His music was once filling the UK charts and, if you turn on a radio today, you’ll probably still hear it.
However, George Ezra, the man behind tunes Shotgun, Paradise, and Budapest, has been absent from the spotlight for three years.
The 33-year-old singer dropped his fourth album, Gold Rush Kid, in June 2022, and performed his last gig in 2023 before dipping out of public life, leaving fans to question his whereabouts.
But it seems he’s in no rush to return to being the centre of attention.
Instead, he’s using his success and talents to help other aspiring artists and has been renting out his studio rather than leaving it empty.
What’s more, according to The Sun, George has started a business at Hotel Quebec Studios in Hertford, calling for artists and writers to work on their material at the facility.
He says in an advert: ‘Hello, my name is George Ezra, and I would like to introduce you to my personal recording studio, Hotel Quebec, a state-of-the-art recording facility in Hertford, just outside of London, that was designed and built for me — my musical projects, my writing and my recording.
‘It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the studio is now available for you to book and for you to record in, whether it’s for a day, a week, a month.
‘If you are looking for a uniquely beautiful and creatively safe environment to work in, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.’
He concludes: ‘On behalf of myself and the small but dedicated team here at Hotel Quebec, we hope you are well, and we look forward to hearing from you.’
Sources close to the chart-topper further revealed that there is still hope for his comeback, as he’s been working away quietly on his own material.
But for now, he wants to ‘share what he’s created’ with this ‘clever side hustle’.
‘George has no confirmed plans or dates for a return yet, but he has been using the studio for his own projects,’ they said.
‘By renting the studio out, George can help other artists — and he’d much rather have that than the place being empty when he’s not using it.’
George’s ascent to fame began in 2013 when he played the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival.
He released his debut EP later that year, and BBC Radio 1 began playing his tracks regularly.
From there, he bagged support act slots for the likes of Sam Smith, Bastille, and Tom Odell, and his debut album, Wanted on Voyage, landed at number three in the charts and became the third-best-selling album of 2014.
From there, George received four Brit Awards nominations in 2015, toured with musician Hozier, and featured as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live and The Late Late Show with James Corden.
In the late 2010s, he embarked on his own tour and returned to Glasto on the Pyramid stage.
Shotgun became his first UK number one in 2018, while the corresponding album, Staying at Tamara’s, also soared to the top.
In December 2024, it was revealed that George had become a father for the first time, with the identity of his partner still a mystery, although it was reported to be a new romance at the time.
George, who previously dated fellow music star Florrie Arnold for three years, was always known to keep his personal life away from the bright lights of superstardom.
But sources said he was ‘ecstatic’ about becoming a father and was ‘enjoying being hands-on’.
The baby joy followed a period of health woes for George.
He had to cancel a string of shows the year before, as he was feeling ‘incredibly unwell’, which was later diagnosed as acute vertigo.
Fortunately, he was able to reschedule the gigs to promote his latest record before beginning his extended break, which a pal said at the time stemmed from wanting to ‘focus on what is really important in his life’.
George last posted on Instagram in July 2023, sharing backstage snaps from Latitude Festival, before someone from his team shared a commemorative post for Wanted On Voyage a year later.
It read: ‘George’s debut album “Wanted On Voyage” is 10 years old this week! Thank you for the memories.’
Reps for George Ezra have been contacted for comment.