David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band

the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...

. Hayward became the group's principal lead guitarist and vocalist over the 1967–1974 period, and the most prolific songwriter and composer of several international hit singles for the band. Hayward wrote singles for the Moody Blues including "

Nights in White Satin "Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album '' Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number ...

", "

Tuesday Afternoon "Tuesday Afternoon" (sometimes referred to as "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)", or simply "Forever Afternoon") is a 1968 single by English symphonic rock band the Moody Blues, which was presented in its original album form on their 1967 album ''Day ...

", "

Voices in the Sky "Voices in the Sky" is a hit 1968 single by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues, and it was written by their lead guitarist Justin Hayward. It was released as a single in June 1968, with " Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" on the B-side. It was l ...

", " Never Comes the Day", "

Question A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are interroga ...

", " The Story in Your Eyes", "

Driftwood __NOTOC__ Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...

", " The Voice", " Blue World", "

Your Wildest Dreams "Your Wildest Dreams" is a 1986 single by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward. The song was first released as a single, and later released on the Moody Blues' 1986 album '' The Other Side of Life''. Written by Ha ...

", "

I Know You're Out There Somewhere "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" is a 1988 single by the English rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by guitarist Justin Hayward, and it is the sequel to the Moody Blues' 1986 single "Your Wildest Dreams", also written by Hayward. It ...

" and " English Sunset"; in all, writing 20 of the group's 27 post-1967 singles. He also has a solo career. His first album outside the Moody Blues, '' Blue Jays'', a collaboration with John Lodge, reached the UK top five in 1975. The single "Blue Guitar", recorded with

10cc 10cc are an English rock music, rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The grou ...

as the backing band, reached the UK top ten in 1975, and his 1978 recording of " Forever Autumn" from '' Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds'' reached the UK top five. In 2018 Hayward was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...

as a member of the Moody Blues and in 2022 was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) for services to the music industry.

Early life and early career

Hayward was born in Dean Street,

Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon unitary authority area had a population ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, the son of two teachers. He was educated at Shrivenham Primary School in Shrivenham,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...

and at the Commonweal School in Swindon. Tall for his age, at Commonweal School he acquired the nickname "legs". He was playing in several bands as early as age 15 when he bought his

Gibson 335 The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial semi-hollowbody electric guitar, sometimes known as semi-acoustic. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES (Electric Spanish) series in 1958, it is neither fully hollow nor ful ...

, a guitar that appears on nearly all of his records throughout his career, and a Vox AC30 amplifier. All previous guitars were "unsatisfactory" and required modification. He performed with local Swindon groups in clubs and dance halls playing mostly

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

songs. One of Hayward's early groups was All Things Bright, which opened for

The Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

and

Brian Poole and the Tremeloes The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me". After Poole's departure ...

. At age 18, he signed an eight-year publishing contract as a songwriter with the

skiffle Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United Stat ...

artist and record producer

Lonnie Donegan Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the " King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scot ...

, a move Hayward later regretted, as it meant the rights to all his songs written before 1974 would always be owned by Donegan's Tyler Music. In 1965 he answered an advertisement in ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' and auditioned as guitarist for

Marty Wilde Marty Wilde, (born Reginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939) is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, scoring several 1950s hit singles including " Endless Sl ...

and he went on to work with Wilde and his wife in The Wilde Three.

The Moody Blues

In 1966, after answering another ad in ''Melody Maker'', this time placed by

Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, pow ...

The Animals The Animals (also billed as Eric Burdon and the Animals) are an English rock band, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1960s. The band moved to London upon finding fame in 1964. The Animals were known for their gritty, bluesy sound and ...

, Hayward was contacted by

Mike Pinder Michael Thomas Pinder (born 27 December 1941) is an English rock musician, and is a founding member and original keyboard player of the British rock group the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's ninth album '' ...

of the Moody Blues after Burdon had passed on Hayward's letter and demo discs to Pinder. Within a few days, Hayward had replaced departing Moody Blues vocalist and guitarist

Denny Laine Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...

. Bassist John Lodge replaced Rod Clarke, who had stood in for departed bassist

Clint Warwick Clint Warwick (born Albert Eccles; 25 June 1940 – 15 May 2004) was an English musician known as the original bassist for the rock band the Moody Blues. Life and career Warwick was born in Aston, Birmingham, England. He was drawn to music du ...

at the same time. After beginning by singing the old

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

-inspired repertoire of the Moody Blues' 1964–1965 era, Hayward's initial artistic contribution to the Moody Blues was his song "Fly Me High", which was a

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

single early in 1967. It failed to chart, but gave the revised band a new direction forward from the R&B sound they had been largely producing up to that point. Hayward's driving rocker "Leave This Man Alone" was then used as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of their next single on Decca, backing Pinder's "Love And Beauty" (1967), the first Moody Blues record to feature the

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. ...

. Hayward and Lodge's integration into the Moody Blues along with Pinder's use of the

sparked greater commercial success and recognition for the band, transforming them into one of pop music's biggest-selling acts. The 1967 album '' Days of Future Passed'', one of the first and most influential

symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...

albums, gave rise to the Hayward-penned singles "

" and "

". The latter record went on to sell over two million copies, charting three times in the UK (1967, 1972 and 1979), and has been recorded by many other recording artists. Hayward's B-side song "Cities" was an early ecology-themed item. In addition to delivering the lead vocals on his own compositions, Hayward took a featured lead or co-lead vocal on other band members' songs, including "Dawn is a Feeling" (Pinder), "Gimmie A Little Somethin'", " Isn't Life Strange", " Candle of Life" (Lodge), "After You Came", "I'll Be Level With You", "The Spirit" and "Nothing Changes" (Edge). The Moody Blues' attempts to come up with another hit single during 1967–68 had them record three other Hayward compositions; "Long Summer Days", "King and Queen" and "What Am I Doing Here?", all of which were then left unissued, but together with unissued songs by Pinder and Lodge they later formed the 'studio side four' of Decca's 1977 release ''Caught Live Plus Five'' which largely comprised a December 1969 live recording of a concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

(issued against the group's wishes). Hayward also co-wrote with Ray Thomas album tracks "

Visions of Paradise "Visions of Paradise" is a 1968 song by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues. First released on their album ''In Search of the Lost Chord'', it was written jointly by band members Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas, and was the first of many c ...

", " Are You Sitting Comfortably", " Watching and Waiting" and, much later, "Never Blame the Rainbows for the Rain", plus he later co-wrote many songs with John Lodge for the Moody Blues, notably " Gemini Dream" (a US chart hit), "Meet Me Halfway", "Talkin' Talkin'", "Want to Be With You", "Once is Enough", "Strange Times" and "Sooner or Later (Walkin' on Air)", among others. Hayward's songs have opened each of the Moody Blues albums in their 'post-Mike Pinder era' since ''Long Distance Voyager'' in 1981, and his songs, both solo compositions and co-written with Lodge, plus his lead vocals, harmony voice and guitar playing, have been a major factor in the band's work and continued success since 1981. Their album sales from 1978 to the present total more than 60 million. This is the regularly quoted estimate of their album sales, since the total sales of their albums before 1978 are disputed owing to lack of official record company data,Decca Moody Blues liner notes, Decca Records / Universal Music 2006 However, the period 1967 to 1974 was when their albums (and singles) were charting highest in the UK and US plus worldwide (album track "Melancholy Man" made number one in France as a single in 1970) - ''Days of Future Passed'' topped the US album charts on reissue in 1972, then was followed into the album charts by the new studio album ''Seventh Sojourn''.

Hiatus and Blue Jays / solo work

In 1974, the Moody Blues decided to take what ended up being a four-year break from performing and recording. Hayward continued working with Lodge and producer Tony Clarke, using musicians from the Moody Blues' label, Threshold, and sounding very much like the mother group. Together, they had a hit in 1975 with "Blue Guitar" (a Hayward recording with the band

) and released an album titled '' Blue Jays''. In 1977, Hayward recorded his first solo album ''

Songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

''. He enjoyed international solo success in 1978 when he appeared on '' Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds''

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Some ...

, which yielded his hits " Forever Autumn" and "The Eve of the War". Wayne later contributed to Hayward's 1980 album '' Night Flight''. Hayward issued a rare non-album single "Marie" backed by "Heart of Steel' (Decca F13834) in April 1979, both sides composed by him, the 'A' side dedicated to his wife. These tracks were later included among the bonus tracks on a CD reissue of his ''Songwriter'' solo album in 2004. During the 1980s, Hayward composed and performed for film and television, including the theme song "It Won't Be Easy" for the 1987

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

science-fiction series ''

Star Cops ''Star Cops'' is a British science fiction television drama series first broadcast on BBC2 in 1987. It was devised by Chris Boucher, a writer who had previously worked on the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7'' a ...

'', "Something Evil, Something Dangerous" for the film '' Howling IV: The Original Nightmare'', "Eternal Woman" for the film ''

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

'' and music for the animated television series ''

The Shoe People ''The Shoe People'' is an animated television series which was first broadcast in the UK in April 1987 on TV-am. It went on to be broadcast in 62 countries around the world. It was the first series from the West to be shown in the former Soviet ...

''. In 1989, with producer-arranger Mike Batt, Hayward released '' Classic Blue'', an album of pop standards written by other composers set to

orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

arranged by Batt. ''Classic Blue'' included a cover version of

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...

's hit "

Stairway to Heaven "Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...

". Hayward's solo album '' The View from the Hill'' was released in 1996 and a live recording, '' Live in San Juan Capistrano'', followed in 1998. On 10 March 1997, Hayward was featured on the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

's programme ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' with Michael Aspel. Hayward contributed vocals to a song on

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born and raised ...

's 1999 album ''

Return to the Centre of the Earth ''Return to the Centre of the Earth'' is a studio album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman. It was released on 15 March 1999 on EMI Classics and is the sequel to his 1974 concept album '' Journey to the Centre of the Earth'', itself based on the ...

''. In June 2003, he gave several performances at the

. Later that year, he sang along with other rock singers on another orchestral album, consisting of Moody Blues songs with the Frankfurt Rock Orchestra, titled '' Justin Hayward and Friends Perform the Hits of the Moody Blues'' (alternatively called ''Justin Hayward and Friends Sing the Moody Blues Classic Hits''). Hayward was later involved in a legal dispute, since resolved, arguing he was not paid for his participation on the album. In April 2006, Hayward took part in the stage tour of '' Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds'', reprising his role in autumn 2007 in Australia and in the UK in December 2007. He did so again in the UK in June 2009 and appeared on the tour in November and December 2010. The Moody Blues, with Hayward, Lodge and original drummer

Graeme Edge Graeme Charles Edge (30 March 1941 – 11 November 2021) was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as ...

, continue to tour extensively, and in a

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the British Government through the Foreign Secretary's office. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception a ...

interview, Hayward and Lodge made it clear they have no plans to stop working, regarding it as "a privilege" to still be working in the music industry. In an interview in 2005, Edge said if he remained in good health, he could go on for 10 more years. In 2011, Hayward contributed to the Moody Blues bluegrass tribute album ''

Moody Bluegrass Moody Bluegrass is a bluegrass music project that produced two tribute albums to the British progressive rock band the Moody Blues. The albums consist of bluegrass-style cover versions of Moody Blues songs performed by a variety of noted bluegra ...

TWO...Much Love'' along with Moody Blues bandmates Lodge, Edge, Thomas and Pinder. Hayward sang lead vocal on his song "It's Cold Outside Of Your Heart". Many other Hayward compositions are featured on this album as well as 2004's ''

: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues''. On 10 December 2011, Hayward, along with

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist ...

from Jethro Tull and

Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stag ...

from

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harr ...

, played a concert together at

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

Justin Hayward - Parker Playhouse - Fort Lauderdale - 15622334612

In February 2013, Hayward released his solo album ''

Spirits of the Western Sky ''Spirits of the Western Sky'' is a solo album by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues. It was Hayward's first solo album since his 1996 album '' The View from the Hill''. Background The album was recorded in Genoa in Italy and in Nashville. On ...

'' on the Eagle Rock label. He toured solo with this album on the East coast of the US in August 2013, to much acclaim, with Moody Blues keyboardist Alan Hewitt and vocalist Julie Ragins. The opening act and accompanying guitarist in the main show was UK's Mike Dawes. The final show of the solo tour, in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, was recorded by producer/director David Minasian for a live DVD project and a live CD. Recorded at the Buckhead Theatre on 17 August, the resulting DVD, ''Spirits… Live'' (2014), features the full concert along with a one-hour behind-the-scenes documentary titled ''On The Road To Love'' depicting Hayward's 2013 American tour, also directed by Minasian. Following its release by Eagle Rock/Universal in August 2014, the DVD immediately rose to the #2 position on the Billboard Music Video charts and would soon be broadcast by the PBS network. Two additional Hayward/Minasian collaborations quickly followed: A concert DVD filmed in Clearwater, Florida, titled ''Watching and Waiting'', and ''The Story Behind Nights in White Satin'', a documentary which chronicled the origins of Hayward's classic 1967 composition. In April 2015, Hayward was interviewed on BBC Radio 2's Johnny Walker show. The Spring of 2016 saw another Hayward release from producer/director David Minasian. Titled ''Live in Concert at the Capitol Theatre'', the DVD contained a few surprises including the first live performance of "You Can Never Go Home" from the 1971 '' Every Good Boy Deserves Favour'' LP. Also featured was a bonus studio recording of a new song titled "The Wind of Heaven", a joint composition between Minasian and Hayward. Intended as the main theme for a forthcoming motion picture, the song, with an elaborate music video directed by Minasian, was released ahead of schedule on the DVD to coincide with Hayward's 2016 US solo tour. Hayward performed during the "On the Blue Cruise" in February 2019. He postponed some tour dates following the cruise "due to a medical condition that prevents me from doing extensive traveling in the next few weeks." In 2022, Hayward rejoined the cast of Jeff Wayne's War of the World's "life begins again" UK tour, singing the thoughts of the journalist including Forever Autumn.

Instruments

For the most part, Hayward has used a red

Gibson ES-335 The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial semi-hollowbody electric guitar, sometimes known as semi-acoustic. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES (Electric Spanish) series in 1958, it is neither fully hollow nor fu ...

, though he also uses other guitars in both performing and recording, including a 1955

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

D-28 "

Dreadnought The dreadnought (alternatively spelled dreadnaught) was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th century. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's , had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her ...

", a James Olson six-string acoustic, a black

Guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometim ...

acoustic, a

Squier Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

(essentially an inexpensive

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuousl ...

, as

Squier Squier is an American brand of electric guitars owned by Fender. The former manufacturing company, established as "V. C. Squier Company" was founded in 1890 by Victor Carroll Squier in Battle Creek, Michigan, producing strings for violins, ban ...

is a subsidiary of Fender), a Fender Telecaster, a blonde Guild 12-string acoustic (tuned to "open C" for "Question") and in 1967 a black

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typ ...

. Between 1965 and 1968, he was without his Gibson 335 and relied on other instruments, most notably a 1964 Fender Telecaster and a hand-built 12-string he had renovated for Donegan (he eventually bought this guitar from Donegan's widow). However, in an interview included on the ''Lovely to See You'' concert DVD (2005), Hayward says the 1963 Gibson 335 has been with him since 1967. Recently, he has played a Collings D3 on stage and on recordings. Among other instruments, Hayward also played

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...

on ''

A Question of Balance ''A Question of Balance'' is the sixth album by The Moody Blues, released in 1970. The album was an attempt by the group to strip down their previously lush, psychedelic sound in order to be able to better perform the songs in concert. The alb ...

'' and

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...

on '' In Search of the Lost Chord''.

Personal life

Written at the end of one love affair and the beginning of another, the song "Nights in White Satin" was, according to Hayward, "in adoration of all women". Hayward married model Ann Marie Guirron on 19 December 1970. His daughter Doremi, who sings on the track "Raised on Love" on Hayward's 1977 album ''

'', was born on 3 December 1972. In 2013, Hayward spoke of his learning

Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...

in 1967, along with other members of the Moody Blues.

Honours and awards

Hayward was awarded the first of numerous awards from the

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

(ASCAP) for songwriting in 1974. In 1985, the Moody Blues picked up the

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...

for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and in 1988, Hayward received the Novello, among other honours, for Composer of the Year for "I Know You're Out There Somewhere". In 2000, he was one of a handful of British artists to receive the "Golden Note" award for lifetime achievement by ASCAP. In 2004, Hayward was awarded the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters's (BASCA) "Gold Badge", for his contribution to Britain’s entertainment industry. At the Ivor Novello Awards in London on 16 May 2013 Hayward was given the PRS for Music Award for Outstanding Achievement, which was presented to him by

. He was appointed

(OBE) in the

2022 Birthday Honours The 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as pa ...

for services to music.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

*'' All the Way'' (2016)

Live albums

*'' Live in San Juan Capistrano'' (1998) *''Spirits... Live'' (2014)

Video

*'' Live in San Juan Capistrano'' (1998) *'' Spirits... Live'' (2014) *'' Live in Concert at The Capitol Theatre'' (2016)

Extended plays

*''One Summer Day/My Juliette'' (2020)

References

External links

Justin Hayward official site2005 Justin Hayward Interview
*
Tony Brown's Moody Blues Gallery; biographical multi-media site
* Justin Hayward biography at the AMG website {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayward, Justin 1946 births Living people British rhythm and blues boom musicians Deram Records artists English expatriates in Monaco English male guitarists English male singer-songwriters English male singers English rock guitarists English rock singers Ivor Novello Award winners Lead guitarists Musicians from Wiltshire People from Swindon Sitar players The Moody Blues members Officers of the Order of the British Empire