Josef Salvat started his music career after a health scare.
Josef Salvat on how a health scare inspired his music career
The 33-year-old singer had been studying to become a lawyer when he was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus - a condition which can lead to severe respiratory problems if untreated - and ended up in a coma as a result.
He said: "It was like glandular fever on steroids. I ended up in a coma because the viral load was big and I was really sick,’ he explained. I got to the hospital in the nick of time, and they pumped me full of stuff and I recovered – but they were like, “It’s touch-and-go."
Josef - who made his debut with a cover of the Rihanna hit 'Diamonds' in 2015 and has gone on to release a string of studio albums - then revealed how he spent his time recuperating as an opportunity to build a career in music.
Speaking to The Metro's Guilty Pleasures column, he added: "It was like this massive bell in my head: just go do music, use this time as a nursery for becoming a better songwriter."
The 'Modern Anxiety' hitmaker released his third studio album 'Islands' on Friday (18.02.2022) and claimed that he has "taken risks" with the album in a way he hasn't felt able to before.
He said: "‘It takes risks I haven’t had the confidence to take before"
Since launching his music career, Josef has enjoyed moderate success and gushed about his chat with Hollywood star Kate Winslet,46, who requested to meet him backstage after seeing him perform at a Lancôme event in 2017.
He said: "[She told me] ‘That was brilliant, this is a f****** hard room and that is a hard job and you did a really good job.’ We had a chat for about half an hour, and she met my dad – he was over the moon. She’s a special person."
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