Profile of Holly Valance on Famous Like Me

Holly Rachel Vukadinović (born May 11, 1983 to a Yugoslavian father and British mother), who is better known by her stage name of Holly Valance (which was inspired by a bed-sheet), is an actress and singer who was born in New Zealand, but moved to Australia at an early age. Holly is related to the late British comedian Benny Hill—Hill's cousin was her grandfather. She was educated at the Star of the Sea College, a Catholic high school located in Melbourne, Victoria.

Career

Acting & Singing

Valance's big break came when she landed the role of Felicity 'Flick' Scully in Neighbours. Holly's first single was Kiss Kiss (based on Turkish singer Tarkan's hit single Simarik) was released in 2002. The video for Kiss Kiss was notable for the impression that she was dancing naked, with her nudity only concealed by strategically placed lighting. In fact she was dancing wearing flesh-coloured underwear, and the footage of her dancing was then digitally retouched to create the illusion. Her début album Footprints went on sale at the end of that year.

Kiss Kiss debuted at #1 in both the Australia ARIAnet charts and UK Singles Charts in (April-May 2002). Then her next song Down Boy peaked at #2 in the UK and at #3 in Australia, while her album Footprints debuted and peaked at #9 in the UK and at #16 in Australia. Her third single Naughty Girl peaked at #3 in Australia and at #16 in the UK. The first single State Of Mind from her next album of the same name then debuted and peaked at #8 in the UK and peaked at #14 in Australia, but the album didn't get into the top 50 of both charts.

In 2002 she won the British GQ Award for "Woman of the Year".

In 2004 Valance returned to acting, this time in the United States, appearing in episodes of the television series CSI: Miami and Entourage. She will soon also appear in the National Lampoon comedy Pledge This! and DOA: Dead or Alive, an adaptation of the popular video game Dead or Alive. She also currently serves as the promotional face of Australian collect call company 1-800-REVERSE.

Legal action

In 2003 she fired her then-manager Scott Michaelson (who owns Biscayne Partners Pty Ltd) by fax, 15 months before her contract was due to expire. Biscayne Partners Pty. Ltd. sued Valance Corp., won their case and were awarded damages by the High Court of Australia.

During the trial Valance's mother, Rachel Stevens, claimed that Michaelson was negligent in his duties as a manager, which forced her to take over from his role as manager. Former Neighbours co-star Kym Valentine also gave evidence that Valance "said she was feeling bad, a bit stressed out, because she was leaving Scott" and that "she said the solicitors for her record company would get her out of the contract and would be faxing him the paper work (from the UK) to do so." Valance denied that she told Valentine this conversation in court, even though she had signed an affidavit where she stated she had no recollection of the conversation.

Justice Clifford Einstein said, "I have given close consideration to the question of whether or not the circumstances presently before the Court which do, it seems to me, show a calculated disregard of the rights of Biscayne as well as a cynical pursuit of benefit". The court subsequently ordered Valance Corp. pay $350,000 to Biscayne Partners Pty. Ltd. Of this amount, $47,264.56 was "from shares Ms Valance and Mr Michaelson had bought together on the London Stock Exchange", though the court did not award in favour of Biscayne getting a percentage of sales of her album, State of Mind.

Discography

Singles

• Kiss Kiss (2002, 12" Vinyl Single )
  • Track 1: Kiss Kiss (remix by Jah Wobble)
  • Track 2: Kiss Kiss (remix by Stargate RnB)
  • Track 3: Kiss Kiss (remix by Agent Sumo)

• Kiss Kiss (2002, CD Single, UK Limited Edition released by London Records )
  • Track 1: Kiss Kiss (Wise Buddah Mix) (3:23)
  • Track 2: Kiss Kiss (Jah Wobble Remix) (5:15)
  • Track 3: Kiss Kiss (Agent Sumo 2) (7:41)
  • Track 4: Kiss Kiss (Stargate R&B Mix) (3:02)
  • Track 5: Kiss Kiss (Enhanced Video)

Note: Limited edition enhanced CD initially included a poster and Kiss Kiss Video.

• Down Boy Single (2002, CD format)
  • A: Track 1: Down Boy (Twin Club Remix)
  • B: Track 1: Down Boy (Almighty Mix)
  • B: Track 2: Down Boy (Twin Down Boy Dub)

• Down Boy Single (2002, CD format, released in the UK )
  • Track 1: Down Boy (Radio Edit, produced by Nellee Hooper)
  • Track 2: Down Boy (Aphrodite Remix)
  • Track 3: Kiss Kiss (Jah Wobble Remix)
  • CD-ROM Down Boy (Video)

• Down Boy Single (2002, CD format )
  • Track 1: Down Boy (Radio Edit, produced by Nelle Hooper)
  • Track 2: Down Boy (Aphrodite Remix)
  • Track 3: Kiss Kiss (Jah Wobble Remix)

• Naughty Girl (2002, Single, promotional copy )
  • Track 1: State Of Mind (Vertigo Remix) (6:57)
  • Track 2: State Of Mind (Extended Original Mix) (5:14)
  • Track 3: State Of Mind (Felix Da Housecat Mix) (7:26)
  • Track 4: State Of Mind (Vertigo Dub Mix) (6:57)

• Naughty Girl Single (2002)
  • Track 1: Naughty Girl (Album version)
  • Track 2: Naughty Girl (K-Klass Radio Edit)
  • Track 3: Twist
  • Track 4: Naughty Girl (Video)

• State Of Mind (2003, CD Single)
  • Track 1: State of Mind (Radio Edit)
  • Track 2: State of Mind (Vertigo Mix)
  • Track 3: State of Mind (Rhythm Shed Radio Edit)
  • Track 4: State of Mind (Felix da Housekatt mix)
  • Track 5: State of Mind (Extended Original)

• State Of Mind (released in Germany, 2003, 2x12" Vinyl single, promotional copy )
  • Track 1: State Of Mind (Vertigo Remix) (6:57)
  • Track 2: State Of Mind (Extended Original Mix) (5:14)
  • Track 3: State Of Mind (Felix Da Housecat Mix) (7:26)
  • Track 4: State Of Mind (Vertigo Dub Mix) (6:57)

• State Of Mind (released in Germany, CD single, 2003 )
  • Track 1: State Of Mind (3:21) produced by Jeff Taylor, produced by Mark Taylor
  • Track 2: State Of Mind (Vertigo (Extended Mix)) (7:00)
  • Track 3: State Of Mind (Felix Da Housekatt (Mix)) (7:31)

Albums

• Footprints Album (2002)
  • Track 1: Kiss Kiss - Wise Buddah Mix
  • Track 2: Tuck Your Shirt In
  • Track 3: Down Boy - Radio Edit
  • Track 4: City Ain't Big Enough
  • Track 5: Cocktails and Parties
  • Track 6: Whoops
  • Track 7: Hush Now
  • Track 8: All in the mind
  • Track 9: Harder they come
  • Track 10: Help me help you
  • Track 11: Naughty Girl
  • Track 12: Connect
  • Track 13: Send my best
  • Track 14: Kiss Kiss (video)
  • Track 15: Down Boy (video)

• State Of Mind Album (2003)
  • Track 1: Hypnotic
  • Track 2: State of Mind
  • Track 3: Desire (Album Mix)
  • Track 4: Everything I Hate
  • Track 5: Curious
  • Track 6: Roll Over
  • Track 7: Ricochets
  • Track 8: Tongue-Tied
  • Track 9: Action
  • Track 10: Double Take
  • Track 11: Somebody Out There
  • Track 12: Over 'n' Out

BONUS TRACKS: Just Like Me (Japanese Edition of "State of Mind") Please Please Me (Japanese Edition of "State of Mind")

Chart positions

• 1. 2002 Footprints album #9 UK
  • 2002 "Kiss Kiss" single #1 UK, #1 Australia
  • 2002 "Down Boy" #2 UK, #3 Australia
  • 2002 "Naughty Girl" #16 UK, #3 Australia
• 2. 2003 State Of Mind album #68 UK
  • 2003 "State Of Mind" single #8 UK, #14 Australia

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Holly Valance