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If you don’t know who Isaiah Firebrace is by now, you must have been living under a rock. In a meteoric rise to fame, the young Australian singer kickstarted his career when he auditioned for Season 8 of The X Factor, and went on to represent Australia at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. So, how did a teenager from a small country town end up singing his heart out for the nation in the Ukraine? Let’s recap his incredible journey thus far…
A Thoroughly Musical Background
Since the age of three, Isaiah was singing in front of the congregation at his local church. His father, Wayne Firebrace, was one of Isaiah’s first musical influences. He taught Isaiah to play guitar and always encouraged his son to pursue his passion for singing. There was makeshift music room set up in the family home where Isaiah would spend hours perfecting his craft. In an interview with NITV, Wayne recalls coming home and mistaking his son for a recording. “I laid on the couch out in the lounge and I could hear the music going, and fair dinkum, I thought it was a C.D” said Mr. Firebrace.
The Audition
Winning the Fast Track singing competition in Melbourne lead to Isaiah receiving a scholarship at The David Jaanz School of Singing. Isaiah first auditioned for The X Factor in 2015, where his rendition of Bruno Mars’ ‘It Will Rain’ blew the judges away and brought the audience to its feet.
Isaiah made it as far as Bootcamp that season. He forgot the lyrics to the song and this mistake cost him his place in the show. However, the tenacious teenager didn’t let this discourage him and he auditioned for Season 8 in 2016. His cover of Adele’s ‘Hello’ was his ticket to the Bootcamp stage. This time, he survived and made it to the live shows
The Big Win
On his 17th birthday, Isaiah performed Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’ alongside Jessica Mauboy, and his single “It’s Gotta Be You”. When he was declared the winner, the singer was overcome with emotion. In the lead up to the final he had had no grand delusions of glory.
“I had no hunches whatsoever that I would end up winning,” Firebrace said.
“Some of the other contestants kept saying it: you’re going to get it. You’re going to get it. But I just couldn’t get my hopes up. I just thought: whatever happens, happens.”
The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest
Less than four months later, it was announced that Isaiah would be representing Australia in the hotly anticipated Eurovision Song Contest, to be hosted in Kiev. The news broke at The Paris Cat Jazz Club in Melbourne, with die-hard Eurovision fans and the media in attendance. The Australian Head of Delegation Paul Clarke expressed his confidence in Isaiah, telling the media “I think he will do Australia proud – and I think he is a great ambassador for all young Australians, but particularly Indigenous Australians looking for a role model – I think he’s a brilliant role model.”
Watch Isaiah’s incredible Eurovision Grand Final performance below:
Isaiah ultimately came 9th in the competition, performing his song “Don’t Come Easy” in front of a global audience of more than 200 million viewers. Although he didn’t win overall, the down-to-earth performer was still smiling when he heard the Eurovision results. “Fourth in the jury vote was incredible, and then ninth overall was just amazing,” he said. “I said to myself before coming over to Kiev that if I made it in the top ten, I’m going to be on top of the moon… and I am over the moon.”
Now’s the time to find out how well you know Isaiah Firebrace. Test yourself with these 12 major questions.
1. How old is Isaiah Firebrace?
Isaiah was born on the 21st November 1999, so this year he will be turning 20. We’d hate to be responsible for singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him – way too much pressure!
2. How tall is Isaiah Firebrace?
Isaiah is roughly 1.75 metres tall. To put this into perspective, Isaiah is a fair bit shorter than his X Factor mentor Adam Lambert, who is 1.85 metres tall, but is almost the same height as musical genius Freddie Mercury, who was 1.77 metres tall. Height does not maketh the singer it seems!
3. How many siblings does Isaiah Firebrace have?
Isaiah comes from a big family. He has 12 brothers and sisters. His father raised Isaiah and his brother Jamarrah for many years, as Isaiah’s parents are separated.
Isaiah’s success as a singer hasn’t distanced him from his family, in fact, it has only made their bond stronger. His sister Janah says “I find that he actually has brought the family together, and we are closer now than what we were.”
4. Where does Isaiah Firebrace live?
According to Isaiah’s official Facebook page, he is currently based in Melbourne.
5. What Isaiah Firebrace’s nationality?
Isaiah Firebrace was born in Portland, Victoria before being brought up in New South Wales. He is an Aboriginal Australian. His mother is Gunditjmarra, an indigenous people who are the traditional owners of land in southwestern Victoria. His father hails from the Yorta Yorta, an indigenous people who inhabited the junction of the Goulburn and Murray River.
Isaiah is vocal about his heritage and is regularly involved in significant cultural events. One of the most solemn of these occasions was when Isaiah performed at the Return to Country Festival in November 2017. This festival commemorated the historical repatriation of the remains of the Mungo Man and 103 other ancestral remains back to Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. This one-time concert was free, and all people were invited to attend so that they could witness the 40,000-year-old Mungo Man returning home. Headlining alongside iconic musician Archie Roach, Isaiah said of the festival –
“I love doing these types of things because the Aboriginal people have really supported me in my journey so far, so it’s really good to do something as significant as this… It’s a very significant thing, the remains coming back to Mildura. I’m always really connected to my heritage and who I am, so I just knew straight away this was something I wanted to do.”
He also emphasised the need for all Australians to work together. “I read this quote ages ago that you can’t play the piano without the black keys or the white keys, you know? You have to have both to play a beautiful song. So, I think with events like this it’s just awesome that we get to come together and celebrate, not only the Aboriginal people but non -indigenous people that support what we’re about.”
6. Is Isaiah Firebrace gay?
Thee young star does not identify as gay. See next question.
7. Does Isaiah Firebrace have a girlfriend?
Judging by Isaiah does have a girlfriend. From their Instagrams, the young couple are very much in love.
8. What is Isaiah Firebrace’s net worth?
Isaiah’s exact net worth is still a mystery, but if his success on Spotify is anything to go by, he isn’t just a flash in the pan. Wrapping up 2018, the music giant reported that Isaiah was streamed 60 million times, has 12 million fans and was listened to in 65 countries.
And this is just data from one app. Isaiah already has an album to his name and has played some pretty big gigs, so the chances are he is earning more than your average 19-year-old. Isaiah has stayed grounded despite being thrust into the spotlight. After winning The X Factor in 2016, the then-17-year-old announced that he would be using his new title to bring in more financial support for his family. Prior to this, he would enter singing competitions and use his winnings to pay bills and help maintain his family. “It gets pretty hard,” the young teen said at the time, “but I’m glad I do it, I do it with an open heart.”
9. What is the biggest concert Isaiah Firebrace has played?
Where do we begin? Since his rise to fame, Isaiah has performed in front of massive crowds. Here is just a fraction of his highlight reel – you decide which is the biggest deal!
The X Factor Season 8 Final
Carols in the Domain 2016
2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine
80th Annual Carols By Candlelight at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl 2017
Carols in the Domain 2018
10. What are Isaiah Firebrace’s most famous songs?
- His cover of The Beatles classic ‘Let It Be’ in Week 2 of X Factor that showed the nation just what he was capable of.
- His cover of Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ during the X Factor , which brought tough judge Iggy Azalea to tears.
- Isaiah’s performance of ‘It’s Gotta Be You’ immediately winning the X Factor Grand Final
11. How many albums does Isaiah Firebrace have?
So far Isaiah has one studio album to his name, his self-titled debut ‘Isaiah’ that was released in December 2016. His latest work was his single ‘Close to Me’ which came out last year.
Although there is no news regarding a new album yet, it’s worth keeping your ears open and eyes peeled. We haven’t heard the last of Isaiah yet, not by a long shot.
12. Is Isaiah Firebrace on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook?
Like most celebrities and young men today, Isaiah has multiple social media channels.
You can follow his journey on these platforms
Instagram: @isaiahmusicofficial
Twitter: @isaiahofficial
Facebook: Isaiah
Snapchat: isaiahprivate
You can also keep up to date with Isaiah’s career via his official website, isaiahfirebraceofficial.com .
So, for anyone left that is still asking “Who is Isaiah Firebrace?” – you have your answer. He’s a talented, determined young man for whom the best has yet to come.
