I was born in Handsworth Birmingham on 2nd of April 1955 to parents Tom and Sheila who were both teachers. I became interested in music at a very early age. It was Elvis Presleys record ,One night with you that did it for me. I must have heard it around age 5. It started a  musical fascicnation that I still have to this day. I  have to listen to music each and every day for at least 3 or four hours or I just dont feel right. I am also a complete musical trivia freak. Pop Quiz every morning on Radio 2 with Ken Bruce. Yes I know, sad but true. Also my weekly history lesson every Saturday Morning with Brian Mathews at 8,  and Sounds of The 60,s. Totally unmissable for me.

In the mid 60s I did a lot of acting with my fathers traveling band of actors who were called The Pied Pipers. One very famous member of this troup was none other Martin Shaw {The Professionals and Judge Deed]. My father was his drama teacher and was very much involved with helping him start his acting career. It was a very interesting time for me as I would be on tour in London in the summer hols with all these much older people for a fortnight.. I also ended up at The Birmingham repertory theatre playing the little boy in The Good Woman of Setzuan with none other than Julie Christie.

I had been forced to take piano lessons from age 8 and attained a grade 3. I also taught myself to play the guitar and a bit of banjo around age 10. Ended up playing in my dads folk group The Threshers. By the time I was 14 I had my own folk group with my mate Dave Key.
The problem for me was that I loved acting and music and nothing else. At school I was a total academic failure in all other subjects, much to my fathers dismay. I left school at 17 with 1 o level in English and 4 cses and did al l sorts of jobs over the next 8 years. From labourer to shipping clerk I did it all. I was also playing bass guitar in my mate Micky Hewkins band. Matok. Around age 18 I remember realizing that whatever I did, I wanted to be on stage. I also had to make a living. The easiest option at that time was to become a dj. So hey presto. I started my career as an entertainer albeit semi pro at the time. Not long after that I moved to Swansea to follow up a full time job offer. Quickly got involved with local music scene. Was working as a roadie for Slash Fender and the Barracudas whose biggest claim to fame was supporting Shaking Stevens at Swansea University. Also ended up as a roadie for my great friend and dj mentor Plastic Sam. I worked for Sam for around four years, [including the amazing fun years we had at the Fabulous Nutz club in The Mumbles. The live band nights were brilliant.] He had one of the most innovative road shows around at that time in the west wales area. Sam also introduced me to the west coast music scene which is probably the sort of sound I still love the most.