Kylie Minogue. The rise of Australia’s pop queen

From humble beginnings. I bet it was a crisp, clear evening filled with stars. Kylie Ann Minogue Jones was born on a magical night on 28 May 1968 in Caulfield South, Melbourne. As a young girl, she attended Camberwell Primary School and then Camberwell High School. At the age of 11, she began her childhood career on Australian television, appearing in The Sullivans and Skyways. In 1985, she was cast as one of the lead roles in The Henderson Kids.

Written out of the The Henderson Kids after only two seasons, Kylie made a demo tape for the hit ’80s kids’ music variety program Young Talent Time, which already featured her sister Dannii as a regular performer. Kylie gave her first television singing performance on the show in 1985, but she was not invited to join the full-time cast.

Charlene Mitchell (Kylie Minogue) and Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan)

Ramsay Street Girl

I grew up watching Kylie as Charlene Mitchell, a schoolgirl turned garage mechanic — and her love interest Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan), my secret 5:30 boy crush ;-) — as her journey to stardom started on the set of Neighbours in 1986. The hit Aussie soap would go on to create many memorable TV hours. After two years, however, and keen to focus on her music career, Kylie filmed her final scenes in 1988. She went on to become the first person to win four Logie Awards in one year,  including the Gold Logie, for her portrayal of Charlene.

After 37 years and 8,903 episodes, in 2022, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan made their epic return to Neighbours, arriving back on Ramsay Street for the soap’s final episode singing their ’80s hit ‘Especially For You’, a song that will bring nostalgic tears to your eyes; it’s cheesy and fabulous!

It seems I’m not alone in my love of ‘Especially For You’ as to this day it remains producers Stock Aitken and Waterman’s biggest seller and Kylie’s second biggest behind ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’.

A cultural phenomenon

After an impromptu performance at an Australian Rules football charity event with the cast of Neighbours, it was Kylie’s decision to cover Carole King’s ‘The Loco-Motion’ in 1987 that would kick off a decades-spanning pop career and one of music history’s most passionate fan bases. The song quickly reached #1 in Australia and remained there for seven weeks. It debuted at #80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 before climbing to #3, and in the UK, it spent four weeks at #2.

Her self-titled debut album, Kylie, was released a year later; a collection of dance-oriented pop tunes that spent more than a year on the UK Albums Chart, including several weeks at #1, becoming the best-selling album of the 1980s by a female artist.

Kylie’s rise to stardom was fast and invited comparisons to fellow Aussie legend Olivia Newton-John, and with the help of her second hit single ‘I Should Be So Lucky’, she quickly became an unstoppable sensation and pop goddess.

Gay shorthand for joy

The ’90s saw Kylie shed her girl-next-door persona and embrace a more experimental side. Albums like Impossible Princess showcased her artistic growth and willingness to push boundaries, cementing her gay icon status with her fearless approach to love, self-expression and reinvention.

With her glamorous image, unwavering support and infectious dance anthems, Kylie’s connection with the gay community has become a cornerstone of her career. Her performances at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Party in 1994, 1998, 2012 and WorldPride in 2023 are legendary. Kylie says her gay fans have been with her through thick and thin, although she was never specifically marketed to that audience when she was starting out.

Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright summed it up nicely: “She is the gay shorthand for joy”.

Kylie performing with her sister Dannii at WorldPride 2023

I want to go out dancing

To everyone’s delight, the noughties brought the return of pure pop disco. Kylie said that with the release of the album Light Years, she had come ‘full circle’.

Returning to classic pop certainly paid off for the princess as her hit dance anthems came back with a vengeance, peaking with the highest-selling single of her career, ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’, which sold more than five million copies worldwide and took her back into the US Top 10 for the first time since 1988.

Kylie is no stranger to performing at Pride events around the world, but 2023 WorldPride in Australia was truly something special. It deepened the most durable of her relationships with a community that has been dancing with her from the very beginning.

By the turn of the century, Kylie had evolved into a true performance artist, blending provocative fashion with camp, edgy pop. A styling partnership with clothing designer William Baker led to her infamous gold hot pants, navel-gazing jumpsuits, sequined leotards and thigh-high boots.

With all that glamour, there is no wonder she is one of the most enduring and loved gay icons of our time. She is even included on Wikipedia’s ‘Gay Icons’ page, alongside others like Cyndi Lauper, Bette Davis and RuPaul. When asked about her gay fan base. Kylie told the New York Post:  

“I think they feel a bit protective of me. There’s no judgement — just support.”

Australia’s queen of pop returns home!

2025 will mark Kylie’s return home with her Tension Tour and it’s set to be her biggest since 2011. The tour will kick off in Perth on 15 February 2025, before making its way through Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Kylie released her #1 album Tension in September 2023, which has now surpassed 500,000 sales worldwide and nearing half a billion streams. The Tension Tour promises to be a celebration of Kylie’s illustrious career, focused on her latest album — but you can also look forward to hearing her classic hits, all delivered with Kylie’s signature style and energy.

Kylie hinted at what’s to come, saying, “I can’t wait to share beautiful and wild moments with fans all over the world, celebrating the Tension era and more! ... get ready for your close up because I will be calling Lights, Camera, Action ... and there will be a whole lot of Padaming!”

As Kylie prepares to embark on this tour, her status as a gay icon and pop music legend remains stronger than ever. From her early days on Neighbours to her recent Grammy win for ‘Padam Padam’, Kylie continues to captivate audiences with her talent, charisma and undeniable star power.

The Tension Tour is more than just a series of concerts; it’s a celebration of Kylie’s enduring relationship with her fans, particularly those of us in the LGBTIQ+ community. We all love Kylie. As she takes to stages across Australia, Kylie will undoubtedly remind us why she’s been a beloved figure in pop, music and queer dance culture for over 35 years.

FUSE69: In this issue: Kylie Minogue. Padam Padam, the rise of
 Australia’s pop queen. Celebrate Yule like a Pagan. The aftermath of opposition to equality. Dipping into Santa’s sack. Sleighing your festive budget. Comedian Jackie Loeb. Celebrating pride in Canberra. The 2024 SpringOUT festival guide.