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to their criticisms, their carping, that I created the UKBlues Federation and several of the events which we organize!
It would also be great if more people would join the UKBlues Federation because their financial support means we
can give more financial support to blues in the UK and to those playing the music we all love and hold dear as well
as doing more to encourage younger people to get into the
blues which is essential for its survival. It would be lovely
to have more people involved in what we do, helping to
make a success of our activities and enabling us to do
more. Sadly, too many people are very ready to criticize
but not so ready to act positively and join in!

LL: How have things in radio and such changed over
the years?

AS: Back in 2001 when Digital Blues started, there was
barely a handful of specialist blues radio shows available
with Paul Jones’ BBC Radio show being the most well
Buddy Guy
known and widely listened to. The advent in the UK of
community radio stations and internet radio has seen an
explosion of blues radio shows, so much so that now, in
my opinion, there are actually too many! Whilst it is well-
nigh impossible to even guess how many people there are
who regularly listen to specialist blues radio shows, if one
takes into account that there are at least 70 such radio
shows just in the UK, it must follow that many of those
shows are only listened to by a very small number of
people and that having so many radio shows can only dilute the listener numbers. Add in the availability of many of
those shows via podcast platforms, listen again streams etc. and the audience becomes even more thinly spread.
Search Radio.net for blues radio and 328 stations come up from around the world and that is just on one site!

I often find myself wondering whether it is really worth continuing as for me, like almost all presenters, there is a not
inconsiderable cost, both financial and especially in terms of time etc., in preparing, presenting and promoting a
radio show. Bear in mind none of us get paid for doing what we do!

I am extremely blessed and honoured in that I have a show which, over the years has regularly appeared in the top
five in various awards and was placed fifth in ‘the top 15 Blues Music Audio Podcasts & Radio you must Subscribe
& Listen to in 2019’

LL: You’ve had a chance to work around many artists over the years. Care to share a favorite story?

AS: For many years I was the compere at the now sadly
Lonnie Donegan
closed, New Crawdaddy Blues Club in Essex and had the
privilege and honour of introducing and listening to many
fine acts ranging from local bands to international touring
artists. Whilst I could tell several stories of big artists
acting like divas, I prefer to stick with positive memories.
It is difficult to pick out just a few but there are a few
occasions that stand out:

The New Crawdaddy Blues Club over its 20 year existence
under the management of Paul Dean, prided itself on
presenting a huge variety of acts and one such was the
Lonnigans, probably the best skiffle group in the UK who
took their name, of course, from the king of skiffle, the
wonderful Lonnie Donegan. One of the band members was
Eddie Armer who had played the club a number of times
with the Nigel Bagge Band. We had a wonderful evening
with so many great songs from my youth and towards the
end of the set, Eddie called me up to sing a number with