Former 1980’s South African popstar, Clive Hay has written an unusual and entertaining account of his compulsory service in the South African Defence Force in the late 1970’s. The book is titled Magirus, it is a light-hearted tale and a coming of age story about him as a young man determined to carve his own way in SANDF by forging a path in the military band for his own future music career.
Clive Hay in Sydney, Australia
This often-hilarious tale depicts a way of life in the South African military that departs from the usual political commentary you would expect from the apartheid era, with Clive using his time to capitalise on the army’s new “Leisure Time Utilisation” program. The book instead focuses on his experiences as a budding lover with the girls he encountered and his lifelong friendships he created with his bandmates.
Clive said, “This book is a work two years in execution, forty years in the making, and three years in the writing. I always felt I had a somewhat unusual tale to tell of life in the military in South Africa. My experiences at this really taught me to make the most of the challenging experiences life throws your way. I am very happy to be sharing our little army story with the world.”
Clive Hay has been a professional musician for the last 31 years, performing as a solo artist as well as playing with popular South African bands through the 80′s and 90’s. Two of his most popular songs “Eyes of The Beholder” and “Advice” were top 10 hits on South African national radio in the eighties and still receive airplay on national radio. His music has taken him travelling, from Europe, Norway and Finland, to South Africa and the USA. His solo career has included 4 hit singles, a Music Oz award nomination, a South African Music award nomination, numerous radio and television appearances including Good Morning South Africa, as well as 4 gospel albums. Clive, along with his duo Soul Tattoo, has been a familiar face on the music scene in Sydney for the last 16 years.
Clive Hay’s Interview on AMA
