Guy Sebastian Beyond the Hype
It’s hard to believe that just a year ago, no-one had heard of Guy Sebastian. Since his Australian Idol win in November last year, 22-year-old Guy Sebastian has been one of the most recognisable faces in Australia and the phenomenon has rewritten music industry record books.
Guy was last man standing of the 10,000 who auditioned for the Australian version of the worldwide Idol phenomenon. The series was Australia’s second biggest television event in 2003, after the Rugby Union World Cup. More than 20 million votes were cast to determine the eventual winner, and the final episode attracted an audience of nearly four million.*
And the numbers got bigger. His single release—“Angels Brought Me Here”—sold 128,000 copies in its first week and his album, recorded in the six days following his win, had an initial release of 300,000. Both figures are records for Australian artists, placing Guy instantly among the all-time greats of Australian music.
ordinary Guy
Guy’s distinctive look derives from his mixed heritage. His father is Sri Lankan–
Portuguese, while his mother is English– Portuguese. Guy himself is Malaysian born. Until fame struck, he was a singing teacher in Adelaide, dropping out of studies in medical radiation because he wanted to sing. He’s worked less-than-glamorous jobs, cleaning in a nursing home and driving trucks.
“I was doing it to afford studio gear and my parents were sweating because I’d left uni and they were wanting the best for me. And so I’m freaking out and trying to make stuff happen by myself. I went through so many years going ‘What do I do to get to where I want to be?’
“And then one day I literally took all those stresses and threw them off. I decided not to worry about it anymore. I gave it all up. A song I’ve sung regularly sums up what I did. It’s called ‘I Surrender All,’ which is an old hymn. And basically, from that moment on I knew that everything that happened was ordered and had purpose for me. And it kind of just started rolling from there. I was offered a teaching job and suddenly 40 students just rolled up. And then I entered Idol.”
extraordinary Guy
That night in November changed Guy’s future forever “It totally changed my life,” he says. “The core stuff is still the same, but every physical part of my life has changed. I’ve moved from Adelaide to Sydney. That in itself is such a huge difference—Adelaide is so quiet and it’s so different to Sydney. Sydney is pretty full-on and I don’t really know many people there.
“I miss the little things. I miss playing indoor cricket with my friends. I miss going fishing with my brothers. And those little things that you take for granted when you are living a normal life.”
But in the frenzy that’s become the life of Guy Sebastian, his relationships have given him a personal foundation. “I think I’ve just surrounded myself with really good people, and that constant relationship kind of guards me,” he reflects. “Not only spiritual relationships, but personal relationships with people who’ve been my mentors, like my [church] pastors back home who I am in constant communication with. And my parents are just incredible and my friends are all great.
“I get so much support and so many great comments in the press about my faith and just about me standing up and not changing—being myself.”
being Guy
Despite this support network, Guy’s instant fame was always going to be a test of his faith and personality. But six months later, he sees an unexpected benefit.
“Growing up in church I was so involved,” says Guy. “I’d go to church four or five times a week—rehearsals and fellowships and everything else. You become complacent when you aren’t personally keeping in touch. Then, suddenly, I was whipped out of that.
hese days, going to church is a rarity. So I’ve had to maintain my faith for myself—and that’s helped me grow.”
And that faith has had an influence. “I took a firm stance from the start. Lyrically, when I was given [objectionable] songs, I wouldn’t sing them. Management from BMG [Guy’s record company] were going to kill me. We had two weeks left of the show; we had to have an album done in six days and I’d picked only four songs because they were sending me songs that just weren’t me, both musically and morally. So we ended up with an album that I’m proud of, despite the time it took.”
Guy is also conscious of his new role-model status. He tells of an indoor-cricket game after his Idol win in which he lost his temper with an umpire, only to be quickly reminded of his new responsibility by autograph requests from young onlookers and fans.
“Britney Spears can’t wake up tomorrow and say, ‘I don’t want to be a role model.’ She’s in the public eye and whatever she does, good or bad, it influences kids who look up to her. I can’t wake up tomorrow and say, ‘I don’t want to be a role model anymore; it’s too much pressure.’”
In light of his popularity in Australia and growing overseas recognition, the analogy is appropriate. “It’s just something I’ve had to cope with and deal with—and make the most of,” says Guy. “I’m never going to be perfect; I’m never going to be better than anybody else, but I can try.”
beyond Idol
With a new Australian Idol to be launched over the next few months, Guy is beginning to look to his future in music, whatever that may be. “I’ve come across so many people in this industry, and it’s funny what people base their self-worth on,” Guy muses. “They base their self-worth on how many screams they get or how many autographs they sign. Their popularity is everything to them. I know that three years down the track, that might not happen, so that’s not what I base my self-worth on.”
After performing at the Logies in April, Guy headed overseas to work on a new album with some of his musical heroes. But he is circumspect about his future. “I believe everything has a season, and I know that this season is preparing me for the next season, whether it be sitting in a studio and producing music and writing songs for other people, or whether I’m out in ministry. I really don’t know. But I know that each season has a plan, and it’s going to prepare me for the next one.
“To tell you the truth, I didn’t always dream of being famous. I always dreamt of being able to sing and make records. I just roll with it, and I’m sure that more dreams than I’ve had will unfold. And, if not, so be it.
“I think true fulfilment lies in being fulfilled in what you are doing, knowing that it has a purpose and knowing that where you are is where you are meant to be.”
Statistics: from the Rolling Stone Yearbook 2003/2004.
a big-hair day out
Across the Easter weekend, everyone at the annual Australian Gospel Music Festival in Toowoomba, Qld, was talking Guy. Even the artists seemed distracted. And when he made his appearance, the site was packed.
His performance featured his pop hits and Idol highlights, but also an a cappella medley of traditional hymns. “I think Christian music plays a big role in the music scene,” Guy explains. “I’d love to see it play a bigger role.
“Every opportunity I’ve had to do something for the gospel scene, I’ve taken—every opportunity that I’ve physically been able to.”
Guy is keen to maintain his links with Christian music, particularly the Planetshakers group with whom he sang before his sudden stellar rise. “I sang on our church album four weeks ago,” he reports. “That’s pretty much unheard of as far as a signed artist to be able to do that. But when there were contract negotiations, I had negotiated quite a bit and it went into my contract. It’s pretty important to me.
“I’ve grown up in church. I’ve grown up with an incredible family—great parents, a really good upbringing—strict but good. I think my upbringing has shaped me as person and enables me to cope [with the Australian Idol experience].
“I will never say that I got to where I am on my own merits. I definitely think that the support and the prayers I received were just incredible for me.”
Perhaps his AGMF appearance was a way of saying thank you to his roots. But whatever, Guy Sebastian certainly made an impact.
For our interview sound file downloads of Guy Sebastian, Click here.
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This is an extract from June 2004
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