Sia

Sia (Sia Furler) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has worked with bands Crisp and Zero 7, along with numerous celebrated artists. As a songwriter, she has written for artists like David Guetta, Rihanna, Flo Rida, and several otehrs. Her quirky personality landed her descriptors like "inscrutable," "enigmatic," and "grandly idiosyncratic."

Sia (Sia Kate Isobelle Furler) was born on 18 December 1975 in Adelaide, South Australia, to Phil Colson and Loene Furler. Her father was a musician in various Australian bands like Foreday Riders, Rum Jungle, Mount Lofty Rangers, Fat Time, and Jump Back Jack. Her mother is an art teacher, and also a singer, songwriter, and musician. Sia is related to UK-based actor-singer Kevin Colson, and Australian Christian rock musician Peter Furler.

She attended North Adelaide Primary School and Adelaide High School, from which she graduated in 1994.

Sia, growing up in a family of musicians, was very passionate about music; Aretha Franklin, Sting, and Stevie Wonder are among her early influences.

Sia's started her music career at the age of 17 as a singer in "Crisp," an Adelaide based acid-jazz band active in the 1990s. They released two albums - Word and the Deal in 1996 and Delirium in 1997. Crisp disbanded after their second album.

After Crisp, Sia released her debut studio album, OnlySee, in December 1997. OnlySee was released and marketed under her full name "Sia Furler."

She then moved to London where she performed as a background singer for Jamiroquai. She also landed a solo contract with DancePool, a sub-label of Sony. In early 2000, she released her first single "Taken for Granted." The song didn't do well on the charts, but it catapulted her music career and upped the demand for her singing talent.

Sia struck a deal with William Orbit and a downtempo group Zero 7. For Zero 7, she provided vocals on three albums, and toured with the group. While working with Zero 7, she also released two solo albums - Healing Is Difficult in 2001, and Color the Small One in 2004.

In 2005, Sia moved to New York City. Breathe me, a single from the album Color the Small One, peaked at No. 71 in the United Kingdom and was used as the background music in the final scene of the American television series Six Feet Under. The subsequent buzz made Sia famous in the United States, and she toured across the country.

Next, in 2007, she released the album Lady Croissant. The album included eight live songs and one studio recording.

In 2008, Sia released her fourth studio album, Some People Have Real Problems, which was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

In 2009-10, Sia wrote a few songs for Christina Aguilera, three of which became part of Aguilera's 2010 release, Bionic.

In 2010, Sia released her fifth studio album, We Are Born, which peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

In 2012, she released the greatest hits album "Best Of..." in Australia.

Her fame continued to soar, and at the same time, made her life difficult; her shy and withdrawn personality conflicted with her public persona. She became dependent to drugs and alcohol and came very close to attempting suicide. To cope with the stress and anxiety, she decided to focus on writing for others and to stay away from the spotlight.

From 2011 to 2013, she wrote for artists like Madonna, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Kylie Minogue, Flo Rida, and Rihanna. "Diamonds," a song she wrote for Rihanna, became a worldwide smash hit.

After a two-year hiatus from singing and recording, Sia released her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear, in 2014. The album debuted at No 1 in the US Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the RIAA. "Chandelier," a song from the album received nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Music Video at the 77th Annual Grammy Awards.

While in London, Sia dated Dan Pontifex. Pontifex died after being in a car accident in London; the event shattered Sia. Her 2001 album "Healing Is Difficult" dealt with Pontifex's death.

From 2008-11, she dated JD Samson.

In August 2014, Sia married Erik Anders Lang, a documentary filmmaker from California. They divorced in December 2016.

Sia, is a vegan, and has participated in an advertisement for PETA Asia-Pacific.

Her net worth, according to Celebrity New Worth, is $20 Million (December 2016.)

• OnlySee (1997)
• Healing Is Difficult (2001)
• Colour the Small One (2004)
• Some People Have Real Problems (2008)
• We Are Born (2010)
• 1000 Forms of Fear (2014)
• This Is Acting (2016)

I was pretty fucked up after Dan died. I couldn't really feel anything. I could intellectualize a lot of stuff; that I had a purpose, that I was loved, but I couldn't actually feel anything. -- on the death of her boyfriend.

I've always dated boys and girls and anything in between. I don't care what gender you are, it's about people. ... I've always been... well, flexible is the word I would use. -- on her sexuality.

I believe in a higher power and it's called 'Whatever Dude' and he's a queer, surfing Santa that's a bit like my grandpa, so yes. -- on being asked if she was religious.

I'm just completely obsessed with Die Antwoord.

I liked myself much more before I got famous. I was much friendlier and had more energy.

I love visual gags and gimmicks; I love them.

I think it would be very difficult to maintain one kind of art or whatever for your whole life. I think it's unrealistic.

I have social anxiety. It's easier up on stage because there's security in being there. When I'm off stage I'm trying not to be a manic freak.

I'm quite shy.

I don't really even go out that much now except to walk my dogs, because I don't want to be recognised.

A lot of people come up to me expecting to meet the person they have seen perform. It's not going to happen, unless my mania, my stage person, responds to them and not the real me.

I don't go to shows because I just want to listen to the music performed live. I want to get to know the person who's performing it. Or I want to, like, take away a sense that I had an experience that nobody else is going to have again, or a unique experience for that moment.

I hope I am a psychotherapist's dream. I've spent enough hours in therapy.

I'm sort of a gay man trapped in a woman's body when it comes to music sometimes - it's crowded in here!

I'm really visually stimulated more than anything. I don't really listen to music. I'm more into watching telly or watching movies and visual art.

When I was 10, my parents really valued success in the arts, and I thought if I was a famous 'something artistic,' that they would love me more.

I'll be the songwriter for pop stars and then they can be the front person and I don't have to be famous.

People call me for the ballads. Apparently that's where I've been pigeonholed. But it's really interesting and really fun. It's my favourite part of the job, writing.

When you're entertaining all day long and that's your work, you end up really very tired. You don't have a lot of energy left over for your loved ones.

Knowing now what goes into making a successful artist, it's disheartening.

I don't know anything about the history of music.

Like when I'm singing live I can't hear myself. I'm just listening to the rest of the band. To listen to my voice, it doesn't even feel like it's me.

There are probably five songs in the world that I get excited about when I hear them on the radio.

I don't need to be rich anymore; I don't need to be a millionaire.

I'm sensitive and get easily upset and insulted.

I love watching reality TV, but being part of making it was just demoralising.

I'm a fan of the Strokes, so my big fantasy was that one day I would get to sing with them.

I'm an advocate of "it's not what you are, it's who you are."

I was weirdly obsessed with music until I was 11, and then I turned into a nerd.

People aren't honest about the horrors of fame. The downsides are so overwhelming that, for me, there is no payoff.

I don't read reviews or interviews or anything, just because I'm afraid; If I believed the good, then I'd believe the bad, and there will be bad.

Fame made me develop a panic disorder.