Delta's new dawn ‘I'M A SURVIVOR'

After being told she could lose her voice forever, the Aussie singer found a cure for her fears

She’s an actor, award-winning singer and songwriter who was just 15 years old when she signed her first music contract for her debut album Innocent Eyes. And then, at the age of 18, Delta Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.

After eight months of chemotherapy and two months of radiotherapy, having a salivary gland removed in 2018 led to the paralysis of a nerve in her tongue, and she had to learn to speak and sing again.

The now 36-year-old admits she “lost her innocence to cancer” and the “world became darker” afterwards. Now, she has released a book, Bridge Over Troubled Dreams, which tells the emotional stories behind her sixth album which shares the same name. She talks to the Weekly about music, healing and her hopes for the future.

Where did your love of music come from?

From an early age, I was drawn to music. In my new book, I share about my song Crash, which speaks to this early love. When I was a newborn, my dad bought my mum a piano. As it would turn out, that piano was a great gift in my life. I started playing and learning piano, and was hooked. My parents also introduced me to incredible music when I was young and growing up, which inspired and influenced me.