This Is Your Life: Justin Hayward

Justin HAYWARD (1946-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Justin Hayward, musician and singer-songwriter, was surprised by Michael Aspel during the press launch of his new album, A View From The Hill, in the Nightingale Room of the Petersham Hotel in Richmond.

Justin, who was born in Swindon, got his first guitar at age ten and played in youth clubs and pubs with various groups while at school. In 1965, he moved to London and worked with Marty Wilde, who encouraged him to write songs. He joined The Moody Blues in 1966 and released their revolutionary album Days of Future Past the following year, which stayed on the Billboard charts for two years.

During a four-year break from the band, Justin released his first solo album, Songwriter, in 1977. He wrote over 100 songs, including Nights in White Satin, which sold more than five million copies. With worldwide sales of 55 million albums, he has created some of the most haunting rock music ever recorded in the last three decades.

"No? No! No, you're kidding, Michael! It's weird - it's really you, isn't it?"

programme details...

Edition No: 971
Subject No: 946
Broadcast date: Mon 10 Mar 1997
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 19 Feb 1997
Venue: unknown
Series: 37
Edition: 24
Code name: Night

on the guest list...

Mike Batt
Barry Mason
Les Reed
Roger Greenaway
Marti Webb
Bruce Welch
Gordon McQueen
Kenny Swain
Duncan McKenzie
Uri Geller
Marie - wife
Doremi - daughter
John Lodge
Ray Thomas
Gwenda - mother
Theresa - sister
Lynne Christie
Christopher Richardson
Marty Wilde
Joyce Wilde
Jeff Wayne
Jimmy Tarbuck
Galen Hayward - nephew
Rosa Hayward
Cdr Robert 'Hoot' Gibson
Graeme Edge
David Hasselhoff
Kim Wilde
Lionel Bart

production team...

Researcher: Clare de Vries
Writer: Joe Steeples
Directors: Wendy J Dyer, Paul Kirrage
Associate Producer: Sue Green
Executive Producer: John Longley
Producer: John Graham

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Top of the Pops

charting the pop stars

Lionel Bart

Screenshots of Justin Hayward This Is Your Life

loudersound.com 31 August 2023

"We played Madison Square Garden twice in one day... we saw our name in 50ft-high letters and said, 'Perhaps we've made it!' We bought a load of tickets off a scalper and gave them away":

When the Moody Blues started taking themselves seriously

By Malcolm Dome

Justin Hayward has had a long and successful career since joining The Moody Blues in 1966. Through songs like Nights In White Satin, he's established himself as one of the most erudite and copied composers of the last five decades.

But Hayward's impact has gone beyond his tenure with the Moodies. The Swindon-born musician has also had an acclaimed solo career, as well as working with fellow Moodies member John Lodge on the album Blue Jays. And let's not forget that prior to being recruited by The Moody Blues, a teenage Hayward had already signed a publishing deal with skiffle king Lonnie Donegan, and in 1965 he was hired by British pop star Marty Wilde to join his backing band. It was from there he made the jump to the Moodies. But let's not forget when he became a member, the band were a fading R&B act. Together with fellow new recruit Lodge, he helped to turn things around and put The Moody Blues firmly on the path to becoming the icons they are today.

He also found wider fame through the hit single Forever Autumn on the original recording of The War Of The Worlds in 1978, and even spent time onstage in the touring production of the Jeff Wayne musical. Yet, despite all this high profile attention, Hayward has retained his privacy, and it's something he's strongly protected. All of this makes it surprising that he was the subject of TV show This Is Your Life in 1997. But what this did was accentuate his widespread appeal, proving to everyone that he's well known in the mainstream, as well as being a pioneer in the progressive world with the Moodies, who've long been renowned for the way they helped to develop symphonic rock.

How much of a shock was it being on This Is Your Life?

I was at a promotional event for a new recording. Then Michael Aspel, the presenter, came onstage with The Big Red Book, and announced, "Hi Justin, this is your life," and I responded, "Very funny!" I thought it was a joke, and he was actually there to do someone really famous. But it turned out to be me. Then I was locked away for two hours. I was assigned a production girl and a security guy who told me nothing. No matter what questions I asked. In the end, I just said to the girl, "Just tell me, is my wife central to this?" And she replied, "Oh, yeah, yeah."

Were you at all concerned who might turn up on the programme?

Well, there were some I wanted to be there, and others I really did not want around. But [wife] Ann Marie had been with me throughout my career, so she understood there might have been certain people I have met along the way who it wouldn't have been appropriate to have there.

I have no clue how she managed to keep it a secret from me for so long. She knew three months earlier, but there were code words between her and the production company to ensure even if I was at home when they phoned I had no idea what was happening. She was captain of the golf club at the time, so for instance if I answered the phone when they called, they'd say it was the club and ask to talk to the captain.

You're very private, so how did you deal with being on such a major TV show which opened up your life to scrutiny?

Oh, it wasn't a problem for me. I was lucky that my mother was still alive, so delighted she was there. And I had a lot of friends around, like Kenny Swain the footballer and Marty Wilde, who I worked with just before joining the Moodies. So that was great. And the best thing was, they gave us a magnificent party afterwards.

Series 37 subjects