of 2009, a digital compilation album, "The Early Years", was released online that featured songs from Minogue's first two studio albums. Cowell later confirmed that Minogue would return to her role as a judge on The X Factor for its sixth series and praised her commitment to the show. The programme began airing on 22 August 2009 and Minogue was once again joined on the panel by Cowell, Walsh and Cole. Following the initial rounds, she was given the "Girls" category to mentor and picked Rachel Adedeji, Lucie Jones and Stacey Solomon to represent her in the live shows. Solomon was her most successful act in the series, finishing in third place.
On 7 December 2009 Minogue released The 1995 Sessions, an album full of previously unreleased recordings made for what would have been her then third studio album, which never materialized due to differences with her then label. On the same date, Dannii re-released remastered editions of her first two albums with MCA Records, her debut Love & Kisses and the follow-up Get Into You.
On 23 June 2010, ITV2 announced Dannii Minogue: Style Queen, a three-part documentary about Minogue's fashion line "Project D", The X Factor, motherhood, her partner Kris Smith, and her return to music as well as writing her autobiography – My Story, which was produced by Steve Vizard and broadcast in Australia on Foxtel.
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