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About
Having chalked up over fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward’s voice and guitar playing has been heard the world over. Though his song catalogue contains many of the most influential songs in popular music, Justin continues to perform regularly here and in the US and will tour the UK in 2024.
Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for The Moody Blues, Justin penned classics like 'Nights in White Satin', 'Question', 'New Horizons', 'I Know You're Out There Somewhere', 'Tuesday Afternoon', 'Story In Your Eyes', 'The Voice' and 'Your Wildest Dreams'.
Over the last five and a half decades the band has sold upwards of fifty‑five million albums. Along with his work as a solo artist and writer, Justin and the band have received numerous awards. The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, and Justin was honoured with an OBE in 2022.
From his early teens Justin played in local groups in Swindon. After leaving school at 18 he answered an advertisement in The Melody Maker, auditioned for Marty Wilde and joined his band. Justin credits Marty with encouraging him to write his own songs. A couple of self-penned solo singles followed, and in the summer of 1966 he joined The Moody Blues.
Justin's songwriting career took off immediately with his composition 'Fly Me High' for the band. In 1967 he wrote 'Nights in White Satin' and 'Tuesday Afternoon' for the pioneering album 'Days of Future Passed'. The album was named one of the most influential of that year by Rolling Stone, gave the band a US Top Ten hit and helped set the template for what became known as Progressive Rock. The album was a favourite of NASA astronauts and was taken aboard the Atlantis shuttle on many missions by Chief Astronaut "Hoot" Gibson.
The band became a mainstay of US radio and touring. 1968's 'In Search of the Lost Chord' featured Justin's 'Voices In The Sky' and reached the UK Top 5. 1969's 'On The Threshold of a Dream' was the band's first UK Number One album and included Justin's 'Never Comes The Day'. 'To Our Children's Children's Children' (1969) hit Number Two in the UK and was the first release on the band's Threshold label; it was a US Top 20 hit.
In 1970 The Moody Blues appeared at the Isle of Wight Festival and released 'A Question of Balance', which reached number 3 in the US and topped the UK charts. Justin wrote the key track 'Question', which became a UK number one single. 'The Story In Your Eyes' (1971) came from the album 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' and 'Seventh Sojourn' followed in 1972. A 1972 re-release of 'Nights In White Satin' hit number 2 in the US, sold over a million copies and earned Justin an ASCAP award.
After a break, Justin's solo career began in 1977 with the release of 'Songwriter', which had several single releases. In 1978 he had a worldwide hit with the beautiful and timeless 'Forever Autumn' from Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds' and featured in the stage production of the project. He is the original voice of 'The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist' on the classic album.
The Moody Blues returned with 'Octave' (1978) and 1981's 'Long Distance Voyager', which hit number one in the US and went Top 5 in the UK; that album included Justin's 'The Voice'. Justin released the solo album 'Night Flight' in 1980. The band released 'The Present' in 1983, and Justin's solo 'Moving Mountains' followed a couple of years later.
'The Other Side of Life' (1986) featured Justin's 'Your Wildest Dreams', a US Top Ten hit whose video won the Billboard Video of the Year Award. 1988's 'Sur Le Mer' included 'I Know You're Out There Somewhere', the band's final US hit single. Justin's solo 'Classic Blue' (1989) was recorded with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
'Keys To The Kingdom' (1991) featured Justin‑penned singles 'Say It With Love' and 'Bless The Wings (That Bring You Back)'. Justin released 'The View From The Hill' in 1996 and 'Spirits Of The Western Sky' in 2013. The Moody Blues released 'Strange Times' (1999) and their final album 'December' in 2003.
Justin's live in concert solo DVD 'Spirits...Live' reached No. 1 on the Billboard Video Chart. In 2016 he released 'All The Way', a compilation from his solo career. He is featured with The Moody Blues on the Rock Walk 'Hall of Fame' on Sunset Boulevard, received ASCAP's 'The Golden Note' award, has two Ivor Novello awards, and is a member of the Society of Distinguished Songwriters (SODS), being elected 'King SOD' in 2013.
His latest release, his first since the 2020 EP 'One Summer Day', was the single 'Living for Love' in 2022 through BMG. Justin spent much of 2023 on the road with solo tours, the 'On The Blue' cruise, a sell‑out co‑headlining USA tour with Christopher Cross, and in September performed with the Athens State Symphony Orchestra at the Herodes Atticus amphitheatre in Athens, Greece.
2024 will see Justin back on the road with UK live dates as part of Justin Hayward's 'Blue World' Tour.