“I look at my role as being a friend of Canberra Hospital, I can bring some pleasure and happiness sometimes to people who are really in difficult times in their lives.”
With backing music from a Bluetooth speaker, Sayer croons his way around the cancer wards, making a human connection with everyone he comes across.
Canberra Region Cancer Centre Operations Manager Caroline McIntyre says Sayer’s visits are typically kept a surprise for patients and staff.
“He’s always come in so discreetly,” she says.
“Normally it’s just very quiet, he comes up in the back lift and says hello to literally everybody.
“Some of them are doing it tough, and to have a little bit of joy and light – it really gives them a lift.
“What makes me happy is to see people getting chemo on their feet dancing.”
Jamming with Jimi Hendrix, Countdown and the Troubadour
Originally a graphic designer by trade, English-born Leo Sayer rose to pop prominence in London in the late 1960s, as a singer-songwriter – and was soon adopted by Australia as an honorary son after his first tour here in 1974.
He went on to become an Australian citizen in 2009.
Sayer was a regular on ABC TV’s Countdown during the 70s and 80s, performing chart-toppers like “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”, “When I Need You”, “More Than I Could Say” and “Orchard Road”.
He blushingly admits they were wild days – when he didn’t always live up to his “good-guy” public persona.
“It was mad, I mean, Top of the Pops in England, Countdown over here,” he says.
“You were mobbed by the fans, I remember being dragged out of a limousine the first tour that I came here, and then speaking to crazy people like Molly Meldrum on TV and trying to sort of like take it all in.”
It seems hard to believe – the petite, well-spoken singer, with a mane of curly hair that inspired changing his name from Gerard to Leo – beating off mobs of screaming fangirls.
Sayer circulated in superstar company, becoming close friends with former Beatles George Harrison and Paul McCartney, collaborating with Roger Daltrey of The Who, and even sharing a sly cigarette or two with John Lennon and Yoko Ono who had a flat above his design studio.
“I met Jimi Hendrix right at the start of his career. I actually jammed with him, playing the harmonica, and him playing the guitar,” he says.
Recalling his 1975 opening night at the famous Troubadour Club in Los Angeles, he looked up to see an intimidating line-up of fans in the front row.
“It was David Bowie, Elton John, and ‘The Fonz’ [Henry Winkler].”
Alongside them: John Cleese, Mick Jagger, Bernie Taupin, and comedian Marty Feldman.
“We never thought it would last, we were adapting to things around us, writing songs about things that are around us,” he says.
“And we thought they were only for our generation — so the amazing thing is my music’s become like a fine wine, where you lay it down and years later, it becomes a collector’s item.
“We’re in an age where the music that I make, young kids are actually latching onto it now, and they’re finding that that generation and that style of music we made is as current now as anything.”
Sayer’s health battles, still spreading hope at 76
Leo Sayer says his hospital charity work caps off a career dedicated to providing joy through music.
“It’s a nice piece of synchronicity really, because I was born in the grounds of a hospital in Shoreham by Sea in Sussex, near Brighton in England,” Mr Sayer said.
“I suppose I’ve always felt comfortable in hospitals and being around hospitals.
“Growing up, my dad was a hospital engineer, Mum was a nurse, my sister was a matron.”
Sayer has health struggles of his own, including three stents in his heart, which help him have a genuine connection to the hospital patients he entertains.
“[My music] is providing something that isn’t taking away from any of the treatment that’s going on. It’s providing something that’s just putting a smile on peoples’ faces.
“Music is communication and that’s what this is all about, we’re communicating, we’re making people feel better.
“We’re not healing people with music, but we are making them feel better about their healing.
“To sell out Canberra Hospital will do me fine.”
HALLE BERRY’S LINGERIE DRESS SPARKS OUTRAGE – FANS CALL IT ‘LOW CLASS
Two days before her 58th birthday, Halle Berry showed up at the opening of The Union in a very daring sheer dress. Her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, praised her look, saying only she could pull off such a bold outfit.
However, not everyone was impressed. Some critics online called her “low class” for hugging a married man while wearing such revealing clothing.
Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg star together in *The Union*, a comedy thriller that came out on Netflix on August 16. Wahlberg, 53, plays a construction worker named Mike, who gets involved in a world of espionage thanks to his high school sweetheart, played by Berry.
Halle Berry, 58, was thrilled to finally work with her long-time friend Mark Wahlberg. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “When this happened, I thought, ‘Wow, this is the thing I didn’t know that I needed.’ I’ve known Mark for about 30 years, and working with him was like going home.”
Mark Wahlberg also spoke highly of Berry to Entertainment Tonight. He said, “I’ve always been a big fan of hers. Working with Halle is easy and a joy. Any guy or gal would want to impress her, so it was easy for me to follow her around like a puppy.”
Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg star together in *The Union*, a comedy thriller that came out on Netflix on August 16. Wahlberg, 53, plays a construction worker named Mike, who gets involved in a world of espionage thanks to his high school sweetheart, played by Berry.
Halle Berry, 58, was thrilled to finally work with her long-time friend Mark Wahlberg. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “When this happened, I thought, ‘Wow, this is the thing I didn’t know that I needed.’ I’ve known Mark for about 30 years, and working with him was like going home.”
Mark Wahlberg also spoke highly of Berry to Entertainment Tonight. He said, “I’ve always been a big fan of hers. Working with Halle is easy and a joy. Any guy or gal would want to impress her, so it was easy for me to follow her around like a puppy.”
Wahlberg praised Berry’s physical fitness and her role as a covert operative in the film, saying she is in “incredible shape.”
At the film’s opening on August 12, Berry walked the red carpet in a stunning long-sleeve black sheer dress with lace details, showcasing Wahlberg’s comments about her impressive physique.
When asked why she wore a lingerie-style dress to the premiere, Halle Berry confidently replied, “Because I can, goddamn.” Her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, agreed, saying, “Nobody else can pull that off but Halle Berry.”
Berry also attended the premiere with her 16-year-old daughter Nahla, who was thrilled to meet Wahlberg. Berry shared with People, “I got cool points when I introduced my daughter to Mark because she loves *Daddy’s Home*. It was the first time in my career that she said, ‘Oh, you know Mark Wahlberg? Okay, you’re cool.’”
Critics and fans had mixed reactions to Halle Berry’s outfit at the premiere. Some were critical of her choice, saying, “Low class hugging him dressed like that and he’s married.” Others felt the dress was too busy with lace but admired her overall appearance, with comments like, “She looks amazing, but I’m not feeling the style of her dress. I hope I look like this at 57, though. Unreal.”
Despite the criticism, many fans praised Berry’s look. “If I had her body at her age, I would dress the same,” one fan said, while another added, “She looks amazing. What is wrong with people?”
Halle Berry turned 58 recently, and many are celebrating her timeless beauty. What do you think about her dress and the reactions it’s received? Share your thoughts and help spread the birthday wishes for Halle Berry!
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