Justin Hayward and Christopher Cross Come to Indian Ranch This Summer

The voice of The Moody Blues Justin Hayward and five time Grammy Award Winner Christopher Cross will perform at Indian Ranch on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Tickets go on-sale this Saturday, March 2nd at 10:00 AM at www.indianranch.com. A limited number of Low Dough Early Bird General Admission tickets will be available for just $32.50 through March 8th, while supplies last.

Having chalked up over fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward’svoice has been heard the world over.  Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for the Moody Blues, he is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he worked. Over the years the band has sold more than fifty-five million albums and received numerous awards. In 2018, along with the other members of The Moody Blues, Justin was inducted into the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Born and brought up in Swindon in the UK, Justin’s interest in music started early when he was five years old and his grandfather bequeathed him his large collection of 78 rpm recordings. “It opened a world of imagination to me,” says Justin.  Having taught himself to play the ukulele, he soon progressed to guitar and by his early teens he was playing in local groups.  Upon leaving school at 17 he answered an advertisement in Melody Maker newspaper and successfully auditioned for UK Rock and Roll hero Marty Wilde. “I got the job playing guitar for Marty – it was a dream come true for me”. Justin credits Marty with encouraging him to become a songwriter; he made several recordings with Marty’s ‘Wilde Three’ and also appeared with them at the London Palladium.  They remain close friends to this day: “Marty is still my hero”.

Having started the ball rolling as a songwriter in his own right with a couple of solo singles, he joined the Moody Blues in the summer of 1966. Hitting his stride immediately with the single “Fly Me High,” he followed it up with the classic hit songs “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon” from the seminal albumDays of Future Passed. This album went on to become a favorite of the NASA astronauts and was taken aboard the Atlantis shuttle spacecraft by Chief astronaut “Hoot” Gibson on many missions.

This purple patch showed no sign of abating as Justin created other classic, era and genre-defining hits “Question,” “The Voice,” “The Story In Your Eyes,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” and “Your Wildest Dreams.” These laid the foundation for the incredible success story of the Moody Blues – as well as his solo work – which continues to this day.

Christopher Cross burst onto the music scene with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including—for the first time in Grammy history—the “Big Four” most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also “Sailing”), and Best New Artist.

In a career spanning more than four decades, Cross has sold over 10 million albums. His music has garnered five Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and five Top 10 singles.  

Within a year of the first album’s release, Cross joined music royalty Burt Bacharach to write “Arthur’s Theme,” for the movie Arthur, which won an Academy Award for Best Song. With his 1983 release, Another Page, Cross was again in the Top 10 with the singles “All Right” and “Think of Laura.” His song, “Swept Away,” composed for the hit television series, Growing Pains, was nominated for an Emmy.

Cross started his own label and, since 2007, has released 8 albums of new material, including A Christopher Cross Christmas and The Café Carlyle Sessions, jazz treatments of hits and favorites born out of a residency at the famous Hotel Carlyle in New York City. Take Me as I Am, released in 2018, features richly-crafted melodies and elegant guitar work.  The latest project for Christopher Cross Records is aptly titled The Complete Works. Released in 2020, it celebrates his 40th anniversary as a recording artist and is a collection of all 12 previously-released CDs, one CD of singles and bonus tracks, and a pink vinyl containing one track from each album chosen by Christopher.   

All in all, it’s been quite a ride, one that has taken Cross from his early days in Texas where he once served as a drum tech for Ginger Baker, bought gear from Jimmy Page, and played lead guitar for Deep Purple on a night when Ritchie Blackmore fell ill, to this place as a respected singer-songwriter-guitar player who continues to share his original music with the world. 

Indian Ranch offers music lovers a chance to see some of the greatest country, classic rock and pop bands steps from Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. Nestled between pine trees, the amphitheater offers the ability to see the stage from anywhere in the audience. More than a concert venue, Indian Ranch opened Samuel Slater’s Restaurant and is also home to the Indian Princess paddlewheeler and Indian Ranch Campground. Tickets are on sale now for Jo Dee Messina on June 1st, VOYAGE - CELEBRATING THE MUSIC ON JOURNEY on June 9th, Get The Led Out on June 15th, The Mavericks on June 22nd, Scotty McCreery on June 23rd, Three Dog Night on June 29th, Elle King on June 30th, Aaron Lewis on July 14th (July 13th show is sold out), The Pike Hairfest on July 20th,  RUMOURS: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show on July 21st, and Yächtley Crëw on July 25th, The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA on August 2nd, and Tyler Hubbard on August 18th. More shows will be announced soon.

Tickets for Justin Hayward and Christopher Cross on Sunday,  July 7, 2024 go on-sale Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 10:00 AM. A limited number of Early Bird GA tickets will be available for just $32.50, March 2nd-March 8th. Gates open at 11:30 AM and showtime is 1:00 PM. Tickets are available online atwww.indianranch.com, by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) or at the Indian Ranch Box Office.  All events are rain or shine. No refunds. Indian Ranch is located at 200 Gore Road in Webster, MA outside of Worcester and less than an hour’s drive from Boston, Providence, Hartford and Springfield. For more information, visit www.indianranch.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.