Voice SA finalist Olivier thanks fans for support Jeremy Olivier with Oliver Mtukudzi's manager Sam Mataure
Jeremy Olivier with Oliver Mtukudzi's manager Sam Mataure

Jeremy Olivier with Oliver Mtukudzi’s manager Sam Mataure

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
SOUTH Africa based musician Jeremy Olivier has thanked everyone for voting for him during singing competition, The Voice SA, saying he was forever indebted to his fans for their unwavering support.

After making it into the top four, Olivier lost out to The Voice SA winner Richard Stirton in Sunday’s finale.

Olivier, who is from Chinhoyi, impressed many Zimbabweans with a rendition of Oliver Mtukudzi’s hit Neria, during the competition.

Tuku then held talks with Olivier after watching the rendition sparking speculation from fans that the two would do a collaboration.

The Capetown based musician thanked his fans for voting and supporting for him throughout the competition.

“For every one of you, my fans, who voted, watched, supported, shared and gave me so much love, I am forever in your debt. You’ve shown me that there is an audience out there that appreciates what I do!!! Thank you, thank you and thank you!!! Please keep watching this space. So many amazing things to share- very shortly,” said Olivier.

Narrating his musical journey to Chronicle Showbiz, Olivier, who was born in Luanshya, Zambia, said his father Derek taught him the guitar at a young age.

“When I was 13 my father, who could play a few chords, passed on what he knew to me and within a few days I had mastered all I was shown and was hungry for more.

“I then started to teach myself and within a year, at the age of 14, I was asked to join a gigging rock band in Chinhoyi where I began touring the country playing at various functions and festivals,” said Olivier who moved to Zimbabwe at the age of three in 1978.

While in Chinhoyi, the third born in the Olivier family said his parents supported him when he decided to pursue music as a career at age 17.

“When I broke the news to my parents, who were probably hoping I’d choose accounting, or law, or some other much more sensible career path, they agreed to help me pursue my passion and decided to send me to Cape Town to study Jazz at the university’s prestigious College of Music,” said Olivier.

Full of confidence and youthful exuberance, Jeremy auditioned at the College of Music in Capetown in 1994.

He said this was the turning point in his career as he tasted rejection for the first time.

“The professors laughed at me. ‘Can you not play any Jazz at all?’ they asked.  It was a very humbling experience and this was my first taste of rejection as a musician.

“They told me to come back the following year once I had achieved at least a grade 3 Royal School of Music in guitar,” said Olivier.

He said although he was disappointed, he went back to Zimbabwe determined to follow his dream and found a classical guitar teacher to help him.

After being a student achieving a Grade 5 in guitar, Olivier went back to South Africa to audition and did not make it again.

“I didn’t make it because of affirmative action programmes for previously disadvantaged students that were being implemented that year.

Naturally I was gutted, but I refused to give up,” said Olivier.

“I stayed in Cape Town and started working in music. I moved into an apartment and by chance discovered my neighbour, Mike Wiggit, was a guitarist and singer. In no time we formed a duo and began performing at venues all over the city.”

If he had not failed twice at making it into the college, Olivier said he would not have met his wife Nicole, whom he describes as his soul mate.

“I met Nicole during my second year at university in 1997 and we fell deeply in love as I had found my soul mate. We had an instant connection and we had a lot in common as Nicole had also grown up on a large property with a family run business and shared a similar lifestyle in South Africa,” said Olivier.

Like the musician he is, in October 1997, Olivier romantically sang his proposal to Nicole, and six months later on April 4 1998, they were married.

Olivier has performed with some of South Africa’s famous musicians and artists who include Danny K, Loyiso Bala, Sibongile Khumalo, Judith Sephuma, Ard Matthews, Freshly Ground, Mango Groove and Johnny Clegg.

He has also shared the stage with international greats like the legendary George Benson, Jonathan Butler, Katherine Jenkins and more recently, Daniel Bedingfield.

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