Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Born in Australia on February, 4th, 1975, in the New South Wales town of Berkleyvale to an Italian father (from Pantelleria, an island in South Italy) and Australian mother, Natalie Imbruglia, the eldest four sisters, started dancing at the age of 2, and singing and acting at the age of 13. At the age of 16, after leaving stage school and turning down a record deal, she got her first break doing an advert for Japanese bubblegum. Then she auditioned for a two week guest appearance in the Australian Soap "Neighbours" as the character Beth. Here character proved so popular though, that she stayed for two years! This was not a particularly happy time for Natalie though, as she told Emma Forrest in her recent interview for Sky Magazine, she was "treated with a lot of disdain. I really had to prove myself".
After leaving Neighbours she disappeared from the public
eye for a while, mainly I'd suggest, so that she could make a
fresh entry into the music business with the minimum of reference
to her 'Neighbours' past. This she seems to have accomplished.
After signing with RCA she worked on her album in LA for six
months, later travelling around America to work with some of
industry's best - Mark Goldenburg (Eels), Phil Thornalley (The
Cure), Mark Plati (David Bowie), Dave Munday (Belinda Carslile),
Nigel Godrich (Radiohead) and Matt Bronleewe.
Through her work with Nigel Godrich and Phil Thornalley she developed her own unique style, twinged with aspects from some of her own musical favourites like Shawn Colvin and Joni Mitchell, and wrapped up in an amazingly powerful and expressive voice.
With her recent venture into the music industry it may seem to some that Natalie has left her acting career behind. Not so, according to a recent interview, she's just so busy with her music, and so determined to concentrate on it, that she's put her acting to one side for the moment, although she says that she would be willing to return to acting in the future, should the right part come along.
Natalie now lives alone in West Hampstead, and has just finished putting a band together ready for a tour in March '98. She prefers peace and quiet to the full-blown rock and roll lifestyle, and likes to stay at home to write letters to friends and family, rather than go to music biz parties.
