Jessica Hilda Mauboy is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of Australian Idol, where she was runner-up and subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.
Who influenced Jessica Mauboy’s music?
Her other musical influences are John Farnham and Beyoncé. Mauboy is also inspired by fellow Indigenous Australian women such as Olympic gold medalist Cathy Freeman and actress Deborah Mailman.
Mauboy made her breakthrough when she appeared on the fourth season of Australian Idol, a reality television singing competition. The judges were impressed with her voice, particularly during her audition, in which she sang Whitney Houston’s ballad “I Have Nothing.”
She made it to the show’s finals, despite experiencing a sore throat during the competition. Mauboy finished as a runner-up, which surprised the many people who expected her to win. About a month after the show finished, she secured another recording contract with Sony BMG.
Then, in early 2007, Mauboy released The Journey, an album of her live Idol performances. It included a cover of Christina Aguilera’s ballad “Beautiful” and peaked at number four on the ARIA Charts.