Who is Anthony Callea?
Anthony Callea is an Australian singer from Melbourne who rose to fame on the second season of Australian Idol in 2004. His cover of The Prayer became one of the fastest-selling singles in Australian history.
Callea was born in 1982 and grew up in Melbourne in a family of Italian heritage. On Australian Idol, his performance of The Prayer, originally sung by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, earned a standing ovation from the judges.
He finished runner-up to Casey Donovan, but his debut single, The Prayer, went to number one and sold extremely well. His debut album also reached number one in 2005.
Later career
Callea had further hits such as Rain and Bring It On, and he has performed in musical theatre and concerts.
In 2007, he publicly came out as gay, and he later became an advocate for marriage equality, marrying his partner Tim Campbell in 2019 after the law changed.
He continues to perform with orchestras and in theatre productions, including touring concert shows of classic ballads. Callea has spoken about the pressures of reality television fame and the support of his family during his early career, and he remains a popular performer in Australia.
Did You Know?
Callea's version of The Prayer spent many weeks on the ARIA singles chart.