Laura Gissara
Laura Gissara | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Top 10 finalist on Australian Idol (2005) |
Laura Simone Gissara (born 1984) is an Australian singer-songwriter specializing in pop music. She reached the top 10 finalists during the 2005 season of the television talent competition Australian Idol, before being eliminated on 26 September. In July 2006, she debuted her first single, "Ti amo", which entered the top 50 on the ARIA Singles Chart. This track is a rendition of Laura Branigan's 1984 adaptation of Umberto Tozzi's original from 1977.
Biography
Gissara was born in 1984 to Joe Gissara, a team leader at Telstra, and Ivana, who worked for Centrelink. Raised in Melbourne within an Italian-speaking family environment, she began composing songs accompanied by piano at age sixteen. Her musical style has been shaped by artists such as Celine Dion and various boy bands recognized for their vocal harmonies.
Australian Idol
At 21 years old in 2005, Laura Gissara auditioned for the third season of Australian Idol. After successfully passing the audition stage, she performed Whitney Houston's "All the Man That I Need" during the top 100 round. Although her semi-final rendition of En Vogue's "Don't Let Go" was somewhat off-pitch, public votes propelled her into the finals alongside contestants Kate DeAraugo and Milly Edwards.
During the Top 13 episode themed Australian Made, she delivered a strong performance of "You're My World"—originally by Cilla Black and later covered by Daryl Braithwaite—which secured her safety for another week. On '60s night, she sang Aretha Franklin's "Don't Play That Song", receiving mixed critiques and landing in the bottom three but avoiding elimination. For Supergroups night, her rendition of Silverchair's "The Greatest View" resulted in her receiving the fewest votes, leading to her exit from the competition. Investigations into claims that her father tampered with voting were conducted and subsequently dismissed.
Australian Idol performances
- Audition
- Theatre Week (Round 1), Top 100, Group of 10: "All the Man That I Need" by Whitney Houston
- Top 75, Group of 3: "Finally"
- Theatre Week (Round 3), Top 50, solo: "Don't Play That Song" by Aretha Franklin
- Top 30: "Don't Let Go (Love)" by En Vogue
- Top 13, Australian Made theme: "You're My World" by Cilla Black, Daryl Braithwaite
- Top 11, '60s theme: "Don't Play That Song" by Aretha Franklin – Bottom two
- Top 10, Supergroups theme: "The Greatest View" by Silverchair – Eliminated
Later career
In April 2006, Laura Gissara signed a recording contract with In Records/Shock Records. She released her debut single "Ti amo" on 31 July; this track is a cover version originally performed by Laura Branigan in 1984 based on Umberto Tozzi's song. The single reached number 49 on the ARIA Singles Chart, climbed to number 14 on the Australasian Artists Singles Chart, and attained number three on the Independent AIR Chart. In 2008, she introduced "Shake It Down," co-written alongside Katie Michaelson and Stephen Lovchyld. Subsequently, performing under the name Laura Simone, she issued an extended play titled This Is Me in 2010 which included "Frozen," co-written with Michaelson.
Extended plays
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| This Is Me (under the name Laura Simone) |
|
Singles
| Title | Release Year | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| "Ti Amo" | 2006 | 49 |
| "Shake It Down" | 2008 | — |