Colin Hay

Colin James Hay (born 29 June 1953) is a Scottish-Australian musician, singer, songwriter, and actor.

He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.

Colin James Hay was born on 29 June 1953 in Saltcoats, a town on the west coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland to James and Isabela Hay.

In 1967, when he was 14, the Hays emigrated to Melbourne in Australia.

His parents owned a small music shop; his father, a piano tuner, had been a stage singer and dancer in Glasgow.

In 1978, Hay met Ron Strykert and they formed an acoustic duo.

In 1979, Hay and Strykert added Jerry Speiser and Greg Ham started composing songs for what would become Men at Work.

The band released their debut studio album, Business as Usual, in 1981, which was followed by Cargo (1983) and Two Hearts (1985) before breaking up in January 1986.

In 1986, Hay joined as guest vocalist with the Incredible Penguins for a cover of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", a charity project for research on little penguins, which peaked at No. 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report in December 1985.

Following the break-up of Men at Work in 1986, Hay released his debut single "Hold Me" in January 1987.

The song peaked at number 40 on the Kent Music Report.

His debut studio album, Looking for Jack was released in January 1987 and peaked at number 58.

Hay relocated to Los Angeles in 1989.

He settled in the Topanga region of the city and has resided in the United States since.

In March 1990, Hay released "Into My Life", the lead single from his second studio album, Wayfaring Sons, which was released in April 1990.

Neither single nor album reached the ARIA top 100.

The album was credited to the Colin Hay Band, which consisted of Gerry Hale, Paul Gadsby and Robert Dillon.

In 1992, Hay released the acoustic album Peaks & Valleys.

The album featured Hay's sister, Carol on vocals.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994, Hay was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as a member of Men at Work.

In 1994, Hay established his own recording label, Lazy Eye Records, and released his fourth studio album, Topanga.

Hay has made appearances in movies such as Cosi (1996) and in television shows such as The Larry Sanders Show, JAG, The Mick Molloy Show, A Million Little Things, and Scrubs.

In Scrubs, he performs an acoustic version of the Men at Work hit "Overkill".

His music also appeared in the television series What About Brian, The Black Donnellys, Cane, and the BBC medical drama Casualty.

In 1996, Hay reunited with Men at Work and toured South America, which led to the live Men at Work album, Brazil.

In October 1998, Hay released his fifth studio album, Transcendental Highway and in 1999 recorded and released the song "Misty Bay" with his girlfriend, Cecilia Noël.

Hay's music has been used frequently by actor and director Zach Braff in his work, which helped a career rebirth in the mid-2000s.

Hay has also been a member of Ringo Starr's Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

On 1 October 2000, Hay performed with Men at Work at the 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

In 2001, Hay released his sixth studio album, Going Somewhere.

In 2002, Hay released his seventh studio album Company of Strangers and the video album Live at the Continental recorded in 2000.

In July 2003, Hay released his eighth studio album, Man @ Work, re-recording some Men at Work hits and his solo songs, including a reimagined version of "Down Under" recorded with Hay's wife, Cecilia Noël, described as "more carnivale than outback".

Hay toured North America with former Beatles Ringo Starr, as a member of his Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

In 2004, Hay launched his one-man show named Man at Work, a mixture of songs and stories.

In 2006 Hay provided his voice for one of the characters in the computer-animated film The Wild.

In April 2007, Hay released his ninth studio album, Are You Lookin' at Me?.

In 2008, Hay plays the role of Nick at the horror movie The Uninvited.

In May 2009, Hay performed at the Artist for the Arts Foundation benefit at Barnum Hall, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, California.

Performing alongside Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, Fee Waybill of the Tubes, Venice, and over 70 members of the Santa Monica High School Orchestra and Girls Choir, the benefit helped to provide funds for the continuation of music education in public schools.

In January 2016, he became a US citizen.