British | All About Blues Music

SHIRLEY COLLINS

English folk singer Shirley, met Alan Lomax in 1954 when he was living in London. They became romantically involved and also performed together in a ‘skiffle group’ with Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger. Five years later, Shirley travelled to The States with Alan to make some field recordings as part of his work for the…

JEREMY SPENCER

Jeremy could play slide-guitar just like Elmore James and that is what he was brought into Fleetwood Mac to do, contributing to massive hits like ‘Albatross’ and ‘Black Magic Woman’. His rumbunctuous stage act got Mac banned from some venues and, in turbulent times for the individual players, musical differences saw Jeremy becoming isolated within…

Ruby Turner

Ruby’s warm and emotional voice lends itself to Gospel and Soul as well as the Blues. Capable of depicting such extremes of joy and pain in her performances, she engages with her audience to produce a very special kind of empathy. Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica but a brought up in Birmingham, England she is…

CHRIS SPEDDING

Guitarist Chris Spedding is not weighed down by fame, but if you consider his work over the last 50 years, he has made a subtle contribution to many aspects of modern musical history. He has played with old Bluesmen; up-and-coming Punks; massively popular kids’ comedy bands; he toured with Rock icons; appeared in big musical…

HUGH LAURIE

Highest paid actor in a TV series for his work in ‘House’, film-star, best-selling novelist and hilarious partner to Steven Fry in UK comedies, Hugh is an unlikely Blues icon. His first album, ‘Let Them Talk’ featured 10 classic Blues songs, and included guest appearances from Dr. John, Tom Jones and Irma Thomas. It made…

JOHN MAYALL

John Mayall played a crucial role in the development of British music in the 60’s that re-vitalised the Blues from its enclaves in the Black American community and gave it to everybody. As leader of the Bluesbreakers, his revolving door policy gave dozens of young players a chance to step into the spotlight. Mayall himself…

PETER GREEN’S FLEETWOOD MAC

When Blue Horizon boss Mike Vernon arrived at the studio in 1966 to produce John Mayall‘s second Bluesbreakers album ‘Hard Road’, he noticed a new amp and no sign of Eric Clapton. Vernon was shocked that ‘God’ was not in the band, but Mayall said, “Don’t worry, we’ve got somebody better!” They were big boots…

ALEXIS KORNER

Alexis Korner was an inspirational force in the British Blues Boom of the sixties. As a performer and band leader, he was a pathfinder and mentor for a whole generation of young musicians and as a broadcaster he spread the word about the Blues to the whole British population. In 1928, Alexis was born in…

ERIC CLAPTON

Eric Clapton became the world’s first rock star guitar hero. The skinny white kid from England learned to play Blues guitar; rode the high wave of 60’s rock revolution; wiped out spectacularly, and gradually earned respect as a lyrical and sensitive interpreter of the music. As an artist who tours and records regularly, and as…

THE ROLLING STONES

The Rolling Stones are sometimes called the Greatest Rock’n’Roll Band in the World. They are certainly one of the most enduring. They have re-invented themselves countless times over the decades, embracing many styles and starting a few of their own, but in the beginning they were definitely a Blues Band. Mick and Keith met on…