Roy Hay (musician)

Roy Hay
Hay performing in September 2015
Background information
Born
Roy Ernest Hay

(1961-08-12) 12 August 1961
Southend, Essex, England[1]
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Spouse
Georgie Hay

Roy Ernest Hay (born 12 August 1961) is an English musician[2] who is the guitarist and keyboardist of the band Culture Club.[3]

Biography

Before his involvement with Culture Club, Hay was a hairdresser in his native Essex.[2]

Hay became the guitarist and keyboardist of the band Culture Club in 1981.[3] Culture Club's debut album, Kissing to Be Clever (UK No. 5, US No. 14), was released in 1982. The single "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" became an international hit, reaching No. 1 in multiple countries around the world, plus top ten in several more countries (US No. 2). It was followed by the Top 5 hit "Time" in the US and UK, and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" which reached US No. 9. This gave Culture Club the distinction of being the first group since the Beatles to have three Top 10 hits in the US from a debut album.[4]

Their next album, Colour By Numbers, was an enormous success, topping the UK charts and reaching No. 2 in the US. The single "Church of the Poison Mind" became a Top 10 hit, and "Karma Chameleon" was an international hit, peaking at No. 1 in 16 countries, and the top ten in additional countries. In the US it hit No. 1, where it stayed for three weeks. It was the best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom, where it spent six weeks at No. 1.[5] "Victims" and "It's a Miracle" were further Top 5 UK hits, while "Miss Me Blind" reached the Top 5 in the US.[6]

The group disbanded in 1986,[7] but they reunited in 1998[8] to record a new album. In a Rolling Stone interview, Hay described the years apart as a healing process. "There was obviously a bit of a healing process that needed to happen between Jon [Moss] and George. They hadn't really spoken to each other in quite a while". The description of the tour was "Older and wiser...We've all been through some good and bad times since the band. I think we've all grown up a bit".[9]

It was during Culture Club's beginnings that Hay met Alison Green. The two married in 1982.[10]

According to the "Culture Club" episode the VH-1 series Behind the Music, Hay assisted Boy George in giving up heroin. The singer suffered the painful withdrawal symptoms closely attended by Hay in his Essex home.

Following Culture Club, Hay formed another band, called This Way Up, with singer Robinson Reid.[11] In 1987, they released three singles: "Tell Me Why", "If I Can't Have You" and "Louise". An album, Feelin' Good About It, was released in some European countries and in Japan in 1987. Of those records, "Tell Me Why" charted, for one week at number 72 on the UK Singles Chart.[12]

Literature

  • International Who's Who of Popular Music, Europa Publications Limited, London, p. 224, ISBN 1857431618

References

  1. ^ Publications, Europa (2017). International who's who in popular music. Taylor & Francis. p. 271. ISBN 9781857438932.
  2. ^ a b "Music interview '" Roy Hay of Culture Club: '˜We're trying to rebuild the legacy'". yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Eichenwald, Wes (3 September 2016). "Guitarist Roy Hay reflects on Culture Club's ongoing legacy". Austin American-Statesman.
  4. ^ "Culture Club the distinction of being the first group since The Beatles to have three Top Ten hits in America from a debut album". Electricsoulshow.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  5. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1984). "Top 100 singles: 1983". BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-906154-04-9.
  6. ^ "Culture Club chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  7. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (22 March 2023). "Boy George and Culture Club members pay ex-drummer £1.75m after legal dispute" – via The Guardian.
  8. ^ Catlin, Roger (12 August 1998). "Culture Club Reunites, but It May Be Just Nostalgic Fling". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^ "Roy Hay Readies For Culture Club Reunion: Culture Club : Rolling Stone". www.rollingstone.com.
  10. ^ "Roy Hay". culture-club.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  11. ^ "ArtistInfo".
  12. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 556. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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