K is for Kylie

Kylie Minogue. Photo / Supplied by Maria Robinson

In celebration of Kylie's first show in New Zealand Joanna Hunkin looks back on the career of the Aussie pop princess - from Ramsay St to Buckingham Palace - to present the definitive A-Z of Kylie Minogue

A

IS FOR AUSTRALIA

the birthplace of Kylie Ann Minogue. Born in Melbourne's Bethlehem Hospital on May 28, 1968, to Ron and Carol Minogue, Kylie may have left the lucky country for her "adopted home" in Britain but she remains a proud Aussie, regularly pulling out the Australian flag at her concerts.

B

IS FOR BRIT AWARDS

which Kylie has just been announced to host next February. The pint-sized starlet has three of her own statues hidden away, including two for Best International Female (2002, 2008) and one for Best International Album (Fever, 2002).

C

IS FOR CHARLENE

the fresh-faced mechanic on

Neighbours

that made Kylie a household name. Originally signed to a 12-week contract in 1986, Kylie proved so popular she became a permanent addition to the cast. Two years later she bid adieu to the soap, to pursue her burgeoning recording career.

D

IS FOR DANNI

Kylie's not-quite-as-famous younger sister who, some argue, is actually more talented than her big sis. Fellow Aussie pop-star Peter Andre once claimed Danni was the sexier of the two sisters.

E

IS FOR EAU DE KYLIE

the unofficial handle given to Minogue's ever-expanding range of perfumes. The star released her first perfume Darling in November 2006 and has since added another three - Showtime, Sweet Darling and Sexy Darling - to the collection.

F

IS FOR FORTY

the milestone age Kylie turned this year. Much was made of the still-single singer entering her fifth decade, but Kylie herself remained rather nonplussed about the occasion. In one interview she said: "I'm not scared of turning 40. I think it's going to be quite liberating."

G

IS FOR GAY ICON

which Kylie has become through her music, petite stature and penchant for elaborate, sequinned costumes. Kylie claims never to have targeted "the pink pound" and says the gay community adopted her.

H

IS FOR HOT PANTS

which helped relaunch Minogue's pop career in 2000 in the video

Spinning Around

. Featuring the singer in a pair of minuscule, gold lame hotpants (which cost 50p from an Oxfam charity shop), the video became an instant hit and today, hotpants remain a symbol of Minogue - and her much-coveted derriere.

I

IS FOR I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY

a song that continues to be one of Kylie's most popular, 20 years after she first released it. Rumour has it, it's on the set list for her Auckland concert, which will be the first time Kiwi fans will have heard the hit performed live on New Zealand soil.

J

IS FOR JASON DONOVAN

Kylie's first love - both on and off screen. Millions of viewers tuned in to watch Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson tie the knot on

Neighbours

, hoping real life might imitate art. But the couple split when Kylie began seeing INXS singer Michael Hutchence. Though the couple began dating during their time on the soap, they first met several years earlier on a series called Skyways, where they played brother and sister.

K

IS FOR KYLIE

the one-word moniker, which the world has come to call the diminutive singer. Much like Madonna and Prince, Kylie's star has risen so high, last names are no longer necessary. A million girls may share her name, but there is only one Kylie.

L

IS FOR LOCOMOTION

the song that started it all. Kylie first performed the Little Eva track at a football club charity gala and received such rapturous applause, it was suggested she release a single. The song went straight to number one in Australia and became the highest-selling single of the decade.

M

IS FOR MOVIES

of which Kylie has starred in a few, though she'd rather forget most of them. Cringe-worthy highlights include

Bio-dome

with Pauly Shore and

Streetfighter: The Movie

with Jean-Claude Van Damme which, Kylie later admitted, was a big mistake.

N

IS FOR NICK CAVE

the swaggering Ocker rocker who cast Kylie in a new light in 1995, when they recorded the haunting murder ballad

Where the Wild Roses Grow

together. Cave also encouraged Kylie to recite

I Should Be So Lucky

in poetry form at the Royal Albert Hall. Kylie credits Cave with lifting her spirits after her split from Michael Hutchence.

O

IS FOR OBE

the Queen's honour was awarded to Minogue earlier this year for her services to music.

P

IS PERM

the atrocious hair crime forever associated with Minogue, since she first paraded a mass bouffant piled on top of a black headpiece on the cover of her debut album,

Kylie

.

Q

IS FOR THE Q AWARDS

where former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown famously slammed the decision to give Kylie the Q Idol Award last year. Brown lashed out, saying: "I don't think she's cute. I don't think she's good looking. Her music's rubbish - she makes music for little kids. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm putting her down, but there's a lot of great minds out there making music and she's not one of them." Ouch.

R

IS FOR RECORDS

of which Minogue holds many. When her debut album topped the British charts in 1988, she became the youngest female ever to reach the position and the first Australian to score a British number one. She is also the youngest star ever to win a Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress, which she claimed in 1987 for her role on

Neighbours

.

S

IS FOR STOCK, AITKEN AND WATERMAN

the British producers who first signed Kylie in 1987. On the back of her Australian success with

Locomotion

, Minogue flew to London to visit the songwriters, who had forgotten about the meeting. Legend has it they wrote I Should Be So Lucky while Minogue waited outside.

T

IS FOR THE SINGING BUDGIE

the less-than-flattering nickname created by Kylie's detractors in the late 80s, referring to her petite size and high-pitched voice.

U

IS FOR UNDIES

which Kylie began designing in 2001, under the name Love Kylie. Delicate and frilly, the range was an instant hit and, worn by Kristin Davis, featured in a

Sex in the City

romp.

V

IS FOR VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED

the 2007

Dr Who

Christmas special, which saw Kylie come on board as the intergalactic waitress Astrid Perth. The episode drew more than 13.31 million viewers in Britain when it aired last year, making it the second-most-watched programme of the year.

W

IS FOR WAX

which is regularly sculpted to reflect Miss Minogue's likeness. In January 2007 Madame Tussaud's unveiled their fourth model of the starlet, making her the most-waxed person in the world after Queen Elizabeth II.

X

IS FOR X

Kylie's tenth studio album and "comeback" record after her battle with breast cancer. The album met with mixed reception and Kylie later acknowledged it wasn't her best work. "In retrospect, we could definitely have bettered it, I'll say that straight up. Given the time we had, it is what it is."

Y

IS FOR YOUNG TALENT TIME

the children's variety show, similar to the

Mickey Mouse Club

, on which Kylie made her public singing debut in 1983, aged 15. Her sister Danni was a core cast member and star of the series, though Kylie soon outshone her sister, joining the cast of

Neighbours

three years later.

Z

IS FOR ZENITH

which Kylie reached in 2001 with the release of

Fever

. Arguably her best album, complete with the indelible

Can't Get You Out of my Head

, the record marked a new era, reinvigorating her career and cementing her status as a bona fide pop princess.

LOWDOWN

Who:

Kylie Minogue

Born:

May 28, 1968 in Melbourne, Australia

What:

Plays Vector Arena, Monday December 8 [sold out] and Tuesday, December 9; A TV special The Kylie Show screens on Prime, 9.30pm Friday December 5.

Tour trivia:

Separated into eight themed sections, with costumes designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, the tour cost more than $24 million and is the biggest event ever staged at Vector Arena.