Nathan Cavaleri To Recount Childhood Fame On ‘Australian Story’: ‘That Has Haunted Me’

Aussie singer-songwriter Nathan Cavaleri is set to appear on ABC’s Australian Story next week.

The local muso, who rose to fame as a child prodigy guitarist and played with Mark Knopfler, BB King, Etta James, Bonnie Rait and more, will open up about the lasting effects of such notoriety at a young age and the challenges he still faces today.

“Having that type of attention as a kid has both inspired and haunted me,” Cavaleri told Australian Story.

“There was a time when I thought I would never perform again.”

At five years old, Cavaleri was diagnosed with leukemia, which is when he started playing guitar and was eventually flown to London by The Starlight Foundation to meet his guitar hero, Knopfler.

After that, he became a regular on TV, appearing in Disney film Camp Nowhere, an episode of Baywatch and becoming a frequent guest on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, and then, at 12 years old, signing with Michael Jackson’s record label.

Eventually, anxiety attacks linked to his childhood cancer battle stopped him performing until recently.

Cavaleri’s appearance on Australian Story will air next Monday, August 3, at 8:00pm.