Shannon Noll 391793 225777521 2008-07-15T10:27:23Z SmackBot 433328 Date the maintenance tags or general fixes {{Infobox Musical artist |Name = Shannon Noll |Img = shannonnollmain.jpg|200px |Img_size = 200 |Background = solo_singer |Birth_name = |Born = {{birth date and age|1975|09|16}} |Died = |Origin = [[Orange, New South Wales|Orange]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]] |Instrument = |Genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], <br/>[[Rock music|Rock]] |Occupation = [[Singer-songwriter]] |Years_active = 2003&ndash;present |Label = [[Sony BMG Music Entertainment|Sony BMG]] <small>(2003&ndash;present)</small> |URL = [http://www.shannonnoll.com.au/ Official Website] }} {{POV-check|date=February 2008}} {{Refimprove|date=July 2008}} '''Shannon Noll''' (born [[16 September]] [[1975]]) is an [[Australia]]n [[singer-songwriter]]. Noll first came to prominence as runner-up of the first series of ''[[Australian Idol]]'' (2003) which led to him being signed to Sony BMG. Since Idol he has had more success than any other Idol contestant to date. He has gone on to release two number one, multi-platinum albums, ''[[That's What I'm Talking About]]'' and ''[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]'' and numerous top five singles including three number one debuts and an additional seven single releases reaching the top 10. Noll's style of music is pop-rock influenced by the likes of [[Bryan Adams]]. ==Early life== Noll grew up in the small town of [[Condobolin]] in central western [[New South Wales]]. He is the youngest of three children to parents Sharon and Neil Noll and along with brothers Damian and Adam, spent their entire childhood and teenage years on the family farm which ran sheep and cattle and grew cereal crops. At school, Noll enjoyed drama classes, performing in a number of school productions. For one of the plays Noll needed to grow a goatee which he has had ever since. Noll has since expressed a desire to continue his acting work. During his adult years, Noll began working on other farms and properties shearing sheep amongst other tasks. It was during this time Noll and his brothers formed the band called "Cypress" (named for the fact that they rehearsed in a timber mill). Shannon provided vocals and played guitar. In numerous small gigs around the [[Australia]]n outback, the band played in country pubs gaining a solid live reputation. Although they performed mainly covers, the group also wrote original music they would include as part of their set. Father Neil was tragically killed during a farming accident in 2001, which left running the farm to Shannon and his brothers. After two years of extreme drought the brothers sold the farm and settled in Condobolin with their mother. Shannon often cites the death of his father as a major inspiration in his musical career, and penned a song on his latest album [[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]] titled "[[Now I Run]]" in memory of his father. Noll and wife Rochelle Ogsten began their relationship in 1997. They have two sons Cody (2001) and Blake (2002). They wed in October 2004 and had a daughter, Sienna (2006). ==Australian Idol== By 2003, Noll was in debt and out of work following the sale of the farm. His brothers encouraged him to travel to Sydney to audition for the 2003 debut season of "[[Australian Idol]]". Noll impressed the judges [[Mark Holden]], [[Marcia Hines]], and [[Ian Dickson]] with his audition in which he performed the Southern Sons' ''Hold Me In Your Arms''. After his audition, [[Marcia Hines]] praised Shannon and told him that she had just discovered '' "a voice" '' and [[Ian Dickson]] informed Shannon that '' "...Australia will love you" '' Following his initial audition, Noll made his way into the Top 32 semi-final where he performed a rendition of Robbie Williams' hit "[[Better Man (Robbie Williams song)|Better Man]]". The viewing audience voted Noll into the Top 12. Over eight weeks of performance shows, Noll found himself in the bottom three only once – following his performance of [[Bon Jovi]]'s "[[Livin' On A Prayer]]" during The 80's theme night. Throughout the show, Noll impressed both the judges and audience with performances of songs as diverse as [[Powderfinger]]'s "Already Gone", to [[The Beatles]] "[[Hey Jude]]" to [[Jimmy Barnes]] "[[Working Class Man]]". During the 2003 ''Australian Idol'' series finals, Noll sang: # Top 40 Semi-final - "[[Better Man (Robbie Williams song)|Better Man]]" ([[Robbie Williams]]) # Top 12 The 1970s - "Help Is On Its Way" ([[Little River Band]]) # Top 10 #1 Hits - "[[What About Me]]" ([[Moving Pictures (band)|Moving Pictures]]) # Top 8 Australian Hits - "Already Gone" ([[Powderfinger]]) # Top 6 The 1980s - "[[Livin' on a Prayer]]" ([[Bon Jovi]]) # Up Close & Personal - "[[With or Without You]]" ([[U2]]) # Top 5 R&B/Soul - "[[Higher and Higher (song)|Higher and Higher]]" ([[Jackie Wilson]]) # Top 5 R&B/Soul - "[[When a Man Loves a Woman (song)|When A Man Loves A Woman]]" ([[Percy Sledge]]) # Top 4 Big Band - "[[I've Got You Under My Skin (song)|I've Got You Under My Skin"]] ([[Frank Sinatra]]) # Top 4 Big Band - "[[Theme from New York, New York|New York, New York]]" ([[Frank Sinatra]]) # Top 3 The 1960s - "One" ([[Harry Nilsson]]) # Top 3 The 1960s - "[[Hey Jude]]" ([[The Beatles]]) # Final 2 - "[[Please Forgive Me]]" ([[Bryan Adams]]) # Final 2 - "[[Working Class Man]]" ([[Jimmy Barnes]]) # Final 2 - "[[Angels Brought Me Here]]" (winners single) In the weeks leading up to the Grand Final of Idol, Noll recorded his version of the winner's single "[[Angels Brought Me Here]]" and filmed the music video for the song, which was to be released the week after the winner was announced. Copies of Noll's version of the song were released to radio stations in anticipation of his win, however Nolls' version of the song was subsequently never aired on radio and the music video was never released for television broadcast. In the week before the Grand Final, Noll and fellow finalist [[Guy Sebastian]] embarked on a whirlwind Australia-wide promotional tour. Tens of thousands of fans turned out in support, including 20,000 people in [[Adelaide]] and 15,000 in [[Melbourne]]. Noll reached the Grand Final on [[November 19]] [[2003]] alongside eventual winner [[Guy Sebastian]]. During the Grand Final show, Noll performed an encore performance of "[[What About Me]]", which helped cement the popularity of his version of the song and lead it to being chosen for release as his debut single. ===2003-2004: ''That's What I'm Talking About''=== [[Image:ShannonNollThatsWhatImTalkingAbout.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Noll's debut album ''[[That's What I'm Talking About]]'' (2004).]] Noll signed a multi-album deal with Sony BMG shortly after Australian Idol. It was announced in December 2004 that his debut single would be a cover of the [[Moving Pictures (band)|Moving Pictures]] hit "[[What About Me]]" performed on Idol. Recording of the single took place during November/December 2004 at Eargasm Studios in [[Sydney]] and tracks were chosen and recorded for inclusion on Noll's debut album around the same time. Shannon Noll's debut single "[[What About Me]]" was released on [[25 January]] [[2004]] and debuted at number one on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA singles chart]] the following week with sales exceeding 125,000 copies in its first week. At the time, these sales were the third highest one-week sales for a single in Australian chart history.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} The single earned Noll a nomination for Highest Selling Single at the 2004 [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]] Awards. Over its chart run, "[[What About Me]]" sold in excess of 300,000 copies and was certified 4x Platinum in March 2004. Noll joined the other Australian Idol Top 12 finalists in January and February of 2004 on an arena tour which played to crowds in every Australian capital city. It was during these concerts that Noll premiered his upcoming single "[[Drive (Shannon Noll song)|Drive]]". Following the success of "[[What About Me]]", Noll's full-length debut album ''[[That's What I'm Talking About]]'' was released on [[9 February]] [[2004]] in Australia by Sony BMG. Containing a mixture of pop, rock and country tracks recorded over six weeks between December 2003 and January 2004, the album debuted at number one and was certified [[Music recording sales certification|triple-platinum]] upon its release. By August 2004, the album was certified as a 5x Platinum seller and remained in the top 100 album charts for almost a year. "[[Drive (Shannon Noll song)|Drive]]", an uptempo rock track written by Canadian singer [[Bryan Adams]], was a successful second single from ''[[That's What I'm Talking About]]'' in March 2004. Noll undertook a large amount of promotion for the single including performances on television, including ''[[The NRL Footy Show]]'' and ''[[Sunrise (TV program)|Sunrise]]''. It reached the top five in Australia and was another [[Music recording sales certification|Platinum]] seller. Noll later performed "[[Drive (Shannon Noll song)|Drive]]" at the [[Logie Awards of 2004|2004 TV Week Logie Awards]] ceremony. ===Solo tour=== Noll undertook his first full scale solo tour in May 2004 playing 40 shows in 47 days. Noll later stated in an interview that performing that number of shows in such a small amount of time was something he would never do again.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} "[[Learn To Fly (Shannon Noll single)|Learn To Fly]]" was the third and final commercial release from [[That's What I'm Talking About]]. A limited edition release of 40,000 copies, the single was another success for Noll, debuting at the number one position on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA singles chart]] on [[July 12]] [[2004]]. A mistake with ARIA sales figures occurred when it was announced that fellow Australian Idol contestant [[Paulini Curuenavuli|Paulini]]'s debut single "[[Angel Eyes (Jeff healey song)|Angel Eyes]]" had in fact debuted at the top of the singles chart and not Noll. It was later found that a multiple purchase of [[Paulini Curuenavuli|Paulini]]'s single helped gain her the number one position and as such these sales were disqualified, leaving Noll with his second number one debut. Increased popularity during this period saw him star in his own one-hour TV special on the Ten Network, ''Up Close with Shannon Noll'', hosted by ''[[Australian Idol]]'' judge [[Ian Dickson|Ian "Dicko" Dickson]], screened on [[2 August]] [[2004]]. During the show, Noll spoke candidly about his past and touched on topics including his experiences with drugs and the death of his father. Noll also performed several songs during the special, including "[[Learn to Fly (Shannon Noll song)|Learn to Fly]]" which he dedicated to his father, and a duet with [[Australian Idol]] judge [[Marcia Hines]]. The special rated reasonably well, with over one million viewers tuning in. In October 2004, Noll achieved overseas success when his single "What About Me" reached number two in [[Ireland]]. High demand for the single meant the first shipment sold out within the first week. Also in October 2004, the [[Nine Network]] approached Noll to re-record the [[World Series Cricket]] song "[[C'mon Aussie C'mon]]" with updated lyrics with names of the current Australian cricket team, for release on [[19 December]] [[2004]]. The single peaked at number two on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA singles chart]], raising more than $A150,000 for children's charities. In December 2004 it was announced that Noll would star in the stage musical production of ''Grease'', which appeared in Australian [[theatres]] in May 2005, however, Noll opted out to concentrate on the recording of his second album release, ''[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]''. ===2005-2006: '' Lift ''=== [[Image:82876740522.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Noll's second album ''[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]'' (2005).]] In early 2005, Noll embarked on a songwriting trip in which he travelled to London, UK, and across America. It was reported early on in the process that Noll had met with hitmaking songwriters [[Desmond Child]], responsible for writing hit songs for [[Bon Jovi]] and [[Aerosmith]], and powerballad writer [[Dianne Warren]]. Noll later explained that whilst he appreciated the opportunity to work with big name international songwriters, he felt the material being written by local Australian songwriters was more connected to the type of album he wanted to create at the time and that they were the stronger songs. During his time in America in early 2005, Noll played a handful of small "showcase" style gigs both for Sony BMG executives and the general public. Following the trip, Noll returned to Australia to complete the writing and recording of ''[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]''. Noll was asked by Canadian artist [[Bryan Adams]] to support him on Adams' Australian tour throughout February and March of 2005. It was during these concerts that Noll premiered two songs he had written for his new album, ''[[Lonely (Shannon Noll song)|Lonely]]'' and the unreleased ''The Winner Takes It All''. On [[25 August]] [[2005]], the first single from his second album ''Lift'', entitled ''[[Shine (Shannon Noll song)|Shine]]'' was released to Australian radio. The track premiered simultaneously Australia wide and quickly became one of the most requested songs. The uptempo bouncing pop-rock track moved away from Noll's prior releases and it was commented that Noll's voice and vocal technique had improved since his last recording. ''Shine'' was released as the first single from the album ''Lift'' on [[23 September]] [[2005]], and debuted at number one on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA singles chart]] the following week. ''Shine'' was later nominated as Highest Selling Single at the 2005 [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]] Awards. A week after the release of ''Shine'', Noll's second album ''Lift'' was released on [[16 October]] [[2005]], and debuted at number one on the ARIA charts the following week. First week shipment and sales of ''Lift'' ensured the album a platinum certification. The album, with 11 out of 13 tracks co-written by Noll, contained some of Noll's most personal songs to date, ranging in topic from finding love to death, overcoming the odds and self belief. Highlight tracks were third and fourth singles ''[[Now I Run]]'' and ''Lonely''. Noll made a special guest appearance at the final of the 2005 season of Australian Idol, where he performed his new single ''Lift''. After the performance, Noll was presented a plaque in honour of sales exceeding one million units in Australia over the previous 18 months. The title track of Noll's second album, ''Lift'', was released in December 2005. The single was Noll's first not to debut in the top ten, however two weeks after its release, it jumped to number ten, remaining there for several weeks. The track, an uplifting rock influenced song about overcoming the odds and fighting adversity, achieved a gold certification. ''Lift'' spent 35 weeks in the top 100 singles chart, the longest running chart single for an Australian Idol related release. ''Lift'' is the theme song of the Australian version of ''[[The Biggest Loser (Australia)|The Biggest Loser]]''. In January 2006, Noll performed the song ''Shine'' at the 2006 [[Australian Open]] tennis final. The performance sparked renewed interest in the ''Lift'' album which returned to the top ten. It was reported that men's finalist [[Roger Federer]] commented that the song was "inspirational"{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. In support of the album's third single release, ''Now I Run'', Noll embarked on a 72-date concert tour across Australia including a gig during the annual [[Gympie]] Muster. Once again he focused on some of the more remote and isolated country and rural areas during this tour, one of the few Australian touring acts to do so, and at completion of the tour had played to more than 200,000 people. In 2006, Noll was courted for a role in an Australian movie based loosely on the life of now-deceased Australian racing legend [[Peter Brock]], but he declined, preferring to focus on his music. Noll released a further two singles from ''Lift'', ''Now I Run'' and ''Lonely''. Both singles were top 10 hits, increasing his run of top 10 successes to eight. With the release of ''Lonely'', Noll rewrote Australian chart history by having so far achieved nine consecutive top 10 singles (10 including his contribution to the #1 hit ''Rise Up'' with the Australian Idol Final 12, 2003). To the end of 2006, Noll has been the only former Australian Idol contestant to have ever been nominated for a music industry-voted award by ARIA. [[as of 2007|As of]] January 2007, the ''Lift'' album remains in the Top 100 ARIA album chart after 64 weeks. It has now charted over a three year period from 2005&ndash;2007. In September 2006, Noll decided not to continue with his managers since his first album, Sydney firm Caplice Management, and signed with Worldwide Entertainment Group. The decision was seen as a positive move in Noll's desire to gain success in America. Worldwise Entertainment Group's press release stated that Noll is a "high priority artist" for them and that an extensive promotional and songwriting trip was organised for America in early 2007. Noll was chosen as support act for American rock group [[Live (band)|Live]] in October 2006, playing each capital city across Australia. Including the tour with Live, Noll has now performed in excess of 300 concerts in the last two and a half years. On [[9 December]] [[2006]], Noll released a duet with [[Rogue Traders]] singer [[Natalie Bassingthwaithe]]. It is a cover of the [[Peter Gabriel]] and [[Kate Bush]] hit ''[[Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song)|Don't Give Up]]''. The single was yet another success for Noll, peaking at number two on the ARIA singles charts and being certified Platinum with 12 consecutive weeks in the top 10. Proceeds from the single went to the charity "Beyond Blue", which deals with depression. With the debut of ''Don't Give Up'', Noll set a new Australian record with being the only Australian male singer to achieve 10 successive top 10 singles (not including his contribution to ensemble release ''Rise Up'') ===2007: ''Turn It Up''=== Noll spent several months in early 2007 travelling to America to write songs for his upcoming third album. During Noll's "Now I Run" tour in mid 2006, he premiered a new composition entitled "The World Outside" which may find a place on his next album. It was reported that Noll would be spending time in Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles collaborating with US writers Jon Ingoldsby, [[Desmond Child]], [[Richie Sambora]], and [[Richard Marx]] on tracks for possible inclusion on his third album, which has been slated for release in September 2007. [[28 February]] brought nomination for the third consecutive time as "Best Male Artist" at the Australian Video Music Awards (AVMAs), an award he won for the previous two years. Noll performed his hit singles "Shine" and "Don't Give Up" at the opening ceremony of the FINA World Swimming Championships, in Melbourne, Victoria. Noll was the lead act at a a large-scale annual public function held on the Queensland Gold Coast. Noll appeared as Parson Nathaniel in the live stage performance of [[Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds]], which toured successfully in the UK and throughout Europe. The first single from Noll's third album ''[[Turn It Up (album)|Turn It Up]]'' was a track called "[[Loud (Shannon Noll song)|Loud]]". A one-minute teaser of the track premiered on the website for [[the Daily Telegraph]]. The single included the previously unreleased track "The World Outside". ''Turn It Up'' was released on [[September 15]], [[2007]]. On [[September 21]], it was confirmed by Noll that his second single from ''Turn It Up'' will be "[[In Pieces (Shannon Noll song)|In Pieces]]". Shannon states, "this song is such a strong ballad and has a personal message for me. I think many people will be able to relate to the message in it."{{Citequote|date=March 2008}} Release dates in November are expected. Noll performed as part of the [[National_Rugby_League_season_2007#Grand_Final|National Rugby League season 2007 Grand Final]]'s pre-match entertainment. He was awarded Best Male in the Australian Nickelodean Kid's Choice Awards. And the album ''[[Turn It Up (album)|Turn It Up]]'' received Gold sales status. ===2008=== In January 2008, Noll stated on radio show ''Take 40'' that the third single from the album would be "[[Everybody Needs a Little Help (song)|Everybody Needs a Little Help]]". Promoted on television, it would be released to radio in 2008. ==Controversies== In 2006, Noll challenged comedian [[Wil Anderson]] to a charity boxing match after Anderson made jokes about Shannon's late father Neil Noll at the [[Melbourne International Comedy Festival]]. Although $A50,000 had been pledged to charity if the match went ahead, Anderson refused, prompting Noll to jibe: "Reach down in your trousers and see if there's a bit of manhood there. If you're lucky enough to find it, then stand up and be counted", to which Anderson replied: "The last thing this country (Australia) needs is a singing version of [[Anthony Mundine]]." Anderson eventually donated $A2,000 to a charity of Noll's choice, a sum of money which was matched and also donated by Noll. In 2008, Shannon and Wil finally sorted things out during a radio interview on [[Triple M]]. In 2008 Noll issued an apology to fans over a drunken performance at "CMC Rocks The Snowy" festival at the Thredbo ski resort, saying “There is nothing more important to me than performing live, and I have always prided myself on giving 100 per cent to my fans.” ==Discography== {{dablink|Main article: [[Shannon Noll discography]]}} ===Albums=== *2004: ''[[That's What I'm Talking About]]'' *2005: ''[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]'' *2007: ''[[Turn It Up (album)|Turn It Up]]'' ===Top five singles=== {{dablink|The following singles reached Top 5 in [[Australia]] and/or [[Ireland]].}} {| class="wikitable" !align="center" valign="center" width="auto"|Year !align="left" valign="center"|Song<ref name="Peak Positions">{{cite web|title=Music Square - Peak Positions|url=http://www.musicsquare.net/charts/performer/shannon_noll|accessmonthday=September 10 |accessyear=2006}}</ref> !align="center" valign="center" width="50"|<small>[[ARIA Charts|AUS]]</small> !align="center" valign="center" width="50"|<small>[[Irish Singles Chart|IRE]]</small> |- |align="center" valign="center" rowspan=3|2004 |align="left" valign="top"|"[[What About Me]]" |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|2 |- |align="left" valign="top"|"[[Learn to Fly (A1 song)|Learn to Fly]]" |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="left" valign="top"|"[[C'mon Aussie C'mon#Shannon Noll version|C'mon Aussie C'mon]]" |align="center" valign="top"|2 |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="center"|2005 |align="left" valign="top"|"[[Shine (Shannon Noll song)|Shine]]" |align="center" valign="top"|1 |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="center"|2006 |align="left" valign="top"|"[[Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song)|Don't Give Up]]"<br><small>(with [[Natalie Bassingthwaighte]])</small> |align="center" valign="center"|2 |align="center" valign="top"|- |- |align="center" valign="top"|2007 |align="left" valign="top"|"[[Loud (Shannon Noll song)|Loud]]" |align="center" valign="top"|3 |align="center" valign="top"|- |} ==Awards and nominations== [[ARIA Music Awards]] *2004: Nominated - Highest Selling Single - "[[What About Me]]" *2004: Nominated - Highest Selling Album - "[[That's What I'm Talking About]]" *2006: Nominated - Highest Selling Single - "[[Shine (Shannon Noll song)|Shine]]" *2006: Nominated - Best Pop Release - "[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]" [[ARIA No.1 Chart Awards|ARIA #1 Chart Awards]] *2004: '''Won''' - #1 Album - "[[That's What I'm Talking About]]" *2004: '''Won''' - #1 Single - "[[What About Me]]" *2004: '''Won''' - #1 Single - "[[Learn To Fly (Shannon Noll single)|Learn To Fly]]" *2005: '''Won''' - #1 Album - "[[Lift (Shannon Noll album)|Lift]]" *2005: '''Won''' - #1 Single - "[[Shine (Shannon Noll song)|Shine]]" MTV Australian Video Music Awards (AVMAs) *2005: '''Won''' - Best Male Artist *2005: Nominated - Video of the Year - "[[Drive (Shannon Noll song)|Drive]]" *2006: '''Won''' - Best Male Artist *2005: Nominated - People's Choice - "[[Shine (Shannon Noll song)|Shine]]" *2007: '''Won''' - Best Male Artist APRA Awards *2007: '''Won''' - Most Played Australian Work - "[[Lift (Shannon Noll song)|Lift]]" [[Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards]] *2004: '''Won''' - Favourite Australian *2004: '''Won''' - Favourite Song - "[[Drive (Shannon Noll song)|Drive]]" *2007: '''Won''' - Best Male Artist ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.shannonnoll.com.au/ Official Website] *[http://forums.shannonnoll.com.au/ Official Forum] *[http://www.myspace.com/shannonnoll Official Myspace] *[http://www.thenollzone.com/ thenollzone - Fan site] {{Shannon Noll}} {{Australian Idol}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Noll, Shannon}} [[Category:1975 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian country singers]] [[Category:Australian Idol participants]] [[Category:Australian male singers]] [[Category:Australian musicians]] [[Category:Australian pop singers]] [[Category:Australian television actors]] [[Category:People from New South Wales]]