Friday, October 10th, 2025
A Final Farewell to a Moody Blue
The music world has lost another great with the passing of John Lodge, the bassist, vocalist, and songwriter for The Moody Blues. For over half a century, he co-anchored one of Britain’s most distinctive bands.
Many years ago, I was fortunate to know Justin Hayward through my work at the BBC, and on a beautiful, warm summer’s day, I found myself sitting at Justin’s dining room table at his flat in Esher Park, just outside London. We talked extensively about the future of The Moody Blues and whether they had any plans to retire. Justin mentioned that Ray and Graeme were both pushing 60 but didn’t have any plans to stop and said, “As long as those guys want to keep doing it… I’m going to do it!”
When we talked about John, Ray, and Graeme, you could tell there was a deep love between them—they were just like brothers. There was often teasing, most notably about Graeme’s seeming inability to finish a song without help, and even a lingering fondness for Mike Pinder, despite him leaving the band before they took Octave on tour in 1978. Justin was angry at Mike—but only because he missed him and the close musical collaboration they shared. He confided that Mike had been his hero in the early days of The Moodies, and it was a really difficult time for the band when he left.
For Justin, John was his longtime collaborator and friend, and this marks the end of an extraordinary partnership. Together, the two of them carried The Moody Blues’ legacy through decades of change, keeping the music alive long after the band’s golden era had passed. Their connection—built on mutual respect, a shared love of music, and deep friendship—was the foundation of every note they played together.
I am now the age that Justin was on that summer’s day in 2000, and I regret not taking him up on his suggestion that I go and spend some time with the other Moodies (if I could ever get Graeme off his boat). Sadly, they’re all gone now, and it brings home a feeling of mortality. I’m mindful that Justin must be feeling the same way.
John’s passing follows those of his fellow bandmates Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge, Mike Pinder, and the group’s earliest members, Denny Laine and Clint Warwick. With their absence, the story of The Moody Blues has reached its quiet coda—but the music they created lives on. Albums like Days of Future Passed and A Question of Balance remain touchstones for fans who grew up on their lush arrangements and philosophical edge.
Our thoughts are with John’s wife, Kirsten, his family, and all who were close to him.
