![Whatever happened to: Roy Wood from WIZZARD on divorce, fatherhood and Christmas hits]( "Whatever happened to: Roy Wood from WIZZARD on divorce, fatherhood and Christmas hits")
Whatever happened to: Roy Wood from WIZZARD on divorce, fatherhood and Christmas hits
It’s 40 years since festive anthem I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday reached number two.
Written by singer Roy Wood, who made his name in the 60s as co-founder of The Move, it was among Wizzard’s six top 10 hits. Now 67, Roy is divorced and lives in Derbyshire. He has a grown-up daughter, Holly.
“It’s amazing to think it’s the 40th anniversary of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – where has all the time gone? When I wrote the song, I couldn’t have imagined it would still be around today. There’s a new version this year, a charity single by The Big Reunion.
“We recorded it in August 1973 on a boiling hot day. I put a Christmas tree in the corner of the studio and asked the band members to bring bobble hats, scarves and overcoats to add atmosphere. We had a great time making it.
“We were shocked when we heard Slade were releasing Merry Xmas Everybody. Unfortunately, ours hit the shops two weeks after Slade’s which gave them a head start. Theirs was a great song and pipped us to the post in the race for the 1973 Christmas number one. But I didn’t cry in my beer. I was pleased just having a hit.
“Music was always encouraged in my family. I began playing the drums before switching to guitar after seeing The Shadows in concert when I was 12. From that moment, I became really interested in music and at 14 joined a local band, The Falcons.
“I performed with other local groups until forming The Move with Carl Wayne, Bev Bevan, Ace Kefford and Trevor Burton in 1966. We secured a recording contract and our first single, Night Of Fear, reached number two while Blackberry Way topped the charts. We enjoyed five other top 10 hits, including Flowers In The Rain, the first song played on Radio 1
