Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE, (born 28 May 1968), is an Australian pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. She rose to prominence in the late 1980s through her role in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987. Signed to a contract by English songwriters and producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1987, she achieved a string of hit records throughout the world. Her popularity waned during the early 1990s, leading her to part company from Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1992. During the mid to late 1990s, Minogue distanced herself from her earlier work and attempted to establish herself as a credible and independent performer..