SIA

Biography

1975–1995: Early life and career beginnings

Furler was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 18 December 1975. She went to North Adelaide Primary School.^[1][2] Her father, Phil B. Colson, was a musician in various bands including Foreday Riders, Rum Jungle, Fat Time, Jump Back Jack, and Mount Lofty Rangers.^[2][3] Her mother, Loene Furler, is a singer, songwriter, musician, and art lecturer who also provided backing vocals for Mount Lofty Rangers.^[2] Her parents were both in an Adelaide rockabilly band, The Soda Jerx.^[4] Furler is the niece of U.K. based actor/singer Kevin Colson. Singer/songwriter Colin Hay of Men at Work though not related, is affectionately known as "Uncle Colin". "Philby" Colson played slide guitar on Men at Work's last single, "Everything I Need" from their album Two Hearts, then toured extensively with "The Colin Hay Band" in 1988.^[2][4] In her 2008 NPR Music interview, she said that she had mimicked other singers while growing up and counts Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Sting as her early influences.^[5] She attended Adelaide High School.^[2] At fourteen, Furler said, her parents had enough money to pay for her getting her now famous snaggletooth removed, or a chance to attend school in Italy. Furler chose Italy, and she said that she doesn't regret keeping her snaggletooth.
Discovering her voice in a karaoke bar while in Italy, taking a university gap year, Sia explains to Gigwise: “I got up and sang at this karaoke bar in Italy. I didn’t like any of the songs they had so I just got them to clap their hands and sang ‘Lean On Me’ by Bill Withers.” Because of her unique singing voice, Furler was offered the chance to record a song by a local DJ who happened to be in the bar. Fourteen years on and it all seems rather distant and amusing, as Sia recounts holding back the laughter: “I was seventeen and writing about racism and homophobia; I had a message and wanted to change the world. Then I went back to university in Adelaide (the University of Adelaide) to finish studying Italian and Politics and I hated it after having spent a year out of school, so I quit straight away

Personal life

Furler's parents, Phil Colson and Loene Furler, were members of Adelaide-based rockabilly band, The Soda Jerks.^[4] Colson has been a member of numerous groups, Loene was an art lecturer.^[2][3] Furler described her boyfriend, Dan, as her "first true love". As mentioned above, the couple travelled together on a world trip, she stopped off in Thailand while he continued to London. There, Dan was killed in a traffic accident, a week before Furler was due to arrive.^[4][11]
Just having completed recording her 2004 single "Breathe Me" off Colour The Small One, a few days after that, she suffered a nervous breakdown and was taken to a British mental hospital for 1 to 2 months. ^[56]
In 2008, Furler discussed her bisexuality in interviews with Scotland on Sunday and AfterEllen.com. She was included on a list of gay entertainers in the June–July 2009 issue of The Advocate.^[57] In both 2009 and 2010, Furler was nominated by readers of SameSame.com.au as one of the 25 most influential lesbian and gay Australians, though she is bisexual.^[58][59] According to Furler, "I've always been honest if anyone ever asked me. Before I was actually successful I'd always said I've always dated boys and girls and anything in between. I don't care what gender you are, it's about people. I didn't just recently open up, I just recently got famous! I've always been… well, flexible is the word I would use."^[60] In June 2010, Furler expressed a wish to marry her then girlfriend JD Samson of electro-punk band Le Tigre.^[61] The couple have since broken up.^[62]
In June 2010, Furler's official website announced that all scheduled promotional events and shows had been cancelled due to her poor health.^[63] She cited extreme lethargy and panic attacks and considered retiring permanently from performing and touring.^[61] According to her Twitter account she was diagnosed with Graves' disease – an autoimmune disorder with an over-active thyroid.^[61][64] Four months later, in an ARIA Awards interview Furler said her health was improving after rest and thyroid hormone replacement therapy.^[65][66] Furler has said she will release an album in the summer of 2012 and will refrain from touring temporarily.