As Michael Bublé prepares for a new world tour, the Canadian crooner is reflecting on a piece of advice that has guided his journey from small clubs in Vancouver to international stardom. Behind his smooth vocals and charming stage presence lies a lesson from a man who believed in him before anyone else: his late grandfather, Demetrio Santaga.
“He told me, ‘Sing like no one’s listening,’” Bublé shared with a warm smile. “At the time, I thought it just meant don’t be nervous. But it was so much deeper than that — sing from the soul, not for applause. That advice saved my career.”
Before hits like Haven’t Met You Yet and Feeling Good became worldwide anthems, Bublé struggled to break through, often performing to distracted audiences. “I was frustrated, angry,” he recalls. “Half the crowd would be talking over me. Then one night, my Nonno looked at me and said, ‘Michael, you’re singing to be heard — not to be felt.’ That moment changed everything.”
Taking his grandfather’s words to heart, Bublé began to focus not on perfection or performance but on connection. “I started closing my eyes while singing, not to escape, but to go deeper,” he explained. “I stopped performing and started connecting — that’s when the magic came back.”
Demetrio Santaga, a plumber with a passion for music, played a crucial role in Bublé’s early career. He leveraged his local connections to secure steady gigs for Michael and even gifted him his first vintage microphone. “He believed in me before anyone else did,” Bublé says. “He saw a future I hadn’t yet imagined.”
Now, with four Grammy Awards and over 75 million records sold, Bublé plans to dedicate his upcoming tour to his grandfather’s memory. “This tour is for him,” he says. “Every note, every lyric, every laugh with the audience — it’s all his spirit. He taught me that the truest voice isn’t the loudest one, it’s the one that sings with love.”
Pausing thoughtfully, Bublé adds, “Whenever I step on stage, I still hear him say, ‘Sing like no one’s listening, Michael.’ And that’s when I sing my best.”
As the lights dim and the crowd falls silent, Bublé reminds himself why he began this journey. “I’m not chasing perfection — I’m chasing presence. Because one man told me to sing from my heart — and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
With this heartfelt tribute, Michael Bublé shows that sometimes the simplest advice, passed down through generations, can become the most powerful compass in a life of music.
