Welcome to Paradise: My Journey
He’s young, he’s hot and he’s set to be the biggest thing in pop – 16-year-old Cody Simpson is sending shockwaves around the world.Now, in his first official book, Cody reveals all about his meteoric rise to fame. From the beaches of Australia to touring the world with Justin Bieber, this is a must-have for any true fan.From a young age, it appeared that Cody Simpson's future was mapped out for him. A hugely talented swimmer, he was destined to compete at the highest level, representing his native Australia.But when he picked up a guitar at the tender age of 7, his life changed forever. It was clear to everyone who heard him sing and play that he had a gift, and when videos of his performances were uploaded to YouTube, the world started watching.Suddenly Cody’s life was a whirlwind of meetings with record labels and managers. He had to make a life-changing choice. Would he follow the sporty path that had been laid for him? Or would he take a terrifying risk?Cody followed his heart. And with the support of his family, who gave up everything to move to LA, the gamble paid off. Since then, Cody’s gone on to work with some of the biggest names in music – including Justin Bieber and Flo Rida – played sold-out concerts around the world, released three albums, had multiple hit singles, and appeared on dozens of major televisions shows. It’s been a whirlwind adventure for this 16-year-old – and he’s only just getting started.Jam packed with never-before-seen photos and exclusive gossip about life on and off stage, this book charts Cody’s journey from ordinary kid to superstar. It’s a story of sacrifice, risk-taking, and believing in yourself even when the odds are stacked against you.
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Contents
Chapter 1 Gold Coast Beginnings
Chapter 3 The Making of a YouTube Star
Chapter 6 From Surf Waves to Radio Waves
Chapter 9 My Not-So-Glamorous Hollywood Life
Copyright
About the Publisher
Dedication
I want to dedicate this book
to my family for making me the young man i am today and for allowing me to pursue my dreams. i also want to dedicate this book to all of my angels for believing in me and helping me make my dreams become a reality.
WELCOME TO PARADISE
I stand behind the heavy curtain, waiting. The energy of the crowd is palpable in the air. The O2 Arena in London is swelling with nearly 20,000 fans. This is going to be the biggest concert of my life! And I can’t wait to get out on stage and give them all I have. I wait to take the stage, and think about how far I am from my beach-town roots in Australia. I am halfway around the world and about to perform in front of a huge crowd. I roll up onto the balls of my feet, adrenalin just surging through every cell in my body. It’s nearly time!
I hear the music starting, my cue. It’s my last moment of calm before the storm. I turn to my security guard Jeff and we do our handshake, like always, before I go out on stage. I take a few steps and feel the heat of the bright lights and the power of the audience’s screams.
‘It’s such an honour to be here this evening! I want to thank my mate Justin Bieber for having me here in London. And I want to thank all these beautiful fans for coming out tonight. Before I get started, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Cody Simpson.’
I have always dreamed big, but I never grew up dreaming of being a pop star. Instead, my sights were set on achieving the highest honours in competitive swimming – Olympic gold medals.
My love of the water began when I was just a few years old when my parents started taking me to swimming pools and the beach. I started swimming competitively at the age of nine and I had a natural ability, even though I was smaller and scrawnier than the other kids. I was clearly the underdog, but I worked the hardest at our practices and when I went to my first competition with my local swimming club, Miami Swim Club, I won every race. That feeling of winning after training so hard was imprinted on me from that day on. I knew anything was possible if you worked hard enough for it.
That underdog mentality has fuelled me. I never lost that drive. And eventually I even made it to the Australian Schools Swimming Nationals and won most of my events. I like to push myself to achieve new goals. I set high standards for myself. Working hard just feels natural to me. I don’t know how to not be the way I am. Ever since I was a youngster, I’ve wanted to be something extraordinary. I was never content with coming second in a race, or not trying my best. I’m still not. I always push myself to the limit.
Music came to me just as naturally as swimming. My parents introduced me to music early on. Around the house or at family gatherings, my family and friends regularly pulled out guitars and sang along to the classic country songs by Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. I loved to sit with them and feel a part of the music, even before I knew how to play guitar.
Now I’m on this incredible journey. I’ve already come a long way – from the beaches of Australia to the bright lights of Hollywood – and I have a shot to leave my mark on the music world. This book is a look back at my journey here, from the beginning. Like any meaningful achievement, getting to this point came with a lot of sacrifices and a lot of tough choices. I also know that I have worked long and hard to get here. And that might be the best feeling there is: to put in the work and see it pay off when you start achieving your goals.
People always ask: would you rather have a gold medal or a platinum record? My answer is the platinum record. Both require tremendous work and great risk – but, honestly, you can’t share a gold medal. My music is for everyone who has taken this journey with me.
You, the fans, have been there for me every step of the way, and now it’s my turn to give something back to you. I want my fans to understand me and my story. As an artist, it’s hard to show people all of the different parts that make you who you really are. This is my chance to lift the curtain and invite all of you inside my world, to see my journey and the choices that led me here – to paradise.
THE MAKING OF ME
Where we come from can have a huge impact on who we are. It sure did for me. I was born on 11 January 1997, in paradise. Actually, where I was born just feels like paradise: the Gold Coast, an ocean-side city on the south-east edge of Queensland, Australia. I grew up in a surfing culture and that laid-back mentality runs deep in my blood. Even though I’ve lived in Los Angeles for over three years, I still see my Gold Coast attitude coming through in nearly everything I do.
