Singing star lets kids into a secret

International singer, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist, Geoff Sewell, of Amici Forever fame, reckoned the Mangapapa School kids were a better audience than Elton John and his friends. The 46-year-old said he could feel the energy as soon as he walked into the school. Mr Sewell has performed in front of the Queen and Nelson Mandela, shared the stage with Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue. Here he is pictured with room 9 kids (back from left) Noah Kemp, Braxton O’Dey, Aiden Munro, Te Mania Taiapa, Dillen Viljoen, Esme Atkinson and Riley Walsh. In the middle (from left) are Reiana Huhu, Tia Mika, Reef Mullooly, Reid Cumming and Mason Norris. In front are Maddison Penfold, Nevaeh O’Dwyer, Nikau Leach, Minnie Nepia and Mia Jahnke-Maangi. Tomorrow night Mr Sewell will perform a one-night only show at the War Memorial Theatre, 7pm. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell.

“I hear your school motto is ‘reach for the stars’,” international singer and entertainer Geoff Sewell said to Mangapapa School kids this morning.

The former chartered accountant and banker told students about his own dream — to be a singer, sell millions of albums and own a home by the age of 29.

Mr Sewell said he failed “so many times” before he had success.

He created pop-opera group Amici Forever, which sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide and had two No.1 albums.

He has performed at a party for Elton John, the FA Cup final and hob-nobbed with the rich and famous in London where he now lives with his wife Simone Lanham and their two children.

But what was most important for the 46-year-old New Zealander, was to give back.

“Ask these important words, ‘How can I help you?’

“Not, ‘what’s in it for me’.

“If you do that you’ll be a huge success.”

Mr Sewell will give proceeds from his one-night-only concert tomorrow to The Sewell Foundation — a not-for-profit charity set up to help families treat autism.

Based on their own experience, Mr Sewell and his wife say on their website (www.sewellfoundation.com) that their aim is for parents, adults and the public to be aware of treatments for autism.

Mr Sewell’s concert will include two local school choirs and a performance from two 13-year-old students.

It is a personal event for Mr Sewell to honour the Gisborne community after many happy times surfing and camping in the area as a boy growing up in Hawke’s Bay.

He attended Victoria University in Wellington and worked as a banker and chartered accountant before realising “I hated it”.

“I wanted to be a singer.”

So, at 25, he wrote down his dreams.

“If you want it hard enough, if you’re passionate about it, and most important, if you write your goals down, it can happen.”

Dreams did not just happen— it was important to write them down, work hard and have 15 reasons why, he said.

Mr Sewell said most people had only two reasons why — fame and fortune.

It had to be more than that.

“The most important thing after that, is to give back.”

Geoff Sewell will perform his show The Greatest Showman at the War Memorial Theatre, tomorrow night at 7pm, tickets from Stephen Jones Photography. Adults are $91.50, seniors $81.50.