Be who I am and say what I feel.你對生活愈有興趣 你的世界就有愈多喜樂與成功

Former Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes has stunned some of his fans by announcing that he is gay.

The singer posted a message on his official Web site on Monday, revealing that on June 19th he married his boyfriend of two years, Richard Cullen. The couple had a Civil Partnership ceremony in London.

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“I can honestly say it was the happiest day of my life,” wrote Hayes, who was previously married for two years to a woman. “I feel lucky to live in an era where my relationship can be considered legally legitimate. I'm proud of who I am, and after what felt like an eternity, I'm finally in a place where my heart is secure and content.”

Hayes shot to fame in 1995 as one half of Savage Garden thanks to the smash hits “I Want You” and “Truly Madly Deeply” and “I Knew I Loved You.” The duo broke up in 2001 and Hayes went on to release several moderately-successful solo albums.

“As I'm about to begin 6 months in the studio to record what I hope to be the best record of my career, I feel an overwhelming gratitude for the past 10 years of being a performer,” Hayes wrote on his site. “Most recently, I've been moving toward a career that is more closely aligned with 'art' than it is 'commerce'. And in keeping on this trajectory - I have become increasingly more emotionally authentic in my music, writing and my relationship to my audience.

“As so many of you have given me your heart and soul over the past 10 years I thought it only fitting that I too return the respect and inform you of the most significant event in my life.”

Hayes said that despite coming out of the closet, he expects to be able to have a private life.

“I still maintain the belief that families and relationships are not commodities to be sold off for public consumption.”

And the singer assured his fans he will continue to write music with wide appeal.

“I hope that the feelings and thoughts I sing about are universal,” he wrote.

The 34-year-old Australian studied drama and music in high school but focused on journalism and education in university. After responding to a newspaper ad for a singer, he teamed up with Daniel Jones to create Savage Garden, which took its name from an Anne Rice novel.

Although he spent many years living in San Francisco, Hayes currently lives in London.

© canada.com 2006