Kylie Minogue's name is revered by pop music enthusiasts worldwide. However, she garners particular acclaim in her native Australia and the United Kingdom, where she spent numerous years. This delicate blonde, who illuminated the stage with disco anthems, is often juxtaposed with Madonna – in terms of the impact on the music industry and the multitude of songs she has delivered throughout her extensive career. Yet, Minogue prefers to perceive herself not as a pop queen, but as a delicate princess of pop music, indeed, a moniker she bestowed upon one of her albums - 'Impossible Princess'.
Kylie Minogue
Nevertheless, Minogue has never exuded any regal airs or snobbery in her demeanor. She has always maintained utmost openness towards her audience, never shrouding her numerous failed relationships. When diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, she presented herself to the reporters, emaciated, with a scarf wrapped around her head, but still donning an inextinguishable radiant smile.
She worked diligently: releasing album after album, participating in films, engaging in the cosmetics and perfume industry, and authoring books. Her work provided an escape from the unfulfilled dream of a family – Minogue never wed any of her boyfriends, and due to her grave illness, she could not have children.
Childhood and Family
Kylie Ann Minogue was born in Melbourne on May 28, 1968. Her father, Ronald Charles Minogue's ancestors were Irish; however, her family had resided in Australia for several generations. Her mother, Carol Ann Jones, immigrated to Australia from Wales.
Kylie was the firstborn in the young family. Her parents, though not affluent, frequently moved residences. After the arrival of her brother Brendan and sister Dannii, her parents made the decision to settle in South Oakleigh, a suburb of Melbourne. It was there that Minogue began her schooling journey in 1975.
Kylie Minogue as a kid
At first, Kylie didn't stand out among other students: she was quite shy, struggled to make friends, and didn't excel academically. Her mother put in a great effort to spark her daughters' interest in the arts. The sisters took dance and singing lessons and learned to play various musical instruments. At a local arts festival, Kylie came second, playing the song "Run, Rabbit, Run" on the piano. However, she was far from reaching the popularity that Dannii enjoyed.
Kylie Minogue with her siblings
In 1982, Kylie's younger sister convinced their parents to take her to the auditions for the popular school TV show Young Talent Time. As a result, she became a regular on the program for the next six years. Fans would send Dannii enthusiastic letters asking for autographs - Kylie would respond to these letters, expertly forging her sister's signature.
TV Roles
Kylie made her screen debut at the age of 11. By that time, Dannii had already started attending auditions for various soap operas, and during one of these auditions, she was rejected due to her young age. That day, Kylie accompanied her to the audition. Unlike her younger sister, Kylie was lucky - she landed the role of a Dutch refugee named Carla in the soap opera "The Sullivans".
Young Kylie Minogue
In 1980, Minogue appeared in one of the episodes of the project "Skyways" - she and Jason Donovan played a brother and sister. Five years later, she became a regular actress in the series "The Henderson Kids". Because of the filming, Kylie had to miss school. Her colleagues remembered her as a rather sensitive individual, often crying on set due to failures.
Kylie Minogue in The Henderson Kids (right)
When her character was written out in the second season of the show, Minogue decided to focus on music. In 1986, she participated in the "Young Talent Time" show with Dannii, performing the popular song at that time, "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves". However, she wasn't included as a regular cast member.
Kylie Minogue & Dannii Minogue - Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves (Young Talent Time 1986)
A few months later, Kylie landed one of the main roles in the soap opera "Neighbours". Casting director Jan Russ recalled: "Kylie already had filming experience by that point, but she was only 18 and as timid as a mouse. But the camera loved her, and I knew instantly - there she is, Charlene!".
Kylie Minogue in Neighbours
In Australia, this soap opera was at the peak of its popularity, which brought Minogue the long-awaited fame. Kylie's character - the bold tomboy Charlene Mitchell - was one of the audience's favorites in the show. In just one year, she received four Logie Awards and a Gold Logie, becoming one of the most popular actresses in the country. But what Kylie dreamed of even more was a music career.
First Steps in Music
In 1987, Minogue released her single "Locomotion" with the support of Mushroom Records, which quickly gained popularity. The hit stayed at the top of the charts in Australia for nearly two months. However, the young singer immediately encountered haters. Media called her "a frivolous girl in bright provocative outfits," with which she supposedly compensated for a lack of talent. "Of course, there was a lot of arrogance when I started working in the music industry. A lot of animosity," Kylie recalled later.
Kylie Minogue - The Loco-motion
A few months later, Minogue moved to the UK, where she began working on her next single with producers. It was released in December 1987 and was titled "I Should Be So Lucky".
The following year, Kylie definitively ended her work on TV, focusing on creating a solo album. The album was titled "Kylie" and remained on the British hit parade for a whole year, also shining in the world charts.
Kylie's gig in 1988
The singer's second album "Enjoy Yourself" was released in 1989. It was well-received in the UK, Australia, and Europe, but sales were low in the US, so Kylie focused on promotion in other countries. In 1990, the singer toured Europe and Asia.
At the end of the same year, the singer's third album "Rhythm of Love" was released, which finally pleased critics. Experts noted that Minogue managed to step away from the image of the "soap opera girl".
Kylie Minogue - Rhythm Of Love
Under the guidance of PWL label, Kylie released her fourth album "Let’s Get to It" (1991) and a compilation of selected hits (1992). After this, she decided not to renew the contract with the production center, choosing the independent company "Deconstruction Records", specializing in dance music.
The Height of Popularity
1993 was marked by the singer's album "Kylie Minogue", which was warmly received in the UK and Australia. However, the album was never released in the US. During this period, Kylie began collaborating with Steve Anderson, who became her musical director for many years.
Kylie Minogue in 1993
Two years later, Minogue, in a duet with rocker Nick Cave, recorded the composition "Where the Wild Roses Grow", which was unprecedentedly popular worldwide. The song won ARIA Awards, becoming the hit of the year and the best pop release.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds ft. Kylie Minogue - Where The Wild Roses Grow
Kylie's experimental album of 1997, "Impossible Princess", had an indie sound, and most of the compositions for it were written by the singer herself. Thus, Minogue wanted to finally move away from her early creative image.
The singer's seventh album "Light Years" was released under the guidance of the record company Parlophone in 2000. Particularly popular among listeners was the hit "Spinning Around", which topped the British and Australian charts and won the ARIA Award. The same year, Minogue performed at the closing of the Olympic Games in Sydney with the song "Dancing Queen" by ABBA.
Kylie Minogue during Olympic Games in Sydney
The most successful single for the singer was the composition "Can't Get You Out of My Head", released in 2001. The dance hit topped the charts of forty countries, sales exceeded 5 million copies. The song was included in the album "Fever", which was released a few months later. In support of the album, the singer arranged a large-scale concert tour.
Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
In 2003, Kylie received her first Grammy nomination for the song "Love at First Sight", but she won the award only a year later – for the hit "Come Into My World".
Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World
Deciding to experiment with style again, in 2004 Minogue released the album "Body Language", where instead of the usual disco, fans heard hip-hop. The album was received coolly by listeners, but the song "Slow" brought Kylie another Grammy nomination.
In 2008, Minogue's anniversary record "X" was released. Although critics spoke unflatteringly about it, the singer went on a large-scale concert tour with new songs and old hits. She visited more than 20 countries, and ticket sales alone brought her more than $70 million.
Kylie Minogue on tour in 2008
Subsequently, Minogue often resorted to such saturated tours. For example, in 2011 a tour, which made a box office of $60 million, was arranged as part of the promotion of her album "Aphrodite". And a year later, Kylie marked her 25th anniversary on the stage in style, performing at a festival in Sydney and a concert as part of Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.
Over the next few years, the performer solidified her positions in the world of electronic dance music and R&B thanks to several successful albums - "Kiss Me Once" (2014) and "Golden" (2018). And although Kylie did not manage to conquer the world charts, her creativity was received very positively in Europe and Australia.
Kylie Minogue - Kiss Me Once
In 2019, the singer celebrated the 30th anniversary of her creative activity and for the first time performed at the Glastonbury festival as part of the anniversary. Nick Cave and Chris Martin sang with her on stage.
Roles in Cinema
Despite the fact that Kylie always preferred music much more than cinema, she occasionally appeared on the big screens. In 1989, she made her big screen debut in the film "The Delinquents", which, despite negative reviews from critics, became quite commercially successful.
Kylie Minogue in The Delinquents
In 1994, Kylie starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in the film "Street Fighter". Film experts once again did not spare Minogue, calling her "the worst actress in the English-speaking world". However, this did not affect the singer's enthusiasm at all. In 2000, she landed a lead role in the film "Sample People", and a year later she appeared in the musical "Moulin Rouge!".
Kylie Minogue in Moulin Rouge!
In addition, Kylie was also involved in dubbing. From 2002 to 2005, she voiced the character Florence in the animated film "The Magic Roundabout". Two years later, Minogue played a cameo character in the Christmas episode of "Doctor Who" – the episode was watched by more than 13.3 million people.
Twisted Christmas in London | Voyage of the Damned | Doctor Who
And for a small role in the Indian film "Blue" in 2009, Kylie received a fabulous fee by Bollywood standards - a million dollars.
Kylie Minogue in Blue
2012 marked her career with the leading role in the film "Holy Motors", which was shown at Cannes.
Kylie Minogue in Holy Motors
Three years later, the singer also appeared in the TV series "Young & Hungry" and the Hollywood action film "San Andreas". And in 2018, she landed a role in the film "Swinging Safari".
A still from Swinging Safari
Other Achievements
In 1999, Minogue published her first book "Kylie". Her bibliography includes three more works - "Kylie: La La La" (2002), a children's book "The Showgirl Princess" (2006), and "Kylie / Fashion" (2012).
The Showgirl Princess – the children book by Kylie Minogue
In 2001, in support of the album "Fever", Kylie released several collections of women's underwear. Initially, it was sold only in Australia, but a couple of years later it became available to British customers.
In 2005, as part of a collaboration with the perfume and cosmetics company Coty, Minogue released the perfume "Darling". A few years later, Kylie's signature line included other fragrances - "Sweet Darling", "Sexy Darling", and "Couture".
Kylie Minogue on a presentation of her perfume
In 2007, the singer was offered to become the face of the jewelry company Tous. She participated in the design of some jewelry. Kylie also represented the fashion house H&M, under whose control her own line of swimsuits was presented.
Kylie Minogue in H&M commercial
From 2013, the singer served as a coach on the British show "The Voice". She showed herself on the project as a pleasant and charming star with fair judging. In the same year, she became a coach in the Australian version of the program.
Kylie Minogue in The Voice
In 2019, Minogue launched her own cosmetics line "KYLIE". The product presentation was surrounded by legal disputes: the singer clearly did this to annoy Kylie Jenner, who had previously registered a similar business under her name. For five years, Minogue's lawyers tried to prove that there can be only one "KYLIE" in the market and maintained their victory. This, however, did not prevent Jenner from successfully developing her brand called "Kylie Cosmetics".
Kylie Minogue’s Trademark Battle Against Kylie Jenner | WWHL
Personal Life of Kylie Minogue
Despite being repeatedly hailed as the male ideal in various glossy magazines, her personal life can hardly be called happy - she was too often betrayed by her loved ones.
In 1986, while filming the series "Neighbours", Kylie had a passionate affair with actor Jason Donovan. They broke up a year later when Minogue's career took off - her boyfriend could not reconcile with the girl's skyrocketing popularity.
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan
The young singer mended her broken heart in the arms of the rocker from the band "INXS" Michael Hutchence. Their relationship resembled a volcano of passion, mostly due to the musician's impulsive nature. The couple broke up in 1991, reportedly due to Hutchence's affair with model Helena Christensen. However, the stars remained friends until Michael's death in 1997.
Kylie Minogue and Michael Hutchence
By this time, Minogue had been in a relationship with photographer Stephan Sednaoui, and in 2000 she became involved with model James Gooding. All friends claimed that the model was not her match, as he didn't miss a single skirt. But Kylie stubbornly did not believe in her chosen one's infidelity. And only by 2002, when James himself stopped hiding his affairs, did Minogue's patience end.
Kylie Minogue and James Gooding
A year later at the Grammy Awards, she met actor Olivier Martinez, who was often referred to as the "French Brad Pitt" in the press. He supported her when Gooding decided to share with the press spicy details of their romance and called the singer a "capricious diva".
The performer was happy in a relationship with Martinez and was already thinking about marriage and children, but in 2005 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And again Olivier was there for her: he supported his beloved one, who underwent surgery and a course of chemotherapy. Kylie lost her hair and weight down to 85 pounds.
Kylie Minogue and Olivier Martinez
Minogue did not hide her condition from the public, often appearing in public and openly talking about her battle with the disease. The so-called "Kylie effect" was even recorded - thanks to the hype, women began to go to the mammologist more often.
I Was Misdiagnosed - Kylie Minogue
By 2007, the singer's disease had gone into remission. At the same time, information appeared that Minogue would never be able to have children. "I've always wanted a big family. Everyone says there are other ways to have a child, but I don't even know," she admitted.
Kylie Minogue in 2007
Still dreaming of a family, the performer gave her boyfriend an ultimatum: either marriage or separation. And the freedom-loving Olivier was increasingly spotted on the streets with other actresses and models.
Having experienced another betrayal, in 2008, the singer began dating actor Andres Velencoso. He resembled Martinez very much in appearance. After three years, this romance also ended.
Kylie Minogue and Andres Velencoso
News about Kylie's new infatuation became known in 2015, when she was spotted with actor Joshua Sasse. The singer did not hide her happiness and a year later announced her engagement. But already in 2016, the upcoming wedding was canceled - the groom cheated on Kylie with a Spanish model. There were rumors that during this period the singer herself allegedly got closer to Queen Elizabeth II's younger son, Prince Andrew, but they were not confirmed.
Kylie Minogue and Joshua Sasse
In 2018, Minogue began dating a journalist, the creative director of British GQ Paul Solomons. "He supported me like no one else could. Paul cared about my fans, he cared about my world, but mainly - about me," Kylie said about her chosen one.
Kylie Minogue and Paul Solomons
In 2021, the couple's engagement became known. However, during this same period, the lovers decided to separate: Paul stayed in London, while Minogue, who had lived in the UK for many years, returned to her homeland in Australia. The performer emphasized that their long-distance relationship cannot be called typical, but they are completely satisfied with it.
At the beginning of 2023, it was announced that Minogue and Paul Solomons' engagement was broken off. It was reported that their relationship did not withstand the test of distance. Minogue's representatives promised that the singer will now focus on her creativity.
Kylie Minogue Now
In 2021, the singer released a reissue of the album "Disco Guest List Edition". A year later, Kylie met with ex-boyfriend Jason Donovan - they returned to their roles for the finale of the "Neighbours" series.
Kylie Minogue in the final of Neighbours
The release of her new album, Tension, was scheduled for September 22, 2023.
Interesting Facts
There is a popular legend that Kylie's first hit "I Should Be So Lucky", released in 1987, was written for her in just 40 minutes. The hired musicians simply forgot that the young singer would come to them and composed the single while she was sitting in the reception area of the production center.
By 2007, the fourth wax figure of Minogue had been installed at Madame Tussauds museum. The singer also has a bronze cast of her hands at Wembley Arena in London and a statue in one of Melbourne's districts.
In 2008, the performer received the title of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Literature in France and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Kylie is considered an LGBT icon in show business. Drag queens regularly perform to her music in clubs around the world. The singer has a positive attitude towards such a reputation.
In 2011, the singer was entered into the Guinness Book of Records due to the fact that her albums hit the top 5 of the charts for several decades in a row.
In 2012, Minogue insured her bottom for a sum of 5 million dollars.
