David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946, in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English musician, best known as a singer, guitarist and composer in the rock band, The Moody Blues.Hayward attended The Commonweal School, in Swindon, Wiltshire.

In 1965, Hayward worked with Marty Wilde and his wife in The Wilde Three. Aged 17, he signed a publishing contract with the skiffle artist and record producer, Lonnie Donegan - a move that Hayward later regretted as it meant that the rights to all his songs written before 1974 would always be owned by Donegan’s Tyler Music. He lives in France and Cornwall. His Hobbies: Horse Riding and taking a stroll down the Cornish Coast.

Hayward was awarded the first of numerous ASCAP awards for songwriting in 1974. In 1985, the Moody Blues picked up the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and in 1988 Hayward received the Ivor Novello Award, among other honours, for Composer of the Year. In 2000, he was one of only a handful of British artists to receive the "Golden Note" award for lifetime achievement by the American Society of Songwriters, Composers and Publishers. In 2004, Hayward was awarded the "Gold Badge" for lifetime achievement by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

For the most part, Hayward has used a red Gibson ES-335, though he also uses other guitars in both performing and recording, including a 1955 Martin D-28 "Dreadnought", a James Olssen, Black Guild acoustic, Squier Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, a blonde Guild open-tuned 12-string acoustic, and in 1967 a black Les Paul. Between 1965 and 1968 he was without his Gibson 335 and relied on other instruments. He has a pronounced dislike for Ovation guitars. When Justin was a small child he could also play the Ukele.