Justin Hayward: The Voice of the Moody Blues

Having spent nearly fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industries, Justin Hayward’s voice has been heard the world over. Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer of English rock band The Moody Blues, his is a talent that helped soundtrack more than a generation and created a legacy that remains undimmed. Over the last forty-five years The Moody Blues sold fifty five million albums and received numerous awards. Commercial success has gone hand in hand with critical acclaim and the band has been honored on Sunset Boulevard’s Rock Walk Hall of Fame.

Born and brought up in Swindon in the United Kingdom, Justin Haywards’s interest in music started early when he was five years old and his grandfather bequeathed him his large collection of 78 rpm recordings. Having taught himself to play the ukulele, he soon progressed to guitar and by his early teens he was playing in local groups. Upon leaving school at 17 he answered an advertisement in Melody Maker newspaper and successfully auditioned for UK Rock and Roll hero Marty Wilde. Justin Hayward credits Marty Wilde with encouraging him to become a songwriter; they made several recordings and appearances together and remain friends to this day.