Seventies British pop star Leo Sayer said on Monday he will move to Australia to restart his career in a country that respects its musical heroes.
The London-based, curly-headed singer who had hits in Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe and South Africa with songs such as You Make Me Feel Like Dancing and When I Need You said he is disillusioned with the modern music industry in Britain.
”It’s just the way the world has gone, and you have to realise that [in] Australia, ostensibly, show business is a younger market and it’s much more interesting and it’s much more inspiring so, yeah, it would be great to sort of kick things off for me again in Australia,” the 56-year-old told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio in Canberra in a telephone interview from London.
”Whereas, OK, it’s very tough over here [Britain] because they only want really young artists and they only want to have manufactured pop,” he added.
Sayer acknowledged that the music industries in Australia and the US are similarly focused on youth and manufactured acts.
”You do have that, yeah, but you still respect your heroes,” he said. ”All the people that mean a lot to you musically are still kind of very much respected and that’s good and that carries on.”
Sayer said relocating to Australia by the age of 55 has long been a goal.
”I though by that time, I’d be kind of the most successful artist in the world and probably be thinking about retirement but, no, the work still goes on,” he said. ”But I kind of feel I can … still do the world from Australia.”
He added: ”I’m definitely disillusioned with the music industry but then again, who working in the music industry here [Britain] isn’t?”
Sayer said he already has a visa to settle in Australia and will make a brief trip in January to find a home. — Sapa-AP