Calvin Hayes, the British musician who helped found the 1980s pop group Johnny Hates Jazz, has died at age 63, according to Stereogum.
Hayes collapsed at his home in Washington earlier this week. On the band’s official account, Clark Datchler and Mike Nocito said they were shocked and deeply saddened by his death.
In their statement, the two said they wanted to speak privately with people who knew Hayes before posting publicly. They described the three musicians as close collaborators during a memorable period when their music reached listeners around the world.
Hayes was born in London on November 27, 1962. He co-founded Johnny Hates Jazz in 1986 with Datchler and Nocito, and the band broke through the next year with “Shattered Dreams.” Their album Turn Back The Clock reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, according to Stereogum.
The group later broke up and reunited in 2009, though Hayes left the band in 2010. Stereogum reports that he remained proud of the lasting popularity of the group’s songs and recordings.
