“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.”
This kitchen is where the big dog is hiding. Can you find it?
This kitchen is where the big dog is hiding. Can you find it?
It’s interesting how optical illusions and other images that mess with your mind can almost change the way you think.
Lots of pictures like this can be found on the web and in old books, but this one is real.
There’s a “invisible” person in this picture, but it’s not a sneaky thief or intruder…
The thing that everyone is looking for is a dog.
This picture is so tricky that even people who are good at seeing optical illusions get it…
The big dog is right in front of you. Can you see it? Look at the picture below!
(Don’t stress if you can’t find it right away. We’ll show you how to do it until you understand…
7 News Perth says that a woman named Christina Suvo was the first person to share the picture.
Christina said she saw a dog in the picture.
But a lot of people were not sure. There don’t seem to be any living things in the picture. But believe me, that’s a dog.
The whole kitchen can be seen here. Now you can see the dog.
Don’t worry if you can’t find him. We also didn’t see it at first.
We’ll solve this optical illusion the way most people do: by cutting the picture up into squares.
Start with the top left square and work your way down.
Have you yet found the dog? He’s in box four, which is a clue.
Click on the picture below to find out exactly where the dog is!
Even though it’s still hard to see him, you can probably make out the difference between his lighter stomach and the black carpet.
In the picture above, the arrows point to the dog’s eyes, ears, and stomach.
Yes, the black dog is still hard to see on the black carpet, but he’s there.
It’s easy to see that his stomach is lighter and the inside of his ears are pink.
You can see the dog better in the picture above if you’re still having trouble. This time, he’s getting extra attention.
Now you should be able to see the dog’s face very well. We love his big eyes and long nose. One of his ears looks like it’s backwards.
The dog is a black Labrador adult. That big of a dog was able to hide in this picture! Labradors usually weigh between 65 and 75 pounds (30 to 35 kilos).
Did the dog show up the first time?
This article is great for people who like optical illusions and clever Where’s Waldo pictures. Please share it on Facebook with your friends and family!
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