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Other bands like the Kinks, the Yardbirds, Them, Manfred Mann and so on were also playing blues songs and this
led me to search out some of the original artists. I well remember some great compilation LPs that I bought which
had tracks from people like Muddy Waters, Slim Harpo, John Lee Hooker, Little Walter and many more which
served to widen my appreciation of this wonderful music called the Blues and found me buying LPs from some of
the artists. In particular I remember John Lee Hooker’s ‘House of
Blues’ on the Marble Arch label. Then I found a Storyville LP of
Snooks Eaglin – ‘Blues From New Orleans Volume 2’ - and was
blown away by his 12-string guitar and very individual, laid back
vocal style.

My blues rebirth happened in 2001 when a work colleague of my
wife invited us to go and see her playing sax in a blues band
locally. We went along and loved it and then discovered there
was a regular Friday night of blues at this local venue. Suddenly,
I was reintroduced to so many great bands and musicians and,
once again, became hooked!

LL: You’ve enjoyed a lengthy career in radio. Can you tell us
how you got started in radio, a bit about your career
highlights, and what else radio led to?

AS: In 1988 I moved to Grays in Essex, one of those places that
really lives up to its name! I saw an article in a local paper about a hospital radio station – Orsett Hospital Radio –
that was looking for new members and I thought I would give it a try! I joined up and for quite a while it was all
about helping around the station, going up into the wards to get requests as well as being trained by a former BFBS
(British Forces Broadcasting Network) broadcaster. The training was great, I learnt so much including how to take
half a day to produce a 30 second jingle or sting editing reel to reel tape! You folk who have only ever edited
digitally don’t know you are born!! Eventually I was allowed on air, sitting in on a three-hour Friday night show
with one of the station’s most experienced presenters. I loved it and had loads of fun and gradually was doing more
and more actual broadcasting and getting to drive the desk. Then, I was deemed ready to do a show on my own and
for a while I presented an hour of classical music before the Friday evening show which was a two hander.

After some years the hospital was closed and so was the radio station but at about the same time local or community
radio was booming and I broadcast on several fledgling local stations in the part of Essex where I lived, presenting
classical music, soft rock, general music shows and, a highlight, a one hour live magazine programme with up to five
live guests, music, features etc. all from a superannuated BBC outside broadcast lorry parked in a pub car park in
Billericay in Essex! A fabulous opportunity! Heady days!

Soon after I rediscovered the Blues, the opportunity arose to present a show of my choice. I decided to do a Blues
show and Digital Blues was born! I received massive support from blues bands and musicians on the local scene and
was once described as the voice of the blues for Essex! In the early 2000s I also did quite a bit of running and
promoting blues gigs, ran a number of two-day festivals as well as compering at blues weekends, battles of the bands
etc. Not quite sure how I fitted in a very demanding job in the City of London!

LL: How did creating the UK Blues Federation come about? How has it grown and where is it now?

AS: Some five years ago, sitting at a comfortable distance in rural France, I
became acutely aware that there seemed to be a lack of cohesion within the
Blues in the UK. There were loads of wonderful people working their
socks off promoting and supporting the blues but there was no national
focal point, nobody trying to coordinate things, nobody trying to help
people work together. So, I thought I would try to set up an organization
with the sole intention of helping to promote the great blues musicians,
venues, festivals and music that there are in the UK. I am not entirely
convinced that I knew what I was doing or, indeed, seeking to do but I
went for it anyway! I issued a public invitation to people to volunteer to
form the first ‘board’ and we got things moving.