Tony Hazzard

Though his name may not immediately spark recognition, English singer/songwriter Tony Hazzard has supplied hit material to acts ranging from the Hollies, Manfred Mann, and Herman's Hermits through Gene Pitney and Andy Williams. Raised in Liverpool from birth, he took up the guitar and ukulele early on. A dedicated scholar, he bypassed the Merseybeat skiffle wave that swept the area in the early 1960s, prioritizing studies at Durham University instead. Music ultimately prevailed, however, and a shared acquaintance led to an introduction with BBC story editor Tony Garnett. Garnett urged the young musician to relocate to London in order to chase songwriting goals, counsel that Hazzard followed. He secured a retainer agreement with music publisher and Manfred Mann manager Gerry Bron. Successive hits arrived for multiple ensembles, prompting Hazzard to begin crafting his own album.

Issued in 1969, While Tony Hazzard Sings drew scant notice, yet the follow-up Loudwater House positioned him as an emerging soft rock talent. Several players on that project—Chris Spedding, Mike Batt, and B.J. Cole—were then on the road with Elton John, which soon led to Hazzard contributing backing vocals to Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau. His third and last studio effort, the country-tinged Was That Alright Then, appeared in 1973 but attracted little audience response. In 2005 the two earlier albums, supplemented by various rarities and unreleased takes, received remastering and appeared together as the two-disc Go North: The Bronze Anthology. Hazzard maintains his songwriting from his Cornwall residence and intends to issue fresh material before long.