Following in the somewhat ill-advised footsteps of Sinead O’Connor and subsequently Amanda Palmer, former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay has penned an open letter to troubled pop star Justin Bieber, following his arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.
According to the missive, posted to his official Facebook page, Hay penned the cautioning note while preparing for a show. “It would seem that your antics of late have caused comments from many, and predictably, those with the least amount of talent, lash with the harshest tongues,” he writes.
Echoing sentiments expressed in O’Connor’s letter to Miley Cyrus, Hay warns Bieber of the distraction and corrupting influence of fame, drawing parallels between his own career and Bieber’s, writing, “We were kings for a couple of years. It was explosive. When the dust settled, I was alone.”
“I don’t know you, but I care about you…and in the end we all cry for our mama,” adds Hay. “The person holding your diet coke and slice of pizza is not necessarily your friend, and when your entourage shrinks, whether by design or circumstance, be glad, and just breathe.”
Hay goes on to advise Bieber that “only in creative endeavor and service to others, do we receive by default, some salvation,” adding, “We know you can sing, dance, and apparently are quite handy with a spray can. But, we haven’t really heard you speak. Only time will tell if you have something to say.”
In addition to the DUI charge, Bieber, released on a $2861.56 bond, faces charges of resisting arrest and driving with an expired Georgia state licence. News of the singer’s most recent brush with the law has seen immigration lawyers warning Bieber that his conduct could see him kicked out of the US.
As Fairfax reports, Bieber was already under investigation for allegedly egging a neighbour’s house in Los Angeles, which led to police searching his home. By Friday afternoon, an online petition on the official White House website calling for Bieber’s deportation had amassed 8000 signatures.
Colin Hay’s Open Letter To Justin Bieber
Dear Mr. Bieber,
I am using you as a distraction, I have a show tonight, and I should be practising my pentatonics. I will, in a minute. It would seem that your antics of late have caused comments from many, and predictably, those with the least amount of talent, lash with the harshest tongues. It happens. Your kind of success has always been precarious. In the early 80s, I had monumental commercial success with my old band Men At Work, and although time and circumstances were different, some parallels can be drawn. Our first album “Business As Usual” sold over 10 million copies, was number 1 on the Billboard charts for 16 weeks, until Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” knocked us off. Good company indeed. We were kings for a couple of years. It was explosive. When the dust settled, I was alone. I looked around and everyone had left the party. My acoustic guitar was sitting in the corner, and luckily for me, it waited patiently till I eventually picked it up. For only in creative endeavor and service to others, do we receive by default, some salvation. Nothing else is important, everything else is distraction, like this note to you. But I felt compelled to write to you, albeit indirectly. I don’t know you, but I care about you, as you are a little one, like all of us, and in the end we all cry for our mama. The person holding your diet coke and slice of pizza is not necessarily your friend, and when your entourage shrinks, whether by design or circumstance, be glad, and just breathe. We know you can sing, dance, and apparently are quite handy with a spray can. But, we haven’t really heard you speak. Only time will tell if you have something to say.
Colin
