Latest news with #Powter
Daily Record
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Singer's life spiralled into cocaine, booze and loneliness after massive noughties hit single
Daniel Powter's hit Bad Day was the anthem of 2005 - but the Canadian singer's life spiralled out of control in the years that followed as he battled addiction and personal turmoil Bad Day, the track that had everyone humming along and became an early 2000s pop culture staple, was the creation of Canadian singer Daniel Powter. It dominated the airwaves in 2005, claiming the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100, securing second place in the UK charts, and became intertwined with American Idol's elimination rounds. However, the swift ascent to fame brought Daniel Powter struggles marked by addiction, loneliness, and inner conflict. Interestingly, Bad Day was recorded years prior, in 2002, yet was initially rejected by record labels. The turning point occurred when the tune featured in a French Coca-Cola commercial in 2004, leading Warner Bros. to snap him up. Upon releasing his self-titled album, Powter enjoyed over a million sales globally, but subsequent singles didn't achieve the same impact, reports the Mirror US. His second single in the UK, Free Loop, suffered charting complications due to the inclusion of Bad Day as the B-side, inhibiting its potential popularity. By 2008, Powter's follow-up album Under the Radar regrettably didn't live up to expectations, and his presence in the music scene dwindled. The weight of sudden fame was burdensome. "It was very lonely and I felt isolated," he admitted to Metro in 2012. "I was travelling and spending all my life alone in hotel rooms. You don't always meet people with the best of intentions in the music business... It was quite dark. Some people deal well with it and I didn't." Powter succumbed to substance abuse; alcohol and cocaine became destructive companions. "I became a slave to it and ended up managing my life around it," he confessed. What began as a mere escape from pain soon escalated to full-blown addiction. "It wasn't a problem for the first year and a half, but as the years went by it got worse until I couldn't remember what was happening", he revealed. After a long struggle with substance abuse, he achieved sobriety in 2010. Sobriety might have brought him face-to-face with stark realities, yet it also offered tranquility. Sharing his newfound sense of time, he mentioned: "The strange thing is how much time you have in your life when you stop." He added: "You don't have to spend time worrying about who you've been lying to. I suddenly had hours in the day where I wasn't messed up." While his marriage succumbed to the turbulent years, Powter eventually made his way back to the realm of music. In 2010, he crafted a Best of Me compilation, followed by the release of his fourth studio album Turn on the Lights in 2012, which reached a modest peak at No. 109 in the UK charts. In 2018, Powter stepped out with fresh singles such as Do You Wanna Get Lucky, Survivor, and a reimagined Perfect for Me specifically targeting the Asian audience. These tracks culminated in the December 14 unveiling of Giants, an eclectic mix featuring new melodies like Delicious and rejuvenated renditions of early hits like Bad Day and Free Loop. The collection also boasted a festive remix of Do You Wanna Get Lucky. Despite not reaching the commercial success of his first album, Giants revealed a more down-to-earth and personal artist. In 2020, he collaborated with Chinese pop band The Untamed Boys on Just Isn't Me, performing it - along with Bad Day - during a tour stop in Bangkok. That same year, he participated in the MOSHIMO Project, and in 2021, he was featured in Save Your Life, a duet with Japanese pop singer Ayaka Hirahara. In 2024, Powter made an unexpected comeback to Canadian television when he auditioned for Season 4 of Canada's Got Talent - marking his first significant televised appearance in his homeland. Today, Daniel Powter resides with his wife Christina in Portland, Oregon. He is a father to three children - two daughters and a son - and expresses that he now appreciates life away from the public eye. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Susan Powter Recalls Being Recognized by Louie Anderson While Driving for Uber Eats: 'He Knew Who I Was'
Susan Powter is getting candid about her unexpected run-in with a beloved, multi-hyphenated comedian. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published Thursday, Feb. 27, the '90s wellness influencer, 67, shared the time she saw the late Louie Anderson, just three months before the Baskets star died in 2022. Powter, who now lives a modest life in Las Vegas as an Uber Eats driver, tearfully began, 'It was the winter time. Cold and dark. Delivering is hard, and I got a huge order. It was a big order. And I went into a gated community, which I go into all the time, and that's hard, seeing houses that I used to live in. Like, I used to live there. That affects me, but not that much.' She admitted that while delivering is already a hard gig, it was especially difficult that day because she knew the customer personally, before she was forced to adopt a quaint Nevada lifestyle. 'I ring the doorbell of this big order, and Louie Anderson opens the door—and he knew who I was. He looked right at me and he knew. And I knew he knew," she remembered. "He had just had that huge resurrection with that show [ Baskets ] he did. He did such a good job. He was such a nice man." The two didn't exchange words, though Powter said she felt bad for delivering the large order. As she noted, 'food was the trial' for Anderson. 'I could feel the shame and the shame,' she recalled. Although the two knew each other when the former fitness juggernaut was in the entertainment business, she said she appreciated that he didn't mention anything about her identity when they came face to face. 'I was so grateful to him for being so honorable,' she said. 'He knew who I was, and you could feel it.' Three months later, Anderson died at the age of 68 after battling blood cancer. At the height of her career, Powter, known for her popular Stop the Insanity! infomercial, was on her way to becoming a household name in the lifestyle space. She wrote multiple books, sold hundreds of copies of her workout program and motivational audio cassettes, was a revered motivational speaker and nutritionist, and hosted a self-titled talk show, which aired for less than one year. In a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, the And Then Em Died… Stop the Insanity! A Memoir author added that she, on average, sold nearly $50 million in products annually. However, due to bad money management and trusting the wrong people, Powter hit rock bottom. 'Someone else was handling it. I never checked balances," she told the publication. 'I should have questioned. I fully acknowledge that. I made a mistake.' Although Powter's name has been picking up some buzz since filmmaker Zeberiah Newman proposed the forthcoming documentary, Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter, on her life and story, she said she understands nothing will change overnight and continues to deliver for Uber Eats for financial security. 'I've got 4,800 total trips,' she shared. 'I'm a hard worker and I take care of that food and I'm proud of the work I put in."
