Kylie Minogue: the best photos and amazing factoids

The Australian pop icon is on fire with the release of her new studio album 'Tension'. As Minogue told Hello! magazine: "It’s been a wild ride, the past 12 months, I’m so grateful for the opportunities that have come my way."

In her mid-50s, Kylie Minogue is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold 80 million records worldwide. Let's see if you know these Kylie tidbits while enjoying the best photos of the star!

The name 'Kylie' comes from the language of the Noongar Aboriginals in southwestern Australia. In the native tongue of the Noongar people, 'Kiley' means "a curved returning stick, a boomerang."

While Kylie always loved music, her career as a pop singer began by accident! At a benefit concert in 1987, she performed with fellow actor John Waters from the show 'Neighbours'. First, they did a cover of 'I Got You Babe', and then she performed a version of the sixties hit 'The Loco-Motion.' After hearing a demo of the song, retitled 'Locomotion,' the head of Mushroom Records (the late Michael Gudinski) signed a record deal with Kylie.

Kylie Minogue has her very own commemorative stamp! In 2013 a stamp was released that featured Kylie as a part of the 'Australian Living Legends' series. The collection also included Olivia Newton-John, AC/DC, and Men at Work. Only true superstars have their own stamp!!

Image: Ebay

Kylie was the biggest pop star in Australia in the 80s. Her massive hit, 'The Locomotion,' which was famous worldwide, earned her the number one spot on the Australian charts for a record-breaking seven weeks in a row! 'The Locomotion' was also the best-selling song in Australia during the 1980s.

In 2000 Kylie recorded the massive hit song 'Spinning Around'; however, the song wasn't originally written for her. Paula Abdul co-wrote the song and planned on using it to launch her own comeback! Luckily for Kylie, Paula Abdul's plan fell through, and the song was given to her.

Image: Spinning Around album cover, Mushroom/Parlophone/2000 via Wikimedia

The late Michael Hutchence and Kylie Minogue dated for 18 years, and an off-handed comment by Kylie inspired Michael to write 'S-ide Blonde.' Kylie had dyed her hair blonde for a role and told her boyfriend she was going 's-u-ide blonde' when he asked about the colour. The phrase inspired Michael to write the song, which made the top ten lists in multiple countries.

Pictured: Michael Hutchence and Kylie in Paris in 1992.

In 2007 Kylie scored a role playing Astrid Peth on a Christmas special for 'Doctor Who.' Kylie has always been a fan of the series and was thrilled to appear on it. Kylie's episode was called 'Voyage of the Dammed.'

Photo: Screenshot 'Dr. Who,' BBC1

When Kylie was ten years old, she tagged along to an audition with her younger sister Dannii. It was a casting or a minor role in the Australian soap opera 'The Sullivans.' The producers thought that Dannii was too young to play the part and instead gave the role to Kylie.
Pictured: Kylie on the show in 1979.

Photo: Screenshot of 'The Sullivans', YouTube

'I Should Be So Lucky' topped charts worldwide and is one of the catchiest songs from the 80s. It must have taken hours, days even of work to come up with this masterpiece, right? Funnily no! The song was written very quickly, in just 40 minutes. The UK music songwriters and producers trio Stock Aitken Waterman had forgotten that Kylie Minogue was coming for material and hadn't prepared a thing. So the trio kept her waiting and quickly came up with 'I Should Be So Lucky.'

Image: I Should Be So Lucky (Special U.K. Remix) cover, Mushroom, 1988

Kylie Minogue has become such a mega superstar that only the Queen of England has more waxworks at Madame Tussauds than Kylie does. The museum has honoured the singer with four different representations of her throughout her career!

Most Kylie Minogue fans know that the star is a b r e a s t cancer survivor. After she was diagnosed at age 36, the media coverage of the singer's health issues caused an increase in mammogram appointments by 40% in Australia alone. Since recovering, Kylie has continued to advocate for cancer awareness with various charities and organizations.

Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, Essex honoured the pop star with an honorary doctorate in 2011. The university awarded Minogue a doctorate in Health Sciences in appreciation of the work she does to promote b r e a s t cancer awareness.

In 2001 a musical inspired by Kylie's best songs premiered in Melbourne. The show was titled, 'I Should Be So Lucky,' and ironically didn't have much luck. The musical lasted just a few weeks and had to close due to lack of popularity.

Kylie's mother, Carol Minogue, was a professional ballerina for many years, so it's no surprise that Kylie has got so many great moves! Kylie also has two siblings; brother Brendan works as a news cameraman in Australia, and Kylie's younger sister Dannii is a successful singer, actress, and television show host.
Pictured: Kylie, Dannii and their mother.

(Photo: Instagram: kylieminogue)

Kylie Minogue's mother had very humble beginnings. Kylie's mother, born Carol Jones, emigrated to Australia from South Wales when she was 12 years old on a £10 boat ticket.

Pictured: Kylie with her mother and father in 2008.

As a child, Kylie used to dress up and spend hours singing and dancing to ABBA records. Little did she know that one day she would get to sing 'Dancing Queen' live to a global audience as she did at the Sydney 2000 Olympics closing ceremony.

Photo: Instagram: kylieminogue

We all know that Kylie Minogue is talented, but maybe (sorry Kylie) we don't always put her as high up on the "massively successful list" as the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, ABBA, or Elton John. Well, we need to stop that! Many don't realize that the first 13 singles Kylie produced went straight to the top ten in the UK. Something those other amazing artists weren't able to do!

Many fans may not realize that apart from singing in her own albums, Kylie Minogue has provided the guest vocals for some pretty talented bands and artists: The Pet Shop Boys, Coldplay, Just Jack, Towa Tei (formerly of Deee-lite), Hurts, Taio Cruz, and her little sister Dannii.

In Baz Luhrmann's film 'Moulin Rouge!' Kylie snagged the role of 'The Green Fairy.' The part was originally going to an animated muscle-man with a sitar with the voice of Ozzy Osbourne. In the end, the producers decided to go with Kylie instead. Good choice!

Photo: Screenshot 'Moulin Rouge!', 20th Century Fox

In 2008 then-Prince Charles awarded Kylie with an OBE at Buckingham Palace for her services to music. Minogue also received the highest cultural honour from France when she was awarded the 'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres the same year.

Kylie Minogue has had a very successful career and certainly has earned her nickname of "Princess of Pop." She has influenced many younger pop stars and will most likely continue to be a strong musical influencer for many years to come!