Biography
Born on 20 January 1943 in Whiston, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, Hague spent his childhood in Canada after relocating there at the age of eight. The move allowed him to receive care for cerebral palsy, a condition doctors had once declared would prevent him from ever walking, and it was during those years that he first developed a passion for country music. Returning to Rotherham in 1961, he assembled his initial band, the Paladins, and three years afterward established the Westernaires as a trio. The group maintained an active touring schedule and earned the West Country Music Association Most Entertaining Band Award in 1973, an achievement that secured a recording deal with Jim Fowley of Look Records. Their first release, the album The Winner, highlighted Hague’s compositions through numbers including ‘Don’t Call Me A Cowboy’, ‘Lisa’ and ‘As Close To Me As You’. The Westernaires remained together until 1976, after which Hague launched a solo career. Among the honors gathered during extensive travels were the Daily Mirror’s Golden Guitar Award, determined by a national poll backed by Aria Guitars, and consecutive second-place finishes in Country Music Association voting for Top British Country Music Songwriter. He also devoted considerable effort to championing country music through local radio broadcasts. In support of the 1981 Year Of The Disabled, Hague cycled from Doncaster to Wembley to reach the festival, despite having no prior experience on a bicycle. By 1987 he chose to expand his musical approach by reforming a band that included Nick Strutt on guitars and mandolin, Andy Seward on bass and John Firminger on drums.