15 YEARS
2 Southbridge Street • Worcester, MA • TheHanoverTheatre.org
Worcester Center for Performing Arts (WCPA), a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts (THT) and, on behalf of the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC), manages Worcester’s BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC). All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Having chalked up over fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward’s voice has been heard the world over. Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for the Moody Blues, his is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he worked. Over the years the band has sold more than fifty five million albums and received numerous awards. Commercial success has gone hand in hand with critical acclaim and The Moody Blues are renowned the world over as innovators and trail blazers who have influenced any number of fellow artists.
In 2018, along with the other members of The Moody Blues, Justin was inducted into the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Born and brought up in Swindon in the UK, Justin’s interest in music started early when he was five years old, and his grandfather bequeathed him his large collection of 78 rpm recordings. “It opened a world of imagination to me,” says Justin. 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. “I got the job playing guitar for Marty – it was a dream come true for me”. Justin credits Marty with encouraging him to become a songwriter; he made several recordings with Marty’s ‘Wilde Three’ and also appeared with them at the London Palladium. They remain close friends to this day: “Marty is still my hero”.
Having started the ball rolling as a songwriter in his own right with a couple of solo singles, he joined the Moody Blues in the summer of 1966. Hitting his stride immediately with the single ‘Fly Me High’, he followed it up with the classic hit songs ‘Nights in White Satin’ and ‘Tuesday Afternoon’ from the seminal album ‘Days of Future Past’. This album went on to become a favourite of the NASA astronauts and was taken aboard the Atlantis shuttle space craft by Chief astronaut “Hoot” Gibson on many missions.
This purple patch showed no sign of abating as Justin created other classic, era and genre-defining hits ‘Question’, ‘The Voice’, ‘The Story In Your Eyes’, ‘I Know You’re Out There Somewhere’ and ‘Your Wildest Dreams’. These laid the foundation for the incredible success story of the Moody Blues – as well as his solo work – which continues to this day.
When the Moody Blues took a break from touring in 1975, Justin worked on the Blue Jays album, followed by the hit single ‘Blue Guitar’ (recorded with the members of 10cc).
Although the Moodies continued to record and tour at the highest level, Justin also found time to create several solo albums: ‘Songwriter’, ‘Night Flight’, ‘Moving Mountains’ and ‘The View From the Hill’.
Justin hit the Top Ten globally in 1978 with ‘Forever Autumn’ – created for Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ album. Becoming signature song, this was the spur to him taking to the stage – for five years, from 2005 – 2010, and starring in the spectacular live stadium production.
In the 1980s he was made a member of the famous ‘SODS’ (The Society of Distinguished Songwriters) and in 2012 he was elected ‘King SOD’. He also collaborated in 1989 with Mike Batt and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded the album ‘Classic Blue’.
In March 1997 Justin was chosen as the subject for the TV show ‘This Is Your Life’ in the presence of many of his friends including Marty Wilde, Lionel Bart and astronaut “Hoot” Gibson.
In 2005 he was presented with ‘The Golden Note’ award from ASCAP, the top honour for a British writer, and he has appeared in Nashville regularly with other songwriters in showcase events. In 2013 The Performing Rights Society in the UK awarded him his second Ivor Novello statue for ‘Outstanding Achievement’.
Whilst releasing solo albums and DVDs and working on many different projects, including new solo recordings, Justin continued tour with the Moody Blues all across the world. Justin records in Italy and France of which he says, “Spending time making music in a beautiful place with your friends is every songwriter’s dream”. His album of new songs ‘Spirits Of The Western Sky’ – for Eagle Rock –was followed by several solo tours, and a ‘live in concert’ DVD ‘Spirits…Live’, which reached No1 on the Billboard Video chart. “My solo tours give the perfect balance to the big production of the Moody Blues concerts. I’m so lucky to have both”. Spirits Of The Western Sky (Eagle Rock Ent.) was followed by 2016’s All The Way (Eagle Rock Ent.) - a compilation of Hayward’s most popular solo work and live performances of Moody Blues classics and in 2021 Justin released two more new solo songs One Summer Day / My Juliette (Eagle Rock Ent.),
In 2022 Justin was featured in the on-stage revival of Jeff Wayne’s epic production ‘The War Of The Worlds Live’, playing to sold out stadiums across the UK.
In June of 2022 he was awarded an O.B.E in the late Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honours list.
To coincide with his 2023 solo tours Justin has released his brand new single ‘Living For Love’ on BMG records.
He is consistently touring the globe as a solo artist – accompanied by Julie Ragins on vocals and keyboards, flute player Karmen Gould and guitar player Mike Dawes, one of a new generation of brilliant and exceptionally gifted young players. “I have spent most of my life, so far, on the road.’ says Justin, “and playing live and creating a small piece of magic in a room is like a drug to me, one that I never want to give up”.
Justin HaywardChristopher Cross
Christopher Cross burst onto the music scene with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including—for the first time in Grammy history—the “Big Four” most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also “Sailing”), and Best New Artist.
In a career spanning more than four decades, Cross has sold over 10 million albums. His music has garnered five Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and five Top 10 singles.
Within a year of the first album’s release, Cross joined music royalty Burt Bacharach to write “Arthur’s Theme,” for the movie Arthur, which won an Academy Award for Best Song. With his 1983 release, Another Page, Cross was again in the Top 10 with the singles “All Right” and “Think of Laura.” His song, “Swept Away,” composed for the hit television series, Growing Pains, was nominated for an Emmy.
Cross started his own label and, since 2007, has released 8 albums of new material, including A Christopher Cross Christmas and The Café Carlyle Sessions, jazz treatments of hits and favorites born out of a residency at
the famous Hotel Carlyle in New York City. Take Me as I Am, released in 2018, features richly-crafted melodies and elegant guitar work. The latest project for Christopher Cross Records is aptly titled The Complete Works.
Released in 2020, it celebrates his 40th anniversary as a recording artist and is a collection of all 12 previously-released CDs, one CD of singles and bonus tracks, and a pink vinyl containing one track from each album chosen by Christopher.
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 40th Anniversary tour, starting in 2021, he is once again performing the carefully-crafted songs and music his fans enjoy, starting with “Sailing” and “Ride Like the Wind” from his Grammy-winning debut album and continuing through the decades of his ever-changing but always excellent material.
All in all, it’s been quite a ride, one that has taken Cross from his early days in Texas where he once served as a drum tech for Ginger Baker, bought gear from Jimmy Page, and played lead guitar for Deep Purple on a night when Ritchie Blackmore fell ill, to this place as a respected singer-songwriter-guitar player who continues to share his original music with the world.
FAQs
What was the inspiration for the song “Sailing”?
While the song uses the liquid metaphor of sailing in a boat, the true intent of the song is to express the transformative power of art. The lyric “The canvas can do miracles” refers to a painters canvas.
What was the inspiration for the song “Think of Laura”?
Laura was the best friend, of a lady that Christopher was dating at the time in the early 80s. She was killed by a stray bullet while driving in a car one night. Christopher wrote this song in remembrance of Laura. It had nothing to do with General Hospital.
What is the meaning of the flamingo on many of Christopher’s albums? There is no real meaning behind the flamingo. An original band member painted the cover of Christopher’s first album, many years prior to CC signing on with Warner Bros. They kept the painting in their rehearsal room and always talked about how it would be the first cover. Well their dream came true, and WB agreed to use the artwork as a basis for the first cover. It just happened to have a flamingo in it. And Christopher has continued to use it on occasion ever since. But there is no hidden meaning behind them.