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My deejaying started back in the
mid-sixties, just after I realised that after being in numerous
groups in the early sixties I could neither sing nor play an
instrument – I guess playing tunes is a sort of substitute.
I’d always bought 45’s and before
too long I’d amassed a fair amount – without realising I was
becoming a collector. I deejayed occasionally without any desire
to become heavily involved but when the early 70’s arrived and
“Glam Rock” was being promoted by “white” music Radio One I
decided to go “mobile” and play “black” music. The majority of
the time it was 1960’s R&B, Soul and Mod stuff at local clubs
and when Jazz Funk arrived in about 1976 I got into that –
mainly because it was black and you could dance to it – I still
believe that all this “white” guitar stuff (rock to you and me)
is really “lad” music, strictly for the blokes who can’t dance.
This lasted until about 1981 when
Jazz Funk went out of favour and the New Romantics came in – Oh
Dear. This coincided with me having a young family so for about
12/13 years my music involvement went on the back burner.
In 1995 I decided to go for
deejaying in a more concentrated way. In the space of six months
I was working at Rochdale Jazz and Blues Club, The Blues Shack,
Oldham and The Blues Club, Glossop. The gigs at these three
venues incorporated a bit of emceeing – although I must admit I
was being protected by the barrier created by my decks.
1996 saw me at the
Great British
R&B Festival, Colne for the first time, deejaying down on the
British Stage. This developed into me combining the
emceeing and overnight I was exposed – nothing to hide behind.
At about the turn of the new
millennium I started to emcee at the
Burnley National Blues
Festival and so it was time to develop more of my stage persona
than just a hat – time to start wearing a different outfit to
introduce each different band – this has now become a bit of a
calling card.
For the last few years more gigs
have come my way and the desire to do what I do has not
diminished. The passion I have for Blues, Rhythm and Blues,
Soul, Swing, Jump Jive and Boogie-woogie will always be
reflected by the 45s I have in my box. CDs … what’s that
all about.
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