May 28: Australia vocalist and actress, Kylie Minogue is 45-years-old today.

Kylie Ann Minogue was born in Melbourne, Australia. Her sister, Dannii Minogue, is also a pop singer.

The Minogue sisters began their careers as children on Australian television. When she was 11, Kylie appeared in small roles in soap operas such as The Sullivans and Skyways, and in 1985 was cast in one of the lead roles in The Henderson Kids. Interested in persuing a musical career, she made a demo tape for the producers of the weekly music programme Young Talent Time, which featured Dannii as a regular performer.

Kylie's first singing performance on the show came in 1985. However she was not invited to join the cast. Dannii's success overshadowed Kylie's acting achievements, until Kylie was cast in the soap opera Neighbours in 1986, as Charlene Mitchell, a schoolgirl turned garage mechanic.

Neighbours achieved popularity in the UK, and a story arc that created a romance between her character and the character played by Jason Donovan, culminated in a wedding episode in 1987 that attracted an audience of 20 million British viewers.

Her popularity in Australia was confirmed when she became the first person to win four Logie Awards in one event, and the youngest recipient of the "Gold Logie" as the country's "Most Popular Television Performer."

During a Fitzroy Football Club benefit concert with other Neighbours cast members, Minogue performed "I Got You Babe" as a duet with the actor John Waters, and "The Loco-Motion" as an encore, and was subsequently signed to a recording contract with Mushroom Records in 1987.

Released as a single, "Locomotion," spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart and became the highest selling single of the decade. Her debut album, Kylie, released in 1988, and the single "I Should Be So Lucky," each reached number one in the United Kingdom.

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Over the next two years, her first 13 singles reached the British top ten. Her debut film, The Delinquents was a box-office hit in Australia and the UK despite being panned by critics.

Initially presented as a "girl next door," Minogue attempted to convey a more mature style in her music and public image.

Her singles were well received, but after four albums her record sales were declining, and in 1992 she left her management company to establish herself as an independent performer. Her next single, "Confide in Me," reached number one in Australia and was a hit in several European countries in 1994, and a duet with Nick Cave, "Where the Wild Roses Grow," brought Minogue a greater degree of artistic acceptance. 

Drawing inspiration from a range of musical styles and artists, Minogue took creative control over the songwriting for her 1997 album, Impossible Princess. It failed to attract strong reviews or sales in the UK, but was successful in Australia.

Minogue returned to prominence in 2000 with the single "Spinning Around" and the dance-oriented album Light Years. She performed during the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Her music videos began to show a more sexually provocative and flirtatious personality. Her "Spinning Around" video led media outlets to refer to her as "SexKylie," and sex became a stronger element in her subsequent videos.

Several hit singles followed. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" reached number one in more than 40 countries, and the album Fever was a hit in many countries, including the U.S. - where Minogue had previously received little recognition.

Minogue embarked on a concert tour but cancelled it when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005. After surgery and chemotherapy treatment, she resumed her career in 2006 with Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour.

Her tenth studio album X was released in 2007 and was followed by the "KylieX2008 tour." In 2009, she embarked upon her "For You, For Me Tour," her first concert tour of the U.S. and Canada. The following year she released her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite.

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After 20 years as a performer, Minogue has been described as a fashion "trend-setter" and a "style icon who constantly reinvents herself."

Minogue has achieved worldwide record sales of more than 68 million, and has received notable music awards, including multiple ARIA and Brit Awards and a Grammy Award. She has mounted several successful concert tours and received a Mo Award for "Australian Entertainer of the Year" for her live performances.

Kylie was awarded the Order of the British Empire "for services to music," and an Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2008.


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