Shannon Noll

Shannon Noll
Noll at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards in October 2011
Background information
Born	(1975-09-16) 16 September 1975 (age 41) Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Origin	Condobolin, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Rock, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, author
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Sony, Universal
Website	www.shannonnoll.com.au

Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as runner-up of the first season of Australian Idol in 2003, which led to him being signed to Sony BMG. He has released five top ten albums, including two number-one multi-platinum sellers. Noll's first ten singles all peaked inside the ARIA top ten, including three that reached number one. He is the only Australian male artist in Australian chart history to have ten consecutive top ten singles. Noll's debut single "What About Me" was certified 4× platinum and became the highest selling single of 2004 in Australia.

With 17 platinum and three gold certifications and combined album and single sales of over 1.3 million in Australia, Noll has the third highest certification and sales level for an Australian Idol contestant. Noll has received six ARIA Music Award nominations, including Best Pop Release for his second album Lift, and has won five ARIA No. 1 Chart Awards. He also won the MTV Australia Video Music Award for Best Male Artist three years in succession between 2005 and 2007. In 2010 Noll ended his contract with Sony and signed with Universal Music Australia.

Noll was born on 16 September 1975 in Orange, New South Wales to Neil and Sharyn Noll. He grew up in the small town of Condobolin in central western New South Wales as the youngest of three children with his older brothers Adam and Damian. Noll spent his entire childhood and teenage years on the family farm, which raised sheep and cattle and grew cereal crops. At school, Noll enjoyed drama classes and performed in school productions. After leaving school, Noll travelled to Sydney where he met his wife Rochelle Ogston and played AFL. As an adult, Noll worked shearing sheep among other tasks. He and his brothers formed the band called Cypress (named after the Cypress pine timber mill where they rehearsed). Noll provided vocals and played guitar. In gigs around the Australian outback, the band played in country pubs. Although they performed mainly covers, the group also wrote original music. Noll's father Neil was killed during a farming accident in 2001, which left the farm to him and his brothers. After two years of extreme drought, Noll leased the farm out and got by on drought support money and odd-jobbing on a friend's farm. Noll penned a song on his album Lift titled "Now I Run" in his father's memory.