Ronnie Hayward

Born in the small town of Castlegar, British Columbia, Ronnie Hayward was introduced to an older form of music by his parents, who were a bit older than usual. At the age of nine, the boy began playing the guitar and performing Johnny Cash and Hank Williams songs. At the age of 20, he moved from the guitar to the standup bass. At the same time he relocated to Calgary and attempted to form a rockabilly band. But after moving to Vancouver, he was immediately involved in three bands, but he still continued moving, playing with bands like The Tailgators, Shotgun Shack and Five Star Hillbillies. In 1990, he joined the Nervous Fellas and soon after the Bughouse Five. Hayward stayed with the group from 1991 to 1997. After performing at the 1997 Hemsby Festival in England, Hayward signed to Tail Records and performed throughout Europe as the Ronnie Hayward Trio. The trio released three albums in 1997, including Gotta Git It On and Somewhere Out There. Opening for The Pogues, kd Lang and Jerry Lee Lewis, Hayward returned to Calgary Alberta, performing at the 2000 Calgary Folk Festival. In July 2000, the musician released The Lost Utrecht Sessions, which received much attention and praise among rockabilly critics and circles.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ronnie-hayward-mn0000277114/biography



Ronnie Hayward lives and plays with the integrity of Woody and Hank. His is a style grounded in knowledge and know-how so solid it seeps from the marrow. He has swallowed the encyclopedia of roots and it comes streaming out of his hands, shivering up the gut strings of his bass and heating up the room. Go to his show and pick up what you want, it's all there; driving rhythm, rock'n'roll stripped bare and raw, and bad-boy hard-luck sexiness. With the Ronnie Hayward Trio, straight up rockabilly has checked into the motel and country is in the next room knockin' on the door for an all-night moonshine whiskey jam.

In the sleepy small town of Castlegar, BC, Ronnie was born the last of nine Hayward children. In a house where Dad was playing Jimmie Rodgers songs on the guitar and Mom could sing like Kitty Wells, the musical path was a natural one. By the age of nine, Ronnie was learning acoustic guitar from the local DJ. (...) A sleepy hole, perhaps, Castlegar, but something good was stirring there. By the age of twenty, he decided to try his hand with an upright bass, which he taught himself to play. At that time, Ronnie started the first of what would be a small series of trios dotting his carrer. (...) Eventually, he ended up in Vancouver, and, at age 35, with bands like the Tailgators, the Nervous Fellas, Jimmy Roy's 5 Star Hillbillies and the Bughouse Five under his belt, he's no young turk. For six years Ronnie has hosted a weekly jam session at Vancouver's historic Railway Club, bringing together the city's country and rockabilly talent, and the occasional out of town guest, every saturday afternoon. (...)

Ronnie Hayward is an original. >His refreshing dedication to both the tradition and the future of roots music, married with his vision and talent, is a gift to the world scene. His performances, live or recorded, are passionate and true -the distillation of a life devoted to what's real and raw in music. This one is a rare find, my friends. Catch him while you can. Amen.
Tamara Bunnell, The Grindstone Magazine, Los Angeles.