Gabriella Cilmi

Cilmi covered the Connie Francis song "Warm This Winter", originally a minor hit for Francis in 1962 as "I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter", for Co-operative's Christmas 2008 advertising campaign; released as a single, it reached number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart.

Gabriella Lucia Cilmi (born 10 October 1991) is an Australian pop singer and songwriter.

A contralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice.

In 2004, Cilmi captured the attention of Warner Music executive Michael Parisi while giving an impromptu rendition of The Rolling Stones' song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" at the Lygon Street Festa, a community festival in Melbourne.

At the age of 13, Cilmi travelled to the US and UK with Adrian Hannan and was offered four major US deals.

She eventually signed a contract with Island Records UK.

The tracks "Don't Tell Me" and "Sorry", co-written with Barbara and Adrian Hannan, appeared on the soundtrack of 2005 Australian film Hating Alison Ashley.

Cilmi shared a manager (Cassandra Gracey), writer/producers (Xenomania) and UK record label (Island) with the Sugababes, and supported former Sugababe Mutya Buena at the Jazz Cafe in London in 2007.

She made her UK TV debut in December 2007 when she sang her single "Sweet About Me" on Later... with Jools Holland.

The same month, Cilmi's song "Sanctuary" featured in the film St Trinian's and on its soundtrack.

Her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned, was released in March 2008, becoming a moderate international success.

Cilmi won six ARIA Music Awards, including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist, in 2008.

She recorded the theme to UK TV series Echo Beach, which aired in early 2008 on ITV1; it is a cover of "Echo Beach" by Martha and the Muffins.

In February 2008, she supported the Parisian band Nouvelle Vague on their UK tour.

Cilmi's first album, Lessons to Be Learned, was written and recorded with hit production team Xenomania and was released in March 2008 in the UK.

Cilmi has been compared to Amy Winehouse.

The first single, "Sweet About Me", debuted on the UK Singles Chart that month and climbed to number six three months later, in June.

It reached number seventeen on the Irish Singles Chart, and peaked at number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.

The song was used in a worldwide advertising campaign for the deodorant Sure/Rexona.

Cilmi's second UK single, "Save the Lies", was not as successful as "Sweet About Me", peaking at number thirty-three in the UK.

In Australia, the second single from the album was "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now", which reached number twenty-eight.

The subsequent single, "Sanctuary", was issued in November 2008 and failed to chart.

From March to May 2008, Cilmi supported the Sugababes on their UK Change Tour.

She opened for James Blunt on his June 2008 Australian tour, and participated in the October 2008 MTV Greece concert alongside R.E.M. and Kaiser Chiefs.

Also in 2008, Cilmi won six ARIA Music Awards in Australia, taking Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist – Single ("Sweet About Me"), Breakthrough Artist – Album (Lessons to Be Learned), Best Pop Release (Lessons to Be Learned), Highest Selling Single ("Sweet About Me"), and Single of the Year ("Sweet About Me").

In January 2009, Cilmi was nominated in the International Female category at the BRIT Awards and sang in the Rod Laver Arena before the 2009 Australian Open men's final.

Cilmi performed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2009 for Sound Relief, a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian bushfire crisis.

The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Her second studio album, Ten, was released in March 2010.

Her third studio album, The Sting, was released in November 2013.

In November 2019, Cilmi released a six-track EP, The Water, which she called a taste of a yet-to-be-released studio album.

Cilmi holds dual Australian-Italian citizenship.

Gabriella Cilmi was born in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong to parents of Italian and Italo-Albanian descent.

She attended Sacred Heart Girls' College in Oakleigh.

She moved to London with her family when she was fifteen, where she currently lives with her parents Paula and Joe (whose origins are in Calabria and Sicily, Italy) and her brother Joseph.

At an early age, Cilmi developed an interest in a wide range of blues and rock music acts, including Nina Simone, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Sweet, T. Rex and Cat Stevens.

She has also cited Suzi Quatro as a particular influence.

Despite her natural aptitude and vocal talent, Cilmi was told that she lacked the discipline necessary to pursue a singing career.

Idolising Janis Joplin, during this time she sang with a band (Foucault) covering songs by Led Zeppelin, Jet, Silverchair and others.

Cilmi recorded original songs with writer/producers Barbara and Adrian Hannan of The SongStore.