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Biography
BLP sources|date=September 2010Cleanup|date=April 2010Infobox musical artist | name = Leo Sayer| image = Sayer.JPG| caption = Leo Sayer at the 2009 Australia Day ceremony in Canberra preparing to be naturalised.| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Gerard Hugh Sayer| alias =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|5|21|df=yes Shoreham-by-Sea , Sussex , England | death_date =| origin =| instrument = Singing|Vocals , guitar , harmonica | genre = Pop music|Pop , pop rock , Disco music|disco | occupation = Musician, singer-songwriter , entertainer| years_active = 1973—present| label = Chrysalis Records ( United Kingdom|UK ) Warner Bros. Records ( United States|US ) Rhino Records (US) Universal Music ( Australia|Aus )| associated_acts =| website = http://www.leosayer.com/ leosayer.com| notable_instruments = Harmonica Leo Sayer (born Gerard Hugh Sayer , 21 May 1948) is a British people|British singer-songwriter , musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australia n citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top single (music)|singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic in the 1970s. His first seven hit single s in the United Kingdom|UK all reached the Top 40|Top 10 – a feat first registered by his one-time manager, Adam Faith .
Early life
Sayer was born on 21 May 1948 in Shoreham-by-Sea , Sussex , England .Rice, Jo. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits , first ed., Guinness Superlatives Ltd, Middlesex, UK, p.181. ISBN 0-85112-250-7 He was initially discovered by musician David Courtney (musician)|David Courtney , who then co-managed him with the singer turned manager, Adam Faith.
Career
Sayer began his music career co-writing songs with David Courtney, including "Giving It All Away", which gave Roger Daltrey of The Who his first hit without The Who in 1973.
That same year, Sayer began his career as a recording artist. At the time of his initial chart breakthrough in the UK, with his second single " The Show Must Go On (Leo Sayer song)|The Show Must Go On ", he wore a pierrot style costume and make-up and the song went quickly to number two. He had several subsequent single hits including, "One Man Band" (1974), "Long Tall Glasses" (1974) and "Moonlighting" (1975). In 1976, Sayer recorded three The Beatles|Beatles songs, " I Am the Walrus ", " Let It Be (song)|Let It Be " and " The Long and Winding Road " for the film, All This and World War II .
In 1977, he had a US number one with " You Make Me Feel Like Dancing " (a Grammy Award winner for the year's Grammy Award for Best R& B Song|best Rhythm and Blues Song ), as well as the romantic ballad, " When I Need You " (1977), which reached number one in both the UK and US. Written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager , it was Sayer's first UK chart-topper (after three number two hits) and his second successive US number one.cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2001|title=British Hit Singles|edition=14th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|page=46|isbn=0-85156-156-X It was also the first of two UK chart-toppers in a row for producer Richard Perry .
Sayer also made cover versions of Bobby Vee 's Sonny Curtis / Jerry Allison composition, " More Than I Can Say " (his fourth UK number 2 hit and US number 2), and Buddy Holly 's " Raining in My Heart " (1979) and " Orchard Road (song)|Orchard Road " in 1983. In the US, three of his singles - "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (1977), "When I Need You" (1977) and "More Than I Can Say" (1980) - were certified music recording sales certification|gold .Citation needed|date=December 2009 In 1978, Sayer made an appearance on The Muppet Show .
Sayer provided songs for the soundtrack for the English language version of the French-Belgian animated film, Le Chainon manquant in 1980. In 1981 he was the voice of Dan the forest ranger in The Raccoons on Ice , the second of four specials serving as a predecessor to the Canadian animated series, The Raccoons . He also sang several songs for the special, all of which were included on the 1983 album LakeFreeze - The Raccoons Songtrack|Lake Freeze . Citation needed|date=December 2009 In 1990, he contributed to the last studio collaboration between Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson , Woolfson's solo album Freudiana , performing "I Am A Mirror".cite web|url= http://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/Freudiana/index.html |title=Eric Woolfson's FREUDIANA - The Musical|accessdate=2008-05-29
Sayer performed at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1990, with "The Moth And The Flame" (English version of "Tu... ś" by Pino Mango|Mango ) and, in 1991, with "All Alone" (English version of "Dubbi No" by Mietta ).
In 2000, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" was featured in the hit movie|film , '' Charlie's Angels (movie)|Charlie's Angels , and was on the accompanying soundtrack album.Citation needed|date=December 2009
On 12 February 2006, he made a surprise return to number one in the UK Singles Chart , with Meck (musician)|Meck 's remix of " Thunder in My Heart (song)|Thunder In My Heart ". It was his first appearance in the UK Top 10 for almost 24 years, and his second UK chart-topper, almost three decades after his first.Citation needed|date=December 2009 In 2008 Sayer released a new album in Australia, ''Don't Wait Until Tomorrow . This album, produced by Garth Porter (from the Australian pop band Sherbet (band)|Sherbet ), and released by Universal Music Australia, featured selections from his catalog in an entirely new setting, re-arranged with strings and acoustic and jazz instrumentation.Citation needed|date=December 2009 Sayer has appeared in various TV shows including The Muppet Show (on which he sang "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", "The Show Must Go On", and "When I Need You"), The Wiggles 2008 DVD , You Make Me Feel Like Dancing'' which featured Sayer's hit of the same name, Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)|Celebrity Big Brother UK in 2007 and the Australian television comedy, Stupid, Stupid Man .
Leo Sayer: At His Very Best , a career-spanning compilation album , was released in the UK on 6 March 2006. It featured the Meck single, alongside "When I Need You" and "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing".cite web|url=Allmusic|class=album|id=at-his-very-best-r829747/review|pure_url=yes|title=Allmusic ((( At His Very Best > Leo Sayer > Review )))
Personal life
In January 1967, while 19-year old Sayer was working as a hall porter at the King's Hotel in Hove , he assisted in the rescue of guests from a fire that damaged the first floor of the hotel. He was rescued by builders working on a block of flats beside the hotel. http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5348_path 0p115p193p829p.aspx My Brighton and Hove|Places|Hotels|Bedford Hotel, King's Road|Fire at the hotel
In 2005, Sayer moved to Sydney, Australia , where he has remained. He became an Australian citizen on 26 January 2009 at a naturalization ceremony attended by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd .cite news|title=Leo Sayer becomes Australian citizen|url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/26/2474253.htm|publisher=ABC Online\date=2009-01-26
Leo Sayer's name is also used in Cockney rhyming slang , meaning "all-dayer", as in an all-day drinking session.cn|date=November 2011
Discography
Albums
Year
Album details
Peak chart positions
Certifications List of music recording sales certifications
British Phonographic Industry|UK : Silver" http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved on 27 September 2011. Note: User needs to enter "Leo Sayer" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
1974
Just a Boy
4
-
-
35
-
16
UK: Silver
1975
Another Year
8
-
-
-
-
125
UK: Silver
1976
Endless Flight
4
15
20
4
27
10
UK: Platinum
RIAA|US : Platinumcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH|title=Searchable Database|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=2011-09-27 Note: User must define 'Artist' search parameter as "Leo Sayer".
Music Canada|CAN : 2× Platinum" http://www.musiccanada.com/gpSearchResult.aspx Certified Awards Search". Music Canada . Retrieved on 27 September 2011. Note: User needs to enter "Leo Sayer" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
1977
Thunder in My Heart
8
-
14
11
19
37
UK: Gold
1978
Leo Sayer
15
-
12
21
18
101
UK: Gold
1979
The Very Best of Leo Sayer
1
-
14
1
5
-
UK: Gold
Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland|FIN : Gold" http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/artistit/leo+sayer Certified Awards Search". Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved on 11 October 2011.
CBBUKHMS Persondata | NAME = Sayer, Leo | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Sayer, Gerard Hugh | SHORT DESCRIPTION = British people|British singer-songwriter , musician, and entertainer | DATE OF BIRTH = 21 May 1948 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Shoreham-by-Sea , Sussex , England | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Sayer, Leo Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Grammy Award winners Category:British soft rock musicians Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English songwriters Category:People from Shoreham-by-Sea Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English expatriates in Australia Category:English emigrants to Australia Category:Australian people of English descent Category:Big Brother UK contestants Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia
