Vale Philip Hayward-Surry (1945 – 2025)

Last week, I lost a good friend. The world lost a good man. And I lost one of my greatest musical champions… Philip Hayward-Surry.

I first met Phil when I was 16 and back then, I was just a young kid with big dreams, a few completed songs and a guitar. Phil was one of the first people to truly see something in me. He didn’t just encourage me, he made one of his missions in life to invest his time, his belief, and his heart into my music and my journey.

Phil became one of my original mentors in music and in life.

He was always there, quietly in my corner, gently pushing me to dig deeper, to play better, to write more honestly. Even in his final days, he never stopped nudging me to reach higher and be the best I could be.

In many ways, it felt like Phil lived musically through the people he supported. He poured his passion into us (the musicians/songwriters/artists that he believed in) and in doing so, he helped us believe in ourselves.

I was just one of few lucky enough to stand on his shoulders.

Now that he’s gone, there a big hole in my musical life which is going to be hard to fill. There’s now an empty chair at every gig, an unspoken bit of advice I wish I could still hear. But I know Phil well enough to know he wouldn’t want me (or any of us for that matter) to stop.

Wherever he is now, I know he’s still in my corner, still cheering me on from the sidelines. I miss him deeply, but I carry him with me every time I pick up my guitar or step on stage.

Thank you, Phil, for believing in me when I barely believed in myself. Thank you for your patience, your guidence, your encouragement, and your friendship. I hope I can pass onto others even just a fraction of what you gave me.

Phil, it’s now time to rest easy mate. I’ll keep playing and I know you’ll keep listening.

Peace,

Corey