Natalie Gauci

Born in November 1981, Natalie Gauci secured the 2007 crown on the Australian reality series Australian Idol after logging several low-profile years in the music industry. Her earliest advances came through session work, which preceded both the 2006 self-release of her EP Take It or Leave It and the simultaneous launch of her own ensemble, the Natalie Gauci Band. Although the group played local dates across Melbourne, Gauci’s breakthrough arrived via the televised contest, where she became the first wild-card entrant to claim the title. The resulting winning single appeared in November 2007; Sony BMG promptly signed her, and her debut album, The Winner’s Journey, followed in December 2007, reaching number 11. In January of the next year she undertook her first national run, the Winner’s Journey Tour, alongside Australian Idol runner-up Matt Corby.