Man At Work Man at Work - Colin Hay, former lead singer of the famed, 1980s pop group Men at Work, gives a stirring soulful performance at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, Friday, May 2. (Photo Joe Orchulli II)

From the hills of Scotland, to the land Down Under and around the world, Colin Hay continues to make his mark in the music industry and in the hearts of his fans.

Former front man of the '80s multi-hit, pop-band Men At Work, Hay is on the road again performing selections from his current CD, "Are You Lookin' At Me?"

"These are some of the best tunes that I've had. It is my favorite thing that I've done so far," Hay said in an interview before his concert at The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor on Friday, May 2.

Following a cheerful, welcoming applause, Hay greeted fans comically, hanging his coat on a large coat rack full of empty hangers onstage. The show continued to be a mix of sidesplitting, random comedy, to the haunting serenade of Hay's strong, clear vocals and skillful guitar playing as he performed selections from his current CD and fan favorites from the past.

"My mum and dad had a music shop in Scotland while I was growing up, with The Hit Parade, guitars and pianos," Hay said.

That was during the time of the Beatles, his favorite band and main inspiration. Hay tells the tale in the lyrics of the title cut of his current CD, "…well that was it for me, ah never once looked back, tricks tae learn and waves tae catch, I had a plan of attack."

In 1967, his family, who are all musically talented, immigrated to Australia.

"I got my singing voice from my dad. People say it is amazing how much I sound like him. I started to write songs when I was 14-15 years old, began playing in a school band in 1968 and started playing folk clubs in 1970," Hay said.

In 1978, Hay met Ron Strykert and founded an acoustic duo, leading into the formation of Men At Work.

"Men At Work all came together in 1979 and was over by 1984-85," Hay said. But not until after creating the top selling album, "Business As Usual" in 1981 with the number one hits "Who Can It Be Now" and "Down Under."

Men At Work had the top album and single in 1982 in both the USA and the UK, something that was never achieved before by an Australian act.

"The Men At Work songs were a lot darker and had a lot of weight to them even though they were upbeat sounding," Hay said.

Since that time, Hay recorded ten solo albums including "Going Somewhere," "Looking For Jack," "Man At Work," "Wayfaring Son" and more.

"In the '90s, I was just making records, going from strength to strength, trying to figure out what to do like everybody else," Hay said.

When asked how he would advise a person wanting to pursue a career in music, Hay said, "You have to have an interest in playing music and you have to want to play. One of the hardest things to do when you are so young is to focus and to find a path, something you feel passionate about.

"When I was young, I never wanted to be a part of the straight world. What I mean by that is, I never wanted to go to a job and work from eight until whenever.

"But you have to replace it with something. Part of growing up is finding your own way. Music is great because it is a beautiful art.

"It is a great job. I love what I do," Hay said.

Hay has appeared on the TV series, "Scrubs" plus he's had songs placed on episodes of ABC's "What About Brian," NBC's "The Black Donnellys" and the CBS drama "Cane."

He also has a song on the soundtrack for the movie "Garden State" and has also been, and will be, touring again with Beatle drummer Ringo Starr.

Hay moved to Los Angeles twenty years ago and resides there currently with his wife, singer Cecilia Noel.

"Are You Lookin' At Me?" is released under Lazy Eye Records and Compass Records.

For more information, go to www.colinhay.com.