Roy Hay (born Roy Ernest Hay, 12 August 1961, Southend,
Essex, England) was the
guitarist/keyboardist
with Culture Club, one of the most
popular bands
of the 1980s,
fronted by Boy George. Hay, a trained pianist since
the age of five, replaced founding member Johnny Suede in 1981. Hay's
musical influences were bands like The
Isley Brothers and Led Zeppelin. Before his
involvement with Culture Club, Hay was a hairdresser
in his native Essex. It was during Culture Club's beginnings that Hay
met Alison Green. The two married in 1982 and had a child, Sunny, in
1986. They divorced
in 2005, although the two had been separated since 1995. Hay and Green
have maintained a close relationship for the sake of their daughter.
As for the international hit "Karma
Chameleon", Hay described it "Embarrassingly bad!" His bandmates
pointed out during their Club Rewind tour of 1998,
it did provide him with "some flash cars and a house!" Hay left the
band when it imploded in 1986 due to Boy George's drug habit and
tensions between George and drummer Jon Moss, who were former lovers.
According to the "Culture Club" episode the VH-1 series Behind
the Music, Hay assisted George in quitting
heroin "cold
turkey". 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. They released three singles : "Tell Me Why", "If
I Can't Have You" and "Louise". An album, Feeling Good About It
was released in some European countries and in Japan in 1987.
Hay found later success as a composer in Hollywood,
California,
working with fellow composer Hans Zimmer and composing the music for
a series directed by Robert Altman, as well as the music
for "Fitz" with Robert Pastorelli and for "The
Dead Zone" by Stephen King. Hay reunited with the
three original members in 1998 to record a new album. In a Rolling
Stone interview, Hay describes 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."
External links
Hay Readies for Culture Club Reunion: Rolling Stone Magazine.
