Started off playing music when my parents sent me to piano lessons at the tender age of six. Didn't last long though, as the tutor was a bit of a dragon and was forever rapping my knuckles, insisting that I read the music and stop playing from memory, coming from a long line of muscians that played by ear, I found the constraints of learning musical notation got in the way of actually playing.
All through my upbringing I was never far from a piano, guitar,trumpet, banjo, harmonica, zither! my home reverberated to the sound of the sixties Liverpool merseybeat scene due to my Dad having played in the Swinging Blue Genes at that time someone was always on hand to show me a chord or a piece on the piano.
Fifteen was when I finally took music seriously when my life long friend Ian Jackson came round to my house with what can be described as toy guitar, which he'd painted black and decorated with gold symbols. I knew some chords which I shared with him and it wasn't long before we were both thrashing out Beatles numbers, much to the annoyance of the neighbours.
Our first gig was a support spot at the Ellesmere Arms, Ellesmere Port with another local group Freefall, We called ourselves Untold Secret, hence that's where I got my name. I was playing bass guitar, Jacko was on guitar and we enlisted another local lad, Ian Biggs to play drums. Things were going well, we were playing quite a few venues then Jacko dropped a bombshell on us by informing us that he was leaving the band he'd packed his job in and wanted to devote more time to making it in the music business. Bigsy and myself at the time thought he was crazy but we didn't stand in his way. We entered a new phase by roping in a new guitar player Mark Edwards and a bass player Lee Broster, I was now the lead singer/guitarist, this was in my oppinion the best line up of Untold Secret, we kept it going for about another two years appearing on local radio and causing quite a stir wherever we played.
The band broke up after we entered into a battle of the bands contest run by a local radio station and came second, the winners of the competion were to receive a record contract. We were convinced that we would win and the dissapointment really knocked the stuffing out of us and the band driffted apart.
A year as a musical vagabond playing in various groups, Compromise, Darkroom, Midnight hour, to name a few finally saw me join my last band which I stayed with for almost seven years "Ray Docks and the Bathsalts" my old mate Bigsy was the drummer and he gave me some tickets to watch them at Chester college, they blew me away with thier energy and musicianship, after the gig Bigsy asked if I fancied being the lead singer as the chap who was currently singing was standing down, I jumped at the chance and enjoyed some great nights I'd come off stage buzzing with the reception we were getting from the crowd who would usually be dancing on the tables by the end of the night.
Domestic life finally caught up with me with the birth of my two wonderful daughters, and life as a "Rock and Roll" hero came to an end April 1997 when I hung up my microphone for the last time with Ray Docks at the Shell club.
Having written songs all my life I thought it might be a good idea to start recording them so I purchased a digital eight track and have been kept busy recording everything I've written. I'm on to my third album now, four songs that you can hear are from that album,"according to the weatherman" the other two albums being "secret" and "chocolate mousetrap"
Started giging again last year with a gig at the Cavern Liverpool and one at the local Holiday inn, My band members have included, Ian Jackson, Ian Biggs, Mark Holmes, Andy Poselthwaite, Eric London, Keith Smith, Lee Wooder and last but by no means least my Dad.
The fourth album is under way watch this space.
Albums are £5 +p/p
1.Secret (2001)
2.Chocolate Mousetrap(2003)
3.According to the weatherman (2007)
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