ANTHONY CALLEA

Anthony Callea (born 13 December 1982) is an Australian singer-songwriter and actor who rose to fame after being the runner-up in the 2004 season of Australian Idol. Callea’s first single “The Prayer” was the fastest-selling single by an Australian artist and held the No.1 spot on the ARIA Singles Chart for five weeks.

Callea was born in Melbourne, Australia and grew up in the inner-suburb of Footscray with his parents, brother and sister. He is of Maltese heritage. Callea began singing at an early age and was inspired by his father’s singing and playing of blues and jazz music. He auditioned for Australian Idol with the song “Angels” by Robbie Williams and went on to become the runner-up of the show.

Following his success on Idol, Callea won five ARIA Awards, two Songwriters Awards, and four TV Week Logie Awards. In 2004, his debut single “The Prayer” went to the top of the Australian music charts and was the most successful song of the year. His other successful singles include “Hurts So Bad”, “Per Sempre (For Ever)”, and “Live for Love”.

Callea released his debut album, Anthony Callea in November 2004, followed by A New Chapter and Backbone in 2006 and 2003 respectively, and Larger than Life in 2011. He has released six other studio albums and several live DVD recordings.

Callea is also a popular stage performer, appearing in some of Australia’s major musicals such as Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Shout!, and Cats. He has been performing an annual Christmas concert in Melbourne for needy and underprivileged children since 2007.

Along with headlining his own national tours, Anthony  Callea has toured with Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Westlife.

Anthomy Callea Backing Tracks – Hurts So Bad … Live For Love …The Prayer