Emily Williams (born 8 October 1984) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in 2005 on the third season of ''

Australian Idol ''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program ''Pop Idol' ...

'' and became the runner-up of the competition. After ''Idol'', Williams signed with

Sony BMG Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. SMEA also formerly published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of Sony ...

and enjoyed commercial success as a member of the Australian girl group

Young Divas Young Divas was an Australian pop girl group formed in 2006 by Sony BMG Australia, initially for a one-off single and national tour to promote all members as solo artists. The original line-up consisted of former ''Australian Idol'' contestan ...

. The group released two top-ten albums, ''

'' (2006) and '' New Attitude'' (2007), and achieved three top-fifteen singles, including the hugely successful "

This Time I Know It's for Real "This Time I Know It's for Real" is a song by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer, released on February 13, 1989, as the first single from her 14th studio album, ''Another Place and Time'' (1989), by Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records. ...

". After the Young Divas disbanded in 2008 and Williams' contract with Sony BMG ended, she began releasing her solo music independently. Williams' debut solo single "Spellbound" was released in 2010, followed by the release of her debut solo album ''Uncovered'' in 2012.

Early life

Emily Williams was born on 8 October 1984 in

South Auckland South Auckland is an imprecisely defined urban area of Auckland, New Zealand, with a young population, a relatively large Polynesian and Māori demographic, and lower incomes than other parts of Auckland. The name ''South Auckland'', though not ...

, New Zealand, to a Samoan family. Williams' has an older sister –

Lavina Williams Lavina Rose Williams (born 13 June 1979) is a New Zealand musical artist and musical theatre performer. Williams began her career as a member of the 1990s the girl group Ma-V-Elle. The group had multiple songs in the New Zealand music charts, inc ...

, who was a contestant on ''

'' in 2006 and also a younger brother – J.Williams, a singer/dancer in New Zealand. During Willams' early years, her father was very strict when it came to devoting yourself to religion and music. Before appearing on ''Idol'', she worked as a forklift operator from

Inala, Queensland Inala is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Inala had a population of 14,849 people. Geography Inala is by road south-west of the Brisbane GPO. Inala Avenue/Poinsettia Street is the main roadway east–west and S ...

Career

2005: ''Australian Idol''

Williams auditioned for the third season of ''

'' in 2005. During the season, she scored three touchdowns from judge

Mark Holden Mark Ronald Holden (born 27 April 1954) is an Australian singer, actor, TV personality, record producer, songwriter, and barrister. He was a pop star in the 1970s and had four top 20 hit singles, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (May 1976 ...

. On 15 November 2005, betting agency

Centrebet CENTREBET was an Australian bookmaker licensed in the Northern Territory. CENTREBET originated from Alice Springs, Northern Territory and was the first bookmaker to be licensed in Australia in 1993 and the first bookmaker to go online in the ...

announced their final-week prediction that Williams would win the competition, with her odds at $1.36 and

Kate DeAraugo Katherine Jenna DeAraugo (born 5 November 1985) is an Australian singer-songwriter who in 2005 was the third winner of '' Australian Idol''. After ''Idol'', DeAraugo signed to Sony BMG and released her debut single, "Maybe Tonight", in November ...

at $3.00. However, on 21 November 2005, it was announced that the winner was DeAraugo.

2006–08: Young Divas

In January 2006,

announced that William's had signed a recording contract with their label, and that she would release her debut album later that year. She re-located to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

to begin writing and co-writing tracks with both local and international songwriters. However, Williams' album was never released. In early 2006, Williams was asked by her record label to be part of a

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

concept, with previous ''Australian Idol'' contestants

Paulini Pauline Curuenavuli (born 15 October 1982), known professionally as Paulini, is a Fijian-Australian singer and songwriter. Born in Suva, Paulini moved to Sydney with her family at the age of four. She rose to fame in 2003 as a contestant on the ...

Ricki-Lee Coulter Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter (born 10 November 1985), also known mononymously as Ricki-Lee, is a New Zealand-born Australian singer, songwriter, television, and radio presenter. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the Gold Coast, Que ...

and Kate DeAraugo, for a 17-date national tour to promote all four singers as solo artists. Alongside the national tour, they released a cover of the

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

classic "

This Time I Know It's For Real "This Time I Know It's for Real" is a song by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer, released on February 13, 1989, as the first single from her 14th studio album, ''Another Place and Time'' (1989), by Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records. ...

" in May 2006, under the name

. The song peaked at number two on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

and was certified platinum by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA) for shipments of 70,000 units. A second single followed in November 2006—a cover of

Lonnie Gordon Lonnie Gordon (born November 8, 1965, Philadelphia) is an American female dance, pop and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and songwriter. She scored several record chart, chart hit record, hits during the 1990s, most notably for her 1990 United King ...

's disco classic "

Happenin' All Over Again "Happenin' All Over Again" is a song written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman for American singer Lonnie Gordon's first album, '' If I Have to Stand Alone'' (1990). It was released as the album's second single on January 15, 1990, and reac ...

". It peaked at number nine and was certified gold for shipments of 35,000 units. Following on from the success of their singles and tour, the Young Divas released their self-titled debut album, featuring remakes of disco classics, on 14 November 2006. The album debuted at number four on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

and was certified double platinum for shipments of 140,000 units. A cover of

Hazell Dean Hazell Dean ( Poole; born 27 October 1952) is an English dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top-ten hits in the United Kingdom "Searchin' (I Gotta Find a Man)", ...

's 1983 hit "

Searchin' "Searchin'" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for the Coasters. Atco Records released it as a single in March 1957, which topped the R&B Chart for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the ''Billboard'' singl ...

" was released as the group's third single in March 2007, and reached number 40. In May 2007, Williams became a contestant on the New Zealand reality television show ''

Pop's Ultimate Star ''Pop's Ultimate Star'' was TV2's reality television show which pits former reality contestants againest each other, most of whom are former ''NZ Idol'' contestants. The show was produced by Eyeworks Touchdown, with first prize $50,000 and a Kia ...

'', and placed fourth in the competition. In September 2007, it was revealed that ''Australian Idol'' season four runner-up

Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) 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 subseq ...

was the new member of the Young Divas replacing Coulter, who left the group to resume her solo career. They then went on to release their second studio album '' New Attitude'' on 26 November 2007. The album debuted at number 10 and was certified gold, while its lead single " Turn Me Loose" peaked at number 15. In August 2008, it was announced that both Paulini and Mauboy had quit the Young Divas in order to resume their solo careers, leaving DeAraugo and Williams as the only remaining members. However, both DeAraugo and Williams also resumed their solo careers, and the Young Divas officially disbanded. Following the group's disbandment, Williams' contract with Sony BMG ended.

2009–present: Solo career

In 2010, Williams became a reading ambassador for The Pyjama Foundation, which raises awareness and support to help children improve their literacy skills. On 21 October 2010, she made a television appearance on ''

Ready Steady Cook ''Ready Steady Cook'' is a BBC daytime TV cooking game show. It debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last original edition was broadcast on 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley ...

'' with fellow ''Australian Idol'' contestant

Cosima De Vito Cosima De Vito (born 1 November 1976), also known as Cosima, is an Australian pop and R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, she is best known for her cover of the classic Australian hit "When the War Is Over" (200 ...

. On 1 November 2010, she released her debut solo single "Spellbound", independently. The single was promoted by Williams through a live televised performance on '' The Morning Show''. She also performed the song at

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

s in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

and

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, and also toured shopping malls in

and

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

. The music video premiered on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

on 4 November 2010. In December 2010, Williams received a nomination for "Australian Female Artist of the Year" at the PopRepublic.tv IT List Awards. Williams' second single "You're Mine" was made available for

download In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...

on 14 February 2011, to coincide with

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

. She performed the song on ''The Morning Show''. On 1 March 2011, she released a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

titled "Never Alone", to raise support for the February

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...

. All proceeds from the single went to the

New Zealand Red Cross New Zealand Red Cross or Ripeka Whero Aotearoa is a humanitarian organisation, which has more than 15,000 members and volunteers. In New Zealand, Red Cross delivers core community services, such as Meals on Wheels, Community Transport, Refugee ...

. Williams' debut solo album ''Uncovered'' was released independently on 10 February 2012. In June 2012, she was featured on dance music producer The Popstar's single "Spotlight", which also appeared on her album ''Uncovered''. In April 2013, Williams released her fourth lead single "Get It". In 2013, Williams was featured on British rapper and '' The Valleys'' star

Leeroy Reed Leeroy Reed (born 6 August 1990)) is a Welsh television star and recording artist. He rose to fame in 2012 after appearing in the first episode of the MTV television series '' The Valleys''. Reed has continued to feature in the programme for the ...

's single "Can't Get Enough" and scored her second nomination at the PopRepublic.tv Awards for "Favourite Australian Female Artist". In January 2014, she was featured on ''

Geordie Shore ''Geordie Shore'' is a British reality television series that was broadcast on MTV between 24 May 2011 and 22 November 2022. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England it was the British offshoot of the American show ''Jersey Shore''. The programm ...

'' star

Gaz Beadle Gary Beadle (born 22 March 1988) is an English reality television personality from Prudhoe, Northumberland known primarily for appearing in the MTV reality series ''Geordie Shore'' from 2011 to 2017. In 2015, he appeared in the second series ...

debut single "Party Like a Rockstar (Up Your Game)" with UK group The Risk. In July 2015, Williams released her fifth lead single "The Way It Is", which debuted at number seven on the AIR 100% Independent Singles Chart. This was followed up by the release of her sixth lead single "Get Your Life" in October 2016, earning her another nomination at the PopRepublic.tv Awards for "Favourite Australian Female Artist". In 2017, Williams made her musical theatre debut in the Australian production of '' ''The Bodyguard'', as the alternate lead for Paulini, playing the lead role of Rachel Marron at certain performances. Williams will also make her feature film debut in the upcoming Australian horror film ''

Boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is no ...

'', due for Australian release in late 2017 and international release in 2019.

Personal life

Williams' has a daughter named Asia with Richie Lio. She separated from Lio in 2007.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Album appearances

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Emily 1984 births New Zealand people of Samoan descent Australian people of Samoan descent Australian people of New Zealand descent New Zealand emigrants to Australia Australian singer-songwriters Australian contemporary R&B singers Australian Idol participants Young Divas members Musicians from Queensland Living people Australian women pop singers 21st-century Australian singers 21st-century Australian women singers Australian women singer-songwriters