Anthony Callea: Behind The Voice

This post first appeared on Star Observer.

I seem to not be the only one that gets sucked in by a good memoir during the holiday season and this year is no exception as I devoured Behind The Voice, by Anthony Callea. Like any good memoir it’s full of interesting inside information and provides a great insight into his personal and professional life.

But this memoir serves much more than that for this powerhouse vocalist.

Anthony Callea Reveals All In Memoir

Anthony Callea is arguably one of the most powerful voices in the Australian entertainment industry and given his rise to fame via Australian Idol, he also been subject to some of the biggest bouts of tall poppy syndrome this country loves to dish out.

It’s been twenty years since Callea was launched into the public eye via the television juggernaut that was Australian Idol.

Since then he has produced a string of successful albums, toured the country, appeared on many television programs and performed with some of the biggest names in the world.

But as he addresses in this memoir, like many celebrities, whilst he is forever grateful for his fame and success he has been dogged by rumours and gossip from the very early days of his career til now.

The beautiful thing about Behind The Voice is that way that Callea seeks to not only tell his story, but also to assert himself against rumours and speculation of the past and affirm himself as a professional artist without arrogance or grandeur.

There’s a certain level of professionally worded “fuck you” to those who’ve sought to bring him down and humble admissions of his shortfalls and owning of mistakes he’s made along the way. He navigates the ups and downs of his career with good humour, honesty and a refreshing sense of self awareness.

Throughout the book, which if you pick up the audio version it is narrated by Callea himself, Anthony takes you on the journey through his childhood, reliving his youthful aspirations of being a professional singer and all the little “almost” moments that occurred in those days before Idol.

He recounts with candour the times before, during and after Idol, the stresses that were placed on him and just how absolutely wild the entire experience was.

Notably he recounts his journey coming to terms with his sexuality, long before the days of Idol through to his relationship that saw him publicly outed as gay live on radio and of course the story of his relationship with now husband Tim Campbell.

The layers to this story are complex and heartbreaking at times as he recalls the likes of Ian “Dicko” Dickson attempting to force discussion of his sexuality with the public. Conversely the voices of those around him in his years post Idol encouraging him to stay in the closet are equally as heartbreaking.

The most unspoken about content he reveals in Behind The Voice lie in those years post Idol where a young Anthony Callea was tasked with navigating his way through the professional music industry.

Callea uses this time to both reveal his experiences and assert himself, without ever entering into sledging matches. He carefully and deftly explains the tougher decisions he had to make as he reveals his sides to many stories about navigating his career and forging his own path.

As well as revealing the tougher side to show biz Callea reveals some of his most memorable moments in his career. He recalls the pure joy of working with the incredible Celine Dion to the heartbreaking tour he shared with the late Whitney Houston’s and the touching moments he shared with both women.

Especially interesting is the revelation of his quest for Eurovision. Callea explains his love for the singing contest and the path he followed that almost led him to the international stage to represent Australia, revealing he was poised to to appear before a last minute decision saw him swapped for Jessica Mauboy in 2018.

Behind The Voice is a fascinating insight into the life of one of Australia’s most talented singers and is worth a read find out just that little bit extra about the life of Anthony Callea.