George Ezra: My fame has peaked

The singer said he goes incognito in silly hats 
Peaked: George Ezra is at the top of his game
Anne-Marie Sanderson
The Weekender

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George Ezra has said he believes he will not reach the next level of celebrity - as it is “not in him” to court fame.

The pop star, 25, has followed up hits Paradise and Budapest with single Shotgun, which enjoyed weeks at Number One on the Official Singles Chart, only beaten to top spot this week by Drake.

But the musician does not think he is cut out to become any more famous, with the attention on his personal life it would bring. He already wears a “really silly hat” and shades on long relaxing walks around London “so no one recognises me”, and would choose to be more mysterious if he could go back in time.

Ezra told the Standard: “I could be wrong, but I think for me to get into a different level of celebrity I would have to court it, and I just don’t think it’s in me to do it, so I don’t think it will ever be more than it is for me now.

Top of the charts: George Ezra shot to the top with Shotgun
OfficialCharts.com

“And because of the way I spend my spare time and free time and everything, I don’t think it will ever happen even if I wanted it to, because it’s not in me. I think this is where it will be at.”

He added: “Normally people are a bit disappointed when they meet me - I guess I’m not very confident with people I don’t know very well.

“Most people in my situation, I think ideally we would do what we do with no one knowing who we are, but you learn that too late - so I wish I’d done a Sia, but I didn’t.”

His true aim is to keep touring, and to ensure he stays humble so as not to end up “looking like a prat”.

He said: “If I can keep this up, if I can make it so we can always go out and tour that would be brilliant. My one regret with this album is that it took so long, so I am hoping to move quicker to the next.

“I am very aware that the lifestyle I lead could just disappear like ‘that’, so you could tell yourself you belong somewhere and then when it does disappear you look like a prat.

Stage presence: George Ezra says he does it for the live shows
Yui Mok/PA

“The only bit I love, and the reason that I do it, is the performing and I forget that, regularly, until I am on stage... You spend the whole day on a festival site convinced you’d be better off somewhere else until you get there.”

Originally from Hertford, Ezra has previously spoken about experiencing “an acute feeling of worthlessness” and negative thought patterns. He spoke after listening attentively to a music therapy session at charity Nordoff Robbins, which offers Londoners struggling with mental health, learning and other disabilities free music therapy sessions to aid communication and emotional wellbeing.

Ezra said: “I take it for granted how music benefits me… Music means you stop thinking about other things.

“The therapy is very inspiring.

Nordoff Robbins support thousands of people through their own centres and by working in partnership with a wide range of organisations including care homes, schools and hospitals.

Ezra, who watched a session with Ben, a young Londoner with learning disabilities who is blind and uses a wheelchair, added: “ From what I saw today, the music therapy benefits Ben in a number of ways, it is something we looks forward to once a week – he knows he has got this thing where he is able to express himself. “

For more information please visit Nordoff-robbins.org.uk

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