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Welcome 2021

Farewell 2020. Don’t let the doorknob hit your backside on your
way out the door!!! 2020 was the longest year of my entire life! As
I write this, folks in the UK have started receiving their COVID-19

vaccines and here in the US they have just arrived. So, I’m

hopeful that little by little 2021 will see some kind of return to
normalality.

To be honest, if it weren’t for my monthly column here in BiTS, 2020

would have been a
complete wash for me. My

performing and teaching career has
been halted. I am deeply thankful to

Ian McKenzie and BiTS for having
me. The ability to keep writing with

purpose and connecting to my music
community has been a godsend for

me during the pandemic. This Yank
is proper chuffed to be a part of

BiTS!

Looking back at 2020 I had the
pleasure to bring you interviews

with many wonderful artists,
including current Grammy nominee

Ruthie Foster, Sugaray Rayford,
Dawn Tyler Watson, Anthony

Geraci, Victor Wainwright, Kaz
Hawkins, and Vanessa Collier to name a few. Many were very brave artists who went forward with

a new release in the strangest and newest times for performing musicians. I was honoured to
interview UK Blues Federation founder, blues broadcaster and music presenter Ashwyn Smyth. He

told us all about his varied and fascinating career, the UK Blues Federation, and the blues scene in
France. In addition, I interviewed retiring Blues Foundation president Barbara Balin-Newman. She

reflected on her time at the helm of The Blues Foundation and all the accomplishments. In the June
June issue I interviewed a variety of artists, labels, presenters including Fiona Boyes, Bob Corritore,

Kevin Hillier, Bruce Iglauer and A. J. Gross about life in the music business during the pandemic and

how fans could be of support. The music kept flowing as best it could during COVID-19 and it was a
delight to write about it for BiTS.