Articles from 2001
Nikki's rise and rise
New Idea | June 23, 2001
She mixes with stars like Michael Jackson and Kylie Minogue, but Nikki Webster is still just a girl next door.
Nikki Webster's parents often wake up in the middle of the night at their modest Sydney home and pinch themselves. Mark, an electrician, and Tina, who runs two childcare centres, are still struggling to come to terms with their talented little girl's extraordinary rise to fame.In less than a year, flame haired Nikki, 14, has gone from being a musically gifted Aussie teenager to an international star. 'We'll say: "Is this really happening? Is this situation real?"' admits Tina, 43. 'Nikki's father and I aren't musical at all and we've no idea where our daughter gets her talent. If I start singing, the kids tell me to shut up!'
Few Australians will forget Nikki soaring above the Olympic arena last year at the Sydney 2000 opening ceremony - in front of four billion TV viewers. From that glorious moment on, Nikki's life changed forever. 'Yes, she's become very well known, but Nikki hasn't changed,' insists Tina. 'She's still the same girl she was a year ago.
'We got a letter recently from an elderly couple who've known Nikki for a long time, crediting her on her modesty. They said: "Nikki, you are just the same, don't ever change!" That meant a lot to us.
'Anyway, Nikki's not got a lot of chance to be a big head, I wouldn't allow that! She performs because she wants to and there's a certain amount of responsibility involved. We've always told Nikki and our son Scott, 16, that we don't care what they do with their lives, as long as they work hard and enjoy themselves.'
Now Nikki's launching a global assault with a slick new pop career. The tiny dynamo has also unleashed a sexy new look to go with her catchy debut song Strawberry Kisses. The accompanying video is fashioned in a Spice Girls mould. Nikki dances aboard a spaceship and sings to the object of her affections, a cosmic cartoon character called DJ.
'DJ provides the focus for Nikki's romantic lyrics,' says BMG Records' national publicist Monica Salvitti. 'It's good for her to have someone to interact with. It's hard for a 14-year-old girl to sing about boys in the real sense. So DJ is a concept we'd like to develop with further videos.'
For Strawberry Kisses, Nikki is clothed in tight, pink rubber pants and a matching cropped vest which shows off her flat stomach. She jumps around in high heeled boots and her strawberry blonde curls are teased to perfection. It's a strikingly mature image, and one that some critics might even suggest borders on the sexually precocious. Who is she appealing to?
'Nobody in particular,' says Nikki, with a laugh. 'I haven't got a boyfriend. My Dad liked DJ and says I can have him until I'm 21.' Adds Tina: 'People forget that Nikki looks a lot younger than she really is. Although she's a mature 14, she has a nine-year-old's figure. She has to have her stage clothes specially tailored. And like many teenage girls, she likes wearing big heels and colourful outfits. She's not really a casual dresser.'
As her daughter wanders around her kitchen in platform heels and a leather coat, it's not hard to see what Tina means. And chatting with Nikki is strangely intimidating. For someone so young, she seems so grown up!
'I've always wanted to be an all-round performer,' says Nikki, who's entertained audiences around Australia, in Thailand and China, and will soon be leaving for South Africa.
'I like singing, dancing and acting. I don't write my own songs yet, but I'm getting a feel for it. Hopefully after I've made a couple of albums, I can start recording my own material.'
'But I never thought I'd have the opportunity to break my career - as they say - so quickly. Sometimes I look back and think: "Did I really do that?" I've been so lucky.'
Perhaps Nikki's relatively relaxed attitude is best explained by the fact that she began her showbiz career at age five, appearing in stage musicals including Annie and Les Miserables. At age 10, she sang in concert with Michael Jackson on his 1996 HISstory tour to a capacity crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium.
She also had M&M fights with the eccentric singer back at his hotel room. But Nikki had surprisingly little in common with the former child star. 'Michael was very quiet - he told me he was naturally shy,' says Nikki, who doesn't even suffer stage fright.
And unlike Michael, Nikki hasn't had to forsake her childhood at the hands of ruthless showbiz parents. 'It's always been my choice,' she says emphatically. 'From a really young age I asked Mum to let me go to drama and dance classes.
'Nobody pushes me. I have a direct say in everything I do with the record company. I helped choose the songs on my forthcoming album and I loved working in the recording studio.'
Nikki's life may not be conventional, but it's certainly never dull. 'Kylie Minogue was so kind when we met,' she says. 'She said: "Take it as it comes Nikki." I was impressed by how generous and giving she was to her fans. She was the best role model.'
By Rachael Lloyd
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