We’re not sure just how many Tuesday afternoons he’s enjoyed or how many nights in white satin he’s spent during his life, but Moody Blues singer/guitarist Justin Hayward celebrates his 75th birthday today.
Born in Swindon, England, Hayward played in a number of groups as a teenager before joining The Moody Blues in 1966 after the band’s original frontman, Denny Laine, exited following release of their 1965 debut album.
With a knack for writing melodic and emotional ballads and rock tunes, Hayward soon made a major impact on the band, contributing the classic songs “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon” to The Moody Blues’ groundbreaking second album, 1967’s Days of Future Passed, a concept record that married the group’s songs with symphonic interludes by the London Festival Orchestra.
While all of the band members contributed songs to The Moody Blues’ albums, most of their hits were written and sung by Hayward.
Among the many memorable tunes Hayward has penned for the band are “Question,” “The Story in Your Eyes,” “The Voice,” “Your Wildest Dreams” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere.”
When the band went on hiatus for several years during the 1970s, Hayward teamed up with Moodies singer/bassist John Lodge to release the 1975 collaborative album Blue Jays, which peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200. He then launched a moderately successful solo career that coincided with his work with The Moody Blues.
Hayward was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Moody Blues in 2018. The band continued to tour until late 2018; Hayward has focused on his solo career since then. His latest solo release is a two song EP that came out in 2020. He wraps up a U.S. solo tour on Friday in Clearwater, Florida.
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