Anthony Callea

Australian pop sensation Anthony Callea entered the world in Melbourne on December 13, 1982. As a youngster he threw himself into talent contests and later pursued formal instruction at the Johnny Young Talent School, an intensive western Australian program modeled on musical theater training. His 2004 audition for Australian Idol, the top-performing international edition of American Idol, initially led to elimination, yet judges’ strong endorsement brought him back into the competition. He ultimately claimed second place by delivering Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer,” a performance that showcased his rich, warm, powerful yet mellow tenor and fluent command of the Italian sections, reflecting his own Italian heritage. Shortly afterward Sony/BMG offered him a recording deal, and “The Prayer,” issued as his debut single, entered the ARIA chart at number one before becoming the best-selling single in Australian history within seven weeks.

His self-titled debut album arrived in 2005 and likewise opened at number one, holding the summit for multiple weeks and earning platinum certification; shaped by producer David Foster, the record consisted largely of expansive ballads. The more rock-oriented follow-up, A New Chapter, featured mostly original material and reached number nine upon its November 2006 release, though it ultimately underperformed commercially. For the next seven years Callea concentrated on stage work, appearing in productions of Dead Man Walking, Rent, Wicked, and Grease. He resumed recording in 2012 with the independently issued dance-pop EP Last to Go. The 2013 album Thirty, a tribute to his musical influences, emerged on ABC Music and was quickly followed by the holiday collection This Is Christmas. In 2014 he issued Ladies & Gentlemen, a live tribute to George Michael, and returned to Sony in 2016 for his fifth studio album, Backbone.

After an Australian radio journalist revealed his sexuality during a 2007 morning broadcast, Callea publicly identified as gay; four years later he married his longtime partner, actor and singer Tim Campbell. Beyond music he participated in several Australian reality programs, among them It Takes Two, Ultimate School Musical: Fame, and I’m a Celebrity.