Chesney Hawkes struggles to understand the "hysteria" that comes with fame
The 53-year-old singer broke onto the music scene as a teenager in 19901with his chart-topping song 'The One and Only' but admitted it would confuse him in those early days whenever an excited fan would start "screaming" if they found themselves in his presence
12 February 2025
He told The Observer: "I never really understood the hysteria of fame. I'd come face to face with a fan and they'd just scream in my face. Things are different now."
The 'Get A Hold Of Yourself' hitmaker recalled that his life "turned upside down" when he found fame, and can understand why new artists today suffer from burnout as he recalled the fast-paced nature of his early days of success.
He said: "When I performed on 'Top of the Pops' my life became crazy. Suddenly, everywhere I went there was a gaggle of girls and paparazzi. 'The One and Only' got to number one all over Europe and into the Top 10 in the States. Things turned upside down.
"I understand when I see young artists have their exhaustion moment - I once went to seven countries in one day. Very instantly your life is not your own. You have success in different territories all at the same time and you have to go and visit them. My brother and I were away from home for two years."
The pop star released his third studio album 'Get The Picture' in 1993 but it failed to chart and he remembered turning to alcohol and drugs to cope with the ordeal, before returning to music in the years that followed.
Cheney - who will release his new album 'Living Arrows' on February 28 - said: "Once the record labels dropped me, I went off the rails. I drank and took drugs to escape the fact I thought I was a washed up has-been at 22. I closed the lid on my feelings, which wasn't very healthy."
© 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity
