I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t able to play guitar and sing, most likely because my father learned to play during the 2nd World War (I still have his Sicilian-made guitar; it lives in a case made from the wing of a defunct spitfire). Following his example, I started to learn ukulele at the age of 4 or 5.
I sang at various village hall concerts in the 50s with my Dad; that’s where I learned to sing harmonies along to the Hank Williams and Tex Ritter songs he loved to sing.
In the mid 60s I sang with a young girl called Ann Thirkettle at the Half Moon in Elloughton; eventually this developed into a band called The New Folk (imaginative, eh?). After Ann left we changed the name to The Monto (after Montgomery Street in Belfast, I believe). During this period we were accompanied on fiddle by a very young Kevin Burke, now a renowned fiddle player. Somewhere I still have a tape of myself accompanying (or at least trying to accompany) Kevin as he played a reel…
In the early 70s The Monto set up a folk club at the New Inn, Holme-on-Spalding Moor. After a year or two the club relocated to the Cross Keys, Bubwith, in the wooden hall at the rear of the pub (which ceased to exist long ago; it is now a private house). Along with others I supported many interesting acts at the club during the 1970s including Mike Harding, Alex Campbell, Nic Jones and Jasper Carrott; I also had a spell in a (mostly) ragtime duo with John Burrows.
Toward the end of the 70s I sang with Dave O’Hara (Shane Peters) in many a Working Men’s Club in Yorkshire. I later teamed up with my good friend William ‘Billy’ Bills with whom I toured the Yorkshire pub & club circuit for many a year. In the late 80s I teamed up with Steve Hopton, a guitarist from Ackworth, and we played together for a while as Hopton & Hodge (which, in retrospect, does sound rather like a firm of solicitors…)
After a few years and many cries of “play summat we know” in pubs and clubs I met York-based musician Marc Atkinson and joined his band Gabriel. It was a real departure for me to play in a rock band. We had several good years playing festivals and so forth, living the rock-star dream (complete with obligatory leather trousers), foot welded to the monitor…
At the moment I sing mostly at the weekends – I have regular spots at the Blue Bicycle and Ate O’Clock, two of the finest restaurants in York. Occasionally I provide entertainment at weddings and christenings – though I have yet to secure a Bar mitzvah.
Recently I’ve also been providing guitar accompaniment for the legendary Nic Jones; early in 2006 we recorded a new version of one of his famous Trad. Arr. Jones songs for a CD to be released in the near future.
I hope to continue playing, singing, learning for as long as I’m here…
ah thanks for the nice message, and I'm glad you enjoyed the tunes! we've all worked very hard, and I'm now enjoying a good sit down :) enjoyed listening to your music, you have a very comforting voice, lovely - hope can catch you playing sometime..
Hi Graham, Thanks for adding me, long time, no see! Hope you're well? Still loving all your tunes. "One woman's heart" is my 'tune of the moment'. Hopefully see you 'live' again soon. Take care mate,
Thanks for taking the time to listen and I'm glad you liked In From the Storm. Yes we write them together, Carlo sends me the guitar part and I write the lyrics and melody lines. We do it all over the internet, though I did spend some time recording in New York with Carlo going through stuff...
Lovely work on Lost G, like the arrangement and nice to hear a freah version. I'll get penning you sokme new tunes. Look forward to hearing the whole album.
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Just listened to your new song,absolutely beautiful. We actually ate at the Blue Bicycle a couple of weeks back, as we were hoping to hear you play again. We booked the table and sat down very disappointed that you weren't around. We'll check with you next time.lol. because the food isn't too good there. Have a great weekend. Denise :)
Hallo darling. Hope you and your new guitar are madly in love by now (now how did I know about that?). I'll be compering this next Monday, look who's coming up from London to play...Would be great to see you...
