Tony Hazzard

The name Tony Hazzard may not ring a bell, but the English singer/songwriter has written hits for everyone from the Hollies, Manfred Mann, and Herman's Hermits to Gene Pitney and Andy Williams. Born and raised in Liverpool, Hazzard picked up the guitar and ukulele at a young age. A formidable student, he managed to miss out on the Merseybeat skiffle scene that engulfed the region in the early '60s, focusing instead on his education at Durham University. Music soon got the best of him, though, and through a mutual friend he was introduced to BBC story editor Tony Garnett. Garnett persuaded Hazzard to move to London to pursue his songwriting ambitions, advice that was heeded by the young musician. He signed with music publisher/Manfred Mann manager Gerry Bron, who put him on a retainer. Hits followed for numerous groups, and Hazzard began work on a record of his own.

While Tony Hazzard Sings was released in 1969 to little or no fanfare, his sophomore effort (Loudwater House) helped establish the artist as a potential soft rock superstar. Many of the musicians who played on the record (Chris Spedding, Mike Batt, and B.J. Cole) were touring with Elton John at the time, and Hazzard soon found himself providing backing vocals on John's Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau. His third and final album, the country-tinged Was That Alright Then, arrived in 1973, but failed to generate much public support. In 2005, both Loudwater House and Was That Alright Then, along with some rarities and unissued outtakes, were remastered and compiled on the two-disc Go North: The Bronze Anthology. Hazzard continues to write music at his home in Cornwall, and plans to release a new record in the very near future.