Casey Donovan (singer)
Casey Donovan (born May 13, 1988) was the winner of the second season of the reality/talent-search television series Australian Idol.
Donovan was the first woman to win the Australian Idol competition, and also the youngest. She won the competition at 16 while still a student at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, Australia. She comes from a family of musicians, with several of her relatives pursuing musical careers, including her father, a member of indigenous country band The Donovans.
While Donovan performed well throughout the Australian Idol competition, receiving effusive praise from all three judges, she was not widely considered a favourite to win. During the competition, she received some outside success, winning the Most Promising New Talent Award at the 2004 The Deadlys, which honor indigenous talent in Australia. Nevertheless, she surprised many by first making it to the final at the expense of Courtney Murphy, and then defeating widespread favourite Anthony Callea in the final. Her first single, "Listen With Your Heart" was released digitally on November 21, 2004 and officially in stores on November 29, 2004. It debuted at #1 on the ARIAnet singles chart, while her album For You debuted at #2 on the album charts. Her second single "What's Going On?" debuted in the top 20 in February 2005. Her third single "Flow" was withdrawn from release in July 2005 when radio stations failed to play it, and after the album had dropped out of the album charts.
In just 12 months and now just 17 years of age, Casey has won Australian Idol, three Deadly awards (Most Promising New Talent 2004, best album and best single 2005), received two ARIA nominations (best album, best single), had a #1 debut single and #2 debut album, and holds the record for fastest download of a single on Telstra's Bigpond. While Callea has been afforded more support, Casey has been busy building her fan base with small intimate gigs at venues such as The Basement (with Wendy Matthews) and The Vanguard, as well as a residency at the Sandringham Hotel. She recently was invited to Brisbane to perform at the Foxtel 10th Birthday Party and to Melbourne for her first gig in that state held at the Grand Central receiving rave reviews. Casey has spent much of the time this year writing, as well as collaborating with respected Australian song-writers, new material for her next album which is due for release mid 2006.
During the 2004 Australian Idol series, Donovan sang:
- Audition - "A Million Tears" (Kasey Chambers)
- Top 50 Heat - "Exodus" (Evanescence)
- Top 30 Semifinal - "Here's Where I Stand" (Tiffany Taylor)
- Top 12: Australian Made - "Symphony Of Life" (Tina Arena)
- Top 11: Pop - "Don't Speak" (No Doubt)
- Top 10: The '60's - "Somebody To Love" (Jefferson Airplane)
- Top 9: Disco - "Shake Your Groove Thing" (Peaches & Herb)
- Top 8: Idol's Choice - "Special Ones" (George)
- Top 7: The Beatles - "Eleanor Rigby" (The Beatles)
- Top 6: The '80's- "The Flame" (Cheap Trick)
- Up Close and Personal Show - "Nothing Else Matters" (Metallica)
- Top 5: R&B- "Beautiful" (India Arie)
- Top 4: Big Band - "Why Don't You Do Right" (Peggy Lee) and "Come Fly With Me" (Frank Sinatra)
- Top 3: The '70's - "You're So Vain" Carly Simon and "Misty Blue" Dorothy Moore
- Top 2: Idol's Choice - "Take Me As I Am" (Vanessa Amorosi), "Hello" (Evanescence) and "Listen With Your Heart" (Idol Single)
Donovan's main musical influences are cited as Nirvana, Incubus and Metallica.
Controversies
A minor controversy was created involving the Australian tele-communication giant Telstra. The day after Casey Donovan's victory in the Idol final's, Telsta's website set up a link to caseydonovan.com presuming this to be her fansite. This website is actually the website for the male gay porn actor Casey Donovan who died of an AIDS related illness in 1986. Copies of his movies were available for purchase at the website. Telstra were quick to realise their mistake and redirected the link to caseydonovan.com.au.
According to Donovan's record label, BMG Australia, "For You" has sold 100,000 copies so far. Although 'For You' has a triple platinum sales figure, achieved on the ARIA chart for a sale of 210,000 or more units by records stores, the real sales figures to the general public were closer to 35,000 (in its first week). It is practice of record companies to have record stores overpurchase albums so that sales appear higher than they actually are and to improve the image of success such poorly received artists. [1]
Some publications and concerned groups also criticised Donovan when it was revealed that she was a heavy smoker, noting that she was a potentially influential public figure.
Discography
- For You (2004)