When I was growing up, I would go hang out with older guys at night in blues clubs.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
But between sets I'd sneak over to the black places to hear blues musicians. It got to the point where I was making my living at white clubs and having my fun at the other places.
When I got old enough to go to night clubs to hear that music at the age of 15.
I think that as you get older, you mellow out a lot more. Having been through the ups and downs in life, I feel more qualified to play the blues.
I was in 30-plus clubs when I was 14 years old.
When I got out of high school, I joined a local blues band in Philadelphia - Woody's Truck Stop.
I went back to Belfast and started a club, the Maritime. No one had thought about doing a blues club, so I was the first.
I was always drawn to the blues. Alberta Hunter at the Cookery was a life-changing experience. I only wanted to get enriched as a performer as I got older, to have an audience which got older, too, and would come to see me when I'm 80.
I was always a closet blues player.
I still like to play the blues more than anything else.
Blues music is becoming more and more popular than it ever was. I'm always meeting people on the road that are really young, and are guitar players. male and female.