Calvin Hayes, the British musician who co-founded the '80s pop band Johnny Hates Jazz, has died. The keyboardist and drummer collapsed in his home in Washington earlier this week. He was 63.
On social media, Clark Datchler and Mike Nocito shared a statement on the official Johnny Hates Jazz account, writing:
As many of you now know, our old friend and former bandmate Calvin died on Thursday. We are utterly shocked and deeply saddened.
Upon hearing the news, we decided to talk privately with other people who knew him well before posting anything publicly, which is why you are hearing from us now. This gave us a way to share our memories, express our emotions, and begin to come to terms with such a tragic loss.
The three of us were brothers in arms for an extraordinary moment in time, one in which we managed to touch the world with the music we created together. 40 years on, and regardless of the fact that Calvin was no longer in the band, we know he remained incredibly proud of the fact that our songs and recordings, especially from the “Turn Back The Clock” album, continue to resonate with so many people.
It is in the brightness of that moment, and with the memory of the great comaraderie we once shared, that we will remember Calvin.
Calvin Hayes was born in London on November 27, 1962 and co-founded Johnny Hates Jazz in 1986 with Clark Datchler and Mike Nocito. They signed to Virgin Records and broke through the following year with their hit single "Shattered Dreams." Their album Turn Back The Clock was a success, topping the UK Albums Chart. Datchler left the band and was replaced by ex-Cure bassist Phil Thornalley, but their next record, Tall Stories, failed to chart. The band broke up and reunited in 2009, but Hayes departed in 2010.
