Dannii Minogue

Danielle Jane Minogue (born October 20 1971), known as Dannii Minogue or simply Dannii, is an Australian singer/songwriter, actress and an occasional model and fashion designer. She rose to prominence in the early 1980s as a result of her role in the Australian television talent show Young Talent Time, before commencing her career as a pop singer and recording artist.

Signed to a contract in 1990 by Australian record label Mushroom Records, she achieved a string of hit records throughout the world, but her popularity began to decline by the mid-1990s, leading her to focus on a television presenting, placing her musical career on hold. For several years she attempted to establish herself as television host and presenter, but returned to music reinventing herself as a pop-dance artist. Signed to dance label Eternal, Dannii's album "Girl" received rave reviews, and was seen by many as her most creative work. However, the album did not sell well. Nevertheless, it did spawn three huge dance club hit singles (1997-1998). In 2001, Minogue's comeback instantaneously returned her to the charts with the release of "Who Do You Love Now?", a collaboration with Dutch DJs Zki & Dobri, performing under the group name Riva. The song became Minogue's most successful release worldwide, becoming one of the biggest dance club hits of the year. A further string of successful hit singles followed from her hit album "Neon Nights", on London Records. After "Neon Nights", Minogue signed yet another deal with All Around The World Records (2004) and has released three more Top Twenty singles with them. In the United Kingdom, Minogue has attained nine top-ten singles on the Singles Chart. She has had two Top Ten albums, both of which reached Gold status.

Childhood and beginning

Minogue as a regular performer on the weekly music program Young Talent Time.

Dannii Minogue was born in Melbourne, Australia, to an Australian father, Ron Minogue, and a Welsh-born mother, Carol Jones who had immigrated as a child from Maesteg, Wales in 1955 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, and from the age of seven, Minogue appeared in soap operas such as Skyways and The Sullivans without attracting much attention. In 1979 she was invited to be a regular performer on the weekly music program Young Talent Time, quickly becoming one of the most popular and highest profile members in the show's twenty year history. Minogue recorded on two albums for the show which featured her first solo recordings including a cover version of the Madonna hit "Material Girl". Minogue left Young Talent Time in 1988 to further her career as an actress, appearing as teen rebel Emma Jackson on the hit soap opera Home and Away, a role especially written for her. Her popularity in Australia was demonstrated when she was nominated for a "Silver Logie" for the country's "Most Popular Actress on Australian television". The show achieved high ratings in Europe, gaining Minogue a large fan base outside of Australia.

In 1988 she also launched her own fashion line simply titled Dannii, becoming a successful fashion designer. The line was popular in Australia, selling out in ten days across the country. DanniiMusic.com - Chronology Retrieved April 22, 2006. Over the next year she would design and release an additional three lines, which were also successful.

Recording and performing career

Mushroom Records: 1990 – 1997

Minogue on the cover of her European debut album, Love and Kisses (1991).

After recording and performing with the television show Young Talent Time, Minogue was signed to a recording contract with Mushroom Records in January 1989. Minogue traveled to New York City to work with producers Alvin Moody and Vincent Bell, writing and recording songs for her debut album. Her first album Dannii (1990), a collection of dance songs, reached number four on the Australian albums chart and became one the year's highest-selling albums. Outside Australian it was released under the title Love and Kisses (1991) and reached number eight on the British album charts. It sold over 60,000 copies Australia, and 500,000 copies Worldwide with most sales occurring in Europe and Asia, and it contained five successful singles, which includes the largest success "Love and Kisses". The song, a top ten hit in both Australia and Britain, would become Minogue's biggest hit single in both countries until the release of "Who Do You Love Now?" in 2001. It was only in the United States where the album did not sell strongly; with her debut North American single "Jump to the Beat" failing to make an impact on the U.S. Billboard magazine Hot 100. Later that year Love and Kisses was repackaged and released as Love and Kisses and... (1991), including four remixes. In late 1990, Minogue departed from Home and Away in order to concentrate fully on her music career.

Her follow up album Get into You (1993) failed match the success of its predecessor, charting outside the top forty in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, although it did contain two moderately successful singles. When the albums and its singles failed to make the top twenty in Britain or Australia, some commentators predicted the end of her music career.

After the failure of Get into You, Minogue began recording her third album in 1995 for Mushroom International. While she wrote and recorded over twenty songs with various well-known producers such as Love to Infinity, Rapino Brothers, Ollie J, D.N.A, One World, Terry Ronald and Soul II Soul. Two songs from these recording sessions were performed at PAs (live performances) "Everlasting Night" at Pride 1995 and "Free My Love" at Birmingham's Subway City Club, which was also televised on the Live TV channel. The album was not released because Minogue and Mushroom International could not agree on which territories the album would be released in, and the two parted ways. Mushroom International had yet to have a large international hit and did not have enough money to fund the release and promotion of Minogue's album worldwide.Love and Kissess Fanzine. July 1995. Retrieved April 22, 2006.

Minogue later recorded two songs with dance act EuroGroove. Her first collaboration with the group, "Rescue Me", was included on the soundtrack to the Japanese film Sharaku and included a video, while "Boogie Woogie" was released as a one-off single. Both songs were only released in Japan where they reached number one. In 1996, Minogue decided to put her music career on hold to concentrate on television presenting.

Eternal Records: 1997 – 2001

Minogue on the cover of her third album, Girl (1997).

After a long break from recording music, Minogue signed a multi-million dollar contract with Eternal Records, a subsidiary label of Warner Brothers Records. Her signing with the label enabled Minogue to break free from her bubblegum pop beginnings, allowing her to explore different styles of dance music. Girl (1997) featured collaborations with the British production team Xenomania, and Minogue contributed the majority of the lyrics. The album was not a success on the album charts and barely entered the Top sixty, possibly failing to achieve a large audience due to consumer concentration on male guitar based acts such as Blur and Oasis. Nevertheless the album's first single, All I Wanna Do became one of Minogue's biggest commercial and dance hits, and remains a fan favourite. In the United Kingdom the album produced three number one dance singles, resulting in some of the highest single sales of her career. Due to the success of Girl, Minogue embarked on her first concert tour in the UK, performing songs from her three studio albums, along with some disco classics. Girl combined many different genres including dance, trance, techno, house, alternative, pop, jazz, and classical, and is seen as the most creative and experimental album of her career.

In December 1998, Mushroom Records released two greatest hits packages as part of the twenty-fifth anniversary and due to Minogue's success on the commercial and dance charts. Released only in Australia, the first album contained all of her successful singles, while the other contained popular remixes.

In 1999, Minogue was approached by Mardi Gras Records to help launch the first ever gay and lesbian record label with a singles release. She re-recorded "Everlasting Night", a song originally recorded in 1995 for her unreleased album with Mushroom International. The song became the official label anthem of 1999, and Minogue performed at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for the second year in a row.

"Who Do You Love Now?", a collaboration with Dutch dance DJs Zki & Dobri, performing under the group name Riva, was released to commercial success in late 2001. The song became Minogue's biggest hit worldwide and in the UK, where it reached number three on the Singles Chart and number one on the dance charts. In the United States it was released to success on the Billboard dance charts, where it reached the top position on the Dance Club chart, knocking Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé from the top position.

London Records: 2002 – 2003

Minogue on the cover of her most successful album to date, Neon Nights (2003).

Following the success of "Who Do You Love Now?", Minogue signed a six album deal with London Records. Her album Neon Nights (2003) took its inspiration from the London nightlife and 1980s pop music, and had Minogue gain greater control over her recordings. She is credited with co-writing and co-producing almost all of the tracks on the album. The BBC wrote: "Typically a pleasant cocktail of pop sophistication, club culture and accessibility, Neon Nights goes a long way to remind the world of Dannii's powerful vocals. It may seem odd to imagine Kylie's position to be threatened by her sister, given that Dannii hasn't released an album in six years, but Neon Nights could just give her a run for her money."BBC.co.uk "Review: Neon Nights". March 17 2003. Retrieved April 22, 2006. It received some of the strongest reviews of her career and quickly became a success throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. Minogue released Neon Nights in the U.S. via Ultra Records, but it failed to impress on theBillboard magazine Top 200 Albums chart. The single "Put The Needle On It" became her second consecutive top ten hit in Britain, where it also topped the British dance charts. The subsequent single releases, which include Minogue's highest charting song "I Begin to Wonder", also sold strongly and produced two additional dance hits. To gain greater dance airplay, Minogue released two mash-up versions of her singles "I Begin to Wonder" and "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling". Both were successful on the dance charts, with the mash-up "Don't Wanna Lose This Groove" gaining attention due to its sampling of Madonna's hit "Into the Groove", as Minogue become one of the very few artists to receive permission from Madonna to sample her music. It was rumoured that "Creep" was the fourth single but was never confirmed.

For six weeks starting in June 2003, Minogue briefly turned her attention to hosting her own radio program titled Neon Nights. The show was broadcast throughout the United Kingdom on the Capital Radio Network and the Austereo Network in Australia. Throughout the hour-long show Minogue played songs from her own record collection as well as a song from Neon Nights. The show was named after the album because Minogue wanted it to be a mix of retro songs, current songs and bootlegs, like some of the Neon Nights singles, which mashed old retro sounds and samples with modern dance beats.About.com "Interview: Dannii Minogue". 2004. Retrieved April 22, 2006.

All Around the World Records: 2004 – Present

In early 2004, Minogue began work on her follow-up to Neon Nights which was originally scheduled for release at the end of the year. Early in the recording process she changed record labels, with the media citing the reason because Minogue had been dropped, which her management denied. At year's end Minogue had signed a recording contract with All Around The World Records, an independent dance label. In the fall of 2004, Minogue released "You Won't Forget About Me", a song based on the instrumental track "Flower Power" by the dance act of the same name. Featuring lyrics written by Minogue, the song became a top-twenty hit in Australia and her 5th consecutive top-10 in the UK. The following year Minogue released the song "Perfection", a collaboration with the Soul Seekerz. It was a modest success worldwide, but became her fifth highest peaking single ever in Australia where it reached number thirteen on the singles chart, which became her equal fourth highest peaking single there.

Minogue's follow-up to Neon Nights, a greatest hits compilation called The Hits & Beyond featuring 6 additional new songs, was released on June 19 2006 and charted at number 17 in the UK charts, with its lead single "So Under Pressure" being released on June 12 which hit number 20 in the UK charts. It is presumed that the next single to be released off the album will be "Love Fight" (rumoured to be a double a-side release combined with a remix of "I Can't Sleep At Night") - UK promotion will probably start in September when she returns from her Australian promotion tour. Minogue is expected to release an album by the end of next year, as she had many leftover songs from her recording sessions from 2003.

Acting career

In 1991, Minogue starred in Secrets, which told the story of five Australian teenagers who get stuck in the basement in of a hotel in an attempt to see The Beatles. Its release coincided with her popularity in music, but the film received a limited distribution in Australia and failed to attract much attention elsewhere.

After taking a break from her recording career in 1994, Minogue turned her focus to working as a television presenter. In the summer of 1994, she co-hosted Channel 4's popular morning show The Big Breakfast in the United Kingdom. Two years later she would return to co-hosting duties on the show, presenting the Egg's on Legs road show segment. In 1996, she briefly hosted the Disney television series Disney Time, but would gain critical and popular recognition for her hosting duties with the sixteen-week teenage style show It's Not Just Saturday, which achieved high ratings in the UK. That winter Minogue began hosting Electric Circus on the BBC, a show involving videos, computers and movies. In 1997, she hosted the popular BBC show Top of the Pops, ending her run as a television presenter as she turned her focus back to her music career with the release of her album Girl (1997).

Minogue as Rizzo in Grease: The Arena Spectacular (1997).

In 1997, Minogue starred as Rizzo in the Grease: The Arena Spectacular stage show in Australia. Her performance was well received by critics, and the show became a hit shattering Australian box-office records, selling over 450,000 tickets for its first seasons run. Two years later she returned to the stage in Macbeth, performing outside at the Royal Botanic Gardens for Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, as Lady MacBeth.Minogue performed the part for three weeks, and received mixed reviews from critics. Matt Grant, the BBC's News Online's festival correspondent, gave Minogue poor reviews saying that "she swaggers and staggers around the grass stage acting like a low rent Jim Morrison" and that "She lacks true conviction as she ploughs through the lines without capturing their full force."BBC News Online Matt Grant, "Is This a Dannii I See Before Me?", August 29, 1999. Retrieved April 22, 2006. In a review for the Guardian Unlimited, Fiachra Gibbons gave Minogue credit for her role in Macbeth, calling her "not bad" and crediting her for being able to "hold her own against the go-go girls in the song-and-dance numbers" that were a part of the play.The Guardian Fiachra Gibbons, "Journey to Macbeth", August 16, 1999. Retrieved April 22, 2006. In 2000, Minogue auditioned for the lead role in Notre-Dame De Paris in London's West End. Having secured the part as gypsy girl Esmeralda, she took to the stage in February 2001, playing to over 2,000 people a night at the Dominion Theatre. The play has received critical acclaim in France and Canada, breaking both box office and soundtrack records, but success in the UK has so far eluded the production in which Minogue starred in, although she won Best Stage Performance at the Maxim Awards for her performance. Later that year, Minogue gained critical acclaim for her role in the controversial play The Vagina Monologues.

In 2006, Instint Entertainment announced that Minogue would star in a thriller feature film called Except East Richmond. Filming is set to take place later this year with the film to be released in early 2007.

Personal life

Relationships

Throughout Minogue's professional life she has been the subject of great media attention, especially concerning her private life. In January 1994 she married Australian actor Julian McMahon, after announcing their engagement in late 1993. The couple met after appearing in the television show Home and Away together. The wedding was dubbed the "Australian Wedding of the Year", spinning Australian media and paparazzi into a frenzy. The couple later divorced for undisclosed reasons, though it was widely-reported that McMahon was unfaithful. In October 1999, Minogue became engaged to Quebecois Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve. The relationship did not last and ended in early 2001. Since her break-up with Villeneuve, Minogue's private life has been under intense media interest, with speculations abounding about whom she is romantically involved with. According to the IMDB and some other internet sites she is dating and about to marry Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou [1] however, no official annoncements have been made.

Minogue began to change her image after her divorce from McMahon and became noted for several provocative publicity photographs, including a nude appearance in the Australian edition of Playboy magazine in 1995, which became the quickest selling edition in the magazine's Australian history. On posing for the magazine Minogue said: "I'd 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."The Independent on Sunday Jonathan Thompson, "Q: The Interview -Dannii Minogue", November 3, 2002. Retrieved April 22, 2006. She also released several nude calendars.

Kylie's shadow

Throughout her career Minogue has often been compared to her older and more commercially successful sister, Kylie Minogue. Due to her sister's success Minogue has struggled to find respect from critics, fans and the media alike. "It is hard to be compared all the time to Kylie," she said. "On the other hand, however, people will always try to compare you to somebody. Look at Britney and Christina." Contrary to media reports Minogue has said multiple times that there is not a rivalry between her and Kylie saying, "I really respect what Kylie is doing at the moment. We were raised in a family of love and support and that has not changed."Arjan Writes "Interview with Dannii Minogue", December 13, 2002. Retrieved April 22, 2006.

Accusations of racism

In 2002, Minogue did an interview with Britain's GQ magazine. In the interview she said 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 now!"

This was presented as if Minogue sided with Le Pen and was attacking asylum seekers and immigrants, although Minogue says that her remarks were intended the opposite way, expressing horror at the popularity of Le Pen and expressing praise for the way Australia has handled multi-culturalism. She says she considered suing the journalist for misconstruing her remarks.

Minogue was soon adopted by the racist British National Party as a spokesperson, despite claiming to not be affiliated with them and threatening to sue. The British press soon began claiming that Minogue was racist. Minogue denied the allegations and claimed that she had "black friends". Minogue was invited to become a member of the Anti Nazi League, but allegedly ignored this invitation.

Gay icon

Minogue is regarded as a gay icon, which she embraces and credits for much of her success. "Gays have always been a part of my music," says Minogue. "I have never jumped on the pink bandwagon to increase my popularity. It just came naturally." Minogue believes that the gay community has connected with her because her music is about "having fun and going out dancing", which Minogue says gay culture loves to do. She is a strong supporter of social equality for the gay community, but believes that the struggle for equal right such as marriage is not a black and white issue. "Some kind of certificate of commitment is important. It doesn't have to be a marriage," said Minogue. "Something official that is accepted by all government bodies would be sufficient. As long as you can have a special day together that is recognized by the government is what counts.". Dannii performed at London Gay Pride and then at London's G.A.Y a few years before her sister had, apparently recommending Kylie appear at G.A.Y due to the fantastic crowd response.

Puss 'N Boots incident

In February of 2006, Minogue, while at the Puss 'N Boots strip club, allegedly engaged in sexually explicit, and possibly illegal, activities with one of the establishment's lap dancers. Surveillance tape stills made their way to the internet, where the pictures allegedly show Minogue kissing and fondling the dancer, breaking the club's strict "no-touching" rules, and it later appears that the dancer performs oral sex on Minogue. A spokesman for Minogue, downplayed the event as a "harmless girls' night out," according to the British tabloid The Sun. Notably, these stills were released six months after the original event occurred, leading to accusations of a publicity push in the weeks leading up to a new single release.

Awareness campaigns and charity

In 2004 Minogue posed nude with just a long red ribbon covering her body to help the fight against AIDS. She is an ambassador for the Terence Higgins Trust, which raises awareness about the disease. Personal experiences made Minogue want to educate people about AIDS since she has known many people within the entertainment industry and close personal friends who have been affected by the disease. Minogue's main mission with the trust is to "break down myths", such as that AIDS is a gay disease saying, "HIV doesn't discriminate - somewhere in their minds young people still think it is a gay disease."

She has also been a longtime supporter of breast cancer research. In 2003 she put her support behind the Funny Women charity, which included comedy acts to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research, as well as raising awareness of other issues such as domestic violence.

In addition to her work with the Terence Higgins Trust, Minogue also supports The Lighthouse Foundation (another AIDS charity) and the Young Homeless.

Discography

Studio albums

*1990: Dannii (Australian release)
*1991: Party Jam (Japanese release)
*1991: Love and Kisses
*1993: Get Into You
*1997: Girl
*2003: Neon Nights
*2006: The Hits & Beyond