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Alexander, Music & a Short Biography
I had a very healthy Pedigree of good music on account of my father only listening to the purest music there was around. At a young age he used to play music to me and my sister. We didnt know why we liked it but we just did! I used to hear the likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival and various "old men playing Bluesy music" as I called it. I didn't pick a single note till I left school. I wondering what to do to kill time when a local blues player and family friend picked out a second hand guitar from a local guitar shop and presented me with it. I spent the next few years honing the skills needed to make any kind of living whilst battling the usual mundane jobs needed to fund this passion. I needed a way in to the music business so I decided to enrol in a college course in an attempt to meet like minded musicians. I moved up to Nottingham to do this course and took up a job in a local blues bar up there where I saw the best acts from all around the world letting out their soul on stage. By this point I had began to really find the type of material that I was into and was able to distinguish between what I considered good music and bad music. Working in that bar developed my ear for music and taught me about the blues. By the time the college course had finished my musical tastes had broadened and I was listening to the likes of Bukka White, Otis Redding, The Faces, Free, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters and I developed a small taste for Cajun too. Working in the bar one night the band playing finished their set and following a discussion with them I found myself joining and moving to the deep south (of England!) and resided in Cornwall. I was there for a couple of years whilst we gigged some up tempo rhythm and blues to the people. I was always writing my own material on the side whilst performing with the band and eventually it got to the stage where it was band or solo, decision time.
I was listening to the likes of the grease band, the band and little feat during this time and found it gave a countrified layer to the original blues foundation I had layed. I moved back to the home town of Gloucester where I played open mic nights as soon as I could to get a bit of feedback. The aforementioned local blues man and friend of the family attended and was impressed with what he heard. The following week I had been put in contact with a local music promoter who liked what he heard and proceeded to put me on in the local area supporting American artists. To date I'm in touch with a few promoters, all giving me various supports here and there around the country. Generally, I've spent the past 5 or six years sleeping on couches, floors and in laundry rooms etc, moving place to place on the journey through life trying to turn the passion into a living. Burned by many a woman and turning it into a song! |
Music Reviews "....Alex can really pick and is blessed with great vocal chops. His songs seem to pour out naturally and effortlessly and THAT's a real cute trick......" - Robbie Fischer - (Fischer wrote, "medicine man" for Johnny Winters Grammy nominated album, "let me in".)
"......Not sure if Alexander John has a day job but if he does it surely won't be for too much longer as he has bags of talent, with a smoky voice that should belong to a man 50 years his senior and some fabulous blues guitar playing......"- Paul Dallison "Crackerjack" review "Alexander is a breath of fresh air and a real pleasure to perform with. He's forging a new trail through a well trodden musical genre and with the tools he has - great songs, a soulful voice and passionate guitar playing - I have no doubt he will do it very successfully." Mark Cole - Sons of the Delta "Alexander John is set to be one of the hottest Americana, Cajun blues acts to be found across the UK! Great slide guitar and burning hot vocals to match!" Barry Middleton - Premier Nottingham Promoter - ' The Running Horse '
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