‘My wife and I were friends for 18 years before it turned into something’

Danny Estrin is a musician best known for being the lead singer of Voyager. The 41-year-old opens up about his early musical beginnings, marrying his best friend, and being surrounded by feminine energy.

My maternal grandmother, or Oma, smoked vast amounts of cigarettes in her small kitchen.

I was born in Germany and lived in Hamburg until 1992. My parents [mother, Gunda, and father, Yuri] and I migrated to Western Australia when I was 11. Oma died at the age of 73.

“I never wanted a house with a picket fence, a cat or children. My wife proposed to me. I was like, ‘What has happened to my rock-star lifestyle?’” Credit: Michael Dann

My earliest memory of my paternal babushka was of her bringing me a piano on the train from the Soviet Union, where she lived with my grandfather. They disassembled it, then put it back together at my home. She came from a family of factory workers and homemakers and worked as a schoolteacher. She was an elegant woman who always carried herself well. Even when she couldn’t articulate herself after she had a stroke later in life, there was still an air about her and sophistication I always admired. She died in her late 80s.

My mother taught me resilience, strength and an incredible sense of speaking out for injustices and being strong in one’s views, no matter what other people say. She is a strong, resolute woman who sacrificed a lot for me. She stopped working when she had me because she wanted to devote herself to my upbringing.

Mum is the musical one. She played guitar as a young lass in Germany in various groups. I was raised on classical piano and violin and went from listening to classical music to metal. It didn’t matter if I wore black clothing or leather jackets, Mum was so supportive of my creative need. She is my biggest fan.

My father is from the Soviet Union, an academic, and the reason we came to Australia. My parents were in their late 30s when they made that move and Mum learnt English in her late 40s. It was difficult for her to leave her culture and integrate at that age.

My piano teacher, Alice Carrard, was a student of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók; that was her huge claim to fame. She was 96 when she was my piano teacher. She also taught David Helfgott. She had two grand pianos in her living room, was always hunched over, had horrible arthritis and couldn’t move properly, but could still play the piano. She always had a sparkle in her eye and would say, “Daniel, you have to play with more feeling, more feeling.”

Our guitarist, Simone Dow, joined us on stage for an Iron Maiden cover and her solo was outstanding. She suffers from chronic migraines. I have seen her play shows where the lights are too bright but she continues and vomits afterwards. Her resilience is something else.

My first serious relationship was with an Italian girl at university while studying law and arts. We fought all the time, and it was an emotional roller coaster. We dated for two years.

I married my best friend, Halinka, in 2015. We have two daughters together, aged two and six. We were friends for close to 18 years before it turned into something. She is an engineer and came on tour with my band, Voyager, to the US and Europe several times – as a friend.

In 2011, I was in a relationship with someone I loved but I also realised there was someone better suited to me. Halinka was someone I strongly denied ever being in love with, but loved her as a friend. I didn’t want to hurt the other person.

I never wanted to get married. I never wanted a house with a picket fence, a cat or children. My wife proposed to me. I was like, “What has happened to my rock-star lifestyle?” [Laughs] I am surrounded by so much feminine energy and I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Voyager will represent Australia at the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, to be aired on SBS and SBS On Demand, May 10 – 14.

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