In many ways, I was not his equal. He was handsomer, taller and faster than me in football. And, he could sing a hundred times better.
In those days (the 1980s), he was my colleague, working as a librarian in a newspaper. Sometimes, I would hear Ben crooning melodiously at a corner of the office at night.
I used to call him Ben, just that, Ben. But, he became better known as Ben Nathan after reaching the final of the popular TV3 Muzik-Muzik singing competition and found fame with his hit song, Stanza Sepi Sekeping Hati.
But, like the high and low notes in a song, life is full of ups and downs. It was bitterly so for Ben, who ended up as a vagabond on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.
If not for the recent Chinese New Year, if not for the power of social media, where a dishevelled Ben was seen receiving an ang pow from a motorist, the spotlight would not be on him again.
The viral video led to an outpouring of concern and support from his fans. After disappearing from the entertainment scene for 24 years, leading to newspaper headlines like “Ben, where are you?” the songster, at age 54, has reappeared in the news.
Some of Ben’s old friends knew all this while about his sorry state. The fallen star has been walking the streets of Kuala Lumpur, often wandering around Brickfields or Central Market. He would go from his home in Petaling Jaya to KL, sometimes walking, sometimes getting onto a bus, proceeding straight to the back and taking a seat without paying for his fare. Most of the bus drivers let him be as they felt Ben was mentally disturbed. But, some would berate him, and there was an incident where Ben got into a fight with a driver.
Some people say Ben has become mentally ill, some say he is broke, some say he is brokenhearted over a woman, some say he was cheated of his savings. Some say Ben was on drugs, but the doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, where he is now undergoing tests at its psychiatric ward, have denied such speculation.
We may never really know what happened to Ben. But, we do know one thing inside his head. Ben still thinks he is a pop star, and keeps telling people that he has concerts lined up for him to perform this week or next. His mind is trapped in the past, far from reality.
The pages of showbiz are filled with cases of singers who have suffered mental disorders as they walk a tightrope between fame and infamy. Among them are Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Kurt Cobain and Sinéad O’Connor. And, there is the most famous wacko of them all, Michael Jackson.
A study by Help Musicians UK, a charity for professional musicians, found that more than 60 per cent of performers, across all genres, have suffered from psychological issues like depression, anxiety and paranoia. This has often led to strange behaviour as they face the expectations of the public and worries of not knowing where or when their next income will come from.
In retrospect, my former colleague might not have lost his sanity or ended up on the streets if he had stuck to being a librarian and avoided the pitfalls of showbiz.
Ben’s plight has struck a chord of sympathy with Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia (YAIM) president Datuk DJ Dave as he plans to help him clean up his act and resurrect his singing career.
YAIM will organise a charity lunch to raise funds for Ben at Saloma Bistro (date to be confirmed) in Kuala Lumpur, besides helping out in his medical expenses. As Ben has been saying he wants to go to Jakarta to record an album, YAIM will make his wish come true by sending him to the Indonesian capital to make music.
Hopefully, Ben has not lost his mind and his voice. His legion of fans will want more than an encore from him.
NST deputy sports editor Chan Wai Kong
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