Justin Hayward

Justin Hayward ( born October 14, 1946 in Swindon, England ) is a British singer, guitarist and composer.

Career

After a few recordings with the group Wild Three of the singer Marty Wilde and his wife Joyce ( parents of Kim Wilde) and first solo records in 1966, he joined the Moody Blues and had a major role in their success in the coming years. Most hits of the group of Nights in White Satin (1967 ) on Question ( 1970) Your wildest dreams up (1986 ) written by him and sung by him. After seven successful albums in five years, the Moody Blues in 1973 designed a creative break and the individual members of the band they turned to their own projects. Together with bassist John Lodge took Hayward 1975, the album Blue Jays, with the 10cc solo single Blue Guitar on. In 1977, his first solo album titled songwriter. Others followed - he had the greatest success, however, with the single Forever Autumn (1978), which arose in the context of the musical War of the Worlds led by Jeff Wayne. Eve of the War appeared as a single, also from Jeff Wayne 's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds. In 1987, Hayward the role of the " Butchers " in the live performance of the musical The Hunting Of The Snark by Mike Batt (but Art Garfunkel sings on the album ). Justin Hayward also has a number of duets sung, including Sally Oldfield or Annie Haslam. But, along with Graeme Edge and John Lodge he is still the core of the Moody Blues.

In the years 2006, 2007 and 2009 Justin with the musical Jeff Wayne 's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds was on tour. He played as in the original album, the role of "The Sung Thoughts of the Journalist". For 2010 and 2011, he has also confirmed his participation for the new tour.

In an interview with the BBC he said, along with John Lodge that it was a privilege to continue to work in the music business, and never quit. In February 2013, he underlined this announcement, as his first studio solo album was released in 17 years. In Spirits of the Western Sky, produced by himself and Alberto Parodi, Kenny Loggins appears as a guest musician, Anne Dudley conducted.

Instruments

Justin mastered a variety of instruments. In addition to acoustic and electric guitars he plays, among other things bass, piano, keyboard, drums, percussion, sitar and harpsichord.

Most of the time used Hayward a red Gibson ES -335, although other guitar recording and performance used such as a 1955 Martin D- 28, a James Olsen, a black Guild Acoustic, Squier Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster and a blonde acoustic twelve-string Guild with open tuning ( for Question). In 1967, he played a black Gibson Les Paul. In the years 1965-1968 he had to make do without his Gibson 335 and used other instruments.

Awards

Justin Hayward was awarded the first of many ASCAP awards for songwriting in 1974. 1985 got the Moody Blues the Ivor Novello Award, and in 1988 Hayward was also awarded an Ivor Novello Award, by the way, he also got other prizes, one for, among other "Composer of the Year" ( Composer of the Year ) for his song " I know You're Out There Somewhere". In 2000 he was one of the few British artists who have been awarded the " Golden Note" award for lifetime achievement. In 2004, he also received an award for his life's work of the British Academy of songwriters, composers and authors.

Compositions

Discography

• Blue Jays ( with John Lodge) (1975 )
• Songwriter (1977 )
• Night Flight (1980 )
• Moving Mountains (1985 )
• Classic Blue ( with Mike Batt) (1989 )
• The View from the Hill (1996 )
• Spirits of the Western Sky (2013 )

• Live in San Juan Capistrano (1998)

• Justin Hayward and Friends Sing the Moody Blues Classic Hits (2003)