Pop star Calvin Hayes passes away at home in Washington

• Johnny Hates Jazz co-founder Calvin Hayes died at his home aged 63.
• The keyboardist collapsed yesterday at his property in Spokane, Washington.
• His wife Kathy confirmed the death of the multi-platinum British musician.

British musician Calvin Hayes passed away at his home in Spokane, Washington, yesterday after collapsing at his property. The multi-talented keyboardist and drummer, who achieved international fame during the 1980s, was 63.

The Sun reported that his grieving wife, Kathy, officially confirmed his death. Hayes co-founded the popular British pop group Johnny Hates Jazz in 1986 alongside vocalist Clark Datchler and bassist Mike Nocito. The musicians self-produced their material and secured significant global recognition with their 1987 debut single Shattered Dreams, which reached the top 10 charts in multiple countries, including the United States. Their acclaimed 1988 studio album, Turn Back the Clock, topped the United Kingdom charts, achieved multi-platinum status, and generated four consecutive top 20 singles. The band also performed on the iconic television programme Top of the Pops eight times between May 1987 and March 1988.

The musician possessed deep roots in the entertainment industry as the son of Mickie Most, a prominent British record producer who worked with major 1960s and 1970s artists, including Hot Chocolate. Hayes also gained early public recognition collaborating with pop singer Kim Wilde. He performed as part of her promotional band, appeared on the sleeve artwork of her 1981 self-titled debut album, and subsequently dated the vocalist.

Following the departure of Datchler at the peak of the group's success, Hayes and Nocito continued the project by recruiting Phil Thornalley as their lead vocalist. Production on their second studio album, Tall Stories, suffered severe delays after Hayes survived a near-fatal car crash that required him to remain in a body cast for nearly a year. The artist maintained a low profile throughout the 1990s and early 2000s before regrouping with his original bandmates in 2010 for a nostalgic comeback arena tour across Europe and Southeast Asia. Hayes permanently departed the musical lineup shortly after those live performances concluded due to personal reasons.