Darren Hayes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Darren Hayes
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Hayes in 2012
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Darren Stanley Hayes
8 May 1972 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
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Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He is also a music producer and composer. He became famous as the lead singer of the pop duo Savage Garden. The band released their first album, Savage Garden, in 1997. It was a huge hit, reaching number 1 in Australia. It also did very well in the UK and the US. This album included popular songs like "I Want You" and "Truly Madly Deeply". The duo followed up with another successful album, Affirmation, in 1999. This album featured hits like "I Knew I Loved You". Savage Garden stopped making music together in 2001.
Darren Hayes then started his solo career. His first solo album, Spin, came out in 2002. It sold two million copies around the world. The album included the hit song "Insatiable". He later released more albums, including The Tension and the Spark (2004) and This Delicate Thing We've Made (2007). After a break, Hayes returned in 2022 with his fifth album, Homosexual. His autobiography, Unlovable, was published in November 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
When Darren Hayes was at school, he faced bullying. He described himself as a very emotional and excited teenager. He loved movies like Star Wars and E.T..
In 1987, he saw his hero Michael Jackson perform live in Brisbane. This experience encouraged him to become an entertainer. Other artists who inspired him include Stevie Nicks, Madonna, and Prince. He has said that U2's "With or Without You" is a very moving song.
Music Career Highlights
1993–2001: Savage Garden Success
In 1993, Darren Hayes saw an advertisement in a music magazine. Daniel Jones was looking for a singer for his band, Red Edge. Hayes got the spot, even though his voice cracked during the audition! The band later broke up. In 1994, Hayes and Jones formed a new duo. They first called themselves Crush, then Bliss. Finally, they chose the name Savage Garden. This name came from a book by Anne Rice.
Savage Garden started recording their first album in 1995. Their first song, "I Want You", came out in 1996. It was the best-selling song by an Australian artist that year. Their second song, "To the Moon and Back", reached number one in Australia. "Truly Madly Deeply" was their second number one hit. Their first album, Savage Garden, was the top-selling album in Australia in 1997. The duo won ten ARIA awards.
Hayes moved to New York City to help Savage Garden become famous worldwide. "Truly Madly Deeply" became a number one hit in America in 1998. The Savage Garden album sold seven million copies in the US.
In New York City, Hayes wrote songs for their next album, Affirmation. This album was released in 1999 and was another big hit. The main song, "I Knew I Loved You", reached number one in the United States. The album sold six million copies globally by 2000. Savage Garden performed the album's title song at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Savage Garden officially broke up in October 2001. By then, they had sold over 23 million albums. Darren Hayes has said that the group will "never" reunite.
2002–2004: Solo Albums Spin and The Tension and the Spark
Hayes released his first solo album, Spin, in 2002. It had a similar pop sound to Savage Garden, but with more R&B influences. The first song, "Insatiable", was a ballad and reached number 3 in Australia. Other songs like "Strange Relationship" also did well. The album reached the Top 5 in Australia and the UK.
Hayes then spent two years working on his second solo album, The Tension and the Spark. He produced most of the album himself with Robert Conley. This album was very different, with an electronic sound. While it received good reviews, it was not as popular with all his fans. The first song, "Pop!ular", came out in 2004. It reached number one on the US Dance Charts.
A song Hayes wrote, "When You Say You Love Me", was recorded by Clay Aiken in 2003. It was also covered by Human Nature and later re-recorded with Hayes singing on it.
2005–2010: New Directions and Independent Music
In 2005, Hayes wrote "So Beautiful" with Robert Conley. This song was included on Savage Garden's greatest hits album, Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden.
In 2006, Hayes left Columbia Records after ten years. He then started his own record label, Powdered Sugar. He released his third solo album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, in 2007 through his new label. This was a double album with 25 songs. The first song from it was "On the Verge of Something Wonderful".
In 2007, Hayes performed songs from the album on "The Time Machine World Tour". He played in small, special shows around the world. Tickets for these shows sold out very quickly. He also headlined London Gay Pride in Trafalgar Square. The tour included famous places like The Royal Albert Hall in the UK and the State Theatre in Sydney. A DVD of his performance in Brisbane was released.
In 2009, Hayes and Robert Conley released another album together called We Are Smug. This album was very electronic and was offered as a free download.
2011–2021: Secret Codes and Battleships and Break from Music
In 2011, Hayes signed a new record deal with Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia. He released his fourth studio album, Secret Codes and Battleships, in October 2011. The first song from the album was "Talk Talk Talk". Other songs released as singles included "Black Out the Sun" and "Bloodstained Heart". Hayes went on "The Secret" Tour in the UK and Australia.
After 2013, Hayes took a break from his music career. He explored stand-up comedy and continued to share short singing videos online. In 2019, he was featured on Cub Sport's song "I Never Cried So Much in My Whole Life". In 2020, he recorded a new version of "Truly Madly Deeply".
2022–Present: Homosexual Album and Tour
On 26 January 2022, Hayes released a new song, "Let's Try Being in Love". The music video for the song featured actor Scott Evans. Hayes explained that he wanted to celebrate his true self through his music. The song did well on download charts in the UK and Australia.
On 27 January 2022, Hayes announced he would perform at the 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. He sang "The Animal Song", "I Want You", "Affirmation", and "Let's Try Being in Love" live for the first time.
In March 2022, Hayes announced the "Do You Remember? Tour" for Australia in 2023. He would perform songs from both Savage Garden and his solo career. He also released the song "Do You Remember?". In June 2022, he released "Poison Blood", which talks about living with depression.
On 18 August 2022, Hayes announced his fifth studio album, Homosexual, would be released in October. He said the album was about finding joy and reclaiming his identity. Homosexual debuted on the Australian Digital Albums chart and the UK Albums Chart.
In 2023, Hayes released a music video for "Feels Like It's Over". He also competed on The Masked Singer Australia as Grim Reaper, finishing in second place. His memoir, Unlovable, was released in November 2024.
Other Projects
In December 2014, Hayes started a comedy podcast called "The He Said, He Said Show". He also co-hosted a movie review podcast called "We Paid to See This". You can find some of his comedy sketches on his YouTube page. He has also been writing an original musical.
Personal Life
Darren Hayes married his childhood friend, Colby Taylor, in 1994. They separated in 1998 and divorced in 2000. Many of the songs on Savage Garden's second album, Affirmation, were inspired by this time.
Hayes married his partner, Richard Cullen, in a private ceremony in London in 2005. They later had a formal civil partnership in 2006. In 2013, they also married in California to support equal marriage rights. Hayes announced in September 2024 that their divorce was finalized in August.
Hayes is a big fan of Star Wars and collects memorabilia. He even tried out for a role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. He is also a fan of the Japanese animated series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Discography
Studio albums
- Spin (2002)
- The Tension and the Spark (2004)
- This Delicate Thing We've Made (2007)
- Secret Codes and Battleships (2011)
- Homosexual (2022)
Awards and Recognition
Darren Hayes has won several awards for his music. With Savage Garden, he won multiple APRA Awards for Songwriter of the Year and for Most Performed Australian Work Overseas. He also received nominations at the ARIA Music Awards.
Images for kids
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Hayes in 2012
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Darren Hayes performing on tour in 2006
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Hayes performing in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Darren Hayes para niños
