“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.”
My Sister Billed Me $2,145 for the Surprise Birthday Party She Planned for Me – I Was Ready to Pay Until I Looked Inside Her Wallet
Christina’s 29th birthday took an astonishing twist when her sister hosted a surprise party for her, then presented her with a bill for $2,145. Shocked and caught off guard, Christina was left speechless, her evening ruined by this financial revelation. But karma had another surprise in store, turning the situation on its head.
Hey everyone, I’m Christina! I celebrated my 29th birthday last week, and believe me, it’s a birthday I’ll remember for all the wrong reasons. Quick question: How would you react if you were asked to pay for a surprise you never requested? Because that’s exactly what happened to me…
Birthdays haven’t been my thing lately. I’ve been dealing with some severe skin problems that require treatment, and as you can guess, those medical bills are no joke. Plus, the constant pressure of rent meant that having a big celebration wasn’t something I could afford this year.
I was perfectly okay with that, though. A quiet evening at home with a cake and some Netflix sounded ideal to me.
So, picture my surprise when my sister Lori called me two days before my 29th and asked about my birthday plans. Now, Lori and I are close, but she can be a bit over the top sometimes.
“Hey Lori,” I said, balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder while folding laundry. “Honestly? Probably nothing. I need to save money for those annoying medical bills, you know the drill.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and for a second, I thought the call had cut out. Then, Lori sighed. A big, dramatic sigh like the kind you make when you find out the bakery is out of croissants.
“Oh, honey,” she said in a sympathetic tone. “That’s so sad. Birthdays are meant to be special! You can’t just skip yours entirely.”
“It’s not like I’m skipping it completely,” I argued while hanging a shirt on the line. “I’m just keeping it simple. Just me and…you know…some beer, maybe some cupcakes.”
And that was it. She sighed and hung up. The rest of the week dragged on, each day inching me closer to an uncertain birthday outcome.
Finally, the big day came. My phone buzzed with birthday messages from friends and even a few colleagues, which was nice. Then, around noon, my phone rang. It was Lori.
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