Moody gained his first recognition as a pianist, and from the age of thirteen was earning a good living playing in cinemas for silent films in his native town Belfast.
Over the next forty years he became a household name on British radio due to such long-running musical programs as Stop Dancing (1935–41)[2] Accent on Rhythm (1937–56),[3] Workers' Playtime (between 1954 and 1958 with guitarist Bert Weedon and drummer Max Abrams),[4] and As You Were (1961–75).
[5] As accompanist and music director for many such variety shows, he came into contact with the famous harmonica soloist Tommy Reilly.
[8][9] Other works (mostly dating from the 1930s and 1940s) included the orchestral miniatures Bulgarian Wedding Dance[10] and Palm Beach Promenade,[11] and piano compositions such as Boogie Caprice, Midsummer Madness and Parakeet in Paradise.
[12] Moody's four movement Little Suite for harmonica and small orchestra (1960) was recorded by Reilly with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Marriner in 1977.