LEO Sayer shot to fame in the 70s with his catchy songs.
His musical career has spanned five decades, and brought him great success.
Who is Leo Sayer?
Leo Sayer was born Gerard Hugh Sayer on May 21, 1948.
He was raised by his English father Thomas Sayer and Irish mother Teresa Nolan in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, and has two siblings – older sister Kathleen and younger brother Brian.
The singer's family were devout Catholics and after serving as an altar boy Sayer was invited to join the choir by his parish priest.
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To this day the singer credits "the finding of his voice" to Father MacHale, who provided Sayer with singing guidance from a young age.
When he was just 18, he was discovered by musician David Courtney who went on to co-manage him with former pop singer Adam Faith.
Later in life, Sayer went on to make a name for himself on reality TV when he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2007, which featured the controversial scenes between the late Jade Goody and Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.
He famously threw a tantrum when Big Brother bosses refused to provide him with clean underwear.
What are Leo Sayer's biggest hit songs?
Sayer launched his singing career in the early 1970s.
But the musician's debut single Why Is Everybody Going Home, which was released in 1973, failed to even make it to the charts.
His second single The Show Must Go On is what helped Sayer achieve musical popularity.
The single peaked at number two and when the songwriter performed it on British TV, he wore a Pierrot costume and make-up.
His biggest hits in the UK include.
- One Man Band
- You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
- Long Tall Glasses
- Thunder In My Heart
Sayer's first seven hit singles reached the Top 10 in the UK.
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He had two UK number one hits with When I Need You in 1977 and Thunder in my Heart Again in 2006.
His songs have been covered by other legendary singers including Sir Cliff Richard who he co-wrote the iconic hit Dreaming with.
In 1976 the pop star recorded three songs for the Beatles themed film All This and World War II:
- I Am the Walrus
- Let It Be
- The Long and Winding Road
Sayer achieved global success in the US, Sweden, Norway and New Zealand.
The peak of the star's career was in 1977 when he bagged two consecutive number one hits in the US.
The first, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, won a Grammy Award for the year's best Rhythm and Blues Song.
The second was for romantic ballad When I Need You.
What is Leo Sayer's net worth?
Thanks to his back catalogue of songs, Sayer is worth a small fortune.
As of January 2023 he has a reported net worth of £4M.
He has also boosted his bank balance through touring and TV appearances.
Is Leo Sayer married and does he have children?
On April 18, 2023 it was revealed Sayer had finally wed his partner of 39 years.
The musician is now married to his second second wife Donatella Piccinetti, who he started a relationship with in the 80s.
The happy couple live together in Australia.
Sayer was previously married Janice Lisseter in 1973 but after eleven years of marriage they divorced in 1985.