Men at Work have had five official members. Colin Hay, the founder and frontman, is the only current member. The four former members are Ron Strykert, Jerry Speiser, Greg Ham and John Rees. Since 2019 Hay has performed as Men at Work with a band of touring musicians.
The Australian band formed in Melbourne in 1979. Hay and Strykert had played as an acoustic duo from 1978, then added Speiser on drums, Ham on flute, saxophone and keyboards, and Rees on bass. That five-piece recorded the hits “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?”.
Colin Hay – Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Colin Hay founded the band and sings lead and plays rhythm guitar. His membership runs 1978–1986, 1996–2002 and 2019 to the present, with occasional performances until 2012 in between.
Ron Strykert – Lead Guitar (1978–1985)
Ron Strykert was Hay’s duo partner before the band formed. He first played bass in the group, then switched back to lead guitar when John Rees joined. He also sang backing and occasional lead vocals.
Jerry Speiser – Drums (1979–1984)
Jerry Speiser played drums and percussion and sang backing vocals in the band’s classic line-up.
Greg Ham – Keyboards, Saxophone and Flute (1979–1985, 1996–2002)
Greg Ham played keyboards, saxophone, flute and harmonica and sang backing and occasional lead vocals. He rejoined Hay for the 1996–2002 reunion and appeared occasionally until 2012. He died in 2012.
John Rees – Bass (1980–1984)
John Rees joined on bass and backing vocals, which let Strykert move back to lead guitar.
Current Touring Band
These musicians play with Hay as Men at Work but are touring musicians, not official members:
- Jimmy Branly: drums (2019–present).
- San Miguel Perez: guitar and backing vocals (2019–present).
- Yosmel Montejo: bass and backing vocals (2019–present).
- Cecilia Noël: backing vocals (2019–present).
- Rachel Mazer: saxophone, flute, keyboards and backing vocals (2025–present), following Scheila Gonzalez (2019–2025).
Earlier Touring Musicians
After the classic line-up broke up, Hay toured with others. In 1985–1986 the band included Jeremy Alsop, James Black, Colin Bayley, Chad Wackerman and Paul Williamson, with Mark Kennedy on drums in 1985. The 1996–2002 reunion used a rotating cast that included Simon Hosford, Stephen Hadley and Rick Grossman.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is still in Men at Work? Only Colin Hay is a current official member.
- Who played the flute on “Down Under”? Greg Ham was the band’s flute, saxophone and keyboard player in the classic line-up.
- When did Men at Work form? In Melbourne in 1979, after Hay and Strykert had played as a duo from 1978.
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