Colin Hay

Colin Hay Artistfacts

  • June 29, 1953
  • Sia Furler is his niece. Colin was big David Letterman fan, and when 11-year-old Sia came to visit him in New York, they watched the show together. When Sia first appeared on the show, it was a very emotional moment for Colin.
  • His band Men At Work was one of the most popular acts in the world from 1982-1985, but they split up after just three albums. Hay launched his solo career with his 1987 album Looking For Jack, but it flopped, as did his next effort, Wayfaring Sons, in 1990. Dropped from his label, he went through a dark period where his first wife left him, as he had become an alcoholic. It took him about five years to get sober, at which point he was able to rebuild his career.
  • Regarding his penchant for touring, he said, "It makes me feel useful. Everybody has to find their place in this expanding universe. This is my place."
  • He got a big break when Zach Braff of the popular TV series Scrubs turned one of the show's writers on to Colin's music. The 2002 Season 2 debut was built around Hay's Men At Work song "Overkill," with Colin playing a troubadour who performs it throughout the episode. He made two more appearances on the show, and four episodes in total feature his songs. To some younger listeners, he is known as "the guy from Scrubs," not "the guy from Men At Work."
  • He had prostate cancer, a topic he would sometimes bring up on stage.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

Eric Clapton

Eric ClaptonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.