Leo Sayer's Irish soul and broader backstory

Irish Post

a day ago

FOR Leo Sayer, Ireland was never just the place his mother came from — it was the heart of his childhood summers, the wellspring of his inspiration, and the secret engine of his songs.
Long before You Make Me Feel Like Dancing became a Grammy-winning anthem, young Gerard Hugh Sayer — born in Shoreham-by-Sea on England's south coast — was perched on a barstool in Belfast's Crown Liquor Saloon, listening to Dominic Behan recite poetry and soaking up the wild lyricism of the Irish oral tradition.
Leo Sayer has strong Irish connections.
His mother, Teresa Nolan, was born near Enniskillen, and her family are all based around the border counties, both north and south.
She came from a large family, so Leo — or Gerard, as he was born — still has cousins, nieces and nephews scattered around the region.
'We'd load into the car and head for Fermanagh. My mum and dad and three kids — every summer until I was about 15 or 16. 'Home' in Ireland was Maguiresbridge,' Leo says.
'So from about the age of three or four till I was 15 or 16, it was Fermanagh every summer. Of course, we'd travel about to other counties — Donegal and Sligo, mostly.
"I had one grandfather who had a farm near Swanlinbar in Cavan. Another grandfather, Hugh Nolan, was postmaster in Newry. A great man altogether!'
Leo Sayer has strong Irish connections (Pic: Tony Mott)
So Gerard (Leo) Sayer's early years were typical of so many children of the diaspora — particularly in the 20th century — and still part of the yearly rhythm for many families in the 21st.
Leo was interested in music from an early age.
'The family were devout Catholics, and so I became an altar boy. Our parish priest in Shoreham, Father Dermot MacHale, really helped my interest in music — singing in particular. I was an altar boy, then a chorister, and that brought my singing voice along. He was a big inspiration.'
Leo has perfect pitch and a photographic music memory, which helped him carve out a stratospherically successful career.
Inspiration for Leo's lyricism also came from another family connection.
'Through one side of my family in Ireland,' he says, 'and this is an interesting connection — we are related to the Behan family.
'So if you can imagine a young kid of, like, seven or eight years old going to Belfast and sitting in that famous pub opposite the Europa Hotel, the Crown Liquor Saloon bar... sitting there and hearing poetry coming from Dominic Behan — and sometimes his brother Brendan Behan, when he was out of nick, you know.
'So I heard those guys, and the passion of writing. I remember Dominic recommending Flann O'Brien, and reading his books — and James Joyce as well.' Leo — the musical career
Leo moved to London in late 1967, right at the moment the youth revolution was changing the world.
There, he met painters and musicians, started writing poetry and working on a book. By day, he designed record covers and illustrated top '60s magazines. By night, he frequented Soho and Kensington folk clubs — and sometimes got up to play the harmonica.
'I was at art school. I was very much into folk and blues music, and I was playing harmonica.
After a while, I went up to London and hung out with loads of musicians — some of them from the acoustic world, people like John Martyn and Ralph McTell, even some Irish musicians as well, you know... but also kind of hanging out with blues bands.
I was singing with people like Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, before they were in Cream with Eric Clapton, in the Graham Bond Organisation.
So I'd be sitting in on gigs, singing, playing harmonica — and that was, for me, a nice contrast to working in the art studio during the day... sometimes doing rather boring work.'
Sayer pictured in 1974
In 1970, a talent contest led him to David Courtney, a songwriter and drummer.
The two clicked creatively, writing songs in Courtney's Brighton flat. Their demos caught the attention of Courtney's former bandmate, Adam Faith, who soon managed Leo and launched his career.
His 1973 debut album Silverbird — featuring the now-iconic Pierrot image — established him as a unique voice, bolstered by support from Roger Daltrey, who recorded several Sayer-penned tracks.
Hits from his second album Just A Boy confirmed Leo's popularity, even after ditching the clown costume. International tours followed, showcasing his dynamic stage presence in venues like The Troubadour in L.A.
After parting ways with Courtney, Sayer continued to score hits, including Moonlighting, and by 1976 had teamed with producer Richard Perry.
The result was Endless Flight, featuring You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (US No.1, Grammy winner) and When I Need You (No.1 worldwide), cementing his global fame.
His band included alumni of the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder, and he appeared regularly on US television.
Albums like Thunder in My Heart and Leo Sayer followed, but by the early 1980s, career pressures and personal changes — including divorce and a dissatisfaction with the drift toward cabaret — took a toll.
A comeback came with 1980's Living in a Fantasy, powered by the hit More Than I Can Say. Collaborations with Alan Tarney and Arif Mardin brought further chart success.
In the 1990s, he embraced dance-pop and found surprising popularity in Russia and Vietnam. A 1997 remix revived student interest, and in 2006 a DJ Meck version of Thunder in My Heart returned Leo to the UK No.1 spot.
With multiple reinventions and a career spanning decades, Leo Sayer remains a significant figure in international pop history.
He now lives in Australia, in the wine region of New South Wales.
'It's an area called the Southern Highlands. It's lovely, only about 600 people here live here in our town. It's nice and quiet, and have my studio in my house where I make all my records.
"It gives me a great sense of freedom living here, and has really reignited my love for music — not that the flme had ever really gone out'
He remains busy, touring as well as recording. His British and Irish tour begins next month at the GuilFest in Cranleigh. Leo Sayer's tour of England and Ireland
Saturday, July 5 — GuilFest 2025, Cranleigh
Monday, July 7 — Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
Wednesday, July 9 — Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Friday, July 11 — National Opera House, Wexford
Saturday, July 12 — Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
Sunday, July 13 — Cork Opera House, Cork
Friday, July 25 — Ulster Hall, Belfast
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