Wayne Hector

Wayne Hector is a British songwriter who is best known for his work with pop artists such as Nicki Minaj, One Direction, The Wanted and Olly Murs.[1][2][3] He also wrote seven of Westlife's number one singles, including "World of Our Own" and "Flying Without Wings".[4][5]

Wayne Hector
Genres
Occupation(s)Songwriter
Associated acts

He is signed to BMG Chrysalis UK.[6]

Career

Hector began his music career as a member of the new jack swing group Rhythm N Bass. The group were signed by Sony Music after entertainment executive Richard Pascoe featured the group in a European edition of Yo! MTV Raps.[7] He then decided to concentrate on songwriting and music production.[7] It was this period in 1993 that Richard Pascoe took the role as International A&R manager for Pop music at Rondor Music International, where he signed Hector and fellow Rhythm N Bass member Alistair Tennant as songwriters. When transitioning from performer to songwriter, Hector got in touch with Steve Mac, who was working with the British boy band Damage.[7][8] He had originally met Mac while Hector was working as a background singer.[8][9]

In 1996, Damage's "Forever" became one of Hector's first songwriting credits and his first top 10 hit.[1][8][9]

Hector contributed to Westlife's self-titled debut album in 1999.[10] His credits on the album include "Swear It Again" and "Flying Without Wings", both of which peaked at number 1 in the United Kingdom.[11] He also contributed "I Don't Wanna Fight", "Moments" and "We Are One" to the album.[10] He also cowrote number 1 singles "Queen of My Heart" and "World of Our Own" on Westlife's 2001 album World of Our Own.[11][12]

In 2005, Hector was signed to Sony/ATV.[13] At the time of his signing, he had written 32 international number one singles.[13] Later that year he worked on Rascal Flatts' "Feels Like Today", for which he won an ASCAP award.[14] He also penned Carrie Underwood's "I Just Can't Live A Lie" in 2005.[15]

Hector wrote "I Hate This Part" for The Pussycat Dolls in 2008.[5][16] He co-wrote "Out from Under" on Britney Spear's Circus later that year.[17] In 2009, Hector co-wrote two number one singles, "Beat Again" and "Everybody in Love", on JLS's self-titled debut album.[18][19]

Hector joined Warner/Chappell Music in 2010.[20] That year he co-wrote JLS's number one single "Love You More".[19] He also co-wrote "Thinking of Me" on Olly Murs' 2010 self-titled debut album.[21]

Hector wrote "Same Mistakes" and "Everything About You" for One Direction's debut album Up All Night in 2011.[22]

In 2012, he co-wrote Nicki Minaj's "Starships" and The Wanted's "Glad You Came".[1] He also wrote The Wanted's "I Found You", which was released in September 2012.[5][23] Hector also contributed "Army of Two", "Hand on Heart" and "Personal" to Olly Murs' 2012 album Right Place Right Time.

In 2013, Hector co-wrote "Best Song Ever", "Little White Lies" and "Why Don't We Go There" for One Direction's Midnight Memories.[24] He also wrote "Get Down" and "Supposed" on James Arthur's self-titled debut album and Mika's "Stardust".[25][26] Hector worked on "Miss America", "The Only One", "Bones", "Postcard" and "Hollywood" on James Blunt's Moon Landing, which was released in October 2013.[27] He also co-wrote "Rest of Our Life" on Jason Derulo's Tattoos.[28]

In 2014, Hector wrote "Me and My Broken Heart" for the English pop band Rixton, "Break Your Plans" for The Fray, and "Redlight" for Tiesto.[29][30][31] He co-wrote "Steal My Girl" for the One Direction album Four.[32] He also co-wrote "Changing", the Sigma song featuring Paloma Faith, and "Last Night" by the pop-rock band The Vamps.[33][34]

In 2016, he wrote the song "Sunlight" together with Irish lyricist Ronan Hardiman, for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, in which the song was performed by Nicky Byrne. In 2016, he wrote On Your Side by The Veronicas, the second single from their fourth album.

In 2018, he co-wrote "Love" on Kylie Minogue's Golden.

In 2020, he co-wrote "Habit" and "Perfect Now" on Louis Tomlinson's Walls.

Awards

In 2000, Hector won a BMI Pop Award for his work with Westlife's Swear It Again. In 2003, Hector won a BMI Country Award and BMI London Award for his work on Trace Adkins' Help Me Understand.[35][36] Hector won an ASCAP award in 2005 for his work on Rascal Flatts' Feels Like Today and The Pussycat Dolls' I Hate This Part.[14][37] He also won at the 2010 Brit Awards for his work on JLS' Beat Again.[38] Hector was recognised as one of the 2012 top 25 songwriters by ASCAP.[39] He was nominated for an Ivor Novella songwriting award for Best Selling UK single for "All This Time".[40] In 2013, Hector won BMI Awards for The Wanted's "Glad You Came" and Nicki Minaj's "Starships," which also won a BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Award for Song of the Year.[41][42] In 2014, he received the BMI Pop Award for One Direction's "Best Song Ever".[43] In addition to his music awards, Hector was included in the 2019 edition of the Powerlist, ranking the 100 most influential Black Britons. [44]

Influences

Hector credits his musical tastes to his upbringing.[16] His father favoured rock and R&B while his mother listened to country and classical music.[16] His songwriting influences include Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Burt Bacharach, Hal Davis, Babyface and Rodgers and Hammerstein.[7]

Personal life

Hector was born in Hackney and grew up in Surrey. He lives in Surrey.[7]

References
  1. Paul Williams (19 February 2013). "Leading pop songwriter Wayne Hector on his ambition to work with bands". Music Week. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  2. Richard Smirke (28 March 2012). "Wayne Hector, Hit-Making UK Songwriter, Talks One Direction, Nicki Minaj, Streaming Services, More (Q&A)". BillboardBiz. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  3. Lisa McGarry (3 June 2013). "Songwriter Wayne Hector reveals One Direction album is almost finished – Poor Niall Horan hates leaving home!". Unreality TV. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  4. Robert Copsey (3 June 2013). "Songwriter Wayne Hector talks One Direction album, Nicki Minaj". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  5. "Wayne Hector Credits". All Music. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  6. Ingham Tim (27 February 2014). "Wayne Hector signs with BMG Chrysalis UK". Music Week. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  7. Ted Drozdowski (16 April 2012). "10 Questions: Wayne Hector". BMI. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  8. "Interview with WAYNE HECTOR, songwriter for Susan Boyle, Pussycat Dolls, Westlife". Hit Quarters. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  9. "Interview with STEVE MAC, producer for Susan Boyle, JLS, Il Divo, The Saturdays". Hit Quarters. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  10. "Westlife". All Music. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  11. "Westlife". Official Charts. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  12. "Westlife". All Music. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  13. "Sign here". Music Week. 5 May 2005.
  14. "Complete List of Winners". ASCAP. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  15. "Some Hearts". All Music. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  16. Paul Williams (12 June 2008). "Just Call Him Mr. Diversity". Music Week.
  17. "Circus". All Music. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  18. "JLS". All Music. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  19. "JLS". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  20. Charlotte Otter (15 January 2011). "Playing it safe in a busy year for signings". Music Week.
  21. "Thinking of Me". All Music. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  22. "Up All Night". All Music. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  23. "The Wanted Confirm New Single 'I Found You'". MTV UK. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  24. Midnight Memories (CD Booklet) (Media notes). One Direction.CS1 maint: others (link)
  25. "James Arthur". All Music. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  26. "Songbook Vol. 1". All Music. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  27. Moon Landing (CD Booklet) (Media notes). James Blunt.CS1 maint: others (link)
  28. Tattoos (CD Booklet) (Media notes). Jason Derulo.CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. "Redlight". Warner/Chappell Music. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  30. "BEHIND THE SONG: RIXTON – ME AND MY BROKEN HEART". Idobi Radio. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  31. "Break Your Plans". Warner/Chappell Music. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  32. Lewis Corner (27 September 2014). "Exclusive: One Direction's new single: 'Steal My Girl' - First listen review". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  33. Lewis Corner (9 April 2014). "The Vamps: 'Last Night' single review: "A sugary pop-rock anthem"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  34. "Sigma: Changing (Feat. Paloma Faith)". Ico Pop. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  35. "2003 BMI Country Awards Winners". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  36. "BMI Honors Top UK, European Writers and Publishers at London Awards". BMI. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  37. "Song Awards". ASCAP. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  38. "The Brit Awards 2010". Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  39. "ASCAP Members Dominate the 2012 Year-End Billboard Charts". ASCAP. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  40. "The Streets lead Ivor nominations". BBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  41. "BMI Awards 2013: All the winners". Music Week. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  42. "Cash Money's Bryan 'Birdman' Williams and Ronald 'Slim' Williams and Top Songwriters Honored at the 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards". BMI. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  43. Lucy Bacon (14 October 2014). "Nile Rodgers Gets Lucky With BMI Song Of The Year Award". MTV. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  44. Hicks, Amber (23 October 2018). "List of 100 most influential black people includes Meghan Markle for first time". mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
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