British Musician Calvin Hayes, Johnny Hates Jazz Co-Founder, Dies at 63 After Collapsing
- Calvin Hayes, co-founder of 1980s British pop band Johnny Hates Jazz, died at 63 after collapsing at his home in Spokane, Washington
- Hayes helped propel the band to fame with their 1987 hit Shattered Dreams and debut album Turn Back the Clock, which topped the UK charts
- His wife Kathy confirmed his death, as the music world mourned the loss of the keyboardist and drummer
Calvin Hayes, the British musician and co-founder of 1980s pop group Johnny Hates Jazz, has died at the age of 63.
He collapsed at his home in Spokane, Washington, in the United States, and his wife Kathy confirmed his passing, Metro UK reported.
Source: Instagram
Calvin Hayes co-founded Johnny Hates Jazz in 1986, joining forces with vocalist Clark Datchler and bassist Mike Nocito.
The trio made their mark on the music scene when their 1987 single Shattered Dreams became an international hit, breaking into the Top 10 across multiple countries.
Johnny Hates Jazz's rise to fame
Their debut album, Turn Back the Clock, arrived in 1988 and went straight to the top of the UK charts.
It produced four UK Top 20 singles, namely Shattered Dreams, I Don't Want to Be a Hero, Turn Back the Clock, and Heart of Gold.
During their commercial peak between 1987 and 1988, the band clocked up eight appearances on Top of the Pops.
The group's fortunes shifted when Datchler departed to focus on a solo career.
Calvin Hayes and Nocito pressed ahead with a new frontman, Phil Thornalley, but progress was cut short when Hayes suffered a near-fatal car crash that left him in a body cast for nearly a year.
The life behind the music
Beyond his work with Johnny Hates Jazz, Calvin Hayes had strong ties to the music industry through his father, legendary record producer Mickie Most, who was known for his collaborations with artists including Hot Chocolate.
The legendary musician also played drums for Kim Wilde's promotional band during that period.
In a 1988 interview, Wilde described him as the greatest thing that has ever happened to her when the two began a relationship; The Sun UK reported.
They eventually parted ways, though it is believed they remained on good terms.
During the 1990s, Calvin Hayes largely retreated from the public eye before Johnny Hates Jazz regrouped for nostalgia concerts across Europe and Southeast Asia in 2010.
His death marks the loss of a musician whose fingerprints remain on some of the most recognisable pop records of the late 1980s.
Source: Instagram
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Source: Legit.ng
