How Justin Hayward Saved The Moody Blues with 'Nights in White Satin'

Coming up... the story of a band on the brink of destruction. They had no direction, no identity, and no money. The Moody Blues lead singer & frontman had left the band, and in a last-ditch effort to save the group, the remaining founders hired a 19-year-old lead singer named Justin Hayward- hoping he would spark new life into their sagging future. After a late-night gig, Justin returned home to his one-room flat, sat on the edge of his bed, picked up an acoustic guitar, and wrote two verses and a chorus to a song that had been milling around in his head. He’d recently been dumped by a woman that he deeply loved, and although he had been in several relationships since the breakup still tore him up inside. Inspired by a posh but boring gift of bed sheets from a girl that he had briefly dated after his traumatic breakup, he wrote lyrics that unexpectedly progressed into the foundation of a song for the ages. Night in White Satin by the Moody Blues...It ended up being more than just a song…it was the precursor to a movement of prog rock in rock & roll history. The birth of a trailblazing, art rock classic is NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .